Review: Soundstem – Tomorrow Can Wait

Background:

In approximately two years, Soundstem has not only impressed crowds with their rockin’ live performances, but have also recorded their first full-length album. By combining driving rhythms, exploding solos and solid drumming, the band is definitely right on the edge of the radar and more than ready to break in. Soundstem has already received honors from CFOX’s Vancouver SEEDS contest which ranked the band in the top 10 out of over 400 entries.

Soundstem is armed with a killer live show and a kick-ass album that is sure to make any hard rock lover an immediate fan. The band raises the banner of hard rock and have their sights locked on success.

Here We Go:

Soundstem immediately grabs your attention with a tense and intriguing introduction to “Erase,” which is the opening track off the album. The intense verses lead into a powerful chorus that starts the album off on the right foot. Track 2, “Lights On” is a hard, rocking ode to sex. It’s very Nickelback-ish…Its like “Animals” pt. 2, so it should catch on quickly with anyone who is a fan of Nickelback. “I Won’t Miss You” is the next track on the album and it presents the listener with tense verses and a chorus that couldn’t be any clearer. Basically, the moral of the story is the same as the subject of the song:  just stay away! This song also gives the first guitar solo of the album and it’s a killer one. “Waited For You” softens things up a little until you get to the guitar solo. From there on out, the song packs a serious punch that makes “Waited For You” one of the standout tracks on the album. “Tomorrow Will Come” wraps up the first half of the album and is an anthem for the angry that hope for better days. The chorus hammers this point home lyrically with, “Tomorrow will come and take my pain away”.

“When I Look At You” is track 6 and is the closest you’re going to get to a ballad on this record. A song about someone that is obviously of importance presents a passionate chorus and a meaningful ode. Track 7, “Awake”, storms through your brain with crashing riffs and even some screaming. “Awake” is definitely one of the hardest songs on the album and is bound to get the blood flowing. “Club Candy” is a classic case of “don’t judge the book by its cover.” I’m going to be honest: I didn’t know what to expect with that title, but what I got was exciting. Simply put, “Club Candy” is just a cool, intense rock track. “Take You To Heaven” is another one of the harder songs on the album and it leads straight into the album finale “Livin’ It Up (‘Til I Die)”. The quirky beat box intro leads into some cool bass parts and nice guitar solos that end the album well.

Highlights: “Erase”, “I Won’t Miss You”, “Waited For You”, “When I Look At You”, “Club Candy”

Final Thoughts:

I think this band is going to do well. They’ve written a cohesive and fun rock album that is comparable, (at least in my eyes), to bands like Nickelback. If Soundstem can attain the type of success they are capable of, be prepared to hear a lot from them in the future.

Check Out These Too!

1. Soundstem
2. Review: There for Tomorrow – A Little Faster
3. Review: The Veer Union – EP
4. Review: The Better World – Broken Memories