photo by Sam Castellano
Metal Injection is hosting the exclusive premiere of âLividity And The Ascension,â the new video/single from Chicago-based progressive metal/jazz fusion trio SONS OF RA. The new song marks the latest single from the bandâs impending debut LP, Standard Deviation, nearing April release through Free Electric Sound.
Two decades have passed since SONS OF RA emerged onto Chicago’s scene with their fusion of heavy prog, jazz, math rock, and elements of avant garde music. Initially a line-blurring experiment, the trio’s most recent work has proven the band’s sound to jazz fusion aficionados, math and progressive rock purists alike while holding their own on bills on the Midwestern heavy music scenes. Formed by guitarist Erik Oldman Vecchione (Mare Crisium, Afrofuturistics), drummer Mike Rataj (Arbogast, Mine Collapse), and saxophonist/bassist Keith Wakefield (Jan King And Medicine Ball, Afrofuturistics), SONS OF RA independently released four EPs since 2016, culminating with the internationally critically acclaimed six-part suite Tropic Of Cancer in 2024.
Having drawn deeply from individual passions and stories, SONS OF RAâs evolution continues with their full-length album debut, Standard Deviation, diving deeper into their roots of avant-garde jazz, fusion, math and progressive rock, while maintaining a powerful metallic crunch. The album features interpretations of compositions from jazz legends Carla Bley, John Coltrane, and Don Ellis, balanced with a collection of original compositions reflecting the groupâs diverse influences.
Standard Deviation was recorded and mixed by Spenser Morris (Saor, Panopticon, Vukari) at Palisade Studios in Chicago and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Alan Douches at West West Side Sound in New York. Additionally, the album features guest performances by bassist Stephen Reichelt (Morgue Supplier, Drug Honkey, Mare Crisium), percussionist Paul Abella, and flautist Isaiah Sanderman. The cover art is a painting commissioned by the band from Chicago-area artist Nick Gurley, layout was handled by Erik Oldman Vecchione with photography from Sam Castellano at Doozy and Vacant Era Photography.
The video for âLividity And The Ascensionâ was directed and produced by Doozy. SONS OF RAâs Keith Wakefield, who composed the piece, reveals, ââLividity And The Ascensionâ is one of the tracks that I brought to the album. While the title might seem morbid, for me the piece is about shedding the old and triumphantly moving on to the future. Iâve had to do a bit of this in my life. I think it is important to remember and sometimes mourn the past, all the while embracing the future. It is a pretty simple and repetitive form that I originally wanted as a palate cleanser to offset some of the more complex songs on our album. But in the studio, it really came alive thanks to the 12-string that our friend Josh let us use and Erikâs inspired playing.â
Metal Injection writes, âIf you’re in need of some jazzy metal goodness up in your ears today, this is certainly it.â
Watch SONS OF RAâs âLividity And The Ascensionâ video first at Metal Injection RIGHT HERE.
Standard Deviation will be released on April 11th on digital, CD, and LP through the Lasers Edge Groupâs instrumental branch, Free Electric Sound. Preorders are live at the label webshop HERE and Bandcamp â the standard version HERE and the hi-res version HERE. The âDisintegration (Alabama Revisited)â video is playing HERE.
A band constantly on the go, SONS OF RA is booking live events and tour dates surrounding the release of Standard Deviation, including a hometown listening party for the album April 4th, a hometown release show on April 12th, and shows in Indiana and Kentucky April 25th and 26th, with more being booked. Expect a flurry of live updates to post over the weeks ahead alongside additional videos/singles from the LP.
SONS OF RA Live/Events:
4/04/2024 Bokeh Lounge â Chicago, IL *album listening party [info]
4/12/2025 Reggies â Chicago, IL *album release show w/ Wave Cage, Puke In The Icetray [info]
4/25/2025 North End Pub â Lafayette, IN
4/26/2024 Planet of the Tapes â Louisville, KY
photo by Vacant Era Photography
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The post SONS OF RA: Metal Injection Premieres âLividity And The Ascensionâ Video From Chicago Prog Metal/Jazz Fusion Trio; Debut LP, Standard Deviation, Nears April 11th Release Through Free Electric Sound first appeared on Earsplit Compound.
