So I've been a bit fascinated with Jeff Scott Soto, how I'd basically never heard of him, why he was chosen for SoA and if perhaps it was a misstep to have him join the band since his vocals while not bad by any means, but didnt stand out much. On amazon, a few of his cds popped up on a sidebar for relatively cheap, 6-7 bucks size I figured I'd give them a shot.
First up was his solo cd retribution. Immediately I was struck by how much better his voice sounded. I had to double check when it was released. Same year as Psychotic Symphony. Granted, the vocals were a little more processed but by no means artificial. Also, the melodies just seemed much more inspired. It wouldn't be JSS with a few cringeworthy moments such as the lyrics, "liar pants on fire!" His solo stuff is a bit lighter, never going beyond hard rock but I honestly haven't listened to it much.
Next up, I picked up the Soto cd Divak. I gotta say, this grew on me fast. Again, the vocals sound great. The music is heavy with a few progressive elements. Mostly aggressive and melodic. Instead of harmonizing with Bumblefoot and Portnoy which can be, um, not great, he harmonizes with his own vocals and it sounds awesome. The songs are pretty catchy. A few of been running through my head the last week.
Honestly, this is what adrenaline mob should have sounded like. You want something more mainstream? This is the way to do it. A few people have said JSS is a poor mans russell allen. I disagree. I think russell allen is a poor mans JSS. Granted, I have heard much RA but nothing has impressed me. Maybe one day I'll change my mind like with JSS.
But the last thing I want to say is, this is proof that JSS is being underutilized. I have a theory that with everything Portnoy and Derek have said about wanting SoA to be like a traditional metal band meant for the live setting, I think they are purposely holding him back so the band's backing vocals are expected, his vocals dont come across as too progressive, and possibly trying to make them more raw. This does him a disservice. All vocalists do some processing whether it's a little reverb or some effects but it can positively effect the music immensely.
I'm not sure if anybody here will like the Soto cd and it didnt blow me away but it is much better than I could have imagined.
As for the new SoA song: meh. I wasnt blown away by Goodbye Divinity but grew to love it but this one seems a bit more bland. We'll see.