‘Caustic Waves’ crash in with latest single ‘Evolution’
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- September 11, 2022
If you think being a full-time software engineer and a busy father of two children impedes your musical journey, Neil Thomas proves you the otherwise. His unyielding passion for music has culminated in his latest project, Caustic Waves which enjoys alternative rock/metal and post hardcore influences with a pinch of late-90s nostalgia. As you listen to his songs, you might pick up influences of bands like Far, Deftones, Helmet and Finger Eleven which helped shape Neil’s teenage years in the ’90’s.
Neil previously played rhythm guitar in an alternative metal band ‘Keitel’ in the mid-2000s, before switching to bass and singing as a backing vocalist in the harmony-driven power-pop band, ‘The Chinaskis’. After years of gaining further musical and sound engineering knowledge he established his own project.
‘Evolution’ is his new single and is reminiscent of Biffy Clyro, with its energetic chorus, uplifting breakdowns and groovy verses. His lyrics encourage the listener to dispense with negative people and to grow and evolve into being their best self. As Neil sings “You thought I wouldn’t change”, two interpretations of “You” comes to mind. First is a toxic person who used to be a friend but drained energy, and second is the singer’s past self before the evolution. The music video for ‘Evolution’ starts with sea wave sounds and ocean footage – symbolic of evolution and a source of life – followed by heavy waves, thunder, and glitches which manifest turmoil and chaos – the core elements for change and evolution to resolve a disturbance.
Watch the music video for ‘Evolution’ from Caustic Waves
There are musical attributes that make this piece of art more interesting. Firstly, the intro of the song begins with a solo line of rhythm guitar. Since there is no percussive count down and the guitar line has rest notes in between, the listener might initially feel confused by the rhythm, untill the drum intro comes in and sets the pattern for further smooth head-banging which builds as the chorus begins and the rhythm guitars become more distorted.
The rest of the song is not a mere duplication of the first verse and chorus – as you listen to the second verse you notice that the bass line does not play those rest notes and instead, Neil plays all the eighth notes of all bars. Following the second verse, the second repetition of chorus ends with layered vocals in different intervals singing various parts of the lyrics. Octave solos are so common in this genre and after this second chorus, octave solos are played followed by intervals of a cappella vocals that prepare you for the next section – the heaviest part with darkest melodies and lyrics in which the drummer plays various rhythms to add to the excitement. Finally before the last chorus, the main notes of the verses are played with a disparate rhythm that shows the progressive element of the song and surprises the listeners.
“Evolution” is available on all major music platforms and you can also enjoy the lyric video on Neil’s Youtube channel.
Find more about Caustic Waves, click here, and on all major streaming platforms. Get in touch with the IAMUR team for coverage, reviews and interviews here.
