Sault (Featuring members of Kamelot and Arcanium) was a creation formed by bassist Sean Tibbetts in 2014 and originally intended to be a solo album, but the project soon morphed into a band project. Sean was introduced to guitarist Curtis Jay by long-time friend Bisquette Bewley while at a tattoo parlor. Curtis was asked to record on a few tracks for the Sault demo. The two instantly knew there was something special in the music they had just created and were driven to start on a journey that would soon lead to a full length album. Next they found a singer in Benjamin Riggs, again via friend, this time in the person of singer Kimberley Freeman. Sean, being a member of the symphonic metal band Kamelot, asked his long-time friend and band mate, Casey Grillo, if he would be interested in recording the drum tracks on the Sault album. Casey of course turned out to be a natural fit.
Currently Sault is hard at work finishing their debut album which is to be titled, “Seeds Of Power”. We intercepted a few songs from the album to test the water, and it bangs! The first thing you notice after 3 songs is that Sault has crafted a distinctive sound and whether you call it a style or a formula it is immediately recognizable. And they would make any record label’s job nearly impossible on because out of the 4 songs that I heard taken from the album, all of them could legitimately be rock radio hit singles.
The production showcases the rhythm section of Casey Grillo (drums) and Sean Tibbetts (bass), giving it a driving bottom end while still providing plenty of room to shine for guitarist Curtis Jay. Vocalist Benjamin Riggs doesn’t need to be purposefully given any space, he just steamrolls the tracks with his booming voice.
Judging by these songs, “Seeds Of Power” is going to be one of those few mainstream metal albums that will leave you moshing in your best friend’s living room one minute, and just banging your head the next – neither of which can be trivially discounted in such a genre.
These songs explode with mega drums and monstrous guitar, while Riggs summons demons from the pits of hell to do battle. The mayhem starts with “A Peaceful Moment” – which is anything but. The song quickly establishes how this band can be bone-crushingly heavy and majestically melodic from verse to chorus.
There is no reason why this couldn’t get to the top of the Billboard Chart. “Adonai” kicks off in a more alternative-metal way, with a pumping staccato rhythm, but when Sault hit the chorus, they just can’t help themselves – they’re naturally so fucking catchy they’ve got anthemic choruses tattooed inside their heads. So Riggs cannot avoid the soaring vocals that will have stadiums filled with air-fisting youths in total delirium.
Make no mistake, Sault is a stadium band. There songs call for it…very loudly indeed! When “Guilt” hits its apex and the instruments surge, it creates a musical moment that is, simply put, monumental. I find myself playing it repeatedly because experiencing this song only once is simply not enough.
It’s very difficult to find an album where each song is one you’ll fall in love with and so far we’re 4 out of 4 here, because “Save Myself” is another intensely immersing sonic experience. With the combination of the dramatic and dynamic instrumentals and enthralling vocals, these songs can almost be considered cathartic given the range of themes covered.
In most stories, there is a buildup of tension and excitement within the plot before the climax. With the climax, the pinnacle of emotional stimulation is achieved which then makes way for the resting conclusion of the story. Sault has successfully translated that essential, audience-grabbing formula into music.
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