Newfound Tokyo-based band One Stone is nothing short of a supergroup. Every single member comes from a different place in the world and a different musical background that adds a spice of influence to this musical project quintessential to creating this brand new sound these guys have come up with.
Their latest single “Am I The First?” mixes elements of hard rock, progressive rock and heavy metal in a way that’s both jaw-dropping and at times a little bit too much to take. The track begins with keyboardist/ brewmaster Tim giving a sweet line that instantly generates some deep purple vibes which are then followed by a more upbeat bassline and dance-y keys which will hook you up if you’re a fan of Van Halen. Thanks to founding member/bassist Tomoko, the bass sounds super prominent and as chuggy as it should be. The verses are an alternation between empowering electric guitars and fat-sounding kick drums by founding member and mastermind David. The way he drums sets a powerful foundation for every other element to sound as heavy and rock-n-roll as it should be.
With extremely motivational lyrics and a refrain in the chorus that immediately reminded me of the popular track “You Will Know My Name” by Swedish melodeath band “Arch Enemy” I began to feel the metal touch that’s added in the mix here. It seems like these guys have studied a myriad of different genres to come up with their sound. The second verse immediately picks up after the chorus and then Mr Tetsu attacked me with a guitar solo straight out of the 70s hard rock scene. Lead vocalist Soikkam has a powerful mixed to head voice that can seamlessly go through the tenor range and belt high notes with ease. I couldn’t help but think of Marc Hudson of Dragonforce while listening to the bridge.
After the bridge we hear a section that sounds like the first and second verse again – kinda typical coming from prog bands to put this many transitions in one song.
Based in Tokyo Japan, these guys hail from many different regions and vastly different musical influences and mindsets as well. These influences will either be too pleasant to you or overwhelm you with how different from one another they are but seeing how this is the first single from project One Stone, the creative energy must have been booming and I’m glad I got to experience and understand each of these different elements the single had to offer. I’m looking forward to hearing how a full album will be made with these influences in the future.
