Artist spotlight: Saosin

The number one emo-era band? Saosin. Unequivocally, undisputedly, undoubtedly. But yet, to others, they’re either fairly unheard of or they don’t even rank against My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Billy Talent, etc. And I get that completely, but that certainly makes Saosin the underdogs.

Now, Saosin were big in my book when Cove Reber was the vocalist. Anthony Green had been and gone, and the tracks he was part of did resonate with me, but it was more that the timing of their 2006 self-titled album meant the Reber-fronted outfit aligned with my taste.

The devout emo (and one that I’d alluded to in this piece) would’ve been all over ‘You’re Not Alone’, and with good reason. But the anguishing, yearning ‘Voices’ takes that emotion to a new level entirely.

These Californian post-hardcore rockers were heavier than a lot of the flimsy emo collectives that appeared in the early 2000s. But it was that heaviness that piqued the interest of the metal fan in me, underneath my emo-stage shell. The ultimate combo.

Of course, Green’s slightly higher vocal pitch provides this dynamism that has allowed Reber to join and leave the band without too much impact on the music. ‘Seven Years’ is an absolute ripper too, so Green’s work should be applauded. But the ferocity of ‘Bury Your Head’, honesty of ‘It’s So Simple’ and infallible pace of ‘Sleepers’… well, it’s just unrivalled really, and Reber led them all. In whatever guise this band comes, though, Saosin is top tier. Fact.