The new CD is a concept album that is much more than a wallow in excess. It “has a point and a positive message,” according to Kerry, bass player for Long Island’s Sonic Bliss, “but it’s hidden, to a degree.” Dodging excess includes not indulging in tenebrous esoterica, yet the proper amount of mystery is maintained. There’s plenty to think about. This is smart – but not arrogant – music. Sonic Bliss doesn’t talk down to its listener. Nor does it insult the intelligence. Songs like “Dead Sea of Love,” “Sahara,” “Better Days” and “Seven Days Forgive Me” form a soundscape seething with energy, overflowing with heart, pregnant with meaning. It’s the classic rising phoenix-like into the brilliant voice of tomorrow, the tradition of music as storytelling made meaningful to a 21st Century audience.

In the ever-expanding world of Sonic Bliss, listeners of all stripes are warming to the recognition of favorite flavors while being dazzled by originality. Progressive complexity is expressed – with accessibility. Hard rock muscle takes root in the same fertile garden of sound in which thrives lush melodies and gorgeous sparkle. The contemporary and cutting edge entwine with flavors born of nostalgia.

Seekers of all sounds are embracing exactly what Sonic Bliss’ name promises. Modern flair transcends trendiness even as classic heavy rock tendencies are interwoven with the passion of balladry. Guitar lines twist and twirl, resonating with both the pretty and the powerful, gleaming and moving fluidly, yet crisp with precision. The rhythm section delivers groove and hooks but with mathematical accuracy. The technical and the organic merge. The melodic and the metallic manifest. Even the vocal style dovetails with the Sonic Bliss mix of splendor and grit.

Such a cornucopia of aural wealth has found the band as Alice after consuming something magical on the other side of the rabbit hole. “We have turned down some local shows because we have outgrown the venues,” says Kerry. Then there’s the physical size of the band to consider. “In addition to the six members of the core band, we hire brass [including former Springsteen and Blood, Sweat and Tears players] and a keyboard player. That’s nine people all strutting their stuff on stage, so we need the bigger showrooms” – to accommodate the band – and the audience.

Furthering the band’s huge growth – as if the album alone wasn’t enough to ignite a mushroom cloud of fandom – is Sonic Bliss’ recent teaming with A&R Select, the premier A&R firm based out of Los Angeles, CA.

“We’re going after the brass ring. We’ve been at it for a long time and we’re gonna get it!”

More information is available by visiting www.sonicbliss.net  and www.arselect.com . To contact Sonic Bliss, call 323-924-5897 and ask for Joe Conte or Mike Burns.
 

While the heart of the band’s sound is rooted in guitar-driven melodic songs with an extensive use of vocal harmonies, its strength is in well-written songs embellished with strings, brass, and even a children’s chorus. The aforementioned Lea, not yet 21, is a rising star supporting the core band, which consists of dynamic lead vocalist Rene Berrios, who can also double on guitar, percussion and just about anything else he can get his hands on, the dual lead guitars of Roger Petersen and Kerry Christian Agnew, who trade riffs and harmonies as if they tap the same spirit when playing, and the rock solid rhythm section of Glenn Roberts and Charlie Martinez on bass and drums respectively. “Seasoned veterans” may actually be an understatement. In previous lives, band members have either performed with or opened for Joan Jett, Mountain, Dee Snider (with and without Twisted Sister), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Smokey Robinson, Anthrax, Carmine Appice, Ike and Tina Turner, Rick Derringer, Clarence Clemons, and even an off-Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

As Sonic Bliss, the band has opened for Winger, Prong, Ten Feet From Murder, Black 47, Richie Havens, Cactus, Savoy Brown and Blue Oyster Cult, to name a few. Being a staple of the New York City club scene — as in B.B. King's and the Highline Ballroom — the band was one of the last bands to play the legendary club CBGB, and NY Newsday critic Rafer Guzman hailed the show as “One of the best sets CBGB has seen in a long time … an entire Ozzfest in thirty minutes.” An online reviewer called it “Metallica meets the Black Crowes.” The influences of the band run the gamut of all the greats in many styles of music from Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Who and Queensryche, to anything that makes the listener think, react, and be influenced by the songs, be it Peter Gabriel, Amy Winehouse or Jack White. While the guitarists in the band have roots in Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix, they are also known to embrace the contemporary sweet sounds of John Mayer.

The underlying message in the music of Sonic Bliss is simply that dreams should, in fact, never die. Dreams and goals should be pursued until they are reached, and with strong musicianship and superior songwriting, the band’s recently released second disc, “Loved to Death,” is destined to be a chart topper while the band continues its pursuit of world domination. The masses are in for a real treat when they discover that there is a rock band out there that still cares about kicking major ass with music that people can relate to, and songs that actually have meaning and undeniable passion in both the lyrics and the music.

Experience Sonic Bliss.

Sonic Bliss songs are available on iTunes, and the band is currently importing their myspace page from www.myspace.com/sonicblis  to www.sonicbliss.net . CDs and merchandise is currently available on www.sonicbliss.net