Bringing an explosive blend of grit, melody, and unapologetic rock intensity to the table is Little Rock, Arkansas-based trio Stays In Vegas. Their signature sound fuses the relentless heaviness akin to Helmet, the raw and visceral energy of Nirvana, and the darkly magnetic grooves of Queens of the Stone Age, all fine-tuned to match their preferences, creating a uniquely potent style that’s distinctly theirs and one that is refreshingly tailored to cater for the needs of varied rock music fanatics. What began as a cover band back in 2011 has morphed and materialized into this original rock powerhouse, making massive waves even outside Little Rock borders.
“Memories of Pain” sees Stays In Vegas take a slight departure from the grittiness, heaviness, and intensity of their signature hard rock sound, favoring a more subdued, easygoing, and mellifluent acoustic, piano, and string-laden sound to allow for the emotional depth of the song to flourish.
The song’s execution is quite simply dexterous, as the band incredibly balances the song’s mellowness with some drum punchiness and cohesive bass throughout the song’s length.
The song starts with tenderly nurtured guitar melodies and gentle piano notes as the soulful strings endear themselves to the soundscape as much as a listener’s heart and soul, providing a decent backdrop for the lead vocalist’s emotion-driven vocals that echo the poignancy behind the song’s inspiration.
With 1 minute and 15 seconds of this mellifluous foundation, the punchy drums and striking bass are added to the mix, adding depth and controlled intensity that allows for the track’s memorable chorus to be delivered in tandem with this strong foundation, again mirroring the track’s emotional depth.
This back and forth goes on for a while before the song adopts a drivingly strong rhythmic force inspired by the powerful drums and guitars before another intriguing guitar-piano-string interplay adds to the song’s impressiveness. That’s right before the drum-peppered melodies climax the track!
An outstanding reflection of top-notch production, “Memories of Pain” was actually mixed and mastered at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London.
“Memories of Pain” is a poignant tale of mental health and survival depicted through its raw yet evocative expression that speaks to the quiet resilience of survivors, reflecting the painful journey of confronting and ultimately overcoming inner turmoil.
Please listen to the song below and find more information on this as well as Stays In Vegas’ new 2-track EP “Duality” and their forthcoming album from the website www.staysinvegasofficial.com