Hard rock music fills the headspace with experimental sound

Los Angeles natives Gone Is Gone have been creating music since 2016. Troy Sanders, singer and bassist of Mastodon, Troy Van Leeuwen, one of the guitarists of Queens of The Stone Age, Tony Hajjar, drummer of At The Drive-In, and Mike Zarin, the founder of Sencit Music clashed their talents together to release 2020’s If Everything Happens For A Reason… Then Nothing Really Matters At All. Sanders’s strong voice and deep bass guitar playing fill the atmosphere with raw emotion, Leeuwen’s guitar playing electrifies each track with surging riffs, Hajjar’s drumming is powerful with rhythmic drum beats and Zarin’s multi-instrumentation shreds in the background. If Everything Happens For A Reason… Then Nothing Really Matters At All is a great record because it shows how Gone Is Gone can create wonderful hard rock music through their vocals and instrumentation.

Jamming “Say Nothing” is a fun tune due to how Sanders’s and Leeuwen’s guitar playing amplifies the tune with solid riffs. Right from the onset, Sanders can be heard playing deep rumbles in the background, and Leeuween joins in with blazing guitar notes that shake the minds of those who are listening. “Say Nothing” is a great piece because of how Sanders’s and Leeuwen’s guitar playing keeps the track together.

Bittersweet “Wings Of Hope” not only shows the softer side of the band, it also shows how powerful Sanders’s vocals are. Throughout the whole composition, the sound of Sanders’s soft voice brings a taste of high strung emotions, of wanting to be free from the negativity the world offers him. “Wings of Hope” is a short piece, but it’s a vocal masterclass from Sanders.

Experimental “Crimson, Chaos And You” is a fun composition. Zarin’s multi-instrument playing brings a spacey atmosphere to the piece, blending the background noise into the rest of the instrumental. “Crimson, Chaos And You” displays what kind of a musician Zarin is through his music: one who can bring coherence to any track.

Heart-stopping “Breaks” is a righteous piece. Sanders’s vocals shake the atmosphere with his sharp style. Throughout the entire song, Sanders’s vocals becomes bolder and powerful when he sings the chorus, and it’s noticeably enjoyable how his vocal range changes high to low while singing the rest of the lyrics. It’s fun to hear how quick Sanders can adjust his voice while the musical structure constantly changes on this piece. “Breaks” gives Sanders a chance to show people what his powerful voice can do.

The closing song “Payoff” is a well-played song. The band plays together cohesively. The guitar playing from Sanders and Leeuween rocks the background with solid riffs, Sanders’s vocals remain clear and smooth while he sings the lyrics, Hajjar’s drumming is pretty sweet by how consistent his drum beats are and Zarin’s instrumentation shines brightly with mysterious sounds that can leave listeners wondering how the song ends. “Payoff” is an enjoyable piece because Gone Is Gone worked together to perform a heavy piece with incredible instrumentation and vocals.

Gone Is Gone did a fine job with If Everything Happens For A Reason… Then Nothing Really Matters At All, demonstrating how strong they are through their fierce vocals and ferocious instrumental playing.