The fresh and unadultered sounds of Sandman Viper Command may be a little tough to immediately classify, but the immediate exposure that the band will enjoy from Everybody See This, their debut, isn’t a bad start. It’s a largely harmless listen, but odds are the four young dudes that make up the band aren’t out to carve their place in rock and roll mystique. Instead, there are twelve flavourful tracks that will probably piss off the neighbours of a house party more than they will have parents listening and wondering nervously what their children are really upto. With distinct touches of summery power-pop (“Ba Ba Ba”) and lazy blues swagger (“Dial M”) Sandman Viper Command prove that for such a young band, they’ve already got a wealth of listening experience. What’s more, they’re clearly quite adept at harnessing these influences and putting some rather deft finishing touches on them.
Lyrically, there isn’t heaps to cheer about here, with tracks like “Mushroom Samba,” jumpy as they might be, come off sounding just slightly above obnoxious and immature. The harsh touring roads of their native Canada would likely benefit the band immensely. Plus, tracks like the furious punch-up of “Oh Yeah, It’s Fusion” will likely win across every crowd that crosses them. The sound of Sandman Viper Command surely evolve in due time, but for now, Everybody See This presents a young band with enough promise to share.
By Joshua Kloke
