Chicago’s progressive metal/jazz fusion trio Sons of Ra have released their debut full-length, Standard Deviation, today via Free Electric Sound, the instrumental arm of The Lasers Edge Group. Formed by guitarist Erik Oldman Vecchione, drummer Mike Rataj, and saxophonist/bassist Keith Wakefield, the band has spent two decades blending heavy prog, jazz, math rock, and avant-garde, earning praise from jazz fusion and prog rock fans alike. Following their acclaimed 2024 EP Tropic of Cancer, this nine-track LP dives deeper into their roots with covers of jazz legends like John Coltrane and Carla Bley alongside original cuts.
Recorded at Palisade Studios by Spenser Morris and mastered by Grammy winner Alan Douches, Standard Deviation features guest spots from bassist Stephen Reichelt, percussionist Paul Abella, and flautist Isaiah Sanderman, with artwork by Nick Gurley. Stream it on Bandcamp, catch the videos for “Disintegration (Alabama Revisited)” and “Lividity And The Ascension” on YouTube, and grab CD, vinyl, or digital at lasercd.com or sonsofra.bandcamp.com. “Jazzy metal goodness,” raves Metal Injection.
The band hits the road tomorrow with a hometown release show at Reggies in Chicago, joined by Luc Mosley, Katie Klocke, Aerie Dover, and Quentin Dover for a septet performance. More dates follow:
- April 12 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies (w/ Wave Cage, Puke In The Icetray)
- April 25 – Lafayette, IN @ North End Pub
- April 26 – Louisville, KY @ Planet of the Tapes
- May 29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Bantha Tea Bar
- May 30 – Baltimore, MD @ Orion Studios
- May 31 – Melvindale, MI @ Parts and Labor
- June 12 – Oak Park, IL @ Val’s Halla
Tickets and merch, including signed copies, are available at sonsofra.bandcamp.com. More shows are in the works—stay tuned!