Review: Saint Asonia- Flawed Design
April 17, 2020
Saint Asonia were one of the best emerging bands a few years back and their debut self-titled record catapulted them onto some of the biggest tours and festivals in rock. Fast forward to 2019 and they returned with a new record and a few lineup changes.
Flawed Design shows a band that’s grown exponentially and the changes in personnel show- with bassist Cale Gontier (Art of Dying) replacing Corey Lowery, who joined Seether and drummer Sal Giancarelli (Staind) replacing Rich Beddoe).
They slow it down a bit on this record (“This August Day,” “Ghost,” “The Fallen” ) but they keep the quicker heavy essence that made them so popular on Saint Asonia (“Blind,” “Beast,” “Justify”) and they also bring in some guests- Sully Erna on “The Hunted” and Sharon Den Adel for “Sirens,” which is one of the strongest and more fun songs on the record.
Overall, the record is more polished than their debut was and it shows in numerous areas. They get right to it with “Blind” and they don’t let up until the end of “Justify” and, while some of the songs are slower-paced than on the last album, they place those songs at just the right spots, making sure it doesn’t bog down the listener.
With Flawed Design, Saint Asonia continue to prove they’re one of the powerhouse rock bands going today and they won’t settle for any less.
Rating: 8/10
-Reggie Edwards