Josh Rand has been a big part of Stone Sour the band’s inception. A while back Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor announced that instead of continuing Stone Sour that the band would go on hiatus, and he would pursue a solo career.

Other members of the band were already busy with different projects, like Roy Mayorga helping fill the shoes of Vinnie Paul in Hellyeah, and Christian Martucci joining Black Star Riders. So it left me wondering what Josh Rand would do given how integral of a piece he is to Stone Sour.

Wonder no more! The L.I.F.E. Project is a collaboration between Rand and Paralandra singer Casandra Carson. When I heard the first single “The Nothingness” my first thought was, “wow, this is Stone Sour, with a female vocalist”. Which was kind of a dumb assessment. Again, Rand is such a big component of the band, it would only make sense that his sound, is Stone Sour’s sound.

But as today’s date approached more singles off of this self-titled EP were released, and the songs started to really grab me. The difference to me was that Casandra started to showcase what she can actually do on subsequent tracks. There is no doubt in my mind that she’s a powerhouse vocalist that is making a huge statement with this release.

So back to “The Nothingness”, after taking it all in, it even makes more sense this was the first single. The familiarity in sound to what Rand has done with Stone Sour should resonate with fans of that band. So it is a way to kick down doors and help bring this band to the masses that are already familiar with his style.

If you’re remotely a fan of Stone Sour, this is something you should check out. If you’re a fan of big booming, monstrous vocalists, you also need to check this out just to take in what Casandra Carson is all about.