The Cold Stares

Guitarist Chris Tapp (VG, September ’25) takes mercy on challenged attention spans by splitting The Southern sessions and releasing them separately. Like the first, Part II is the conflation of musical chemistry, intense touring, and inspired songwriting. Drummer Brian Mullins and bassist Bryce Klueh join Tapp to perform like Siamese triplets working with a single mind. The genre is blues-rock, and “Little More Rope” is a powerful introduction. With lyrics as burning as the riffs, listeners are drawn into a vortex of angst, regret, and grunge-metal blues, complete with custom fuzz tones with depth and texture. “Ransom” is emotionally triggering, but the riffs are so addictive. “Evil Eye” takes a smidgeon of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” and morphs it into a dark and scary place. Tapp distances himself from the smooth-blues tone pack by going full gnarly with pitch-shifting crunch, like the solos to “Hard to See” and “Last Time You Let Me Down.” The Southern, Part II is gloomy because songs about sunshine and rainbows aren’t as enthralling as the Cold Stares’ “Can’t Call That Love” and “Changed Her Mind Again.” Tapp is perched at the top of his game, finding balance between the familiar and out-of-the-box riffs and solos. – Oscar Jordan This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.