STONE SOUR's JOSH RAND Pays Tribute To 'Big Four' Of 1980s Thrash Metal With 'Big F.O.U.R.' EP

THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT, the musical meeting of minds between Grammy-nominated STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand and PARALANDRA vocalist/guitarist Casandra Carson, will release a new four-song EP, titled "Big F.O.U.R.", on March 18 via Bloodblast. The collection features a clutch of cover versions, one each from heavy music's pioneering icons METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. The duo's take on ANTHRAX's "Caught In A Mosh" is revealed today, to coincide with the EP's pre-order. In addition, the single's sleeve artwork was designed by none other than ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante.

Rand comments: "Recording a 'Big F.O.U.R.' cover EP is something that I have wanted to do for a very very long time, and last fall I decided to finally do it with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT.

"Without these four bands (METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER),my musical career wouldn't be where it is today. In some ways, you could say this project is paying homage to them or, how I see it, a return to where it all started in my parents' house as a teenager trying to learn just a piece of the music.

"Each of the four songs that I picked were pivotal in my development as a musician, whether it was learning the intro to 'One' on guitar, drums on 'Symphony [Of Destruction]' or bass lines in 'Caught In A Mosh'.

"This EP was a true love and passion project for myself. I feel I captured the vibe and the spirit of the original but with THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT sound. Hopefully you hear it too!"

Rand continues; "'Among The Living' is a top three album of all-time for me, so covering 'Caught In A Mosh' was a no-brainer for us to do."

Carson adds: "'Caught In A Mosh' has an infectious energy to it, and I'm absolutely stoked with how it turned out."

Meanwhile, ANTHRAX's own Frank Bello comments: "Casandra sounds great and Josh did an amazing job nailing all the parts on 'Caught In A Mosh'. Great job, guys."

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand's penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy. THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's debut self-titled EP came out last summer and is available exclusively through the band's webstore or via the Nuclear Blast store.

Josh and Casandra's debut single, "The Nothingness", was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. "The Nothingness" was also included on SiriusXM Octane's "Test Drive" show on release.