After being the sole operator of his side project debut Southern Weather, Aaron Gillespie expanded his solo effort into a full band deal, which may explain the increase of variety in The Almost’s second album, Monster Monster.

Monster Monster retains the aggressiveness that Southern Weather possessed while diversifying the tempos and compositions as well. Produced by Aaron Sprinkle, Gillespie’s voice has never sounded stronger. Musically, Monster Monster twists and turns, sometimes severely. In fact, Monster Monster channels Foo Fighters a lot more than it does its scene contemporaries. 

Over the past few years, many lead singers from various bands have started up their own solo project, and while it’s not a new concept, it has been gaining steam recently in the scene. From Dustin Kensrue to Gabe Saporta, some have had great success (Chris Carrabba and Ben Gibbard) to not so much (Claudio Sanchez). Regardless of end results, though, many artists still try their hand at the solo career. The latest to try his luck is Underoath drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie, who will be releasing his solo debut, Southern Weather, under the name The Almost through the collaborate efforts of Virgin and Tooth & Nail Records.