STAINLESS officially started in Portland, Oregon, in 2022. Past and present members have all been active in the Pacific Northwest underground scene, playing in bands such as Black Breath, Long Knife, Lebenden Toten, Halt, Bellicose Minds, Nightfell, Malikili and Ripper. Their first sign of life was the “Snakebite”/“Too Hot To Steal” single (self-released on vinyl).
This is now followed by the mini-album “Nocturnal Racer”, consisting of the title track, “Shot For Shot”, “Believer” and “The Evil Lies”. It was recorded by Evan Mersky at Red Lantern Studio, Portland, Oregon, throughout 2023/2024, produced by Jamie Byrum and mastered by Magnus Lindberg in Stockholm. The material was recorded by Larissa Cavacece (vocals), Mira Sonnleitner (bass), Joe Sugar (drums) and Jamie Byrum (guitar, vocals). Joe Sugar is no longer in the band and has been replaced by Terrica Catwood of the band Time Rift.
“I would describe us as hard rock or heavy rock,” explains Jamie Byrum. “There are plenty of heavy metal elements in our sound but I think it would be misleading to call us a pure heavy metal band. »Nocturnal Racer« features a much more metal sound than our previous single which was more blues-based.”
Having moved from Canada to Portland, singer Larissa Cavacece puts her stamp on the STAINLESS sound with her raw and raspy voice somewhere between Leather Leone and Wendy O. Williams. Jamie Byrum: “Her influences go be beyond Chastain and Plasmatics but I know she’s honoured to be mentioned in the same sentence. She has a goth background as well as the crustier sounds of bands like Amebix and Sacrilege. Also a big Bowie fan and loves 70’s rock. Coincidentally Larissa’s introduction to being in bands was fronting a Plasmatics cover band.”
According to the guitarist (and vocalist), “sex, snakes, motorcycles, fast cars, rock ‘n’ roll, perseverance, evil and heavy metal are all subjects that seem to fit our music.” He continues: “It usually just starts with a line or word that happens to sound good with a riff, and then that will dictate the subject matter for the rest of the song. ‘Believer’ started as just one word and then somehow turned into a song about the healing power of music.” Expect more of STAINLESS in the not too distant future as the band is already working on the material for their full-length debut album.
LINE-UP
Larissa Cavacece – Vocals
Mira Sonnleitner – Bass
Jamie Byrum – Guitars
Joe Sugar – Drums
Review
“Nocturnal Racer” had an odd groove to it, beginning with a riff that felt both old and modern. The pronounced bluesy influence is definitely a strong point for me, giving STAINLESS something to stand out from the crowd. More than that the influences are all over the place, with MOTORHEAD being the most obvious, but I also picked up on ZZ TOP and even some glam acts, plus a bit of punk thrown in. Unlike a lot of what I’ll call “MOTORHEAD worship”, STAINLESS didn’t feel like an imitation but more like a send-up. Great way to start off the EP!
“Shot for Shot” started off with a much more streamlined heavy metal-like riff, though the later guitar work did remind me more of 70s hard rock like AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN. Absolutely adore the mixing on this track, those bass and drums are thunderous! Speaking of the mix, I have to shoutout the production of the EP so far. It’s clean, but it still has some grime to it to make it ‘metal’, for lack of a better term. I like my metal polished, but not too polished. The southern rock-like bridge section, not unlike something you’d hear from ZEPPELIN or Mk2 DEEP PURPLE.
“Believer” had a furious drumroll that exploded like a machinegun to start it off. Right off the bat, this one had a more speed metal feel to it. While I didn’t think this one was quite as strong as the last two songs, there was still a lot of good here. The tempo shift near the midpoint was a magic, and the gallop of the bass during it all was very Di’Anno-era MAIDEN, on top of the melodious mini guitar solo that would’ve been right at home on Killers.
“The Evil Lies” opened with a riff that reminded me of early FATES WARNING and other USPM of the 80s. Similarly, the vocal delivery on this track is entirely different! Having an ethereal, almost menacing, quality to it that really helps it to stand out. Also has my favorite lyrics on the EP! While the overall tempo of the song is more subdued throughout, compared to the most prevalent speed metal tones earlier on in the EP, it never felt played out or dull. It felt evil in all of the best ways. Every metal band should have a song like that.
Conclusion
What a stunner this was! With influences galore and a sound that wasn’t quite like anything I’ve heard lately, STAINLESS was more like spotless for me. The sheer amount of avenues that this brief release covered left me wanting more from the foursome. The raspy vox of Larissa Cavacece are unique, and I think that’s one of the most important qualities for a vocalist to have. If I can pick your voice out of a lineup, then you’ve earned some points. Definitely don’t miss the upcoming vinyl and CD release of this EP, with two bonus tracks from the band’s previous single, from High Roller Records when it releases on 7th March, 2025.
TheNwothm Score: 9.5/10
Links
Bandcamp: https://stainlesspdx.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stainlesspdx
The Nwothm 
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