Band Biographies: CAUSTIC WAVES

CAUSTIC WAVES – Melodic alternative rock/post-hardcore with a pinch of late-90s nostalgia

Full-time Software Engineer by day, music producer by night… once the kids are asleep. Neil Thomas is a busy father of two, with a lifelong passion for music that has culminated in his latest project, CAUSTIC WAVES.

Along with bands like Soul Blind and Bleed, CAUSTIC WAVES is part of the growing revival of 90s/00s alternative rock, post-hardcore, and post-grunge. Taking influences from bands of that era such as Incubus, Far, Deftones and Helmet, in many ways it’s a return to Neil’s formative teenage years. Unlike his teenage self, Neil now has the musical experience and confidence to pull it off.

Although CAUSTIC WAVES is a new project, Neil has built up his musical experience over the last 20 years. After cutting his teeth as guitarist in the alternative metal band KEITEL in the mid-2000s, Neil switched to bass and backing vocals as part of the harmony-driven power-pop band, THE CHINASKIS. With CAUSTIC WAVES, Neil takes elements from both of these bands, resulting in a 90s-tinged alternative rock sound, with thick crunchy rhythm guitars, driving bass, and hook-laden lead vocals backed by layers of harmonies.

“Despite being his debut, Caustic Waves is an artist that doesn’t feel amateurish at all. With stellar production, a great lyrical display, and prominent musicianship, this is a project that all fans of alternative rock should keep on their radars.” – Right Chord Music

CAUSTIC WAVES was launched in March 2022 with the debut single ‘REGENERATE’, the first in a series of single releases throughout 2022, followed by ‘INVISIBLE ENEMY’, ‘IDIOCRACY’, ‘EVOLUTION’ and ‘BARRIERS’.

With positive reviews from various music blogs, the songs received airplay on stations including EGH Radio, ERB Radio, and Amazing Radio, while the music videos have been featured on the popular YouTube channels Spaceuntravel and BlankTV.

Between the single releases, Neil also kept himself busy with a series of vocal covers on his YouTube channel, tackling the likes of Taproot, A Perfect Circle, Silverchair, and Finch. This helped widen his audience and grow his online following, and even caught the attention of some of the original artists.