A socially conscious indie rocker with a mission to turn the camera back on Big Brother in a fresh, fruitful collaboration with drummer Pete Parada of 00’s The Offspring fame – Patrick Doval champions a human story about surveillance and privacy at heart with his new single ‘Soulless Machine’ that ignores its namesake’s implications for driving drums and uncompromising guitar riffs that evoke a healthy mix of Prog, Punk and Blues elements. Although it is not strictly a solo project for Pete Parada, this single is still being presented as the former Offspring member’s greatest opportunity yet to show what he is capable of pulling off without his previous comrades.
Parada’s story saw him serving as The Offspring’s long-term drummer between 2007 and 2021, gaining experience in a major Pop-Punk band with a known commercial status and name value as an IP. He was dismissed, rather forcibly, from that group’s line-up due to his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine over advice from his doctor as a result of his difficulties with Guillain-Barre syndrome. A silver lining, in all of this, is how it led him to the door step of ambitious performer Patrick Doval who, to date, has released six LP’s and 22 music videos in a career spanning over many years. His work has seen him being showcased in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami’s Curator’s Voice Art Projects. Together, the two talented musicians have recorded their classic rock-inspired anthem ‘Soulless Machine’, which is available to stream via all major services now.
In the studio, the pair of veterans were said to have instantly clicked – in terms of sparking up chemistry – over the anti-establishment themes that have characterized the no-holds-barred 21st century rock ‘n’ roll tone of the ballad. Delving into their vision of social unrest, civil issues, government surveillance, security and the fragility of media integrity – you can sense the duo taking their inspiration from Pink Floyd’s The Wall and the deeply influential cult sci-fi classic film ‘Metropolis’. This is especially clear due to the music video, which blends beautiful imagery and striking animation together to tell a narrative of-sorts about a lonely woman who finally breaks free from the tightly woven bondage of her heavy surveillance-level state, as she gasps for relief.
Creating a good follow-up in equal parts to Doval’s previous projects that have landed him a spot in an Art Basel showcase and Pete Parada’s established stint as the master behind the tempo’s of The Offspring for almost 20 years, but it is pleasant to hear that the duo have definitely managed to creatively conjure up a track that feels definitely decent and fulfills those tasks to a satisfactory standard with ‘Soulless Machine’ which, upon first listen, combines the socio-political themes and the urban Post-Punk edge of Bloc Party with a more classic late-90’s post-Oasis Brit-Pop edge akin to Pulp or The Verve while never losing focus on the socially charged songwriting strategy of the track.
The lyrics are noticeably declarative, with Doval telling us to “wake up” and “break the TV” over the top of a rich backdrop set by the guitars and the drums that hit a consistent stride together. Forming this steady groove, the duo manage to keep things accessible and not too heavy for mainstream listeners. Meanwhile, it feels more mindfully aware of its surroundings than most other Metal-influenced singles that have been covered through Rhythm Radar lately. The vocals feel a little disorienting in the mixture and the music video – while impressive – was clearly shot on a budget, but the charm and spirit of the track is never left behind and the imagination of the single stands out among any limitations of DIY production.
Doval’s work has been compared to juggernauts like The Smiths and The Cure by pundits in the past and, while he doesn’t reach the upper echelons of such acts in quite the same way, engaging tracks with a deep political message like ‘Soulless Machine’ will continue to work wonders for him as an artist who gives his fans exactly what they demand, and, in this case, something more.
Words by Jacob Braybrooke
Praise for Patrick Doval
“This DIY mastermind has amassed an amazing repertoire that spans over ten years and five albums” – Rock Era Magazine
“He has, undoubtedly however, scooped up the mantle from performers/bands as diverse as David Bowie and The Cure, among others” – Vents Magazine
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