Two decades have passed since Sons of Ra emerged onto Chicago's scene with their fusion of heavy prog, jazz, math rock, and elements of avant-garde. Initially a line-blurring experiment based on improvised music, the trio has proven that the itching of jazz fusion aficionados and math/progressive rock/metal purists can both enjoy the same musical relief.

The band independently released four EPs since 2016, culminating with the critically acclaimed six-part suite Tropic of Cancer in 2024.

Now, Sons of Ra evolves with their full-length album debut Standard Deviation, diving deeper into their roots of avant-garde jazz, fusion, math and progressive rock while maintaining a powerful metallic crunch. The album features interpretations of compositions from jazz legends Carla Bley, John Coltrane, and Don Ellis, balanced with a collection of original compositions reflecting the group's diverse influences.

Standard Deviation was recorded and mixed by Spenser Morris and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Alan Douches. The cover art is a commissioned painting by Chicago-area artist Nick Gurley.