The band gets together every year or two or three for a recording session. There is very little advance musical preparation, by design and ennui. Mark brings some lyrics written in advance and makes others up on the spot, occasionally singing what he thinks of as a "melody."

Sonic Ordeal is a band configured in the classic format of drums, bass, two guitars and a lead singer who holds a tambourine. Yes, just like the Rolling Stones but maybe more like Pere Ubu, except that we don't know how many people are in Pere Ubu and we don't know what they play, but they do have a fat guy who sings in a weird and limited voice, which is just like Sonic Ordeal. The other band members, Alan on bass, Sheldon on drums, and Craig and George on guitars, are eerily similar to their counterparts in the original Rolling Stones, when Brian Jones was still alive.

In order to describe Sonic Ordeal, it is necessary to define the genres in which they record. Much of the music can be classified as "Surfgeezer", with forays into "Surfgeezer Blues." Many would call them a "garage band", but they prefer the sub-genre, "Carport." They can also be described as, "Hard Listening" (as opposed to "Easy Listening), which is appropriate, as people often find this band hard to listen to. This is particularly true among people who are talented musicians or those who have good pitch. In the field of "Mood Music" they would be found under "Bi-Polar." They have also been referred to as, "Rock-and-Roll."