BLACK SUN
Black Sun
Nothing beats good ol fashioned heavy metal. Sometimes we get bogged down with all of these exclusionary and over-abundant subgenres. It’s nice to relax with some steel-to-flesh, magical metal. Today, I have the pleasure of writing you this review of BLACK SUN’s self-titled album reseasing this Friday.
THE BAND
Formed in Ecuador in 1999, BLACK SUN have been melting faces with their balls-to-the wall metal stylings for over two decades. With three full-length albums and one EP to their name, these veterans of brutality have a lot to live up to.
With Netta Laurenne (Smackbound, Laurenne/Louhimo) absolutely crushing it on vocals, Christopher Grünberg and Nino Laurenne (Netta‘s husband) soothing our ears with their melodic guitar lines, Santiago Salem keeping the consistent feeling on bass and Nicolas Estrada functioning as the heart beat for the band, BLACK SUN forms a familiar yet somehow unique outfit that continues to amaze.
THE ALBUM
As I said before, this is not BLACK SUN’s first rodeo, so having an entire discography of certified bangers is a great way to get hype for the new album. Starting off strong with “Slay The Queen”, the band gives us an insight into what the rest of the album will consist of, which is pure metal worship.
Expected aspects of melodic heavy metal show their heads throughout the album, with awesome and catchy hooks, soaring vocality, and energetic rhythmic backing. But, one thing that I have to give credit for is the pacing on the album. This is not just a mere collection of tracks or a front-loaded setlist, it is carefully curated. The band is careful not to show their hand too early in the album, especially when my personal standout track “Rise” comes near the latter part of the album.
More than a few delightful tracks sprinkle the album without a shadow ending the album with a literal and metaphorical bang. Beautiful production and hard-hitting lyrical content make this a cocktail for any fan of pure, unadulterated metal.
THE VERDICT
BLACK SUN hits it out of the park once again. These 20+ year vets have shown they can keep things fresh and interesting after a storied career. Check out this album for a great time, independently releasing september 6th.
Matthew McCune