The Sun Explodes – ‘The Calm, The Storm’ [Review]
Armed with an arsenal of killer riffs, slinky licks, intelligent lyrics and off-kilter rhythms, The Sun Explodes are blazing a path toward somewhere fresh and challenging. While many modern prog-metal bands continue to ride Periphery’s coattails, these guys are pushing into new territory – and the results of their efforts are very, very cool.
There is a distinct sense of transition rather than arrival on The Calm, The Storm. The vocals, while accomplished and at least 97% totally badass, do sometimes feel uncomfortable, on the verge of convincing conviction but not quite getting there – but respect is plainly due for the fact that each line and scream flows effortlessly in terms of structure and placement, as well as for the points where the whole shebang grabs you by the balls/ovaries and refuses to let go (as on lead single The Unnatural). Meanwhile, the songs themselves are excellently crafted, actively encouraging the listener to skip back and relive a favourite moment and – crucially – hit Repeat when the end nears.
Instrumentally, The Calm, The Storm is fucking sick. Check out The Unnatural below if you haven’t already, and check back here when you’re done. See? Told you. That track pulls, pushes, punches and kung-fu kicks its way into your ears amid furious tapping barrages and anthemic hooks – and it’s not the only track on this EP to pull that off. Follow-up track The Grand Design evokes a mix of King Crimson, SikTh and the Mars Volta through fragmented riffs, uneasy cleans, and a brutal drum/bass breakdown section which has to be my favourite moment on The Calm, The Storm. God fucking damn it – that is tasty.
The Sun Explodes are sitting on a potential-bomb which is set to explode in your ears hopefully sooner rather than later. In the meantime, this EP will do you very nicely.
TMMP RATING: 82%
Links / Video
The Sun Explodes official website.
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