Sun of The Suns “Entanglement”

Some bands are just difficult to categorize, and that’s when you know that they’re onto something. Metal is transcendent and its artists should always be pushing the limits of their vision within the scope of reason. No AI or computer apps, but the kind of innovation that bands like Rivers of Nihil and Fallujah are known for. I have mixed feelings when it comes to the kind of record that I’m about to review, because I’m old-school and a Black Metal guy, so, for me, purity is important. But every once in a blue moon a Tech or a Prog band comes along with music that just cannot be denied, despite my finicky ways.

Allow me to introduce you to Italy’s Sun of The Suns - a Technical/Progressive Death Metal band with subtle Core leanings. Me? Reviewing something with “Core” in it? Weird, right? But there’s so much more to Sun of the Suns’ sophomore effort than anything that All Shall Perish has ever brought to the proverbial table. Entanglement, is scheduled for a December 12 release via Scarlet Records. 

Where on one hand you have shit bands like Despised Icon and Job for a Cowboy, on the other, well, when it comes to Deathcore, you just have more shit bands… Deathcore is not Metal, but Sun of The Suns are bringing something pretty special to us, from intro to finish, what we have here is ingenuity and forward-thinking vision that’s resulted in groundbreaking tracks like “On The Last Day of Earth” that not only pummel you into a bloody heap, but also ensnare you with spellbinding melodies and ethereal atmospheric qualities. In other words, Entanglement is for the connoisseur, not the simpleton.

Progressive shades of Blut Aus Nord spew from underneath a foundation of complex breakdowns and slamming rhythms, only to give way to a jaw-dropping lead. Guitars wail in melody throughout the backdrop whilst towering rhythms bear over you; forcing you into a trembling mass of humanity. Helpless in the face of such brutality, and then like a tempest, sweeping in from the horizon, a swell of impossibly heavy progressions unfold as the following cut, “Ephemeral, Ethereal, Eternal”, kicks off with complex harmonies backed by earth-moving blast-beats. 

What a pleasant surprise. I’m a sucker for this stuff: intelligently put together music, wisely composed and devoid of gimmicks. Otherworldly? Yes. Pretentious? Definitely not. There’s a nice balance between hypnotic clean parts - those plush melodic sequences and the heavier stuff. I’m sure I won’t be the only one to pick up on some of these Gothenburg Melo-Death vibes, because they’re thick throughout “If I Could Hold The Sky” and throughout parts of “One With The Sun”. The former dazzles with keyboard-driven atmosphere, while the latter radiates a melancholic aura that kind of seeps into your core; dragging you under and then? Break-fucking-down time, more sick solos and did I mention that Francesco Paoli of Fleshgod Apocalypse plays drums? What a remarkable contribution. Sheer power but also finesse when called for. 

Transcendent… Through and beyond the drab and the typical. Into the sphere of Cosmos, of where eternal mysteries bewilder and into the vast spiral of the Sun do we venture upon this multi-textured sonic tapestry of genre-spanning material. A band destined for notoriety. I just hope they have good representation because it would be a shame for a project such as this that spits in the face of conventional Death Metal/Deathcore to fall by the wayside. It’s a Technical/Progressive/Melodic Death/Deathcore album… Normally, this would be a convoluted shit-show, but man does Sun of The Suns pull it off. 

This is why we listen to Metal. This is the cream and the excitement, because these are the types of records that spark growth in Extreme Metal, evolution and provide an interesting look into future possibilities. A journey awaits! One of brutal yet majestic scapes and of cosmic manifestations. All set to world-beating Metal… And enough of a touch of core to get the pits revved up for live performances. Just none of that two-step shit, savvy? Good… Look to the stars! Take a chance with Entanglement. The unknown calls…

SCORE: 8.5 / 10

You can purchase Entanglement on Scarlet Records’ Bandcamp or stream it on the band’s Spotify when it is officially released December 12th.