The SUN EXPLODES: "Emergence"

Rating: 7/10

Label: Perscription PR 2012

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The Sun Explodes and the moon waits for its opportunity to finally shine? Actually, if the sun explodes, the moon will also, ehh... nevermind. We're discussing a heavy synth-laden rock/metal quintet out of the U.K. and hardly the scientific report of the day. You'll find an amalgamation of styles on their debut album, "Emergence", and it's very much the experimental approach to contemporary rock. It's basically a mish-mash of EMO, Prog (Math), Synth, and Metal melodies.

They have managed to produce a sonic display of musical angst and progressive ideas where the songs stand on their own merits even if you can't ignore the concept and the reviewers need to name-drop a couple of acts. They're from Carlisle in Cumbria and the likes of Coheed and Cambria and Muse, definitely something to have in the back of your mind while listening to their melodies. I'm a major C&C fan and their sort of music is all about emotion and thinking outside the box. The same goes for The Sun Explodes as the offer a quirkly atmosphere to a certain type of mood and formula.

They're at times heavier than afore-mentioned acts, but vocalist and keyboardist Dave Maclachlan sings with a very clean and poppy approach throughout the album. It's the ever so popular metal band meet poppy singer attitude. Maclachlan can really pull off the high notes though and there's quite a lot of keyboard/piano interludes on the record. The frantic display of "We're Not Soldiers", poppy vocals upfront, growls in the background, it's something we've noticed a lot of as of lately. This is a pretty great anthem though and the style which acts such as Dead By April should explore really. The autotune part is kind of annoying but doesn't last for long, thankfully.

I believe it's just a matter of time before you'll notice these guys on tour outside of the U.K. as it's "progressive music", but certainly more innovative and interesting than many other releases of its type and genre. The opening title track and the following, "Honour Bound", with its buzzing guitars and sweeping melody, the least interesting tracks in my opinion. Things kicks off big time with "Second Sight" and the next couple of tracks. It's a rather complex CD and I'm afraid they could end up inbetween two chairs. Perhaps too complicated for the average EMO fan and simply not enough to the Prog/Math lover? You need to be open-minded and possibly enjoy both genres to fully appreciate The Sun Explodes...

www.thesunexplodes.com