Sun Caged
The Lotus Effect
Century Media (2011)
For a band I really enjoy, it was extremely difficult for me to review the new album from Dutch progressive metal band Sun Caged, The Lotus Effect. I found this odd, because it actually is a very good album. It took me a while to pin down exactly what it was about it that was irking me.In fact, I actually … Read more
Sun Kil Moon
Ghosts of the Great Highway
Jet Set (2003)
If this album were being reviewed by a sportswriter the scoffing would begin within it's first 10 seconds. "Cassius Clay was hit more than Sonny Liston"...what the hell is this guy talking about? What is he some kind of sports conpiracist? "You're not duping me, Kozelek!" And even though Mark Kozelek seems to have a mild obession with boxers throughout … Read more
Sun Ra/Merzbow
Strange City
Cold Spring (2016)
Big kudos are due to Justin Mitchell of Cold Spring for making this release possible, and bringing to life one of the strangest meeting of the minds. Irwin Chusid of the Sun Ra estate released a few rare and unreleased tracks from the great artist, which would be remixed by noise maestro Masami Akita, also known as Merzbow. Strange City is the … Read more
Sun Worship
Elder Giants
Translation Loss (2015)
Back in early 2014 Elder Giants dropped like a bomb in the midst of the black metal scene. The German outfit had previously released a couple of splits (with Earth Chaos and Unru) as well as an EP and a demo, but their debut album found them on a whole different level. Their work managed to encompass different aspects of … Read more
Sun Worship
Pale Dawn
Golden Antenna (2016)
Sun Worship made a grand, and quite unexpected, appearance in the black metal scene with their debut full-length, Elder Giants. The album was supposed to be released just in digital format and on a limited tape release, but, the quality of this work saw an additional CD release coming later on through Translation Loss Records. The band's grasp on the … Read more
Sun-0-Bathers
Floater EP
Morning Wood Records/Thousand Islands Records/Paper + Plastick (2020)
Two years ago I reviewed Local Warming, the debut EP by Sun-0-Bathers. Two years have passed, but not much has changed for Sun-0-Bathers. I am not going to blame them for it. If you have a winning formula, why change it, right?That winning formula for Sun-0-Bathers is straightforward 90’s skatepunk. Summer is the best time for releases of this type in … Read more
Sun-0-Bathers
Local Warming EP
Morning Wood Records (2018)
If you think this band has something to do with Sun-0)))))))))))))))))))) or Deafheaven (even after looking at the artwork), please look on! You will not find anything of your liking here. And I'm grateful for that! Seven tracks (five if you don't count the intro and outro) would have felt like an eternity to me if I had to sit through that. Instead, this … Read more
Sundown
Keep Moving
Wise Blood Records (2022)
It’s interesting that Sundown calls this record Keep Moving because, in many ways, it feels stuck in 2005. It’s a mix of melodic and chugging hardcore, with dual vocalists and two very different styles to breathe some extra life into it the format. At its best, Keep Moving recalls Avail while, at its worst, I’m brought back to those screamo bands with one tough guy singer … Read more
Sundowner
Four One Five Two
Red Scare (2007)
I've always thought of The Lawrence Arms' guitarist Chris McCaughan as a bit of a lyrical genius, being able to ever so eloquently put to those seemingly indescribable feelings of your mid-twenties to words. The real magic of his game is the ability to do all of this over the distorted guitars and colossal drums that are often the foreground … Read more
Sundowner
We Chase the Waves
Asian Man (2010)
We Chase the Waves is the second release from Lawrence Arms singer/guitarist Chris McCaughan. While technically his second solo release, this one is truly an individual effort, with McCaughan handling all the instrumental duties except for a few peripherals. His Lawrence Arms bandmate Neil Hennessy handled the majority of the production. Waves has a more stripped down, personal feel than … Read more
Sundowners
The Larger Half of Wisdom
Dirt Cult (2013)
It’s been a couple years of seeing Sundowners’ name pop up on show listings around town. Still, I’ve missed them every time. Well, the band has now popped up on Dirt Cult Records’ roster too, so I figured I was beyond due to see what the Minneapolis band (not to be confused with Lawrence Arms side project Sundowner) is all … Read more
Sundowning
In The Light Of Defeat, I Cease To Exist
Isolation Records (2022)
At times I get a bit carried away by hypes or trends in the music business. One such trend was the whole sludge trend. I loved it, especially when it was mixed with post-metal influences. At the height of this trend it seemed you could not turn a corner without seeing a new band playing that style. This is when … Read more
Sungazer
Perihelion
676832 Records DK2 (2021)
There aren’t a lot of modern bands that genuinely feel like they’re pushing music forward. One such example comes in the form of Sungazer. Sungazer is the brainchild of Adam Neely and Shawn Crowder. Some of you may know both of them from their respective YouTube channels, but for those of you that don’t, I highly recommend checking them out. Both Crowder and … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Black One
Southern Lord (2005)
This is the sound of being stalked by some unnamed horror that you are too afraid to turn around and see. The suspense builds and wanes and builds more to the harrowing climax leaving you with only the droning aftermath to contemplate that anxiety attack that you may have just experienced. What a deliciously terrifying opening to an album. Sunn … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Dømkirke
Southern Lord (2008)
Dømkirke is a live Sunn 0))) album recorded at Bergen Cathedral of Bergen, Norway as part of the Borealis Festival 2007. The twelfth-century cathedral was a perfect setting for the March 2007 performance that also featured Attlia Csihar on vocals, Steve Moore on pipe organ, and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The double album was a vinyl-only release with absolutely stunning … Read more
Sunn 0)))
La Reh 012
Southern Lord (2014)
Long and arduous journeys can at times be a right of passage or ritual of progression or even metaphors for life in general, and the idea that this release marks my listening to SunnO))) for a mind-blowing almost 15 years (I bought The Grimm Robe demo from Aaron Turner at the Hydra Head table when day 1 of Hellfest 2000 went belly up in … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Life Metal
Southern Lord (2019)
Experimental drone alchemists Sunn O))) have defined two decades of extreme music with their slow, dark offerings. Starting in the early ‘00s, the duo comprised of Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson proved to be the most talented disciple of Dylan Carlson’s early sonic investigations with Earth. In those early days the music of Sunn O))) was a cataclysmic experience, highlighted through … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Monoliths & Dimensions
Southern Lord (2009)
Okay, I must say that Sunn 0))) lost me with Oracle, particularly after some mild disappointment in Altar. My eventual listening of Domkirke came quite a while after its release, but it did revive my interest in the band. Now, finally delivering a new studio album (it has been quite a while since their last studio album Black One), Sunn … Read more
