Formerly known as Absolute Zero, Blood Sun are a heavy metal trio from the heart of Clemson, South Carolina. Consisting of Caleb Lee on drums, Andrew Duncan on Guitar, and Adam Duncan on bass, Blood Sun are somewhat unique in having all three members sharing the vocal duties in some way. It’s a neat trick that amplifies the heavy metal sound that they’ve been refining since 2014, and its one that they’ve employed brilliantly on their narrative-driven eponymously titled debut album.
Released today, ‘Blood Sun’ is a six-track collection of songs that showcases Blood Sun’s ability to craft powerful, unrelenting songs packed with transcending guitar-built melodies. It’s an album that is steeped in heavy metal tradition, looming large with massive sounds and a heavy reliance on emphatic beats and crashing guitar chords, with each of the six tracks creating a unique wall of sound.
It’s the evolution and dense variations in sound that make the self-titled release so exciting, celebrating transitions from the muddied waters of ‘Coven’ to the soaring, rapid-fire anthemics of ‘Late’, and back down to the brooding, atmospheric underpinnings of ‘Downfall’. The narrative held within the lyrics plays its part to drive the release on, with the album doing almost everything in its power to hold focus and build excitement. Admittedly, the vocals could be cleaned up a little, and the album as a whole would benefit from a more polished production, phasing out the rougher DIY sound in favour of building up the power of the narrative and truly celebrating the deft and brilliantly orchestrated instrumentation, but as it stands it’s difficult not to find a wealth of enjoyment within the debut release.
If nothing else, Blood Sun’s debut mainly suffers due to the nature of its genre, with each track fighting hard to really distinguish itself from the mass of heavy metal anthems in the world. Unique though the full release might be, it’s individual tracks can appear pale when heard in isolation, making ‘Blood Sun’ a release that must be heard sequentially and in its completion whenever possible.
Score: 7.5/10
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