Search - Candlebox :: Into the Sun

Grunge??? No. Listen! It's Worth Your While.

NiTRO | 08/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Plain and simple, Into the Sun is a pure and true rock and roll record. However, the media and the ignorant (those two might just be synonymous) love to put Candlebox into the 1990s grunge bucket. This is unfortunate and absolutely inaccurate, so much so that the band themselves have never embraced the grunge moniker nor have they ever sited any of the bands from that era as musical influences. Beg to differ? Listen to Loud Love by Soundgarden, Rehab Doll by Green River or Superfuzz Bigmuff by Mudhoney and then compare any of these to a Candlebox record. I love them all but they are not the same animal and should not be termed the same.



That said, when listening to Into the Sun you will not hear a grunge or "wannabe grunge" record but rather, you will hear a dynamic record which draws from various classic and hard rock influences as Candlebox always has. Right from the first notes of "Stand" you can hear Kevin Martin paying homage to one of his heroes, Robert Plant, in a vocal phrasing reminiscent of "Immigrant Song". There are moments which include psychedelic rock riffs, a Lennon-esque ballad and an attitude spitting rocker which takes the listener back to the classic days of Aerosmith and Van Halen. In fact, Led Zeppelin gets two nods on this album as the 8:30+ epic slow burner, "Breathe Me In" has a lengthy Rhodes filled intro which feels a lot like "No Quarter" before transitioning into a melodic vocal track and finally exploding into a crescendoed finale. This alone is worth the price of admission! All of the influences are of course seen through the lens of Candlebox and their signature treatments.



Peter Klett attacks his guitar parts with new found energy while expanding on his slew of styles and effects while Kevin Martin's voice has simply risen to another level. Anybody misusing the term "shouting" in reference to Kevin is clearly not listening. I can understand how this could have been the case on 1993's debut, but Into the Sun will have accomplished rock vocalists drop-jawed at Kevin's power, range and delivery.



Candlebox has not reinvented the wheel nor have they ever attempted to do so. They will never be the next Radiohead or Flaming Lips but what they do is write very catchy blues-driven rock songs and Into the Sun as an album is certainly no exception. It draws numerous comparisons to the debut and I can hear that on a level but Into the Sun also brings with it a confidence in song writing, playing and overall execution which has not yet been delivered from Candlebox. Into the Sun may remind us of old times but there are signs of growth and progression all over the record, for instance, Kevin sings in falsetto on the melodic title track, "Into the Sun", there is liberal use of new instrumentation and effects, and vocal harmonies are implemented liberally throughout. Most importantly, the songwriting is just plain better. If there is a downside, Into the Sun doesn't have the youthful, untamed energy of the first record.



All in all Into the Sun is a huge accomplishment for a band that took 10 years off and is a truly accomplished record the band and its fans should be exceedingly proud of! This one's a must have and it translates even better in their live show!



"

Back AND Better Than EVER

Mike Sturm | SAn FRANcisco CA | 07/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"wow soo i bought this cd off of i tunes last night. and ive got to say wow. ive been a candlebox fan for a few years now. i never knew who they were when they were in their 90's hey day. but man i missed out. this cd is most compired to their "self titled" first cd. its verry hard rocking with awsome lyrics and smooth guitar solos. ive listened to the album once through and can say it can only get better the more i listen to it though the first listen did not dissapoint. my favorite song so far is the song " surrendering" i like the way kevin martin's voice shines through although his voice is awsome in all the songs it has a cool texture to it. kind of gravely and growly withou screaming. jsut an awsome hard rocking rock and roll album. if you like candle box for its singer and musicianship and u are looking for more bands similar to them check out buckcherry if you havnt already.



l8terz"

REAL ROCK!!!

Music Fanatic | Bettendorf, IA United States | 07/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Awesome. Just awesome. Nothing is better than real rock, and nobody does it better than Candlebox. It's time to kick the three-chord, screaming vocals, generic melody, solo-less, "I hate my life", modern rock garbage to the dump where it belongs, and Candlebox is back to lead the charge. It is such a pleasure to finally buy a new album made by talented musicians and great writers. Every song on this disc is killer. I would have preferred a couple more of the faster songs, and overall the album probably isn't a total masterpiece like the debut or Happy Pills, but this is definitely one of the best albums that will be released this year. Any rock radio station that doesn't play something off this should be boycotted.



UPDATE: Almost two months after getting this album, I appreciate it even more than I did in my original review. I have a substantial cd collection because I get bored with albums quickly, but I can't stop listening to this cd! I would now say that it actually deserves to stand with their two other classic albums, the debut and Happy Pills. Also, I would say that the mix of tempos among the songs is perfect. In fact, the slower songs have become the ones I enjoy the most on this cd, although the rockers are excellent too. Bottom line: this is an amazing album, especially when considering the ten year hiatus since the last one. Hopefully, they will carry on for many more years, and many more outstanding albums."