Search - Heart of Sun :: Heart of Sun

I Love Discovering New Bands...and Heart of Sun Is Well Wort

Just Bill | Grand Rapids, MI United States | 04/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Italian prog-metal band Heart of Sun features shredding guitar solos, Dream Theater-like arrangements, superb musicianship, and enough of its own unique approach to songwriting to make me hope they release a new album soon.



I love prog metal that offers shades of gray, atmospheric nuances interspersed with balls-out metal mania. When a band can engage my mind while it's kicking my behind, I'm a happy guy.



There's enough comparison to Dream Theater here to make any prog-metal fan happy. But -- and I know I risk a tarring and feathering by admitting this -- I like Heart of Sun better than the last few Dream Theater albums.



Take track five ("2016 AD.NET") for example. An offbeat, almost jazz-piano-like intro provides the bed for some tasty slap-bass playing, and nearly David Gilmore-like guitar noodling. The song is only 3:58. But it manages to pack a lot of clever musicianship into those scant four minutes. I can imagine this song would make for a great improv session played live.



Three songs ("Evil Tree," "Proxima Centauri," and "Solar Wind") clock in over eight minutes in length, which is great for a prog-head like myself. I love it when a band can stretch out and write lengthy compositions. (Any band that can write long songs that still hold my attention gets two thumbs up in my book.)



My favorite tracks tend to be the really atmospheric ones, like track eight ("The Invention of God"), the aforementioned "2016CD.NET," and "Solar Wind" (track nine). "Solar Wind" begins in an almost Pink Floyd-like way (shades of David Gilmore!) that slowly builds to a catchy-riff climax.



A gentle piano song ("Sea of Tranquility") closes the album, leaving me wanting more.



Nightmare Records can always be counted on to release what I consider to be superior metal albums. Owner Lance King (a famous metal vocalist in his own right) does it right, from the packaging to the pristine quality of the production, to the talent and "magic" of the bands themselves.



If the next Heart of Sun album builds on the quality of their first release, they're liable to gain a much wider, and more passionate, following.



Highly Recommended!





"