Sun Worship - Elder Giants (album review ) | Sputnikmusic reviews charts news lists blog login browse genres Main Genres:Alternative RockElectronicHip-HopJazzMetal Pop PunkRockSubgenres:AmbientAmericanaBlack MetalBluegrassBluesBreaksBritpopClassicalCountryDeath MetalDoom MetalDowntempoDream PopDroneDrum and BassDubstepEmoExperimentalFolkFolk PunkFunkGarageGothicGrimeGrindGrungeHard RockHardcoreHeavy MetalHouseIDMIndie FolkIndie PopIndie RockIndustrialJam RockJazz FusionLo-fiMath RockMelodic Death MetalMetalcoreMinimalNew AgeNoise RockNu-metalPop PunkPop RockPost HardcorePost MetalPost PunkPost RockPower MetalProgressive MetalProgressive RockPsychedelicR&BReggaeShoegazeSkaSludge MetalSoulSoundtrackStoner RockTechnoThrash MetalTranceTrip Hop new releases staff reviews best new music Sun Worship Elder Giants 4.0excellent Review by Wizard USER (85 Reviews)May 21st, 2014 | 77 replies Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist Review Summary: American black metal repaying the debtIt’s almost hard to start a review about American black metal and not mention forefathers Weakling and torch-bearers Wolves in the Throne Room/ Panopticon who are arguably the most well respected and most recognized influencers in the American realm of black metal. Largely overlooked until about 15 years ago, the black metal scene has now exploded – the Cascadian black metal scene is nothing to shake a stick at either – and finds itself returning to the near homeland from where it began. For years, the Norwegian black metal circuit was all but a few passing prog/ dark metal/ punk crust bands that had sucked the glory days dry and moved on to bigger and more grandeur projects. In a way, it’s funny how black metal has crossed the Atlantic not once but twice now and Germany’s Sun Worship on their debut find themselves influenced by the sprawling atmospheric composures done to perfection by any of the above mentioned American bands. Opening track 'We Sleep’ gets right down to business and lets loose a barrage of frosty-tinged, blitzkrieging tremolo riffs that melt together and morph into abyssal darkness as the nearly 13 minute track unfolds. At first the WitTR comparisons began to creep in and I almost skipped to the next track when all of a sudden the band opens up its assault with a series of plodding, dynamic riffs that would have Fenriz thinking, “I’m going to use those riffs on the next Darkthrone album”. The warp blasting continues after this bridge but what grabbed me the most was their sense of brutality and old-school punk/crust vibe that layers itself beneath the compositions. The contrasting nature of that old school punk/ crust and sheer atmospheric tremolo riffing is done to perfection and pulls this beast out of the water, not allowing the vibe to become lost in a derivative nature of any sort. The black metal just continues to become more refreshing as the next two tracks - ‘The Absolute is Becoming’ and the epic journey through a darkened forest ‘Elder Giants’ – cement their mighty deep runs of atmospheric black metal and underlays it with the origin roots from places where black metal once first prospered. Finally, the last track ‘Transneptunian (Infinite Gaze)’ makes most ambient Burzum tracks sound like amateur ***. The bands take on power-electronics and ambient keys is foreboding and mesmerizing, drowning the listener in a haze of powerful hypnotic lust. The production/ mix on this monster also helps hold it high above the pact in regards to the placement of everything - including the glass-shard raspy vocals - into a perfect order of importance and giving the guitars that extra oomph and the percussion that extra crispness. It’s also important to note that while Sun Worship may sound like their American counterparts, they sound passionate about what they do which I feel is mostly missing these days from the black metal scene. All in all, a cornerstone album of where atmospheric black metal has gone and where it may carry onto next. Recent reviews by this authorThe Austerity Program Beyond CalculationGodflesh PureLord Mantis Death MaskHorseback Piedmont ApocryphaCarcass Surgical SteelBody Stuff Body Stuff user ratings (63) rate it Awful - 1 Very Poor - 1.5 Poor - 2 Average - 2.5 Good - 3 Great - 3.5 Excellent - 4 Superb - 4.5 Classic - 5 3.8excellent Rank: #0 for 2014 related reviewsPale Dawn recommended by reviewer Weakling Dead as DreamsWolves in the Throne Room Two HuntersPanopticon PanopticonAsh Borer Cold of Ages trending all genres albumsThe Artist in the AmbulanHeavy HeavyTo Be Everywhere Is to BeTo Pimp a Butterfly discussionOn 19 Music Lists Comments:Add a Comment 1 2 3 4 Next WizardMay 21st 201420404 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Dedicated to zaruyache and Bergtatt for introducing me to these guys. Love this album to death.AtariStaff ReviewerMay 21st 201427487 Commentshell yes, some more bm and wiz digs it (count me in) also, really nice job on the review man. this sounds awesomePunchforPunchMay 21st 20147085 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.0Nothing about the lyrics in the whole review negdAtariStaff ReviewerMay 21st 201427487 Commentsalbum is still streaming on their bandcamp page http://sunworship.bandcamp.com/WizardMay 21st 201420404 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Nothing about the lyrics in the whole review negd So tell me why they're important and why they're worth mentioning.dragothMay 21st 2014267 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Brilliant album and review, pos'dCrysisEmeritusMay 21st 201417593 Commentsshit i gotta check this good review dudeCrysisEmeritusMay 21st 201417593 Commentsi mean im a connoisseur of frosty-tinged blitzkrieging tremolo riffs that morph into abyssal darkness AtariStaff ReviewerMay 21st 201427487 Commentshaha. one of the best lines of the reviewzaruyacheMay 21st 201425837 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5 | Sound OffI would compare this more to old Ash Borer than WitTR, but yeah point made. If you want more European bm that sounds American, you can also check out the Unru/Paramnesia split because those two bands also seem to worship Cascadia pretty hard. m/AtariStaff ReviewerMay 21st 201427487 Commentsclosing track rulesWizardMay 21st 201420404 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0haha. one of the best lines of the review I thought I was going to take shit for that corny line but man does it ever work for these guys hahahaha so I kept it. Crysis, you will love this. I would compare this more to old Ash Borer than WitTR, but yeah point made. If you want more European bm that sounds American, you can also check out the Unru/Paramnesia split because those two bands also seem to worship Cascadia pretty hard. m/ I always felt Ash Borer owed a debt to Diadem of 12 Stars so I left it as is. Whatever though, the slower riffs sprinkled throughout are the cream of the crop and then....bam back into the blasting! That's what set these guys apart from the Cascadian bands. Going to have to check that split out too. Didn't know you were deep into the bm scene zaruyache, props dude! zaruyacheMay 22nd 201425837 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5 | Sound OffI'm a black metal nerd first and foremost. ^_^AtariStaff ReviewerMay 22nd 201427487 Commentsstoked to jam again EvreaiaMay 22nd 20145400 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Such a sweet album. great review too! Also; "you can also check out the Unru/Paramnesia split because those two bands also seem to worship Cascadia pretty hard. m/" Paramnesia's latest album was pretty sweet too!zaruyacheMay 23rd 201425837 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off^ I thought the change in production/recording style was a step down from their EP/Split. And I thought the tracks had a bit of a hard time staying interesting for 20 minutes. Band did much better with [LESS THAN] 16 minute tracks.RoyalImperialGuardMay 23rd 20141569 CommentsAgreed. The EP was much better than this.zaruyacheMay 23rd 201425837 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5 | Sound OffI was talking about Paramnesia, but I should also check out the Sun Worship ep again.WizardMay 23rd 201420404 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Dedicated to zaruyache and Bergtatt for introducing me to these guys. zaruyacheMay 23rd 201425837 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5 | Sound Offdont u patronize me with ur godam italics. i see how it is. 1 2 3 4 Next Add a Comment: You have to be logged in to post a comment. Login | Create a Profile STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Site Copyright 2005-2022 Sputnikmusic.com All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy