Dark Suns
Existence
Prophesy Productions

Dark Suns are a German band whose members all have long blond hair like Thor. Dark Suns was previously self-described as being "Progressive Dark Metal", but with Existence they say the Dark Metal influences are all gone. I'm not saying this record couldn't be good, but, a bunch of ex-metal long haired caucazoids playing prog-rock isn't exactly something I'd call vital. Even in Germany. But then again this might be exactly what we need.

The strings and wind-in-the-trees that begin Existence aren't so bad. The singer reads a poem about immortality before we get the first glimpse of Dark Sun's guitar sound. Plenty of open 5ths and hand mutes show this band's deep metal influences. In fact, calling this prog doesn't make much sense. It still sounds like metal to me, maybe not Death Metal, but those guitars aren't really prog. You'd put this on at some Wiccan party or something. Drugs probably wouldn't even be needed at such a place, you'd just be crazy enough without them. This isn't psychedelic prog.

This music is hard to qualify, really. I know a lot of people that would immediately be turned off by the style, but that's not a fair way to listen to music. My problem with Dark Suns is that they don't sound different from other bands. It's Opeth, Anathema, and a million other bands that are basically playing the same music. And Dark Suns are really German. The singing and melodies are creative enough, but I just don't see how Dark Suns are doing enough to individualize themselves on this album. This is for Vampires that want more of the same.

Copyright © 2005 Eugene Ward