Release
date: January
17th
2020.
Label: Holy
Roar
Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Toward
The Sun – Tracklisting
1.Transcending
2.The
New Sun
3.Mire
4.Transcendence
5.Light
Bearer
6.Controlling
Waves
7.To
Ascend (Awakening)
Members
Scott-
Guitars/Vocals
Gaz
- Bass/Vocals
Gazz
- Guitars
Ben
- Drums
Review
Toward
The Sun is the 3rd
album from UK Progressive Doom/Sludge Metallers Garganjua and it sees
the band fully complete their journey in creating the same type of
emotionally charged music that YOB and PALLBEARER are known for.
Which is quite an accomplishment as the band started out as a
Doom/Stoner Metal band with their debut release.
Their
musical journey since then has led up to this album and it’s their
most accomplished album to date with an array of outstanding ideas
that have a haunting and emotional feel to them.
Opening
song – Transcending – is a Post-Rock/Doom based song with ambient
sounds and rhythms and a cool audio-clip laying down the groundwork
and themes for Toward The Sun to follow. The haunting gloomy guitars
are played briefly while the Ambient grooves are delicately played.
Second
song – The New Sun – carries on the beautifully played
Post-Rock/Doom/Gloom atmosphere of the opening song before the song
brings in lush sounding vocals and heavy progressive melodies that
build up to a more violent style of Doom Metal. The vocals and riffs
both take a more dramatic turn with Garganjua living upto their
Doom/Sludge Metal roots with an avalanche of punishing riffs that can
be quite unsettling at times. Though the mood is always emotional and
addictive at the same time. The song does have a cool way of moving
between different Hard Rock/Heavy Metal textures where the mood can
be beautifully quiet and then highly volatile the next.
Third
song – Mire – starts
rather slowly and is perhaps the “template” that Garganjua are
most comfortable using by creating slow-paced grooves that take time
to come alive and explode with violent aggression. Shades of YOB and
PALLBEARER can be heard within this song with Post-Metal lyrics
shining through. T The bleak growls adds substance to the whole
atmosphere of the album but it’s the Ambient/Post-Rock vibes being
played that held my attention throughout.
Fourth
song – Transcendence – is a hypnotic style of Post-Rock, Doom,
Sludge and Psychedelic sounds that show a different side to Garganjua
for the first few moments of the song. The audio-clip once again
leaves you feeling ashamed of being apart of humanity and Garganjua
drive that message home with their unflinching style of Progressive
Doom Metal that takes no prisoners. The music is flawless and you
can’t but agree with everything that is being said on this album.
The
other 3 songs on the album Light Bearer, Controlling Waves and To
Ascend (Awakening) all carry on the deep progressive and emotional
themes that Garganjua play superbly well throughout with To Ascend
(Awakening) being the best song on the album.
The
final 3 songs on the album is where Garganjua create some of the
heaviest and best moments on the entire album. As the band throw a
lot of different sounds and ideas at the listener that maybe too
heavy going at first. Though it’s a wonderfully cinematic
experience that demands many repeated listens.
This
is
the
type of album that could launch Garganjua into the forefront of the
UK Doom/Sludge Metal album. There is no denying that Toward The Sun
is a masterclass of Progressive Doom/Sludge Metal and is most
definitely Garganjua’s beat album to date and hopefully their
calling card to bigger and greater things.
Toward
The Sun is an unmissable album and demands your full attention.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Justine at Holy Roar Records for the promo. Toward The Sun will be
available on CD/DD/Vinyl via Holy Roar Records from January 17th
2020.
Links:
