Sunday 24 July 2022

Red Sun Atacama - Darwin (Album Review)

Release Date: June 17th 2022. Record Label: MRS Red Sounds Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Darwin - Tracklisting

1.11-CH 00:54

2.Furies 08:38

3.Antares 09:40

4.Echoes 06:01

5.Revvelator 05:00

6.Ribbons 08:26


Members


Clément Márquez: bass, vocals

Robin Caillon: drums, percussions

Vincent Hospital: guitar


Review


Desert/Stoner Rockers Red Sun Atacama new album Darwin sees the band offer a more Desert Punk sound with a Streetwise attitude and with a frenzied Stoner Rock approach that can be quite “JAZZY” in places. Classically structured as a Stoner Rock album but with the band playing a Punk Rock approach that is fully realised throughout the album.


Opening song 11-CH is an instrumental offering that doesn’t really bring anything new or exciting to the table but it’s a cool sounding interlude to open the album with.


Red Sun Atacama get the album moving along on stunning second track Furies which approaches the Stoner Rock world with a flashy style Aggressive Punk Rock and FUZZED UP guitars. Imagine KYUSS and FU MANCHU jamming with The Ramones but with a heavy Psych Rock flavour and this is how this track sounds and feels. The song allows the band every creative opportunity to embrace a more freakier style of music with the epic extended jams that appear on the track.


Third song Antares sees Red Sun Atacama continue with that mighty progressive style of Desert/Stoner Rock on the later stages of the track with a true “AMPLIFIER WORSHIP” vibe to almost extreme levels of WEEDIAN based volume. Though, the band starts off with a “Post-Stoner” sonic groove that slowly builds up over time with many different strands of eerie Psych Rock for a more illuminating style of music. Parts 70’s Prog Rock and modern day Stoner theatrics combine for a track that offers perhaps the best instrumental sounds from the band. Red Sun Atacama earns their money on this track alone.


The final three songs Echoes, Revolver and Ribbons sees the band delve further into the trippy based weirdness of the earlier sounds of the album but with a “real life” feel with the excellent lyrics and vocals that accompany these tracks. The songs are violently quick and maybe the band could have slowed things right down on certain sections of the album. However, this allows the album to be a refreshing style of freaky Psych Stoner Rock with Red Sun Atacama perhaps getting the whole “Desert Punk” vibe a whole lot more than Brant Bjork recently.


Darwin is a refreshing change of pace for the Stoner Rock underground. As it’s a bold, vivid and adventurous offering that moves along at a cracking violently aggressive pace. 


This is perhaps one of the “quintessential” Desert/Stoner Rock albums to currently own right now. Red Sun Atacama have delivered the goods with this album and have released their best album to date. 


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Shake Promotion for the promo.


Darwin is available to buy now on CD/DD/VInyl via MRS Red Sounds Records


Links


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