Release Date: August 25th 2023. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Sun King: Tracklisting
1. Wicked Words In Gold They Wrote
2. Seeing Stone
3. Sun King
4. Behold The Serpent
5. Below The Black Grow
6. The Yawning Wild
7. Death Shine Light On Life
8. The Lost Color
9. Guilded Apple
Members
David Regn Leban - guitar and vocals
Axel Ganhammar - guitar
Fredrik Dahlqvist - drums
Pontus Ekberg - bass
Review:
Sun King is the new album from Psych/Doom/Fuzz/Stoner Metallers Moon Coven and sees the band continue their musical journey with Ripple Music who released their last album. However, Sun King is a more darker style of FUZZ DRENCHED of Psych Doom/Stoner Metal debauchery when compared to their last album. The FUZZ is strong on this album with Moon Coven playing slabs of DOOM & GLOOM that are more aligned with Acid King, MONOLORD and Uncle Acid.
Opening song Wicked Words In Gold They Wrote is a song that builds upon Moon Coven's trademark sound but with a more apocalyptic appetite appearing within the lyrics and the heavy melodic Stoner Metal energy that veers into themes of Heavy Psych and Blues Rock flair. The grooves are plentiful and have traces of freaky extended instrumental jams when the vocals disappear on the later stages of the song. Moon Coven soon settled down into a more aggressive riff-fuelled FUZZ creative journey for the remainder of the album but all the great work starts with this track alone.
Second song Seeing Stone is ups the volume with the Fuzz/Stoner Metal backdrop that can be considered AMPLIFIER DISTORTION in places but there's a fun and highly energetic classic Rock/Metal background allowing Moon Coven to play an upbeat style of music that will impress all devoted followers of the SABBATHIAN way. Vocals from David Regn Leban have an Occult-ish vibe to them but you can easily see David fronting a classic sounding Desert/Stoner Rock band. Moon Coven add a certain theatrical Uncle Acid-esque showmanship to their lyrics but the added bonus of the Spaced Out themes that slowly appear give the album a different vision and sound.
Third song Sun King embraces a more anthemic delivery with the vocals and how the uptempo FUZZIER grooves appear on the album. Walking a fine line between menacing Doom/Stoner Metal and an uplifting Fuzz Rock sound is quite hard to do at the best of times. However, Moon Coven excel that creative direction on that track alone especially when they employ a more Thin Lizzy style delivery for some of the standout Psychedelic grooves on the album. The atmosphere does change into more Classic Hard Rock but with the power of Doomed Out Stoner Metal being played to a highly imaginative and standout conclusion.
Fourth song Behold The Serpent opens with a Post-Doom/Post-Stoner stripped back sound with little traces of atmospheric jams that sees Moon Coven giving Uncle Acid a run for their money for playing first rate vintage sounding theatrical Doom Metal. This is perhaps where Moon Coven become slightly more daring with their music as Sun King ultimately earns it's Doom Metal credentials. There's still a fine amount of Stoner based riffs but Moon Coven are a more daring band when they play solely to their gleaned out roots.
The album contains five more tracks for Moon Coven to play their catchy and downright aggressive way of FUZZED UP levels of Doom/Stoner Metal sounds that walks a fine balance of providing pure thrills, chills and spills with a gloomy Psychedelic attitude becoming more known on the later stages of the album on tracks such as Below The Black Grow, The Yawning Wild. Death Shine Light On Life and Guilded Life.
Moon Coven don't abandon their Stoner Metal principles on this album at all. As the band always find their way to play a classic Stoner Metal sound that's packed with attitude from the classic era which reminds of KYUSS, Truckfighters and FU MANCHU in places. With the evident fondness of Classic Hard Rock jams that ultimately work it's way throughout the album.
Sun King has allowed Moon Coven the perfect opportunity to deliver their most electrifying release to date. With impressive production values throughout, then again, what would you expect from a Ripple Music release. These guys always release amazing and superbly produced releases and Sun King is no different. However, this is Moon Coven's time to shine and they will no doubt make a mighty impression within the Doom/Stoner Metal community with this great album that will no doubt be considered as one of the most outstanding releases of the year.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Sun Kin will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from August 25th 2023.
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