Release Date: March 20th 2025. Record Label: Sycophantastic Records. Formats: DD
Red Sun - Tracklisting
1.Ashes 07:29
2.Red Sun 06:03
3.Embers 09:08
4.Red Sun EP (Continuous Mix) 22:38
Members:
Emil Moen, Melvin Treider, Per Semb, and Sindre Haugen
Review
Red Sun is the new EP from Norwegian Psych/Prog/Stoner Rockers Sykofant who blend 1970’s Art Rock Experimentiation with a superb Space Rock sound. Taking cues from the likes of ELDER, ALL THEM WITCHES and Pink Floyd there’s a deep aggressive energy to Sykofant’s overall journey on this record. The record has a fleeting “stop/start” delivery to their music which does burst over into areas of METAL in places which was quite a surprise which appears within the standout opening track Ashes.
Sykofant have a deliberate Post-Stoner theme to their music which allows the sudden shift in Prog Rock dynamics to suddenly appear and merge with Post-Rock instrumental surroundings being quite peaceful and aggressive at the same time. The lyrics are quite deceiving with Sykofant never outlining their full creative plans for the record outright which allows Red Sun to have a mysterious aura around it all. The music is quite vivid with its over reliance on Classic Hard Rock delivery but Sykofant are more than competent to include a thorough and aggressive modern day sound. There is some epic classic rock/metal guitar shredding on certain parts of the EP which is highly satisfying to listen to.
Second song Red Sun starts with an Ambient and Distorted based movement which fully transforms into a Prog Rock musical odyssey with light Jazz Rock touches bringing a subtle Psych/Space Rock style of music which owes a huge debt to the likes of Pink Floyd. The song is quite abstract and way out there with it’s mellow surroundings before Sykofant start experimenting with heavier strands of Space Rock and Prog Rock appearing for brief outbursts of melodic aggression.
The final song Embers opens with an intense blast of Prog Rock/Metal which reminds me of Mastodon in places with Sykofant experimenting with their music yet again. Shades of YES and GENESIS appear within the vocals and lyrics written for this track which can be quite challenging to listen to at times. The song could have easily felt disjointed but Sykofant blends Rock/Metal instrumental passages and the appearance of an actual choir is sheer genius and downright insanity which gives this track a highly original sound that feels operatic and cinematic at the same time.
Red Sun is quite a daring, highly original, brilliantly surreal and downright bonkers record with Sykofant firing on all cylinders that makes this EP a masterful record in it’s own right.
Words by Steve Howe
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