Release Date: September 12th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Remembrance - Tracklisting
Remembrance
Become The Void
Members
Karl Bicknell - Bass
Alex Keen - Drums
Jon Weatherill - Guitar/Vocals
Review
Doom/Sludge Metallers At War With The Sun return with their new EP - Remembrance. This is a brutally heavy and slow paced affair with the band creating deliberate Droned Out passages which has a hidden Ambient underscore within the gloomy psychedelic movements the band conjure up throughout the two lengthy tracks that make up the record. This is bleak music with a purpose where At War With The Sun focus upon building up their musical surroundings with echoes of decaying filth and down-tuned grooves for the majority of the EP.
Imagine THOU and BONGRIPPER jamming with SUNN 0))) with the opening track of Remembrance having an excellent melodic aspect at times within the Psychedelic and Post-Doom aspects of the band’s music. At War With The Sun experiment with their Post-Metal aspect of their sound that evolves into an almost Post-Rock creative flow but there’s a sense of hidden darkness always emerging from the shadows. The harsh vocals from Jon Weatherill appear only when they’re needed but with a style that’s always violent, harsh and aggressive but delivered with real purpose.
Some folks may feel that not a lot happens within the seventeen minute plus runtime of Remembrance but this is a journey worth taking as At War With The Sun fully succeeds in portraying a bleak and aggressive track that’s full of emotional sorrow at the same time. The final five minutes of the track is where the band fully bring their riff-centric sound to the Doom/Sludge Metal vortex with long drawn out notes with a flash of Psychedelic Heaviness and Down Tuned Distorted beats being some of the best parts of the whole EP.
Second track Become The Void has a slight Ambient Post-Rock / Post-Doom opening which allows At War With The Sun to conjure up highly destructive Droned Out Doom sounds merged with a highly cautious style of Atmospheric Sludge. Once again, the band takes a less-is-more approach with the music being played at a very slow pace which only allows the listener to soak up the violent melodies once more.
The level of DISTORTED FUZZ is slightly more powerful compared to the opening track but the name of the game for this EP is “LOW & SLOW” which At War With The Sun pulls off with flying colours. Jon’s vocals once again provide a punishing ritual of SATANIC GROWLS that easily fits in with the Drone Metal surroundings that Alex Keen (Drums) and Karl Bicknall (Bass) create by providing a formidable rhythm section.
Remembrance is a startling and brutal EP to punish your senses throughout. This perhaps marks a turning point for At War With The Sun with this being their standout release to date which could even see them gain quite a considerable and loyal following within the UK Underground Metal Scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Diaries Of Doom for the promo.
Links
