GLOWSUN (The Sundering) CD
Some bands need more than a decade to release their debut album, and this French band belong to that category, too. It seems that they have put a lot of work into 'The Sundering', released in 2008 thru Buzzville Records, because it's an eclectic album and although GLOWSUN is definitely at home in the territory which is controlled by Kyuss and Dozer they've integrated a tasteful 70's vibe into their sound without mutating into a retro band. The first part of the album surprises the listener with vocals that add a slight oriental vibe to the entire sound.'My Jesus' ranges between heavy riffs and mellow themes, embedded into a structure that reminds to some of the heavy prog bands from the early 70's, but GLOWSUN is definitely no progressive band. The band writes songs that blend and balance heavy and progressive rock for a varied sound that allows them not only to follow the same formula. This is the main difference to a band like Kyuss, but sometimes it's the riff that dominates the song as in 'Barbarella' which is more straight-forward, but this three guys mostly have an ace up one's sleeve and surprise the listener with an unexpected change. The guitar fills the atmosphere nicely, ranging from heavy fuzz-driven riffs to soulful wah-wah excursions. GLOWSUN doesn't do anything out of the ordinary for their genre, but they are good in what thye are doing. It would be great if they could make their music more intense, because sometimes it's a little bit to sleek for my taste. But I don't want to be unfair, because only time will show if they will carve out a sharper musical profile.
(KK)