THE SETTING SON (Spring Of Hate) LP/CD
Finally, here's the second album from Denmark's THE SETTING SON, released in 2009 by Bad Afro Records, and it will help to cement their presence in the books of psychedelic garage rock/pop. This time main songwriter Sebastian T.W. Kristiansen has found some devoted musicians so that THE SETTING SON is now a real band, while the first album has been recorded with the help of a hired backing band. 'Spring of Hate' is not only a genuine homage to bands like Love, The Seeds, The Ventures or 13th Floor Elevators, but also a proof that you can play this kind of music with a modern edge. Well, it doesn't mean that THE SETTING SON care about current trends, but their songs sound refreshing and demonstrate that this kind of music is immortal. The high-pitched vocals won't appeal to everyone, but I like them because they're so different and unique. Most of the included twelve songs are very catchy and turn out to be real earworms, but that comes as no real surprise, because S.T.W. Kristiansen already proves his talent on the debut.
Maybe now someone could assume that 'Spring of Hate' is an album full of 'love and peace' clichés, but that's wrong. A lot of sadness lurks under the surface, and not only the album title but also the artwork show that THE SETTING SON is well aware of the dark times we're living in. It doesn't make much sense to analyse single songs, because this album is a cohesive work, but songs like 'Depression', 'I lost Control', 'Wrong from the Start' or 'Demons in my Head' are among my favourites. 'Spring of Hate' is more varied than it's predecessor due to additional instruments like an organ and the songs are more mature and offer a bit of a surprise. Once again the album has been produced by Lorenzo Woodrose (Baby Woodrose, Dragontears, ex-On Trial, Pandemonica) and is mixed by John Gellet, so that you can expect an authentic and natural sound. If you dig that kind of music as much as I do, then it's definitely no mistake to buy a copy of 'Spring of Hate', because THE SETTING SON is more than just a promising band. Higly recommendable!
(KK)