HALF LIGHT SOUVENIRS

Dark Suns is an Experimental/Post Metal band from Germany that was founded in 1997 by Tobias Gommlich and Niko Knappe. Tobias has since left the band and the doom metal sounds that were originally part of their sound is no longer a factor in their music. Their 6th album is called 'Half Light Souvenirs' and was released digitally in April of 2019. It will be released on CD and vinyl on June 7, 2019. It has 5 total tracks and a run-time of just over 30 minutes. The current line up consists of Niko Knappe on vocals along with Maik Knappe on guitars, Torsten Wenzel on guitars, Tim Gressler on bass, Ekky Meister on piano and organ and Dominique Ehlert on drums.

The music has a heavy edge to it at times, but almost seems to be more along the lines of Neo-prog or maybe Heavy Prog with a lot of synthesizer also included with the guitar heaviness. The music has some complexity to it, but the vocals seem quite mellow, somewhere between Steven Wilson's and Peter Nicholl's (IQ) vocals, but without the edge and energy. The musicianship is good enough and there are some very good instrumental sections throughout, but overall, it tends to lose steam with the vocals. The longer tracks, 'Trillianthem' and 'My Sermon' are the best, showing the best development and some excellent passages along the way, but there are weak spots throughout all of the tracks that take all of that steam away. Most of it has to do with the vocal sections, which don't really appeal to me.

The high points are just too few and far between, and there are just too many sections that drag along, so that even at only 30 minutes, it seems like it is too long. The music is definitely not experimental or post metal on this album. It also seems to lack enough life to even carry it through it's short run time. Anyway, because of a few high points, the album gets 3 stars.

DARK SUNS is a German group of progressive metal that has even worked on his debut in the genre doom on "Swanlike" in 2002. His pedigree in my opinion has quickly evolved into prog metal in SUPERIOR, to OPETH, to PAIN OF SALVATION and to specific phases of PINK FLOYD or MARILLION, ie their creative space. Their "Existence" 2005 remains for me one of the year's slaps as "Grave Human Genuine" three years later: the time of the last prog revival of the decade made integrating numerous subgenres in which is now considered PROG. This album is their sixth even if it is only one EP, making an appearance every three years.

Let's fact it returns in "Unmade Bed Her 'hand on a fast pace almost prog pop with a catchy chorus and a voice very / too clear to me that bothers me a little; a break with sax and piano comes clear counter this fleeting sensation. "How We Got Lost" continues with an intro redolent LED ZEPPELIN notes to leave on a pace slightly heavier, even for voice, it's still pop psychedelic moments with an omnipresent organ synth and a guitar not enough promote; the organ bringing to vintage sounds nice. "Trillianthem" is in the same vein but with a modern developed weirdest with battery front brings a purely enjoyable development, prog or music as I love, lost in the sounds; there is the pop 60s moments to leave halfway through an explosion of notes too quickly extinguished frustrating limit, then it goes again in a more measured with a more catchy voice finally, 7 minutes of pure happiness! And the good thing is that it reminds me of the great years of this largely unknown group what PAIN OF SALVATION! It's varied, it's catchy, it's good, even if it's not the DARK SUNS I knew! "In Reserve 'hand on a low ambient rating with a voice phrased again pulling up, it's almost monolithic, depressing, a little piano DOORS, it lacks pep given what they could out and it's not the sax welcome by its originality that advances such, unless I tell myself that it might be another group that I chronicle. "My Sermon" ends this EP with a bit more in their original pedigree, there is Haken, the TESSERACT in even though these groups are well subsequent to DARK SUNS! It contains a synth catchy, a trained voice, less monotonous, energetic guitar riff, a latent atmosphere with hints of basic piano and clear at once; the rhythm is growing over this long song, the voice becomes rocky death limit the synth becomes mesmerizing, there are even a few moments a little RIVERSIDE it, then it falls back slowly but in a structured way in a quiet end, soft, soothing too fast. less monotonous, energetic guitar riff, a latent atmosphere with a few piano notes basic and clear at once; the rhythm is growing over this long song, the voice becomes rocky death limit the synth becomes mesmerizing, there are even a few moments a little RIVERSIDE it, then it falls back slowly but in a structured way in a quiet end, soft, soothing too fast. less monotonous, energetic guitar riff, a latent atmosphere with a few piano notes basic and clear at once; the rhythm is growing over this long song, the voice becomes rocky death limit the synth becomes mesmerizing, there are even a few moments a little RIVERSIDE it, then it falls back slowly but in a structured way in a quiet end, soft, soothing too fast.

What about this EP? There will be something for everyone, that those who do not know may find the album fresh, dynamic and innovative strand with instrumental keys in the middle of the verses. Let those who follow them since their early risk them being disoriented by the change of tone, direction given to their music, it seems ... another group! Is it on purpose, looking for a real musical evolution? I ask, hoping secretly find the style of the last song for their next real album.