MOURNIN'

After major disappointments with such hard prog hypes as May Blitz & Irish Coffee, Night Sun is the jewel that makes taking chances on obscurities so satisfying. Many have noted the guitar & organ driven music that compares well to Deep Purple. They are correct. But imagine the Mars Volta putting out an album in the early 70s, with more concise songs, but still the same melting pot of the day's influences , musically. The singer sounds like Mars Volta's to the point where you wonder if he spent time in the U.S. (Daddy ???) . Some people that I've played this have said some of the instrumental parts remind them of Yes' solo forays, but the virtuosity is not quite there, and the musical motif not as well developed. But if you love hard edged prog, wish that Purple had further developed their prog tendencies, mixed them with a little psychedelia, then Night Sun is sure to delight you. Now if only we could get a few collabs from PA to throw in their two cents on this tasty platter ...

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Posted Monday, August 13, 2007 | Review this album | Report (Review #132951)

This is a highly rated album in some circles, even though it's pretty much straight-up Hard Rock recording. These Germans released this gem in 1972 with English vocals to boot. I find the first side a difficult listen. It's so abrasive and loud that i'm looking for some codeine part way through the first track. It's like on the second side they decided to stop dragging their nails down the chalk board and do something more interesting.The excellent second side still doesn't save this from being only a 3 star album though.

"Plastic Shotgun" is raw and in your face. Insane is maybe the right word. Lots of organ on "Crazy Woman", while "Got A Bone Of My Own" (classy title) is somewhat experimental early before we get a guitar melody before 3 minutes.This is nasty. "Slush Pan Man" is again loud and annoying to these ears. Things get better with "Living With The Dying" which is probably the best track on here. The vocals are great early on before it settles with drums and organ leading. Nice guitar after 3 1/2 minutes too. "Come Down" builds to an excellent sound. "Blind" and the other two tracks bring us back to that straight forward Hard Rock sound.

To sum up, this is a good, raw, hard rockin' album from the early seventies.

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Posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | Review this album | Report (Review #262892)

This is one of those albums where it might have been really big had it came out a couple of years earlier. Night Sun take a proto-metal template derived mainly from classic Deep Purple - complete with a prominent role for Knut Rossler's electric organ - and turns it up to 11, creating faster and more furious pieces than anything attempted by Deep Purple at this point in time.

Multi-instrumentalist Rossler is the star player here, incorporating trumpet and bassoon into the band's sound in order to up the musical complexity and diversity, and manages to do so without compromising heaviness. However, emerging as it did at a time when metal was beginning to move away from the electric organ as a staple instrument of heavy rock, it's a bit of a musical dead end, with some compositions coming across as throwing everything they can at the listener in the hope that something will stick. Still, this is an interesting reminder of the time when heavy groups' instrumentation was not quite so limited, as well as a suggestion of the sonic possibilities were groups to become a bit more broad-minded today.

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Posted Sunday, August 14, 2011 | Review this album | Report (Review #502880)

A friend recommended this album to me. His recommendation was not wrong. The overall sound is generally more contemporary than I expected, though the more balladic "Come Down" felt to me to be more of its time and the persistently consistent organ sound indicates the provenance. The brief ope ... (read more)

Report this review (#1779823) | Posted by ProgRobUK | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | Review Permanlink

This is the best album that i have ever heard so far, especially that this is Heavy Metal when they haven't know what Heavy Metal is. Especially the musical influences this album has, The vocals, the instrumentations, they are just perfect! Although i must say this album is too heavy for my Prog ... (read more)

Report this review (#1078043) | Posted by JellySucker | Sunday, November 17, 2013 | Review Permanlink

Warning! Do ot play at 78 RPM This singular offering from German hard rock band Night Sun harbours many what ifs. Embraced by younger generations of headbangers as a harbinger of various metal stylings, it has frequently been specifically compared to Deep Purple on speed or other stimulant drug ... (read more)

Report this review (#417153) | Posted by Vibrationbaby | Wednesday, March 16, 2011 | Review Permanlink

NIGHT SUN was a one album band who released their only release in 1972. It's fairly heavy traditonal metal, with all the elements of BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN. However, it's also noted for it's recognition to early doom metal and stoner rock, such as KYUSS and the other Palm Desert Scene ... (read more)

Report this review (#117767) | Posted by jikai55 | Monday, April 9, 2007 | Review Permanlink

An amazing album and such a shame that this was they're only album. The band showed a lot of promise. Heavy like Black Sabbath, but in the vain of Deep Purple. Great lead guitar work too. A must have! ... (read more)

Report this review (#65681) | Posted by | Friday, January 20, 2006 | Review Permanlink

Put LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE into a blender and you get this! The voice is very similar to ROBERT PLANT, the heavy sound is a bit like BLACK SABBATH and the tremendous organ-guitar combination reminds me a lot of DEEP PURPLE. Listen to "SLUSH PAN MAN" ! WOW. It bangs hard in ... (read more)

Report this review (#41859) | Posted by Faubzzy | Saturday, August 6, 2005 | Review Permanlink

This band is considered for me the first band playing something like the heavy metal, but with a sax and a classic organ, their sound is like a blend between the early Scorpions and King Crimson, but of course, they have an original sound and heaviest in that time, to give you an idea: imagine ... (read more)

Report this review (#23710) | Posted by | Saturday, April 9, 2005 | Review Permanlink

This album is amazing! If you're a fan of 1970's hard and heavy rock with prog touches you'll lap this record up. Don't let their German roots put you off either, not a trace of that weird euro-rock accent here, (Klaus Meine take a bow!), the english lyrics are delivered with aplomb and no little co ... (read more)

Report this review (#23709) | Posted by | Tuesday, December 30, 2003 | Review Permanlink

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