Dark Suns was formed in 1997 by Tobias Gommlich and Nico Knappe in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany. Initially planned to be just a side project for the duo, Knappe and Gommlich found themselves increasingly absorbed in Dark Suns. In 1998 the duo recorded their first cd called ‘Below Dark Illusion’. During that time they had numerous line-up changes. The band began to write their first full-length, ‘Swanlike’, in 2001. Their latest album is ‘Grave Human Genuine’.
It begins with an instrumental opening. When I hear this, I know this isn’t going to be a standard metal album. These musicians are talented, but do not show off their craftsmanship and skills. They play groovy riffs and impressive songs. This is progressive metal by the book.
Throughout the album they combine world music with the use of flutes, bongos and other native instruments. Each band member is also a vocalist. The result is very diverse, switching easily between grunts and clean vocals. They also use samples which creates a lot of ambience. Could they be inspired by Pink Floyd?
Each song has it’s own voice, this album contains fusion, metal, industrial beats, world music and even some parts could be movie soundtracks. But at some point I think the songs combine too little to make this a coherent album. Bottom line is that ‘Grave Human Genuine’ contains great songs for prog fans.
- drummerszone.com
