Monday, October 3, 2011

40 WATT SUN - The Inside Room CD review


40 WATT SUN - The Inside Room CD
Cyclone Empire
Genre: Doom
Rating: 5/5

A while back I received the promo info about this release which included a link to one of their cuts on Youtube. After posting the promo info and the song, a friend listened to it and remarked that it reminded her of the band WARNING. Well as it turns out 40 WATT SUN is made up of two former members of that band; guitarist/vocalist Patrick Walker and drummer Christian Leitch. The trio is rounded out with William Spong on bass. To be honest with ya I'm not familiar with their old band's music although I do know of their cult like reputation within English Doom circles. Be that as it may I felt it wiser not to go about immersing myself in their past works and forge ahead with a clean pair of ears.

After one listen to The Inside Room I was pretty much sold on what 40 WATT SUN brings to the Doom table. Musically it's fairly straight forward depressive doom with a style that flows across the land at the speed of a fog bank, maybe slower and with just as much excitement. The songs on here, five in all at a total of forty seven plus minutes, are one dimensional to say the least. The atmosphere is bleak but Walker's voice in a way doesn't completely convey sadness to the point where you find yourself loading a revolver and finishing off the note to love ones. Amidst the gloom there's a feeling of hope which lingers on throughout. That's a compliment to Walker's vocal style as well as electric crunch flowing through the riffs.

On the shortest and arguably the saddest of cuts, "Between Times", the song invoked images which were pleasing as far as lifelong memories go. In order to enjoy what 40 WATT SUN is doing on The Inside Room it would help if you had a life to start with. Yes not only am I invoking the age rule but if your number of close relationships with other human beings (barring family of course) is at a minimum than maybe you should pass on this one. Speaking of which the title of this seems to me to be a metaphor of you're inner self. While listening to songs like "Restless" and "Carry Me Home" the memory center of my brain starts working overtime. For me it's OK since I sold my heart and soul long ago but for you weak ones you might want to keep a box a tissues handy, fucking crybabies.

The songs on here were placed perfectly. The final cut, "This Alone", conveys this image of complete sorrow without a glimmer of happiness or enjoyment to be found. Talk about a downer, this is the type of dink you do not let leave the house. If you're taking a long car trip and decide to put this in the stereo I'd wager you would end up wrapped into a bridge abutment. Then again you could be a real prick and aim for a packed school bus, one in which has no orphans on board that way emphasise the misery onto family members. Like I said before I have no heart or soul. (hell I was rooting for the nazis when my ex forced me to watch the Sound of Music with her. I wanted to watch Wrestling.) Be that as it may I can still appreciate the beauty of the music which 40 WATT SUN has created here.

Label: http://www.cyclone-empire.com/


Official: http://40wattsun.com/


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