Written By Kevin McSweeney
We love the Season of Mist record label here at Metal Lair. Its name, derived presumably from the John Keats poem To Autumn, is a hallmark of quality in the realm of extreme metal. Boasting such heavy hitters as Cryptopsy, …And Oceans, Gaahl’s Wyrd and Green Carnation’s A Dark Poem Trilogy on their roster. We are guaranteed death, doom and black metal of the highest quality from their artists. One thing we typically don’t expect from Season of Mist, however, is mellow fruitfulness.
Yet here we have Songs to Sun, the sixth full-length album from Kyiv’s Stoned Jesus, an album that, while certainly heavy in places, feels no need to throw its weight around too liberally.
For much of the recording, it’s a chilled out affair, which is remarkable, given the harrowing nature of the situation in their native Ukraine. From a benighted, war-ravaged Eastern European nation, they have served up what is at times a slice of sun-kissed, southern-fried Americana.
For much of it, I imagined myself driving a Dodge Charger along Route 61 somewhere in the vicinity of New Orleans, with my aviators on, a mason jar full of sweet tea on the passenger seat and some manifestation of my second amendment right in the glove compartment.
I mention New Orleans because the music of Down might be an apposite comparison. Their debut album NOLA is very much in this vein – heavy for sure, but bluesy and chilled, and showcasing a soulfulness that few had previously suspected Phil Anselmo of possessing.
New Dawn
Opening track New Dawn imposes itself upon us slowly but surely, like the first light of a bright new day (and I certainly wish a bright new day for them and their compatriots. The darkness has been upon them for too long.)
It’s over two minutes before the vocals emerge and well over three before we are introduced to any distortion. It’s a gentle, melodic opening of the account, characterised by delicate melody and a tranquil disposition. When the heaviness arrives, it is euphonic and not-at-all at odds with the song’s defining characteristics hitherto.
I am tempted to invoke the sainted name of Kyuss here, though the groovy section about six minutes in is reminiscent of early Soundgarden, and neatly juxtaposed with the short, sharp staccato blasts shortly thereafter. This near nine-minute epic opener is drawn to a close by dramatic, string-like synths that imbue it with the sense of gravitas that it so richly deserves.
Shadowland
Shadowland – the second track of just six in total – is a relatively brief number at just 4 minutes and 38 seconds. It opens with a huge, slow, sludgy, Sabbath riff but speeds up to settle into a mid-paced groove.
There’s a hint of Chris Cornell about the vocal performance, and for a moment, it’s like listening to Audioslave, not least because of the impassioned chorus. Lyrically, it seems darker than the music might suggest. Could the Shadowland be a nation under the dark and dreadful shadow of war?
Here in Shadowland
Ground under my feet is
Turning to quicksand
Gone away
Look what you’ve done
Time is running out
It’s difficult not to interpret those lyrics in the context of the terrible situation that has caused so much suffering in Ukraine these past three years. An outro that sounds somewhat like machine gun fire brings this lamentation to a close. If only wars ended as quickly as songs…
Lost in The Rain
Lost in The Rain is a sombre and achingly beautiful piece of music, which is purely instrumental for the first two minutes of its near eight-minute runtime. Some might scoff at this suggestion, but I’m getting Pink Floyd vibes from it. I’m thinking along the lines of one of their more plaintive compositions like Wish You Were Here. The solos certainly bear the hallmark of Dave Gilmour, or the strong influence thereof.
This reference to that most quintessentially English of musical institutions does fly in the face of my earlier description of this album as a sun-kissed, southern-fried slice of Americana, but since when have you known me to be able to construct a coherent argument? Igor Sydorenko’s vocals are particularly smooth and velvety here. They convey a strong sense of melancholy, as do the guitar melodies.
Low
It’s entirely fitting that a song called Low should feature some outstanding bass work, and that is very much the case on the album’s fourth track, with Andrew Rodin’s fabulous fret work coming very much to the fore.
Low was selected for an accompanying video, and understandably so. It’s the shortest track on the album, at just four minutes and nine seconds, and boasts compelling hooks and a sense of energy that contrasts with the material elsewhere on the album that, at times, verges on listlessness.
Ironically, despite being the album’s shortest track, it’s the one where the band’s progressive sensibilities become most apparent, with its relatively uptempo shuffle beat being much akin to one of the defining sounds of English prog rockers Muse. (Muse are a frequent point of reference for me. They’re from South Devon, which is where I live.)
The grooves for most of the song are irresistible. They will have you up and dancing if you’re not careful. However, about half way through, they launch into something akin to a black metal blast beat, thus asserting their extreme metal credentials, and justifying their position among those honoured with a place on the SOM roster. Good to know you’ve got it in you, boys!
See You On The Road
See You on The Road commences with the kind of fuzziness that brings Queens of The Stone Age to mind. After a big crescendo we are immersed in a main riff that is worthy of Tony Iommi himself. I defy anyone to refrain from headbanging along to the staccato section about three minutes in that evokes memories of Rage Against The Machine’s Bulls on Parade.
I’m not sure about its meaning lyrically. Obviously, being on the road is a common experience for bands, but it might also refer to the mass exodus that we saw from the Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion. It’s possible to interpret the lyrics in either context, though it changes the tone of the song massively, depending on which way you call it.
The track is drawn towards its apogee by a haunting chanted section that verges on Celtic keening. This would perhaps suggest that the latter interpretation is the more accurate.
Quicksand
Finally, we have the near ten-minute epic that is Quicksand. Quicksand is a metaphor that has been used earlier in the album, on Shadowland, to depict an undesirable situation, though in this case the lyrical content seems personal rather than political, though it is no less troubling for that.
The song commences with some highly impressive tom-tom work from Yuril Kononov, leading into an acoustic guitar riff that could almost be an Irish reel. The song functions as a super-long crescendo, along similar lines to much of the classic material of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, gradually building in intensity, with singing giving way to shouting, until we reach a tempestuous coda, which serves as a musical manifestation of the inner turmoil expressed throughout in the lyrics.
So, that’s Soul to Sun; a triumphant return for the Kyiv trio. We tend to lean towards extreme metal here at Metal Lair, and while this album does not lack heaviness, it offers us plenty of light in balance with the darkness.
It is described in the press release as being of interest to fans of, amongst others, Alice in Chains, and much of it certainly bears something of a resemblance to those bands at the more metal end of the grunge spectrum – principally them and Soundgarden, in other words.
That said, there’s even more of a kinship with Mad Season, in my opinion. That’s the Seattle supergroup that involved AIC’s Layne Staley and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam. It has that same dreamy, mesmerising quality as their album Awake, minus the air of despondency that was prevalent throughout that mid-90s classic (though the closing track threatens that thesis somewhat.)
It’s an enjoyable album, and we wish them tremendous success with it, and with their careers going forward. Most of all, we wish them and their fellow Ukrainians peace, and sunnier days ahead, and happily award Songs to Sun four metal horns out of five.
The pit doesn’t end here.
If this interview lit a spark, there’s plenty more waiting in the lair:
Deep Cuts – Where forgotten riffs rise from the crypt. We dig past the surface to bring you metal’s most overlooked treasures. Seven Deadly Songs – Our weekly playlist of essential new tracks, hotter than hell and twice as loud. Metalhead Horoscope – Your cosmic forecast, rewritten in the language of leather and distortion, complete with a lucky track to soundtrack your week.
Photo by Daina Forys
Igor Sydorenko: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Andrew Rodin: Bass, Vocals (backing)
Yuril Kononov: Drums, Vocals (backing)
Tracklist:
1. New Dawn
2. Shadowland
3. Lost in the Rain
4. Low
5. See You on the Road
6. Quicksand
Purchase Songs To Sun At Season of Mist
Hear Stoned Jesus perform “Low”, “Shadowland” and other new songs off Songs to Sun during their upcoming European festival appearances and tours of Australia and Latin America
Get tickets:https://linktr.ee/stonedjesusband
2025 European Festivals
September 20 – Bilbao, ES @ Kristonfest
November 8 – Bochum, DE @ Tombstoned Fest
November 14 – Magny-Les-Hameaux, FR @ Foud Rock
November 15 – Eindhoven, NL @ Helldorado
2025 XV & Debut Australian Tour
September 28 – Perth @ The Rosemount
October 1 – Canberra @ The Baso
October 2 – Sydney @ The Underground
October 3 – Brisbane @ Soapbox Beer
October 4 – Melbourne @ The Leadbeater
October 5 – Adelaide @ The Crown & Anchor
2025 Latin American Tour
October 21 – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil @ Rock Experience
October 22 – Porto Alegre, Brazil @ Gravador
October 23 – Florianopolis, Brazil @ Desgosto
October 24 – Curitiba, Brazil @ Beveldere
October 25 – Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Jai Club
October 26 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil @ Caverna
October 28 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Uniclub
October 29 – Santiago, Chile @ Club Ambar
October 31 – Mexico City @ Sangriento [FIRST-EVER SHOW IN MEXICO]
Follow Stoned Jesus:
https://linktr.ee/stonedjesusband
https://music.apple.com/sg/artist/stoned-jesus/396799004
https://open.spotify.com/artist/23lyMLxYNPS15hpVvFNptR
instagram.com/stonedjesusband
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stonedjesus.bandcamp.com
