REVIEW: Cursed Sun rise to invite us all revel in Rituals of the Shattered Mind

From the rabid rambling of the human species, Cursed Sun cut a swathe through the vacuous noise with a declared intent to kill off mediocrity, deal a death blow to the inept, and ask questions of the collective mental illness afflicting the populace in pain.

Rituals of the Shattered Mind is an ep packed out throughout with the extremities of the metal’s outer edges, 22minutes, five songs that smack listeners straight in the face, and leave devotees smiling.

However, that is not to suggest it is one dimensional, lacking in subtleties. Cursed Sun understand that a wall of noise becomes white noise when delivered without shades of darkness painted aurally. Instead, they add the touches that separate them from contemporaries who play the noise game without consideration.

From the off this is a declaration of contemplation and contempt aimed squarely at the “clowns” whose plans are conveyed as ‘The Experiment’ (video below). There has been discussion of this neoliberal western ideal, but Cursed Sun slam it in an echo of the documentary Hypernormalisation.

Underpinning the delivery is a solid, stomach rumbling rhythm delivered by Chris and Craig, with Monty’s rhythm weaving riff patterns.

On tracks such as Lunacy Act it provides the foundations to provide Jonny space to challenge listeners to engage with the solos, and Jonesy to expedite his rage.

It could be argued that all tracks stand equal on this release, but Devils Night stands out, with almost hypnotic playing and the sinister declaration of the significance of November 4^th (the Nazi SA established on this date).

Delivery of challenging subjects amidst metal is an overlooked aspect of the genre, yet Cursed Sun believe it is their Northern Ireland roots that mean they can add edge. And, who would dare disagree.

Cursed Sun were birthed with a vision in 2007, just a year after this blog was established by an ageing rocker. That vision from Cursed Sun is realised by Rituals of the Shattered Mind: five tracks consciously designed to make you think, make you headbang, make your fragile frame dive into the pit, and, smile like you’ve hit on the best drug – metal..

LIVE REVIEW: Metal2TheMasses Heat Two sears the cold air with metallic heat...

THE chilly February air around Belfast's Fountain Street was given an unseasonal blast of metallic heat as four bands entered into the fray of Metal2TheMasses, all seeking to progress towards the coveted prize of a slot at Bloodstock 2018.

There was an enforced change in the line up for this heat at the Voodoo (February 9th) came about as a result of an injury to Cursed Sun's drummer saw So Much For The Sun swap their heat five slot to fill the void.

Opening proceedings Korvid created an immediate wave of support from the gathering crowd. Tight doom was, however, somewhat flummoxed by singer Jonny delivering his vocals with his back to the audience on the floor.

While it may work in a venue like the Voodoo, Metal2TheMasses is an 'audition' for Bloodstock, where there will be no chance to bop into the audience and eye contact with fans is an almost prerequisite. Despite that Korvid's overall sound once again demonstrated their promise.

Lisburn band, So Much For The Sun, wall of sludge noise assailed the crowd from the off, with the an almost at times post-metal sound at first then developed from the first track into an exposition of stoner styles with liberal nods to assorted NOLA metal acts.

At times the set lagged a little, but concluded with an appropriate crescendo setting down a marker, and all credit to the band for willingly swapping their slot - and, that fact may understandably impacted their rehearsal time.

Oracle announced their intent from the off, immediately engaging the audience with a heavy groove flaying faces in the front two rows.

A tight unit live, this set showed that Oracle have developed considerably in recent months. However, Rhys was so intent in bashing his kit that the bass drum pedal broke. The camaraderie of the bands was demonstrated when another bass pedal was quickly provided.

Despite the forced break Oracle ended their set with the same power as they began, drawing more and more people to the edge of the stage.

Death Of A Salesaman announced their intent to deliver a visual attack with two standees bearing their logo. And, from the off there was no doubt their hardcore tinged metal was going to have the emphasis firmly on ferocity.

Flying hair and fierce riffs whipped up the crowd in no time..

It was a consummate demonstration of what needs to be delivered in the allotted 30 minutes. Unnecessary banter dropped between the songs and as they entered the last song the audience was advised of when the breakdown was coming.

All four bands displayed their credentials on this heat, but in the end the qualifiers were Death Of A Salesman and Oracle.

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Pictures by Lizzie Torbitt

LIVE REVIEW: A day of triumphs for many reasons - Cursed Sun, Rival Sons, Neamhni, Drakonis and Scimitar

SUCCESS and triumph comes in many shapes and forms in hard rock and metal - be it the size of the crowd, releasing recorded material, or simply mounting the stage.

In an evening of contrasts the, at times, inevitable clash of bands was once again at the fore as the Cursed Sun official launch of 'The Amygdala' EP in Limelight2 was almost in direct opposition to Rival Sons first appearance on Saturday, January 21st.

Thus, two different sets of audiences assembled, with only limited commonality, but with a similar alienation from the mainstream of what passes for popular music and culture: proponents of that would gather in the same venues later when the rockers and metalheads dissipated into the Belfast night.

Whether any of those who packed out Limelight1 for Rival Sons would have under other circumstances have been to The Distortion Project show is debatable - maybe another five or six.

As it was a healthy number for early Saturday evening were there when the double black metal introductory acts for the night were on stage.

Neamhni's stuttering start a few months back has solidified and tightened with the work of Martin and Gilliland much more in synch. Rosso is a commanding presence, if at times needing to develop some more stagecraft than just headbanging.

With just a few loose ends to knock off Neamhni's bleak visions are becoming more and more solidified.

Alike in genre only, Drakonis come replete, like Neamhni, in corpse paint. They also adorn the LL2 stage with various mic stands of demonic imagery. But that doesn't detract from these Lisburn blackened metallers.

With their EP 'As They Rot' as a firm foundation there is a solid set of songs that have been allowed to evolve in the live environment with Cass as commanding as ever centre stage. McMichael and Hewitt have a telepathic understanding of when to hit off each other's lead work and with new releases being planned their growth is assured.

Thrash metal to the fore, blades held high (not literally this time!) Scimitar bang out a range of songs that are familiar but also delving back to their earlier material. Jonny's glint in the eye delivery has the thrash tropes down to a 't' in the same way that Chris and Ryan have the rhythm section nailed down.

Allowing Jonny free reign for ever more explosive solo runs the structures of each Scimitar track remains solid, with just enough fluidity to avoid rigidity.

Cursed Sun have always taken the traditional metal, thrash and contemporary edges of metal and melded them into a full-on assault that live combines with the charisma of Mr Cassidy to bring already excellent music to a vibrant pulsation of all that is good about metal.

But, with the Sun clashing with the start of Rival Sons the shuffling between venues began - take in the first couple of Cursed Sun, nip into Limelight11 for a few Rival Sons, then back to LL2 to catch another couple of Cursed Sun.

As was expected the metal might of Cursed Sun was in full flow, with seemingly renewed depth and confidence from the release of the impressive 'The Amygdala'. Whether the release has given them renewed vigour, or just that there is a real coherence to the sound is a moot point; from a sampling of their show further attention will come their way.

The contrast in audience sizes was immediate upon going into Limelight1. Rival Sons had the place packed and pulsating. There was even more present than when Meshuggah had the venue rammed the previous Tuesday.

There was an almost religious devotion to the crowd's response by the time the first few songs had been hammered out, something the band seemed knocked out by, especially at the end of 'Torture' when the audience kept on with the refrain long after the band were about to end the song.

Jay Buchanan seemed almost overwhelmed by the response, as the rest of the band had grins almost as wide as the stage.

Fresh from a night supporting Sabbath this felt as much like an impromptu jam as it did a headlining show. The band took on the challenge of the set as if it was just another night in Long Beach, but one doubts if they have ever had such a warm response in California.

While the momentum had been building throughout the set, by the time 'Belle Star' was aired there was a palpable sense of occasion building, which continued throughout, and by the time they closed with 'Hollow Bones pt2' and 'Keep on Swinging' they had accomplished what they had set out to do: warn up the full set for their headlining shows across Europe and have a good time while at it.

On such an evening of musical contrasts it is hard to draw any real conclusions. All five bands have tremendous sets of songs, albeit across a range of genres, and all have talented musicians.

The main difference, of course, is that Rival Sons have label backing and PR support that draws airplay and sales. However, there is one nagging thought. If the fans of metal who can ram venues for the likes of Meshuggah remain largely absent for the likes of the DP shows. Rightly many will not be able to travel, and are maybe only fans of some types, but if even a few per cent more would part with a fiver, then the opportunity to grow would be afforded to bands, along with those in attendance having something to do on a Saturday other than watch TV and play old songs again. Okay, that is something of a controversial thing to note after such a good evening of rock and metal, but...ponder on that and wonder "what if..." should you ever want to step out of a weekend evening and have some fun without expectations.

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Pictures by Darren McVeigh

VIDEO: Cursed Sun chart Cataclysmic Decline in new video from The Amygdala EP

CURSED Sun are on the verge of releasing their latest EP, 'The Amygdala'. And, now the Northern Ireland metal madmen have given the public their first taste of the fury they plan to unleash the first track on an unsuspecting public.

You can read the review of the EP here.

And, until you can here the entire release here's the video for the track 'Cataclysmic Decline'..

EP REVIEW: Cursed Sun realise their potential and rise to pummelling new heights on The Amygdala

WHEN you name your EP after two parts of the brain that are at the core of memory, decision-making and emotions you are taking a 'cerebral' risk with your music and lyrics, but Cursed Sun have always been ones not to rest on the proverbial laurels both on recorded material and on stage.

The EP bears the title 'The Amygdala' and within its four-tracks are a forceful dynamic musically and a dystopian vision of where humanity rests right now in the second decade of the 21st Century.

Throughout they showcase talent and a terrifying amount of ability to translate their aspirations.

Composition and arrangements have been elevated on this release and from the opening bars of 'Breeding through Bleeding' to the end of 'Primordial Chaos' there is a sense of urgency as if Cursed Sun not only want you to hear these songs, but need you to listen.

The opener follows tried and tested territory for the band, but with a better sense of what they have always intended for their contemporary metal, taking from history and adding what the best of 2016 can bring to the table.

On 'Cataclysmic Decline' more subtle touches come in, with some great work from Jonny's solos adding to Jonesy's altering of styles and anguished vocal conclusion.

But it is the title track that is a stunner. There is more restraint, yet greater power. Horrific lyrical content is matched well with a sense of a band painting a musical landscape that allows you to immerse yourself as a listener. Ciaran, Chris and Monty pace out the arrangement for Jonesy's styling and Jonny lays down some sweet, lyrical guitar work to overlay the pain of the song's message.

'Primordial Chaos' has a romp and a roll, groove embedded into the essence of the track. The "darkness is my throne" twisted into "the darkness is in control" as the riffs propel the song to a manic declaration of malevolent paths where nothing can stand in its path.

What Cursed Sun have done here is compact their year's of experience, gigging and recording throughout Northern Ireland into a stunning release that is compelling and draws you inexorably in.

Repeated listens open new vistas within the release, vistas that will draw you back to dark places, leaving you to contemplate the terror and reflect on the best of the metal mangle that Cursed Sun put you through, yet...you go back again.

Review by Jonny

LIVE REVIEW: Heft and heaviness as Overoth, Cursed Sun and Wardomized bring the metal to The Limelight

SATURDAY evening - a time to wind down after a hard week's work. Maybe check out the evening football match...or chug a beer or six at the weekly celebration of all things heavy at The Distortion Project in Limelight2.

Of course, it is an almost weekly gathering of the devoted, a semi-religious shamanic experience, best epitomised by the headliners on Saturday (20th August) Overoth, with stage layered with smoke, candles and incense...

As usual Mr Loveday pulled together three relatively diverse acts that complimented each other in the heft and heaviness.

Openers Wardomized have quite a challenge to enliven the slowly filling venue and do themselves no favours by opening with two tracks emphasising their inkling towards sludge, doom and grind. Such a slowed down beginning would be better suited to the middle of their set with 'Strained' a tune that could serve as a breather...

The band seem more comfortable - as well as the audience - when they up the pace. 'Tribal Warfare' and the fun 'Suicide Death Rock' get things moving before new track 'Red Death (Flows Through My Veins)' showcases ambitions for the future.

Wardomized have come far over the last 12-14 months. It's time for them to knuckle down to a process of continuous improvement if they want to shift up the bill.

 Cursed Sun have played all parts of any bill and are always comfortable on stage. With forthcoming ep 'The Amygdala' almost ready for release there is a sense that the band are gearing up for a major step forward. Tracks from the ep were aired tonight, including two songs that seemed perfect for the live setting, the opening two, 'Primordial Chaos' and 'Breeding from Bleeding'.


Overall they manage that delicate balance of composure and craftsmanship that leads to a combustible set, sparkling with energy and a metallic joie de vivre.

Jonesy is the focal point of the contemporary heavy edge, as the sound rages around in wave after wave; melody punctuating the assault as Jonny's solos slam with more edge and volume compared to some recent outings.

Indeed this is a performance that has a freshness about it. Sure, as expected Jonesy joins the crowd, sure the rhythm section is tight as a shark's ass, but what was noticeable was the hunger. They have ambitions and they have the poise to position themselves to realise those ambitions.

Similarly Overoth are realising their ambitions with each and every performance - the drama is but a stage dressing as much as the smeared faces. All would be for nothing if the music was not a force of nature.

Andy is a commanding presence, towering over the audience like a colossus, cowering the unbelievers. His bass the anchor holding the delivery of the songs that are attack the venue as if faced with a row of enemies instead of acolytes at the band's altar of death.

'Kingdom of Shadows' is the most familiar of the tunes, but 'Winter of Iniquity' and 'God of Delusion' were stand-outs, with Daniel and Andrew intent on a delivery of synchronicity few can surpass.

It would be easy amidst the formidable trio at the front of the stage to overlook the contribution of Jay on drums, but on the likes of the début song 'The Keeper' and opener 'Sigil of The Empty Throne' the solidity of the beating is added to with flourishes and punctuation.

New track 'The Keeper' holds it place in the set, and with the band ready to release a new album it bodes well for their continual ascent towards the death metal throne.

Review and pics by Jonny (reproduction by written permission only)