Distant Sun – Distant Sun

Distant Sun is a new act from Toronto, with a guy named Kris Leeson as its mastermind. This cdr is an advance copy of an album to be released on Hexagon Records, a label I don’t know. Their music is a mixture of loud guitars, bass and drums on the one side, and electronic/industrial elements on the other. Although this concept may not seem to very original, it doesn’t result in a standard metal/industrial crossover mixture. There are some clear 80’s postpunk influences, which give various songs quite some atmosphere. Also the vocals (only used on some of the tracks) are atypical, not the standard distorted screaming, but a quite pleasant flat voice, reminding somewhat of early New Order or Ikon.
Most songs are quite repetitive, mainly through the beats and rhythms, which are rather machine-like. But the album has enough variation in styles and moods, so it doesn’t become too boring. On a few songs the guitars sound a little too metallish for my ears. There are various agreeable tracks though, with a lot of energy in it, especially the first 2 songs are quite nice. I think Distant Sun needs a little more working to make it into the premier league, but hey, they only exist for a year. Nevertheless a promising demo.