The Calm, The Storm is a release that I have personally been eagerly anticipating for a while and it absolutely does not disappoint.
Opener The Calm almost tricks you into thinking the EP is something else. It starts off with a pretty chilled and stripped-back atmosphere with softly-delivered vocals that leaves you wondering whether that’s all the EP will consist of but then the full band kicks in and it hits you like a tonne of bricks. With a wall of guitars and layered clean vocals with harsh vocals performing the same line for good measure, there’s no way the track won’t immediately grab your attention and that’s when you know The Sun Explodes is a band that means business with this EP.
Things progress well from there and there aren’t really any songs that stand out as being bad. From the emotive clean vocals on stripped-back closer Storm Of Light to the wonderfully technical guitar riffs and melodies in The Grand Design, there’s a great mix of ideas and styles on the EP and it really holds your interest throughout – The Sun Explodes keep you on your toes and constantly leave you guessing what’s coming next.
The Calm, The Storm is brimming with potential and if there’s any justice, this is an EP that will make The Sun Explodes a big name in the tech/prog scene.
8.5/10
