Hundred Suns - The Prestaliis

GooniesNeverSayDie 13.08.2017 | 21:47

“Hundred Suns feature an all-star lineup, consisting of Cory Brandan (Norma Jean), Ryan “Legs” Leger (ex-Every Time I Die), and Chris LeMasters (Dead & Divine) and there could be no doubt that the album would be anything but incredible.

Opening up this masterpiece is “The Prestaliis I”. Beginning with an eerie, almost seance-esque sound, and Brandan’s vocals used as a haunting backdrop rather than taking the forefront. But just over fifty seconds into the song, it kicks into overdrive with Brandan’s voice soaring over crunching guiatrs, and heavy hitting drumming. With an intro track such as this, the group has already shown that Hundred Suns is just as important to them, as any of their original bands.

[With] “Bedburner” , there is a sense of raw emotion oozing through Brandan’s voice, and it’s one of the rare tracks to have any screamed vocals at all. Its beautifully melodic verses and chorus, are contrasted perfectly with a crushing breakdown.

[…] Perhaps the biggest highlight to this album is the fifth track entitled, “December”. It’s one of the softer songs on the album, yet it packs such a powerful, emotional punch that it still resonates in such a strong way. With beautiful, yet almost sad sounding guitar work, perfect drumming to accentuate each and every note, and Brandan’s lighter vocals, this song shows a side of this band you wouldn’t normally expect. […]

“Hellelujah” serves as one of the heavier tracks on the album. Dense, slow palm muting and gritty vocals rule the verses, while everything is ramped up in speed and volume on the choruses, with Brandan’s vocals border lining on screaming. The breakdown is an intense slap to the face with screams running rampant over drumming so intense, it sounds as if Legs’, legs could pop clean out of their sockets. This is one of the angrier tracks on the record, feeding the metal heads what they so viciously desire.

Closing out the album is “The Prestalliis II”. Mirroring the intro track with similar sounding elements, […] yet this song almost doubles in length. This extra time provides the song with a more epic feel […]

Through each and every note throughout this stellar album, you can tell each member took their time in deciding every single detail. The musicianship,[…] is top tier, and the lyricism is meticulous and almost poetic at times. You can sense that each member brought their own influences to the table and melded them to make the perfect sound. With equally softer tones, and hard hitting tracks alike, there is truly something for all. This is no side-project. Hundred Suns is its own entity entirely and The Prestaliis is a phenomenal album which will undoubtedly be a strong contender for album of the year among rock fans of all kinds." - JT, Soundfiction Author