Review: Red Sun Revival – 'Identities'

RED SUN REVIVAL
'Identities'
ECHOZONE

Hot on the heels of last year's 'Embers' EP, London-based gothic rockers Red Sun Revival return with their second full-length studio album in the form of 'Identities'. The band continue to blaze a path that defines what modern gothic rock should be moving between dark and dreamy atmospheres, and heavy grooves. The band, led by Rob Leydon, have over the course of their releases crafted a presence that has seen them join the likes of The Eden House to aim beyond the confines of genres and conventions and to push their song writing further, and 'Identities' is no exception.

The album keeps the hallmarks that we've come to know of the past couple of releases: the jangling guitars, deep expressive vocals, throbbing bass and atmospheric keyboards and continues to push this simple set-up in new and interesting directions. Songs such as 'Echoes', 'The Reckoning', 'Fade In Time' and 'In Your Name' draw on the likes of The Mission, The Cure and Fields Of The Nephilim which gives the album a steady and accessible level for fans of traditional gothic rock to instantly find a rapport with.

While the likes of 'Four Walls', 'Mistakes', 'The Condemned Part I', 'The Condemned Part II' and 'The Awakening' take a more progressive stance and make good use of extra instrumentation and playing with their musical formula to create some genuinely inspired music.

The production is crisp and clear and sounds like the sort of quality you'd expect from a band who are aiming high. It has a retro slant not unlike the classic albums by The Mission, but it preserves a modern dreamy quality favoured by the likes of The Eden House.

'Identities' continues to develop the band's sounds and push them as song writers. The end result is a mature and high quality collection that hints at even better to come. This album should quite rightfully put the band on the map and fans of guitar based gothic rock should quite rightly embrace it.  

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Review: Red Sun Revival – 'Embers'

RED SUN REVIVAL
'Embers'
ECHOZONE

Marking the band's first release on Echozone, and the follow-up to their impressive début album 'Running From The Dawn', London-based gothic quartet Red Sun Revival unleash 'Embers'. This slick and punchy four-track EP covers all the bases for what a modern gothic rock band should be. It's dark, dreamy, bass-heavy and memorable, displaying great song writing and musicianship to boot.

The EP opens with the catchy lead-single, 'Mistakes', which fuses Eden House style violins with classic gothic guitars and bass underpinning Rob Leydon's gravely, Nephilim-esque vocal style. 'Broken' follows on with a more sinister atmosphere courtesy of some nice keyboards which counterpoint the jangling guitars nicely and gives the whole song a slight prog-rock slant. 'Surrender' opens up with some lovely piano for a near power-ballad effect for Leydon to channel his inner Leonard Cohen into for perhaps his finest vocal performance on the EP. The track list is the rounded off with the title track, which layers up the keyboard atmospheres and guitars for a slow and dream-like serenade of gothic opulence.

This is a wonderfully crafted album that is produced to a high standard befitting the strong songwriting it displays. It has a fresh and modern feel to it with a dreamy quality, not unlike the recent works of The Eden House, but maintaining the odd nod to classic bands such as Fields Of The Nephilim and The Mission.

'Embers' is a strong EP, but it is a shame that it is only four-tracks long and doesn't feature any remixes or alternative edits. This isn't a major issue really as the four songs are strong enough on their own to sell the EP, it's just that they're so good you can't help but want a little more.

If 'Embers' is a sign of things to come from Red Sun Revival, Echozone better be ready to push the band hard. Fans of guitar-driven gothic rock will want to keep tabs on this band, because if this is what they offer on an EP, it's safe to say their next full-length album will put them on the map.  

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