Hail the Sun – Divine Inner Tension
Release Date: 11th August 2023
Label: Rude / Equal Vision Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Alternative, Math Rock, Post-Hardcore.
FFO: Coheed and Cambria, The Mars Volta, Fall of Troy.
Review By: Jeff Finch
The land of post-hardcore / screamo is an interesting scene for me: introduced via Guitar Hero in 2007, to a little band by the name of The Fall of Troy, little since has been able to satiate my hunger for those gnarly riffs, complex basslines, and overall unjustifiably heavy chaos brought about by three guys from Washington, except for those three guys from Washington.
Until now.
Having never heard Hail the Sun before being made aware of this album, naturally a bit of pre-listening research was required. So, their most recent record New Age Filth went on; that was all it took. Now, here we are staring at Hail the Sun’s newest record Divine Inner Tension, and I have to say, from this new fan, any prior fan of this band should be walking away more than pleased with what’s being offered.
Said fans will probably nod their head, ala Jack Nicholson in Anger Management, when this is said, but that voice on lead vocalist Donovan Melero is insane; the sheer number of high notes he’s able to sustain, while breaking into a metal worthy shout / scream, like on our opener Tunnel Vision Alibi, all without breaking stride, is simply incredible and is really the glue that holds everything together. And just remember, he’s the drummer, too. Think Brann Dailor of Mastodon with a higher vocal range, his performance is that stellar. Behind his impeccable performance, the guitar is damn near jaw-droppingly technical, progressive, funky basslines matching the percussion every step of the way, creating a soundscape so similar to the aforementioned Fall of Troy that I think I’ve got my fix, and any other fans should feel similarly.
While approaching complexity and catchiness with the same natural vigor, the group has crafted an album that is simply one of the most fun things you’re likely to listen to all year: guitar solos break up the chaos during most tracks, said chaos delving into the punk realms with the ferocity with which these songs are constructed and performed, and when the solos hit, you just feel them. Sure, they’re not going to blow a listener away with overtly technical prowess, ala John Petrucci, but what they’re likely to do is make a listener just stop and absorb the tunes, the notes, the obvious connection with the guitar melting through the speakers as the band tells you to just take a seat for a minute, take a breather, the chaos is just around the corner, so just enjoy the reprieve.
Songs like Chunker hit us with rumbling, funky basslines and stop/start transitions that feel like song changes, and even a big band feel as the track concludes, while Maladapted and The Story Writes Itself hit listeners with a ferocious cacophony of chaos after lulling us and preparing us, respectively, for the onslaught, the latter with the post-hardcore version of blast beats tearing through the speakers.
It’s on tracks Tithe and Little Song where listeners are treated to a bit of pandemonium from the vocals, as the former overlays the harsh vocals with the clean vocals, creating a vocal schizophrenia, projecting conflicting thoughts, feelings, and emotions, battling to get the listeners’ attention, while the latter contains a disjointed chorus, likely done on purpose to, once again, keep us on our toes. It’s on Tithe, however, that Hail the Sun crafts arguably their most ‘sing along’ worthy chorus on the album, one that needs to be belted at full volume in the car or shower or wherever the music is blasting.
The entire album isn’t just a chaotic masterpiece, however, as there are a couple of tracks, in (In My Dream) and Feeble Words, that simply act as buffers between tracks, averaging a mere two minutes between them. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with the tracks, as there are excellent clean vocals over acoustic guitar on Feeble Words and a slight build-up to chaos as a track transition from (In My Dream) but they merely act as album cuts that likely won’t do much for a listener outside of a full session.
But make no mistake, the mere presence of a couple of filler tracks in here does not mean that the album is not worthy of a full listen, multiple times at that. Hail the Sun has crafted an exceptionally fun, thought-provoking, sincere post-hardcore record that will undoubtedly please fans of the band and might very well bring in new fans. Dominic’s searing vocals and percussive excellence, coupled with the off-kilter and permanently energetic rhythm section, make for a relative masterclass in how to produce quality post-hardcore in the year 2023. Don’t miss this one.
(4.5 / 5)
