30th March 2019

Review: “Self Titled” EP by Progeny of Sun

Hailing from Seinäjoki and Helsinki in Finland, Progeny of Sun is a Melodic Death Metal band with just two permanent members. Formed in 2017 by Jaakko Hautamäki who handles all of the instrumental work and mixing and vocalist Niko Aromaa, after releasing this debut EP, the band are already working on its full length follow up with some session musicians!

The first thing that strikes you about “Fable God is Dead” is the vocal range of Niko Aromaa’s demon summoning vocals. There are some impressive pitch changes from a shrill streak to a bowl clenching growl that give the impression that the band has a pair of vocalists on show in places. Instrumentally, track sees Jaakko Hautamäki handing some programmed orchestral work, guitars, bass, drums and keys to great effect. Some of the sweep picking on show is fantastic. There is a really dark drop to a spoken word that adds some incredible atmosphere. “Futile Conversion” has a horror film sound track air with some melodic passages that add a haunting quality and some of the darker Children of Bodom-esq riffs. It’s pretty clear that the sheer volume of quality work that Jaakko Hautamäki has put in with all the instrumentation has paid off and two years in the making was time well spent. Riff wise “Birthrigh Oblication” brings some thrashier elements with plenty of neck snapping headbangability and metronomic timing and tempo changes.

“Darkest Corners of Black” tricks you into thinking it is a mid-recording melodic cut with a haunting intro swathed in synths. But fortunately not and 60 seconds in the dissolve into a 30 second burst of full on blast beats and a shrill scream! Dropping back to the more melodic pacing with some heavier riffs and dark synths the whole tune has a creepy Steven King vibe. Niko Aromaa’s vocals on the cut demand a mention as they are simply incredible in the range he’s able to get seemingly effortlessly. A dark tale of controlling states “Natural Leaders” has an apocalyptic tone with spoken word story telling passages and schizophrenic yet controlled instrumentation that is just sheer class. Final track “End of Zen” uses some 80’s science fiction film synths to usher in some melodic guitar work. It repeats to less effect the trick of “Darkest Corners of Black” when Aromaa plunges into a throat shredding roar after his initial melancholic vocals around the 70 second mark but it still works really well. Building on the atmospheric it plagues it’s way through the lyrics with a gusto and when things finally drop to an off kilter, slightly out of tune guitar passage, there is a sense of calm. Epic. [7.5/10]

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