RED SUN SERMON ~ QUEEN OF SWORDS ..... review

The blues can be found at the root of most modern music, sometimes its influences are obvious sometimes not so much, the band we are reviewing today have a sound that falls into both categories with the blues playing both a major and minor role in their sonic attack. The band we are talking about is Red Sun Sermon a four piece unit from Missouri, a band who use the blues as a starting point from which to stretch out and explore other arena's of music while knowing that they always have the blues to fall back on if things get too messy. The band have just released their debut album "Queen of Swords", a scintillating collection of songs informed by the blues but not restricted by the genre.

The blues are not an obvious influence on opening track "Sermon Gladiorum" in fact this instrumental bares scant resemblance to any forms of the genre, doom with a heavy hint of heady psych would be a better description being how it begins light and lysergic then evolves into a brief but thundersome riff fest driven by pounding percussion. "Rough Cut" follows and here we find Red Sun Sermon getting their blues mojo well and truly on with vocalist Kat's strong sultry tones soaring over a backdrop of ever shifting groove that runs the full gamut of heavy blues rock styles. The band bring a touch of southern rock  swagger to the table for "High On You", the songs addictive guitar motifs and driving rhythms reminiscent of those once the remit of cult boogie merchants Raging Slab only with smoother more seductive vocals. For their next song Red Sun Sermon stop off to share "Coffee with the Devil", the song a romping rocker decorated with infectious and quirky vocal meters. Things get a touch ethereal and moody for "Circles" a song that boasts a deliciously dusky vocal and a groove rooted in the blues but with a very ear pleasing tendency to wander into both doomic and lysergic territories. "Satiate" is up next, the song a chugging cosmic blues rocker decorated with a strong and powerful vocal and boasting surf like guitar motifs and scorching solos supported by low bouncy bass and tight drumming. "I'm asking questions, You're telling lies" state the lyrics to final song "Likely Story", a vitriolic rant against deception and deceit delivered in a mixture of world weary and snarly tones against a backdrop of crunching guitar riffage and punchy percussion, a fittingly gritty closer to a nicely gritted album 

Metallic bluesiness flecked with touches of southern swagger and occult rock ethereality over which an element of lysergic acidity is liberally sprinkled is the jam Red Sun Sermon bring to the pulpit with "Queen of Swords", s sound that is not not overly heavy or exceptionally gnarly but one that is nevertheless both highly impressive and extremely enjoyable.

Check 'em out .... 

 

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