Still the Sun 2011

"Satinoxide is a progressive metal act, and "Still the Sun" is a progressive metal release. However, we are not dealing with hyper technical and self-indulgent progressive metal. Neither are we dealing with über complex and epic progressive metal. No, we are dealing with genre-transcending progressive metal, which experiments with combinations of sounds from within and outside of the world of metal.

There is a bit of power metal and a bit of traditoinal metal, and there is some hard rock and AOR, and also a slight symphonic feel now an then. Satinoxide also draw on extreme metal, and you can expect to encounter blastbeats and growled vocals in addition to the clean male and female vocals and more melodic metal elements. There is an overall gothic feel to the entire album, too, which may be ascribed to the melancholic piano figures that are more or less ubiquitous.

There are also elements from outside of metal. For example, there is Buddhist chanting in 'Three Stages of Being', and there is a theremin in 'Throbbing Pulse of Death' (and it sounds wiiiicked!). Also, Marjo van Iwaarden from the Euro-dance outfit 2 Unlimited makes a guest appearance (she has a cool voice and should consider becoming a full time heavy metal vocalist).

The song structures are not mindbogglingly complex, but, still, Satinoxide do not succumb to the conventions of pop music composition, and there is a certain dynamism to many of the tunes on this album in terms of structure.

Overall this is a strong and interesting debut album, which should appeal to fans of progressively oriented metal. There certainly is a lot of potential in Satinoxide (they are very experienced musicians, after all), and, while "Still the Sun" is good, I expect their next album to be super good.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)"