Sunbomb’s Sophomore LP Is Another “Light” Among This Year’s New Rock, Hard Rock Albums
- Philip Sayback
- July 7, 2024
- Music Reviews, News
- L.A. Guns, Michael Sweet, Stryper, Sunbomb, Tracii Guns
- 0 Comments
Late last month, rock super group Sunbomb released its sophomore album, Light Up The Sky through Frontiers Music s.r.l. Also the band’s second release through the label, the 11-song record came more than three years after the release of the band’s debut record, Evil and Divine. It is a presentation that fans of the band (composed of L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, Stryper front man Michael Sweet, ex-L.A. Guns bassist and session drummer Hamilton, and bassist Mitch Davis) will find enjoyable just as much as pure guitar rock fans. That is due in part to the record’s musical content, which will be addressed shortly. The lyrical themes that accompany said musical arrangements make for their own interest. They will be discussed a little later. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole of the album and will also be addressed later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of Sunbomb’s new album, Light Up The Sky. All things considered they make this latest offering from Sunbomb one more of this year’s top new rock albums.
Light Up The Sky, the sophomore album from rock super group Sunbomb, is a strong new offering from the band that its established fans and rock purists alike will find enjoyable. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements. Stylistically, the arrangements are much in the same vein as those that fleshed out the band’s 2021 debut album, Evil and Divine with their clear focus on classic rock influences. At the same time, the arrangements here show more diversity in that influence. Right from the record’s outset, ‘Unbreakable,’ (which is also one of its singles, listeners get something a gritty, heavy guitar riff and bass line that pair with the pounding drums and Sweet’s familiar operatic vocal style to make the song a really heavy 70s hard rock type composition a la Black Sabbath. Speaking of Sabbath, this is only one of the songs that serves to exhibit that similarity. The doom metal approach that the band collectively took in ‘In Grace We’ll Find Our Name’ hints at Sabbath during its Ronnie James Dio’s time with the band. That is especially thanks to Sweet’s vocal delivery style along the heavy, plodding instrumentation.
On another note, the band turns things in a more bluesy vein in ‘Rewind.’ The blues-based rock approach here once again harkens back to the sounds of the 70s but still sounds like it could just as easily fit into most modern rock stations’ playlists. That can be said even more strongly of its immediate follow-up, ‘Scream Out Loud.’ This driving hard rock opus sounds just as modern as it does vintage.
As if all of that is not enough, the very next track, ‘Winds of Fate,’ immediately conjures thoughts of King’s X what with its relaxed semi-psychedelic sound and stylistic approach. There are even moments herein in which Sweet and his band mates’ collective “choral” vocals hint at the same style used often by Dug Pinnick, Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill on their works. The richness of that vocal approach and the general instrumentation here makes for so much enjoyment and engagement. From there, the band wastes no time keeping things interesting as the tempo immediately rises again in the Judas Priest-esque ‘Beyond The Odds.’ More specifically, there is something about Guns’ guitar riff here that lends it to comparison to Priest’s beloved classic hit, ‘Freewheel Burning.’
As the band reaches the album’s penultimate entry, ‘Setting The Sail,’ it turns things quite in the vein of those rock ballads that have become the butt of so many jokes in the modern age of rock. It is easily comparable to those ballads from the likes of Poison, White Lion, Dokken and others of that ilk. When one looks at this song’s arrangement and the others examined here, it should be clear that there is quite a bit more diversity in the musical content than in Sunbomb’s debut record, meaning listeners have even more to appreciate this time out from Sunbomb than in the band’s debut album. It has taken what audiences appreciated in that record and used it to grow in this presentation.
The increased diversity in the album’s musical diversity forms a solid foundation for the new record. Building on that foundation is the lyrical content that accompanies said material. Turning the attention back to the album’s opener and single, ‘Unbreakable,’ its positive, uplifting message is one example of the importance of the record’s lyrical themes. The theme here comes across as one of personal strength; that familiar message of perseverance through life’s tough times. This as Sweet sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “In shadows of deep/Where demons creep/I found my soul/And a promise to keep/From bitter cold/A fire arose/A Phoenix was born/Heaven knows/Resurrected from pain/Through thunder and rain/Though scars still remain/I’m unbreakable.” This kind of hints to a similarity to Skillet’s hit single, ‘Invincible’ in regard to the lyrical approach. That is not a bad thing, either. Sweet continues in the song’s second verse, “With shattered dreams and silent screams/I forged a path/That’s been ripped at the seams/The trials I’ve faced/And battles I’ve faced/A warrior’s heart/Built by grace.” He concludes in the song’s third verse that all of his pain and suffering from the past has made him stronger, unbreakable. It is collectively a reminder that so many people of all ages need today just as much as ever. To that end, that uplifting message of persevering through life’s difficulties pairs with the song’s powerful, gritty arrangement to give the message even more of a positive punch. The whole is certain to make the song in whole resonate even more with listeners.
‘Steel Hearts,’ another of the album’s singles, is another example of the importance of Light Up The Sky’s lyrical themes. It is here that Sweet brings in his Christian rock leanings as he clearly delivers a message of good triumphing over the ultimate evil. This is clear as he sings of being “bound by the son” in that battle in the chorus’ final line. The mention of the “story of rebellion…through the raging tempest” in the second verse adds even more to that inference, as does the note of rising from the ashes “for the love of justice” in the final verse. To that end, Stryper fans will find this something appealing in its own right.
The album’s title track, yet another of its current singles, is yet one more example of the importance of the album’s lyrical themes. As with the other singles, its lyrical message is one of positivity. It is a message, once again, of perseverance. This as Sweet sings, “Through the shadows/We will find our way/With every step we take/We will seize the day/We will rise/United allies/Fueled by fire/As we soar higher/We’ll light up the sky/And let colors fly/In the face of darkness/We won’t say goodbye/With hearts open wide/We’ll reach for the stars/Together we’ll fight/For what’s right/And light up the sky.” So what audiences get here is not only a message of perseverance, but one of unity and standing up against obstacles collectively. It is another familiar rock message that resonates just as much here as in the case of any other act’s case. When it is considered along with the themes in the other songs examined here and alongside the themes featured in the rest of the album’s songs, the whole therein makes clear why the lyrical themes featured in Light Up The Sky are just as important as the record’s musical arrangements.
Unquestionably, the overall content featured throughout Sunbomb’s new album does plenty to make it engaging and entertaining. It is only part of what makes the album worth hearing. The general production that went into the album brings everything together, putting the final touch to the presentation. That is thanks to the balance that it ensures between each song’s instrumentation and vocal delivery. There is so much heaviness in each song that it would have been easy for the vocals to get washed out. Luckily the balance is just right , ensuring each performance compliments that of each musician’s counterparts from one song to the next. The positive aesthetic that this brings to the listening experience pairs with the overall content that makes up the album’s body to make the overall album a presentation that will appeal to a wide range of rock audiences.
Light Up The Sky, the new album from rock super group Sunbomb, is a presentation that will appeal just as much to the band’s established audiences as guitar rock purists in general. That is due in part to the album’s featured musical arrangements. The arrangements are important to its presentation because they show growth from the band in comparison to the group’s debut 2021 album. The vintage rock influence is still there but is even more diverse in sounds and styles from that debut record. The lyrical themes are just as important to Light Up The Sky as the album’s musical arrangements. That is because as shown here, they present content that will uplift and enlighten listeners, enhancing the listening experience even more. The overall production of this record puts the finishing touch to its presentation. It ensures each musician’s performance is expertly balanced with those of his band mates throughout the album. The positive impact that said attention to detail ensures works with the overall content to make Light Up The Sky one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Light Up The Sky is available now through Frontiers Music s.r.l. More information on the album is available along with all of Sunbomb’s latest news at:
Website: https://frontiers.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontiersmusicsrl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontiersMusic1
