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by Sebastian Kluth

Extreme metal with ambient and neofolk elements - A review of Sun of the Sleepless' ''To the Elements''

Sun of the Sleepless - To the Elements (2017)

Markus Stock, better known under his pseudonym Ulf Theodor Schwadorf, has been the most creative, diversified and hard-working musician, producer and singer of the German metal scene in the past twenty years. The number of excellent ambient, black metal, gothic metal and neofolk bands he has been involved in is incredible. As if his numerous renowned involvements weren't enough, the German workaholic has now reanimated one of his earliest projects called Sun of the Sleepless. This was basically his solo project where Markus Stock could realize all his ideas that didn't necessarily blend in with the sounds of his other bands such as Empyrium and The Vision Bleak. The project started as an ambient act with black metal influences but later also included electronic elements. Thirteen years after the project's last release in form of a rare split record with another band of Markus Stock called Nachtmahr, this project has been brought back to life when least expected. As if a record with seven new songs weren't enough, Markus Stock also put together a compilation of the project's early days that was only released on vinyl and which is strictly limited to one hundred fifty copies. If you can get your hands on one of these copies, you will own an invaluable gem. But let's get back to the new record To the Elements.

In a certain way, this album unites all the different soundscapes Markus Stock has been experimenting with and fusions them in a coherent way. Appeasing neofolk passages with mysterious clean vocals meet gloomy doom metal soundscapes with a gothic atmosphere supported by melodic but sinister vocals and fast-paced black metal eruptions with ferocious blastbeats and guttural vocals. Right from the first notes of the melancholically hypnotizing ''The Burden'' with its enchanting choirs that smoothly fade in until the epic choirs followed by mysterious whispers in the final moments of ''Phoenix Rise'', this album develops a cinematic, epic and haunting atmosphere that really distinguishes this project. The songs might not always be stunning from a technical point of view but To the Elements has a clear guiding line that is executed perfectly. This album has a dark soul and yet includes moments of hope, peacefulness and revitalization. It's an album to listen to with your headphones on in the dark which is the case for many of Markus Stock's works. It unfolds its true magic after a few spins.

Along with the new Paradise Lost album, Sun of the Sleepless manages to come back with a bang and release one of the most profound atmospheric extreme metal records of the year. If you are the kind of person that is ready to take some time to explore a record's atmosphere and listen to it over and over again, To the Elements should be an essential purchase for you and might as well make your list of this year's greatest records already.

In German stores such as Media Markt and Saturn, this album is sold for almost twenty bucks which is definitely too much for seven songs and a running time just above forty minutes. Don't support those overtly capitalist electronics stores. The label Lupus Lounge / Prophecy Productions sells this record for a very reasonable amount of money and you can even download it from Bandcamp for a more than generous price. While you're at it, the label still has a few copies of the aforementioned compilation vinyl Shadows of the Past left in store, so go grab both records and make them your soundtrack for the upcoming autumn and winter seasons.

Final rating: 85%

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