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Sunbomb: Evil And Divine
Sunbomb - Evil And Divine Album Art

Sunbomb: Evil And Divine

Heavy Metal
3.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 05.19.2021 | Released: 14.05.2021

With common backgrounds and interests in music, yet with divergent ideologies and worldviews, Sunbomb is the project of musicians and friends, vocalist Michael Sweet (Stryper) and guitarist Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns). The common musical interests for both fellows are self-evident: melodic hard rock and heavy metal. For Guns the latter includes interest in sub-genres like doom metal. (Who knew?) As for ideology, or perhaps better theology, Sweet is a Christian and Tracii Guns, well, is not. Yet both men hold the other in high regard. (Yes. We can all get along despite our difference of opinions.) Actually, Tracii proposed a tour with Stryper after his band released The Devil You Know in 2019 called the Heaven And Hell tour, but the promoters wouldn't buy it. Now the duo offers their debut album, aptly titled Evil And Divine.

Sunbomb - Click For Larger Image

Sweet & Guns

Musically, Sunbomb is heavy metal, perhaps heavier, darker, and more modern than what one might think of traditional metal. I can say this, as a fan of both musicians, I have never heard either of them sound heavier, darker, and more modern than on this recording. Honestly, with one listen, even just a few songs, I was a bit, more than a little, well actually ... largely flabbergasted and bewildered. For one, Sweet seemed way out of context, simply to gnarly, raging, and screamo for these ears. I couldn't bear to listen to him after a few songs. Instead of sounding like a heavy metal vocalist, he simply sounded like he was yelling at me like an overbearing (and obnoxious) foreman would to his lazy laborers. The Sunbomb songs were generally riff thick over a thumping bottom end. Many songs were basically fast and heavy yet with groove. But, curiously, putting these elements together, Sunbomb was able make their metal sound like a hybrid of heavy metal and doom metal. Things fast, deep, and heavy came with Life, Better End, and Born To Win. The heavy and sluggish quality of doom metal arrived with Take Me Away and World Gone Wrong. Honestly, only a two songs appealed to me: the ballad Been Said And Done and Stronger Than Before, a heavy metal rocker with plenty of speed and groove.

In the end, and speaking honestly again, Tracii Guns and Michael Sweet's Sunbomb came off as a novelty album: take two fellows with common musical interests and let them take those interests to the most adverse outer limits. It may be lost and forgotten in due time. But if you're a fan of either artist, you may hear things differently. Check out the music and support the band.




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The Take Away

In the end, and speaking honestly again, Tracii Guns and Michael Sweet's Sunbomb came off as a novelty album: take two fellows with common musical interests and let them take those interests to the most adverse outer limits. It may be lost and forgotten in due time. But if you're a fan of either artist, you may hear things differently.

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