Scar of the Sun – Inertia (Napalm)
Tuesday, 11th May 2021
One of those bands that boggle this scribe’s mind that it has taken three full-lengths to come across them, given the sheer volume of melodeath and modern metal that DR tends to cover. That aside, Sccar of the Sun is a Greek act that fits into both of those pockets, and the band’s third effort (and first for Napalm Records) is well-crafted material that should appeal to fans in both of the aforementioned camps.
What Scar of the Sun does best with Inertia is that they don’t play directly into one particular sound. Instead, there’s a nice selection of tracks without making it seem like a hodge-podge assembly. The title track brings all of the modern melodeath trimmings with fury to spare. Galloping and energetic melodies with just enough heaviness to back them up, a ripper of a solo, and an effective melodic chorus that avoids being too melodic (read: commercial sounding), and leaves a strong first impression of the act. “I Am the Circle” ups the melodic aspects, with some tantalizing guitarwork throughout, flexing muscles that should please fans of Dark Tranquillity or Insomnium with ease. The later three-track combo of “Quantum Leap Zero” sees them incorporating some more progressive elements into the mix, as well as some more atmospheric and melancholic pieces in its first section (“Torque Control”) and its finale (“Thrust”), gaining some elegance in between more visceral moments. The gloom really hits on the closing track, “Anastasis,” which takes the melodeath and gives it an even further emotive twist and sits as one of the album’s true highlights. Combining all of these aspects makes for a thrilling and enjoyable album that never gets bogged down in one area.
Inertia provides a great batch of melodic death metal/modern metal tunes that hit across a wide spectrum. Scar of the Sun conjure up melody after melody, and combine it with just the right amount of aggression to make it work wonders (and successfully avoiding any gripes about commercializing the sound). An easy sell to genre fans.
Scar of the Sun official website
