For me, the most disturbing reality of the music industry is the collective, immeasurable volume of exceptional music that, for a multitude of reasons, will forever fall on deaf ears. Although I'm always examining new music and new bands, on occasion, I'll hear something outstanding that really peaks my interest, only to discover it's an older release from an obscure band that, unfortunately, never had the opportunity to see their "name in lights". And again, I can't help but feel that all of that hard work, all of the great songs written, one by one, just slipped into oblivion with little or no fanfare; a total waste... I say all of this because, my Album of the Year for 2016 is from a band that most of you may have never heard of, and if not for a twist of fate, I may have missed it too. But I'm here to tell you that I won't let this one go unheard of. The band is SUN GOD, and their masterpiece of an album is titled, "Indomitus". This is a band that I believe, based solely on the quality of their music, has as much headline potential as any new band I've heard in recent years, and because this great record failed to slip past me, I'm going to make sure it gets its due.

Hailing from Stuttgart, Germany, SUN GOD, originally a two-man collaboration between Rolf Krick (all instruments) and Torsten Heil (all vocals), began penning "Indomitus" in 2015, and a year later, they had put the finishing touches on this 11-song slab of lead. They have since added Simon Stiefel on bass and Drew Porter on drums to the fold, solidifying the lineup and are now looking forward to 2017 to extensively promote this record, and I predict that this will be the year that you will know their name.

For me, there are two kinds of music; music that you hear, and then there's music that you feel. The music that you feel, immediately conjures a carnal feeling inside that moves your soul. So when SUN GOD released "Indomitus" late this past winter, I instantly had what felt like a divine connection with this band, feeling every song on this record. Their music has an aura of intrigue, while at times sounding like more of a conceptually crafted album. From the opening track to the last, this is no average Metal band playing average music. No matter how talented a band is, without great songs, they won't go far, and SUN GOD separates from itself from the average, as their songwriting prowess is their greatest strength. "Indomitus", is an 11-song mystical journey that is, as the band describes, "dealing with spiritual loss and glimmers of hope". This is traditional, untainted metal, the way that it was played before the plethora of sub-genres began to dilute the landscape of the industry. From the dark lyrical content delivered with distinctive metal vocals, hauntingly heavy guitar riffs, and the thickness of the pounding bottom end, this record is special... striking me as a bit of DIO infused with fragments of DANZIG. There is not a weak moment to be found anywhere on this record, and with powerful heavyweight tracks like "Demons", (the first release that introduced SUN GOD to the world), "Spawn of the Devil", "Broken Pen", and "Feed The Flame", this could be a classic metal album in the making. The pinnacle of this mighty offering, for me, is "Carved In Stone"; a down tempo earworm that evolves into heavy crunching choruses and has a "Rooster" (ALICE IN CHAINS) feel to it. This is a "big league" song from a "big league" album that should turn some heads in the industry. I am truly amazed that this band is not under contract by a big name label because when you look at bands that are drawing the crowds in recent years, SUN GOD is Tailor-made for success. Attention Record Labels: If you're looking for a "can't miss" band to add to your roster, look no further... https://sun-god.bandcamp.com/releases

In the midst of a sleepless night in late December, I somehow ended up on SUN GOD's social media page, where fate introduced me to this band, and in my opinion, the album of the year, "Indomitus". This band possesses everything required of a Heavy Metal band to reach elite status, and with the right promotion team, the sky is the limit. Please get behind this band and SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT...<