SUN OF THE SUNS is an Italian band formed some four years ago.  Signed to Scarlet Records, they released their debut "Tiit" just weeks ago.  Theirs is a sound steeped in Deathcore, admittedly not my go-to genre, but they do manage to put a fresh spin on the sound.

Genre conventions are so inherently biased.  Just saying "Deathcore" puts a bad taste in one's mouth.  The thing is, though, had I not read on the internet that they were considered Deathcore, I would not have lumped them in that category - thanks, Encyclopedia Metallum!

"Tiit" opens like a Prog record replete with crystalline, chiming cleans, loads of delay, and atmospheric keyboards.  Such is the intro "I, Demiurge Pt. 1" which bleeds into "Pt. 2," the first proper song on the album.  What begins as a groove-heavy exercise soon morphs into a frenetic, crazed section of anarchy.  When the band reconvenes around a powerful breakdown, the MESHUGGAH influence is simply unmistakable.  In fact, that heavily syncopated approach is revisited much throughout the album, more so than any trace of Deathcore.

The guitar tone is very close to a Djent sound.  As such, though, it is a powerful, clean approach across the board.  The tone does not sound contrived, and it actually works for the band in this context.  Rhythmically, a wall of sound is created by a tightly locked-in group of musicians.  When the band convenes around a powerful section such as the breakdown in third track, "The Golden Cage," the effect is indeed a powerful one.

Other highlights include the seventh track, "Flesh State Drive".  The beginning of this track has a distinctly BOLT THROWER vibe.  Whether or not that was intended is up in the air, but it provides yet another distinct color to the overall atmosphere of the album.  The climax of the album is the final track, "I, Emperor of Nothingness," a sprawling seven-minute and four-second epic.  After a punishing brutal finale, the song moves into a trippy mellow section to close out the album as it opened.

All in all, SUN OF THE SUNS impressed me regardless of the genre debate.  This is a band that I would definitely go see live given the chance.  It appeals to many of the same preferences as bands from INTRONAUT to DEVIN TOWNSEND; overall, it is an excellent debut.