EXTINGUISH THE SUN is an Illinois-based Metal band formed in 2015. With influences ranging from NWOBHM bands to Thrash and modern Metal, they blend styles into a fusion of Metal that sees everything from melodic to thrashy to Death Metal thrown together into a wonderful cacophony of sound. Mostly Annoyed Records released "Transformations," the bands' second full-length album, on June 17, 2022.

The album opens with "Sold," a melodic song with a killer riff surrounded by a wildly varying rhythm. The shifts they built in, with volume of guitars dropping and rising again, then having some lead work and fills take over, are fully supported by heavy hitting drum work and thundering bass lines. Some of that ethereal lead work from the guitars is reminiscent of nu-metal, adding yet another flavor to the dish.

The longest song on the record is "Marooned." Clocking in at just over eight minutes, it has a sludgy intro that drops for a moment before picking back up. Vocally, these guys have quite the range. Jeremy Miller has a fairly distinct voice with a pretty good range. He spends a lot of time in his lower register but can flip to distorted or even growled vocals with ease. It's a little like Stephen Richards of TAPROOT in some ways. Jeremy is very precise and controlled in how he manages those flips. His technique is quite impressive.

"Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" is a heavy hitting song. The riff is solid, slapping you upside the eardrum. Again, the intricate lead work with the guitars is well done. Jeremy and Nick work well together, blending into each other's tracks with skill. The mix of the record really accented their ability to coordinate. The rhythm has some nice variations as well, rising and falling with the guitars, making sure that foundation is stable.

Contrasting the longest song, the shortest is barely two and a half minutes. "Planet Nowhere" even has a few punk vibes in it, making it one of the wilder songs on the record. Daniel and Michael really hammer the rhythm home on this one. Add in the backing screamed vocals and you get a quick shot of chaos that can probably please both the metalhead and the punk rocker for a couple of minutes. It's a song they can all bond over.

"And The Signal Fades" completes the album. There is another sludgy intro that transforms into a chugging riff that is sure to delight. This is a slow burner that just never tries to get out of its' stride. This song is in no hurry to make the journey, perfectly content to just takes all the time needed to get the point across. The tone is darker, and the tuning feels lower than normal, but that could just be my imagination.

EXTINGUISH THE SUN has created an intricate and diverse album that displays the wide array of influences the individual members bring to the project. This is the 1980s mixed with the early 2000s, sprinkled with 1990s and dusted with 2010s, marinated through a pandemic and served hot for 2022. Enjoy the feast!