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SUNFLOWER DEAD
C O M A
EMP Label Group

Shortly after being welcomed onto David Ellefson’s EMP Label, Los Angeles rockers SUNFLOWER DEAD have released their third album titled C O M A. I have been a fan of this band since encountering them on tour with POWERMAN 5000 in 2013 and as the band continues to evolve with a new lineup and fresh look, C O M A falls in line with the stripped-down, bare-knuckles, sinister, dark and twisted tone both sonically and lyrically that SUNFLOWER DEAD has become known for. As a less gimmicky and more mature follow up to 2015’s It’s Time To Get Weird, C O M A represents the group’s most complete work to date.

“Let Me In” kicks off the fierce, haunting darkness with a grinding, building track – the perfect opener. Vocalist Michael Del Pizzo sounds menacing with his screams and powerful clean vocals across the board. Newcomers bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY) and drummer Brian “Brett” Weir (ex - STARSET) round out the quintet of seasoned musicians and their presence is felt throughout. The first single, “Victim” has a hard, modern rock, edge to it that quickly turns with beautiful vocal harmonies in the chorus followed by an erratic guitar solo. That’s really what makes this record so tasty – the modern rock sound with all of the classic rock trimmings; solos and harmonies – two things that seem forgotten in this day and age. This song writing recipe is all-too-often missing certain ingredients, but SUNFLOWER DEAD is able to emulsify the right amounts of dirty and clean vocals and guitar with tempo changes and mellow moments alongside dark, abusive tones to produce some of the truest rock and metal available today without sacrificing talent and workmanship.

This record presents a raw yet polished; focused yet stripped-down; dark yet beautiful elegance to it that will take the listener on a deep, emotional rollercoaster of a journey into provocative concepts and eerie twists. It is an intelligent album that ranges from the shimmering highs of Michael’s vocal range to the darkest depths of the drop-tuned guitar work of Jaboo and Jamie Teissiere. There is not one slouch to speak of, but likely my favorite track is the moving “The Biggest Mistake”. Michael expresses the message to be yourself and follow your fate in the most metal way possible. It is a volatile track that offers a piece of all of the facets that makeup SUNFLOWER DEAD. Other standout tracks were “Savior”, “Counting All My Failures” and “Turn Away”, but like I said before, there is not a single track to skip over.

5.0 Out Of 5.0

http://www.sunflowerdead.com/
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