ACOUSTIC APHASIA

After a turbulent few years which saw a number of members come and go, German prog metal band Sunpath released this their debut album in 2007. At present, the album is available for free download or CD purchase via the band's website, the band having taken the bold step of releasing the album themselves.

With a line up of twin guitars and vocals, but no keyboards, the opportunities to vary the sound are perhaps limited. There are however six tracks here four of which are over 6 minutes long, including a three part closing track running to some 13 minutes.

The opening "Intromental" (get it?!) quickly directs us to the band's long suit, through some melodic and virtuoso lead guitar. This segues into the 9½ minute "Pictures of illusion", the intro to which is quite at odds with the band's "metal" classification. The gentle acoustic guitar lays the foundations for a soft vocal passage. While the vocals are adequate, they are the weak link of the band. In fairness, this is in part due to the production of the album which delivers the vocals in a rather raw, unrefined way. The track builds through heavy riffing and frantic drums delving deep into the territories of bands such as Dream Theater.

"Dreamscape" also begins as a soft ballad, before developing into an Indie sounding piece, with suggestions of the prog punk of bands such as The Mars Volta. "Aphelion" is the shortest and most straight forward track on the album. The vocals on this rock metal song are better than on most of the album, this being about as close as the band come to creating something commercial in pop terms.

The now familiar acoustic intro returns for "In good seasons", but this time although the track does become louder, it maintains the lighter style. By way of a pleasant surprise, the song includes unaccredited violin as well as the more prosaic guitar. The album closes with "Tacit knowledge", a three part suite and the longest track on the album. In reality though, other than the length, there is little to differentiate this from what has gone before, the average vocals and by now familiar guitar sounds simply being extended. The latter part of the piece does show a degree of refinement which, had it been present throughout the album, would undoubtedly have been to the album's advantage.

In all, an album which offers the promise of potential, rather than actually delivering. With some competent production, and perhaps the addition of some keyboards to fill out and diversify the sound, Sunpath could have a bright future.

Share this SUNPATH review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Easy Livin
• Report this review (#159959)
• Buy SUNPATH music online with PA partners
• Show all SUNPATH MP3/Stream
• Go to SUNPATH page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Acoustic Aphasia page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for SUNPATH related discussions