Independent
This latest offering from Only Sons, the second full-length from the Kraków five-piece, is an accomplished and satisfying record. There’s a solid, consistent sound which presents a band confident in its style and musical direction. That sound stretches from the heaviest progressive metal at one edge to a much bluesier style at the other end. The centrepiece, “Blindman”, best exemplifies this, covering both sound worlds without ever leaving either of them. It also demonstrates the other highlight of the record – nice touches of variety that give each piece its own voice and prevent the record becoming homogenous. It never quite achieves the heaviness of contemporary djent metal, though “Anthem of the Unheard” gets close as does the opener “Siren’s Song”, while the closing “Crimson Sunset” evokes blues and classic rock, but with a more modern metal arrangement. The playing is technically demanding throughout but without ever being showy. Unconventional time signatures and complex drum patterns largely disappear into the songwriting and arrangements. Daniel Kesler’s guitar solos are nimble and energetic, and certainly technical, but they never stand out too much from the background and serve the songs more than the guitarist, with plenty of room for melody around the showier passages. This also speaks to the balance of the production. The ensemble sound is well engineered, with all the instruments standing on their own. Too often, metal bands foreground drums or lead guitar too much, behind the vocals, but not here. It is a wall of sound, but well-articulated. Łukasz Kursa (guitar), Kamil Stadnicki (bass), and Wiktor Palik (drums) are a tight rhythm section, driven but also with a little bit of swing when the blues comes more to the fore. Su Bala’s vocal style is coarse and aggressive, and he sings with intensity throughout. He has power across the range and a decent tone. The record doesn’t give him much opportunity to demonstrate greater variety in delivery and his voice is for me too often double-tracked or backed by dense supporting vocals. It is clear that it would stand well enough on its own. The final piece, “Crimson Sunset” is arguably more ambitious, with more changes in style, and it is the longest track on the record, and it is also excellent – a great way to close off what is a very good album. Fans of TesseracT, Caligula’s Horse, Rishloo, Haken, Mastodon, Kingcrow, and even Rival Sons (no pun intended) will likely enjoy this record.
4.5/6 | Alex Maines
Release date: 17 April 2026