The full-length concept recording that follows a figure, the Holy Drifter, on his journey through visions and across time.
Sun Below has a new release coming out, a self-titled, full-length concept recording that follows a figure, the Holy Drifter, on his journey through visions and across time.
The album clocks in at over an hour spread across nine tracks, the first single being the introductory track “Chronwall Neanderthal”. The song title came about while heading to a gig and passing Cornwall. The band started spitballing titles for a song that would debut that night, and Cornwall became Chronwall which would eventually become the mountain range depicted on the album cover. As the opening track, it is the most direct and hard-hitting song on the album and it sets the tone for the remainder of the album. Sun Below explains the concept behind this part of the album’s story:
“Chronwall Neanderthal was one of the first new tracks written for the album and was the last new song we had an opportunity to experiment with live before the pandemic shutdown. It is a more raw and direct track than many of our longer slow-burning jams, but still maintains the groove and feel present within our signature sativa rock sound. The song explores the origin of the sacred strain of ancient herb that becomes a focal point of the story later in the album, and how the Neanderthals of the distant past harvested it to their advantage against rival tribes. The intensity of the music demanded a more aggressive vocal delivery than used in the past, resulting in a pulse-pounding album opener.”
The lyrical subject serves as almost a prelude to the rest of the album, as it takes place in the distant past and plants the seeds for the future. The track contains a more aggressive vocal delivery than usual, which was born out of the need to match the driving intensity of the music.
Sun Below’s heavy stoner doom is recommended for fans of Black Sabbath, Sleep, and Electric Wizard.
