Band:	Dark Suns
Album:	Grave Human Genuine
Style:	Extreme progressive metal
Release date:	February 25, 2008
A review by:	Jeff

01. Stampede
02. Flies In Amber
03. Thornchild
04. Rapid Eyes Moment
05. Amphibian Halo
06. The Chameleon Defect
07. Free Of You
08. Papillon
09. 29 [Digipak bonus]

Wow, am I listening to a new band? I remember that the first album of the German combo Dark Suns was really similar to the music of Opeth and it was good even if obviously some personality was missing. Their second album was a lot more progressive and less Death Metal but the new release "Grave Human Genuine" is a radical turnover. Dark Suns now plays pure Progressive melancholic Metal and the people who like Porcupine Tree or Pain of Salvation should have a look on this release, because it's good music really.

I use to listen to a lot of bands of Progressive bands like Porcupine Tree, POS or even Pink Floyd. If Dark Suns was a band whicch used to play Death (Progressive) in the past, the German combo is now a pure Progressive act. It's a good change in my opinion because now the music of Dark Suns is a lot more personal but also intimist. Though you have to know that it's really complex and not so easy of access. The songs are all long with dark atmospheric passages and it's not so easy to enter in the music of the new Dark Suns. That probably the main "problem" of this album, it's good Progressive music but it's really elitist too and you'll not find any catchy choruses in "Grave Human Genuine"? It should be ok for the fans of complex Prog Metal but all the people who want Prog a la Symphony X will be quickly bored by the album. Dark Suns plays a music in the vein of Porcupine Tree now, so be aware of that important fact, if you dislike electronic sounds, if you don't like cold ambiances and if you're looking for "tralala" Power Metal choruses, this is definitely not for you!

"Grave Human Genuine" is well produced and you'll have the nice surprise to find Mr Kristoffer Gildenlöw (ex Pain of Salvation) at the bass guitar! It's great because this instrument is really important in the new compositions of Dark Suns and of course he was the perfect element to play this instrument on such Progressive release. No really "Grave Human Genuine" is a classy album of Prog Metal, not really easy of access and maybe a bit too complex sometime but all in all it's a nice album and I can already tell you that Dark Suns will become famous in the genre if they find the way to add some little things to their next releases (some melodies a bit more catchy for example?).

"Grave Human Genuine" is a good Progressive album. It's maybe not perfect and too elitist on a side but it's classy music and proves that Dark Suns is a unique band with members who know how to write personal music if they want to do it. Highly recommended to all the fans of Porcupine Tree, Anathema or Pain Of Salvation!