Sahaj Ticotin - vocals, guitar
Andy Ryan - drums
Ben Carroll - guitar
P.J. Farley - bass
The American alternative metal band that takes their name from the Egyptian
sun god as been around since the 1990s, but did not actually evolve into its current form until 2002. That is the year they
released their first full-length album entitled From One via Universal Records. Three years later in 2005 they released the second album Duality. This is the album that turned me onto them with the lead single “Fallen Angels.” They then
left label Universal Records for Cement Shoes Records and released their live album Raw.
Now in late 2008 they release their third studio album Black Sun via Sahaja
Music Records. The album begins with “Broken Hearted Soul” that was released for download almost a year earlier,
Christmas day ’07. The track, which is the lead single, begins with some very odd picking that gets your attention then
that’s when the blast comes. A track that flows great as music and vocals meet to provide an awesome lead track. It
is a catchy track with melody flowing throughout. The next song “Faulty Information” is a straight up great track.
It has a stunning sound with powerful drums and a glimpse of some rap lyrics that make you think of some Papa Roach or heavier
LP. The track will explode onstage and I personally will be waiting on it. “The First Step” spins off third on
Black Sun. The track begins with a heavy drum set and bass before Sahaj’s vocals enters. The track starts to mellow out a bit here and there. It kind of
has some glimpses of “Fallen Angels” musically. “Push” starts out with some very nice tribal drums.
It also features some soaring guitars and steady vocals. The chorus is also sweet sounding, but the track does seem to not
hold your full attention more than a few times as it is really repetitive. “Lost Along the Way” has a very cool
intro to the track. It quickly grabs you by the eardrums and won’t let go. It sounds like something out of a movie that
is set in a middle east (like a prince or princess just entered the room). It then turns to pounding drums and nice riffs.
“I Believe Again” is a simple track that glides through the three minutes it’s put on display. It features
perfectly done vocals and backing vocals plus add in some very nice guitar work. “Waste of Space” is one of the
most artistic tracks that you will ever hear. It begins with some string work then transitions into drums and guitars come
in. A voice over comes into play that catches your attention and then a nice piece of rap rock comes. It could easily take
not only the album to the next level, but may take the band back into the spotlight. It does what “Fallen Angels”
did for me on the last installment. “Genocide” starts the last section of the album off with a heavy track infused
with great riffs and pounding drums. Sahaj adds in some easy to follow vocals. It’s a definent ass kicking ass the album
begins to close (until repeated of course). “A Poets Dream” catches my eye with the title and should catch you
off guard. It’s a simple and elegant sounding track as the album closes with “Easier Than This,” a track
begins with a piano and a soft vocal experience from Sahaj. Ra places every ounce of passion and emotion into this track and
it bleeds out from the heart. You will just have to experience this one for yourself. Overall this is a good album. It has
highs and low like any album, but at the end of the day I think that it was lacking heaviness in places. Of course tracks
like “Easier Than This” doesn’t need to be heavy as its perfect just how it is, but others needed to be
spiced up a bit. Although I’m a little disappointed with the album from track to track, as a whole it is one that I
would buy myself. The album has many tracks that I like and just a hand full that I didn’t care for. “Waste of
Space” is the brightest of the bright and should take the album and band to heights they might haven’t been before.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
My favorite tracks:
Broken
Hearted Soul, Faulty Information, Waste of Space
Track List:
1.
Broken Hearted Soul
2.
Faulty Information
3.
The First Step
4.
Push
5.
Don’t Turn Away
6.
Lost Along the Way
7.
I Believe Again
8.
Waste of Space
9.
Genocide
10. A
Poet Dream
11. Easier
Than This
Website (s): www.RA-BAND.net
