Sun Don't Shine : "From Birth to Death"

This band is one half of Type O Negative and one half of Crowbar. So as expected, it's a 90s -post-grunge collision with sludge. Kenny Hickey handles the vocals as the stoner swagger moves with monolithic grooves. It's even more impressive than you can imagine.  The second song reminds me of Type O more than the first. This can be heard in the flavor of despair haunting the chorus. Kirk lends his voice in places to serve as a burly counterpoint to Hickey's tenor. 

There is more doom in "Coming Down."  They rumble out of it with the more swampy shuffle of "All You Wasted". There are some more melodic guitar sections buried in this blues-tinged dirge. Halfway into the album, my favorite song is "When It's Time to Leave," as it goes in a darker and thoughtfully melodic diretion. Hickey's voice feels like it is in its sweet spot here. They are amore overtly metal on "The Promise Song," which carries a late 90s post-grunge swagger to it. 

It does not sound like they were smoking as much weed as when they recorded "October Rust." I suppose some of the more psychedelic moments must have been thanks to Josh, though there is a slight trippy shimmer amid the thunder of "Black to Red". They drop back into darker, doomy riffs with "What You Are," which highlights their peak sound. Perhaps this might just be the sound I prefer, as I am obviously a bigger Type O Negative fan than Crowbar. "In the End" reminds me of solo Ozzy. It is more of a power ballad. I will give this album a 9.5. To their credit, it is not steeped in nostalgia but reminds me of a great time for music in the mid to late 90s when it came to this kind of post-grunge metal. Fans of both bands will appreciate it, as well as anyone looking for an awesome doomy album with stellar attention to detail when it comes to songwriting. 

Below is an interview I did with Type O / Suns Don't Shine  Drummer Johnny Kelly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBWoOWEqFPI&t=114s