Stoned Jesus has returned with a cool, hard-driving rocker called “Shadowland”. While well-marked by their mind-melting heaviness, the album’s lead single is haunted by shadows of doubt. But on “Shadowland”, frontman Igor Sydorenko and his new mates outrun their demons with fresh twists and the catchiest hooks of their career.
“This song is about finding solid ground amidst the instability of the past few years”, Sydorenko says. “The opening hook screams Alice In Chains, while the pulsating verses evoke Mastodon at their poppiest. And the climax is something else entirely!”
Fans of Stoned Jesus will catch nods to Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest along the heavy path paved by Songs to Sun. Though the video opens with the band only coming into frame, “Shadowland” is clearly their vision. A grungy riff slithers over a mountainous bass line scooped out by newest member Andrew Rodin. Fellow newcomer Yurii Ciel snaps into a hi-hat strut, greasing the way for Sydorenko to slide into the band’s catchiest guitar lick since “Here Come The Robots”.
“Each album in our upcoming trilogy highlights a different phase to Stoned Jesus”, Sydorenko says. “Songs to Sun shows off our heavier, more aggressive side”.
Stoned Jesus’ new single does ride to a mean, road-burning groove. But “Shadowland” has some new tricks tucked between its blinding hooks. “We love to take influences from other musical genres”, says Sydorenko. “I like prog rock, while Andrew and Yurii like everything from black metal to hip-hop and folk”. As the band wind their way back to the song’s shout-aloud chorus, first, they must sift through a glowing mist cast by a gothic spell of keys.
An existential shadow hangs over Songs to Sun. The album reflects on the unstable ground that Sydorenko navigated after the band’s previous lineup dissolved. Like the mysterious figures that creep and crawl around every corner of the video, insecurity looms over “Shadowland”. “Ground under my feet is / Turning to quicksand”, Sydorenko sings right before the compressed bridge cuts out. But even when shrouded by depression, Stoned Jesus are guided by the spirit of innovation. Right as their new lineup comes fully into focus at the end of the video, the song’s closing sprint breaks toward the light with a high-powered fusion of pop melodies and headbanging prog.
“There’s a constant sense of instability that seeps through the lyrics of Songs to Sun”, Sydorenko says, “but experimenting with the music is what helps give our lives a solid foundation”.
Tracklist
- New Dawn (8:53)
- Shadowland (4:38)
- Lost in the Rain (7:49)
- Low (4:09)
- See You on the Road (5:45)
- Quicksand (9:52)
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