We weren’t on time to catch the last spaceship leaving for the galaxy. Our review for Tiit, Sun of the Suns‘ latest exploration drive, roared out of our gates a few months later than it should have. And more’s the pity, because this was excellent and brutal fantasy fare for a debut album.
Now, this time, this ain’t happening. Launch pads are ready yet again, and the wow-signals from the Oort Cloud or something are firing up the juices of them space crews. A lot is going on in the sparsely populated vacuum, and we’re wondering if Entanglement will surpass its predecessor with this here sophomore album. Or perhaps it will crash and burn into the next sun. So many suns here. Let’s see which one’s the brightest.
Never change a winning team. That’s what the band probably thought when attacking their second record here. And sure enough, Francesco Paoli of our 2024 Top 10 winner Fleshgod Apocalypse1 again rips at the drum kit. You know, the guy injecting menace and grit into his alma mater over in Perugia. And in a way, he’s doing the same with his drumsticks on Entanglement. The ferocious rumbling slathers that fleshy feeling all over the record. A reminder of where the record could go, but doesn’t. Just to make a point, I guess. That said, nothing changed with the rest of the lineup, so there’s that. Ludovico Cioffi and Marco Righetti still slam hard with their axes, whereas Luca Scarlatti continues to destroy his vocals with them relentless growls.
Nothing to see here, then, one might think. But not so. If anything, the intensity of the songwriting has taken a few leaps forward. Sun of the Suns probably stamped new meaning into their potpourri of styles. There’s a sentiment of effortlessness about this band’s Progressive and Melodic Death Metal sound. And that is quite a feat, considering the high-stakes technicality on offer. In other words, apart from their cosmic level Insomnium approach to melodeath, the band injected a fair share of tech death, some dissonance, and – no surprise there – some juicy breakdowns into Deathcore.
The proficient use of keys in all its spacey splendor is yet another key pillar of success on Entanglement. Rough, yet juicy riffing, wildly gyrating solos, relentless growls, heavy chugging, and insane bouts of djentology follow themselves in staccato fashion. And that dizzying array of soundbites risks serious sensory overload when not managed properly. The band countered that thundering threat to insanity with a truly artful use of synth and key and some pretty cool excursion into prog death proper. A counterweight, much needed in all that metallic hullabaloo on full display.
And that led to some pretty astonishing specimens of their art on Entanglement. Such as the rough ‘n’ easy Ephemeral, Ethereal, Eternal2. The perfect mix of raw mayhem and gliding through the ether with spacey melodics. Another example would be the perfectly balanced Please, Blackout My Eyes. Intense to a fine point, this track is a masterclass of a grimy package deal in metal. You’ll find a finely chiselled blend of harsh grit and woozy atmospherics. Somewhat of a well-crafted breakfast espresso for metallists. A blurb that comes tuned to a fine point, conveying urgency but, at the same time, avoiding losing the storytelling in the fray.
Ultimately, Entanglement didn’t quite change tack in style and delivery compared to Tiit and its eerie ways. Meaning, the band decided to hedge its strengths and avoid lurching off on some strange tangent they’re not really proficient in. Said differently, they neatly avoided that sophomore trap so many other bands shipwreck in. So, Sun of the Suns manned their good old spaceship and hit the fancrowd with a more intense and intensely refined new selection of their handiwork. A neat step-up from their 2021 record, garnished with superior, yet dense songwriting that will finally allow them to hit that warp drive.
So, godspeed to those Italian spacejokeys. Let’s see what they produce in their next iteration of gallivanting about space clouds and strange planetary systems. Oh, and give Paoli that permanent seat at the drum kit, will ya?
Ed’s note: Thunderous congrats, the record made it onto our 2025 Top 10 Records list.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Scarlet Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 12 December 2025