Riot Sun – Bruises (2020)
Riot Sun is connecting with everyone who has been bruised and battered by the world in their debut EP Bruises. Through the five tracks, the band waxes over personal identity crises, the decay of humanity, the media’s obsession with murderous males and the question of where we belong in the world. An ode to the downtrodden, the EP packs wild and loud guitars into post-hardcore and 90s alternative rock sounds.
This sonic collision with life comes from brothers Jonatan Würtz (vocals), Jeppe Würtz (guitar) and their friends Ruben Rios (guitar), Dennis True (bass) and Jonas Hansen (drums). Taking their angry hearts and sensitive souls, they create a riot of energetic and hard-hitting music. As they take on the world, the band provides a view of a better one rising from the ashes.
The EP opens with the crashing guitars of ‘Told You’. The track is full-on from the first blistering guitar note and pumps its way through your brain. The vocals scream to life and make your insides shiver with the energy they bring. This is a great introduction to the punk-rock sounds of the band. Everything you could want is packed into it from crashing guitars, thumping drums, anthemic vocals to angry vibes.
‘Nineteensixtynine’ is the song on the album that is inspired by world events while the others delve into the human psyche. The thrumming guitars and drums have an ominous feeling to them as they thrash against you while creeping at the same time. This is a tribute to victims of violent crimes and women’s fight for justice. The aggressive vocals pulse with anger and indignation at the state of the patriarchal world. This is a very heavy topic that has been packed into an engaging and energetic sound making it unbelievably easy to listen to.
The crashing sounds continue with ‘Panglossian’ which brings back some of the anthemic feelings of the opening track. There is a different feeling to the energy of this song as the guitars soar through you while the drums bounce around. You want to get moving to the music, but there is a melodic thread that soothes something deep inside. The vocals have a pained shout to them making this a rather emotive track.
‘Nothingness’ rolls to life with some intense drums and guitars. The vocals hit you with a harder punk sound before soothing you. The movement of the vocals gives you two sides of a story which most people are able to connect with. This is one of the rawest tracks on the EP as it hits you deep in the chest through the duality of the vocals.
The EP ends with ‘Trials’ which opens with a hard rock sound that splices into heavier punk-rock territory. The guitars are what first hook you to the track as they effortless draw you into the limitless energy of the melody. The vocals call out over them as you are thrust into a head-on collision with the reality of the world we live in. The guitar riffs close to the end of the track send you soaring while the drums pound through you.
Riot Sun provides an energetic outlet for any battered and bruised souls who are looking for a confrontation with life using their EP Bruises. Four of the tracks delve into the human psyche with the fifth taking on the fight against a patriarchal system and pays tribute to victims of violence. Through the crashing guitars, thumping drums and punk vocals, you are filled with confrontational energy while getting a view of a better world.
Find out more about Riot Sun on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
