40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

Hype can be both a blessing and a curse, and no band knows that right now than 40 Watt Sun.  The band was formed in 2009 by ex-Warning members Patrick Walker and Christian Leitch, and has gained some press due to the two members’ association with their previous band.  That’s considerable hype for 40 Watt Sun, who haven’t truly broken in yet.  That all changes with their debut album The Inside Room, which actually does something that few bands with high expectations do: meet or exceed them.

40 Watt Sun is a more down-tempo version than Warning, so there go some of the comparisons to the band right away.  Walker’s vocals are obviously familiar to Warning fans, but for those who have never heard of either band, Walker relies on a more tortured clean vocal approach, which adds to the overall 40 Watt Sun sound.  The vocals are also remarkably consistent, which means it’s more monotone in its sound, which is unusual in the sense that it’s good in conveying a downtrodden atmosphere.  The guitars are distortion-laden, which is usual for doom metal, but the difference here is that it serves as a complimentary piece to the vocals instead of taking the lead.  The drumming keeps everything in line as far as setting the tempo instead of trying to outdo the other elements, further helping the development of atmosphere on the album.  The Inside Room isn’t too long, which lends itself nicely to taking in the album without feeling a sense of boredom and is fairly easy to get into without much trouble.  Though the entire album is solid from beginning to end, the best songs on the album are “Between Times” and “This Alone”   There isn’t much in the way of flaws on The Inside Room, with the only possible one being that it isn’t for those who just aren’t into doom metal in general.

Even before The Inside Room saw light of day, 40 Watt Sun had a lot to live up to with the shadow of Warning looming large.  However, it seems that 40 Watt Sun is building a name for themselves with an excellent debut.  For now, 40 Watt Sun remains in the shadow, but with albums like The Inside Room, they won’t be in anyone’s shadow for long.

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Reviewer: Peter

March 25, 2011

Release Date: March 4, 2011
Label: Cyclone Empire

TRACK LISTING

1.  Restless
2.  Open My Eyes
3.  Between Times
4.  Carry Me Home
5.  This Alone

Total playing time:  47:35