Welcome back to bed everybody. It’s time to settle down, relax, become very sleepy, and feel your body calmly and peacefully drift away to the unflustered dream world of In Bed With Jason, as we plug our headphones into the serene realm of…
Hardcore metal.
I admit, it’s not my primary choice of genre to delve into, but there is no denying the prominence of the Seattle metal scene. For that reason alone, I’ve been looking into bands that are harder, louder, faster, thrasher, and would like to call your attention to a local Seattle bedroom-oriented five-some that catches my ear: Last To See The Sun.
Every avid music enthusiast has a particular facet of compositions that he/she finds to be extremely important, and to me, that factor is melody. I’m all about the melody. Melody is the song’s message; it is the vehicle of the artist’s emotion. What separates Last To See The Sun, who recently released their full length LP War/Religion this past May, from other acts of similar style is that they are completely capable of composing soaring and intricate melodies that ride on top of face-melting, blood-curdling, skin-searing (all in a good way) distorted guitar licks, pounding double-bass driven drum rhythms, and modestly beautiful bass lines.
In tracks like their epic journey “Aquila, ” the group illustrates their dynamic prowess by combining the products of their influences. The main theme of the song is a driving force, resembling that of The Black Dahlia Murder, that contains screaming vocals and all the double bass, but the tune quickly turns melodious. The guitar is clean, the melody is tender, vocal harmonies are executed, and the vibe of the song turns a bit trippy, reminiscent of Roger Waters, and his many interludes within The Wall.
Of course this epic would not be complete without a universe-obliterating guitar solo, fit with sweeps, bends, taps, harmonies between two guitarists at the same time, and everything that would make Dimebag Darrell proud.
Let’s get into bed with the band, shall we?
Last To See The Sun is comprised of five different members, each adding a unique element to the final product. Founding members, Chad Tenwick (drums and vocals) Jason Bahr (lead guitar) have been playing the music game together for a while now, trouncing the metal scene of Seattle for over ten years, previously under the name Prime Material. After some strategic recruiting, the duo was joined by Jeremy ‘Griz’ Blair (guitar/clean vocals), Sean Kolemaine (guitar/back-up vocals/screams), and Andrew Abrahamson (bass). The guys all write and record in home studios, which allows for the most creative of collaborations, and diminishes the hassle of time restraints that would be present in a commercial studio. (Woo bedroom musicians!!)
Naturally, upon my research of Last To See The Sun, I found myself really wanting to see their live performance. I had the fantasy of having my ears ringing in a satisfied post-metal manner, of being immersed and pulverized by an insane mosh pit that I shouldn’t have entered in the first place due to my un-muscular form, and of seeing the songs off War/Religion live and in person. Sadly, the group is not playing any live shows in the near future. According to the band’s bio, this was a “conscious decision [with a focus] strictly on writing a new batch of songs.” Oh well, I guess that means no mosh pits for me. However, there’s nothing to complain about because their hold on live performance makes room for all their energy to go toward creating and crafting new tunes.
Be on the look out for a new single sometime in January, and a new EP in early 2016! This band has a lot of tricks up their sleeve, and I’m excited to get my thrill’s worth.
Whether it’s metal, indie rock, singer-songwriter, hip-hop, or classical, bedroom musicians like LTSTS have the ever-expanding advantage of unpressured creativity. The secret is the bedroom.
JASON McCUE | Chill Spector | KXSU Reporter
Photo cred: Sunita Martini