California post-hardcore pop-punk band Hail The Sun recently released their fourth album titled 'Mental Knife' on Sept. 28. The band is made up of members Donovan Melero (Lead Vocalist/Drummer), Aric Garcia (Guitar), John Stirrat (Bass) and Shane Gann (Guitar).
The theme of the album is about self improvement, cutting out irrelevant and unfulfilling memories as well as being able to acknowledge your flaws as a human. By identifying these imperfections, we can work towards self confidence. For Merelo, it's his constant need to make up for lost time, with nine years of sobriety under his belt.
The overall sound of the album is if Paramore (reminded me a little bit 'Misery Business') and Capstan had a musical baby. While that sounds weird, it's the best way to describe it. Lead vocalist and drummer Donovan Melero gives off a Hayley Williams-esque sounding voice in the best possible way. When I first sat down and listened to the album, I genuinely thought Hayley Williams lended her voice to the band.
Similar to Capstan, Hail The Sun produced an album that has an offset of both hardcore and gentle. I think it's important for the artist to create a balanced album. As much as I enjoy heavy bands, the songs that are slower are usually the most meaningful; not just the artist, but the listener as well.
I can't express how much I loved this album. I'm not usually the type of person who generally likes loud, screaming, hardcore music, but this album gives me a newfound appreciation for the genre. There's a mix of different levels of punkness in each song counterbalancing the overall sound of the album. My favorite songs on the album are "The Stranger in Or Pictures" and "Mental Knife."
I'm a little surprised that I liked it so much. While I am trying to branch out in the pop punk/alternative genre, the bands where the singer is screaming the lyrics to the point of not being able to understand them isn't what I generally gravitate towards.
I like that the theme of the albums self improvement; as it's something we should be actively doing on a day to day basis. Nobody's perfect and we all have areas where we need improvement. For me, it's improving my self confidence in general. I let things that happened in the past bother me and obsess over what people think of me. By being able to identify what our strengths and weaknesses are, we can continue to grow and develop goals to become a better version of our self.
I recommend giving Hail The Sun a listen if you enjoy listening to Paramore or similar artists such as: A Lot Like Birds, I The Mighty, Amerionette, Dwellings or Incarus The Owl.
In addition to 'Mental Knife' the band also has albums: 'POW! Right In The Kisser," 'Wake' and 'Culture Scars' as well as their singles titled: 'Elephantitis,' 'Secret Wars,' 'Suffocating Syndrome,' 'Mental Knife,' 'The Stranger Picture' and 'Glass: Half Empty.' All albums and singles are available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
Hail The Sun will be touring North America this fall with bands: Polyphia and Covet.
