Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz | Detailed or mini-review submissions: song, EP/album | Suggest an artist

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Below The Sun - Katharsiss (song review) |self-released, single, 2014|

Below The Sun is a Norwegian stoner rock/hard rock band which is quite fresh on the scene, since it was founded only in 2011. Not many groups feature six musicians in the line-up however it proves to be a boon for Below The Sun, especially thanks to the members' skills.

First of all, their newest single "Katharsiss" is supposed to be released on the band's future EP but it's already available on major music on-line stores. When it comes to genre classification, it's stoner rock with elements of hard rock (string instruments) and psychedelia (keyboards). Make sure you listen to the entire track since it begins with an innocent nostalgic piano and that doesn't truly express the core sound of the composition once it reaches its peak point.

The track is bouncy and rhythmic thanks to solid heavy guitar-driven arrangements performed by René Gunnerud Vandli (vocals, guitar), Herman Tveitan Djupvik (bass) and Martin Miguel Busvold (lead guitar). However, the major sonic impact lies in the singer's voice. It's raspy, disdainful, memorable - he also screams like a pro. Jostein Vikan offers everything what a rock or metal band needs! The additional vocals in choruses are provided by René.

The catchiness of the track relies on various repetitions. Drum patterns are written very well and played skillfully by Vladimir Diaz Nelidov. Keyboard passages performed by Jonas Folvik Aune bring contrast through lighter, but not softer motifs - they cut through guitar-bass-drums dialogue in really well chosen spots. The final result is a vibrant composition that easily may make the listener hit the 'play' button again upon reaching the end.

What else does this song need? A matching music video single could do well, since many listeners discover music not only thanks to streaming audio content but also through visuals. Other than that, minor improvements in terms of production could add additional depth to the track.
Below The Sun's strengths are undoubtedly rooted in writing arrangements, composing, performance and of course Jostein's recognizable voice. Their music is inspired by bands such as Fu Manchu, High on Fire, Deep Purple, Queens of the Stone Age or Mastodon amongst all. Keep an ear out for those guys, peculiarly if you enjoy hard rock tunes.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, April 19th, 2014. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

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