Sunbomb album is done (Michael Sweet/Tracii Guns/Black Metal) Very interested in hearing this

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/tracii-guns-and-michael-sweets-sunbomb-collaboration-is-black-metal-inspired/


Last year, L.A. GUNS' Tracii Guns and STRYPER's Michael Sweet announced that they were collaborating on a new metal project called SUNBOMB. The band, which apparently also features former L.A. GUNS drummer Shane Fitzgibbon, recently recorded its debut album, to be released via Frontiers Music Srl.

During an appearance earlier today (Tuesday, May 5) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Guns stated about the musical direction of SUNBOMB: "I love black metal. I love black metal more than I love a lot of other things. Because black metal has a certain element of Randy Rhoads in it that people might not really identify that, but I always have. There's something about the double picking and the way the chords are structured and the weight of the music.

"The SUNBOMB record is really kind of like [L.A. GUNS' 2019 album] 'The Devil You Know' times three," he continued. "It's more on the heavy side of 'The Devil You Know' album. And Michael Sweet, he's a really fantastic metal singer."

When host Eddie Trunk pointed out to Guns that Sweet — being the frontman of the most successful openly Christian hard rock band of all time — is likely not much of a black metal fan, Tracii corrected him: "I think he is." The guitarist went on to say that he and Michael are able to work together without butting heads about religion or politics. "You have the biggest non-believer and the biggest believer," he said. "But that's the kind of guys we are — I'm able to separate the beliefs from the music; they're not one and the same. And Michael and I have talked about it. I'm an open-minded person and I respect [other people's perspectives]."


When Tracii first broke the news of SUNBOMB's existence in a March 2019 tweet, he described the project's debut LP as "the metal record I would have made when I was 17 years old."

A short time later, Sweet responded to Tracii's tweet, writing: "I'm excited to be a part of it Tracii. Who would have thought when we were young that we'd be working together. Thank you for trusting me with the vocal duties SUNBOMB is gonna be Bomb."

I am glad to have an update. Ever since I first heard of this project I was interested and have been waiting.

I feel like I just read an article from April 1st.

Mike doing black metal? Nahhh.

This sounds like another LuLu in the making.

This a Babylon Bee article?

I'm most interested in what Tracii and Michael think black metal is. For 20 years, when I have said I like death metal people say things like "like Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson" or just equate things with screaming vocals. The other half is when someone says they like, in this case, black metal they are only familiar with the top most popular bands in the genre and often the bands that many in the scene have shied away from or really aren't black metal (or are not anymore), i.e. Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth.

Interested in what it will sound like. Not currently interested in buying it.

deathisgain wrote:I feel like I just read an article from April 1st.

I thought the exact same thing.

I went on YouTube and listened to various tracks from LA Gun's last album. There is nothing on there that I personally would consider close to black metal....so if Tracii is saying that the Sunbomb stuff is similar to the harder stuff on that album, I don't see anything "black metal" about it. Which is good in my opinion (I like the harder edge of the last LA Guns album btw)

If even musicians don't understand genre classifications, how can we expect "music journalists" to get it right?

Also, if "Take it to the Cross" is Michael Sweet's impression of extreme metal that does not bode well for this release.

I don’t think Tracii and Michael know what black metal is. Living Color doesn’t count...

It better be mixed, mastered, and produced three times better than The Devil You Know was.

heck wrote:It better be mixed, mastered, and produced three times better than The Devil You Know was.  

I know. How did that get released sounding so bad? 

I think the black metal line was to attract publicity. I don't believe that at all, even if he means black metal in the vein of Venom.

It seems to me that they're not stating explicitly that this is a black metal project, so I'm guessing it maybe just has something of a black metal influence?  Incorporating some elements of it, perhaps.  Either that or they just have some weird notion of what qualifies as black metal.

It does make me curious.  I'll be interested in hearing some samples of the music at least.

If they do manage to get a black metal sound, then I won't be getting this even if Michael does the best singing he's ever done.  However, to truly do that style, you wouldn't really need a powerhouse singer for the vocals.  I can't see Mike wanting to trash his voice like that.

When wondering how the music will sound there are three things to look at:
1) He specifically talks about certain type of guitar picking and chord structure.
2) Randy Rhoads
3) He says this is like what he would've done when he was 17. He was 17 in 1984.

So the music will probably be something that could've been done in 1984 and it will have blackmetalish riffs. Maybe there's something what's in the opening of Manowar's Bridge of Death from Hail to England but heavier. As he mentioned Randy Rhoads I could see the album have that kind of harmonies played the blackmetalish tremolo picking. It will probably not have any blast beats and it will not be black metal in that sense, but I could imagine the guitars having certain types of harmonies, played with a picking style that is familiar to black metal, darker more melancholic chord progressions but the drums being more of regular heavy metal. I kinda understand what he means when he compares Randy Rhoads to black metal.

Yellow and black corpse paint.  It has to be!

Grindboy wrote:Yellow and black corpse paint.  It has to be!

heck wrote:It better be mixed, mastered, and produced three times better than The Devil You Know was.  

Not if it is proper black metal.

1st song release. What do you think?

Black metal.  Maybe Thomas Eversole could open for them on tour.

Without context, if you told me this was a new Stryper single, I would believe it (also, it's Christian-friendly but obviously not Christian).  It's just like most of Dale Thompson's recent output: If I didn't know better you could sell it as Bride and I would accept it.  I guess I just don't get it: unless he's really going to go for a sound outside his other projects (like actually doing black metal), why not just stick to Stryper or solo albums?

It's solid, but doesn't really stand out compared with Sweet's other projects. I'm sure there are people who both hear and enjoy the subtle differences but I'll just maintain my position in being extremely picky about what albums I buy from him (only two so far, haven't gotten to 80s Stryper yet).

I want to hear more before I make a decision on this one. I understand this is more of a Tracii Guns project with MS singing.

https://www.iconvsicon.com/2021/02/24/sunbomb-tracii-guns-and-michael-sweet-join-forces-for-new-project-and-announce-evil-and-divine-album/

I really enjoyed this song. While the overall style may be similar to Stryper or Michael’s solo stuff, the guitars were different. Did anyone ever really think Sweet would ever record something thrashy, let alone death/black?! This sounds good and I’m anxious to hear more. Sweet didn’t write these songs, Tracii did. It’s not gonna sound exactly like Sweet’s stuff.

The production and mix on this track are awesome. The solo really cuts high above the rest but I can still hear the other instruments well. Well done.

Not too bad, little bit generic so I really need to hear more to make a decision.