September 2026 Featured Release - The Gateway Edition
Sun Dont Shine - From Birth to Death (2026)
https://open.spotify.com/album/6DHuHZ183QbuaRv7gYBKnY?si=ZFk1P9KJTGq5xvdtzS3xRA
A supergroup that does not have Max Cavalera involved feels somewhat lacking nowadays, although having discovered the cast of metal artists that make up Sun Don’t Shine (previously Eye AM) I am just grateful that Windstein has not reunited with Jasta. Not being a fan of Type O Negative means that the involvement of Johnny and Kenny hardly set my world on fire, not on paper at least. Windstein and Strange offer more merit for me with their history in Down and Crowbar. With all that being said, the combo of artists here works well and From Birth to Death is not a straightforward album by any means; indeed, as The Gateway and The Fallen dual tags attributed to it would indicate. Whilst it may lean on the rock side of the fence on more than one occasion, the debut full length from Sun Don’t Shine has enough heavy credentials to justify its doom pigeon-holing. Often reminding me of latter-day Alice In Chains, From Birth to Death makes it clear to see the alternative side to the band’s sound also. The vocals of Kenny have the 1990’s written all over them.
Add to this the fact that in a recent interview that I saw, Windstein espoused to being more of a non-metal guy than his appearance may have you believe, and soon this album starts to make even more sense. But does that make it any good? If you are a fan of melancholic alternative rock, then I would expect you to lap up this record. Aside from it sounding like it was made thirty years ago and is perhaps guilty of going over old ground therefore, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Solid musicianship and some hooks thrown in here and there all make for a memorable affair. Shading a grungy edge on more than one occasion, the band temper this with some sorrowful solos and melodies courtesy of Kirk and Kenny, often leaving the hue of a melody sauntering through the background of a track (‘Coming Down’). Kenny’s unique vocal style adds to the immediacy of the familiarity of the album for me. After three or four listens through already, I believe any other style may have made things predictable. His nasal style is not my usual cup of tea in all honesty, but Kirk’s intrusions, with his gruffer style is a welcome contrast.
At a shade over forty-three-minutes, the album does test the patient levels a little, especially given that there is not a lot of variety here. Not that I think that the niche market fanbase of this sound is looking for oodles of pace, rhythm and tempo changes mind. I had thought if one or two tracks with Kirk singing might have helped, given my enjoyment of his solo effort from last year. Ironically, when the singing becomes cleaner (‘When It’s Time to Leave’) this is on one of the weaker tracks on the album. So maybe it is best that SDS stick to what they know. For me, the more up-tempo tracks are where the entertainment lies on this record, and whilst I cannot say that there is possibility for many revisits, this has been an interesting feature release this month, on that has kept me interested at least, which is not something I can always say about The Gateway clan nowadays.
3.5/5