INVIDIA - As The Sun Sleeps
Related Stories
Jaide Alicia Interviews Matt Snell of INVIDIA
INVIDIA – As The Sun Sleeps
Release Date: March 31, 2017 SPV (eOne Distribution)
Let me start by saying that being absolutely impressed with As The Sun Sleeps would be an understatement. I was not real sure what to expect when deciding to review the debut album from heavy metal super group INVIDIA, but it kicked my ass, in a good way. When I heard that Travis Johnson (In This Moment) was handling lead vocal duties, I was a bit leery. As I recall, I was not very fond of his vocal style when he was fronting the band Flatline, prior to joining In This Moment, which also featured current bass player Matt Snell (ex-Five Finger Death Punch). However, Johnson’s vocals on the INVIDIA album is a stark contrast to the Flatline days, and musically speaking, As The Sun Sleeps is packed full of very well written songs, encompassing a wide range of metal styles. Johnson and Snell are joined by riff kings Brian Jackson (ex-Skinlab) and Marcos Medina (ex-Skinlab) on guitars and laying down the groove on drums is newcomer Darren Badorine (Six Ounce Gloves).
Track List:
1) Now Or Never
2) Making My Amends
3) Feed The Fire
4) Rotten
5) Marching Dead
6) Smell The Kill
7) Till Death
8) Step Up
9) Truth In The Sky
10) The Other Side
11) As The Sun Sleeps
The first video release from As The Sun Sleeps, was a lyric video back on April 15, 2016, for the song "Making My Amends"; basically a year prior to the release of the album. Fast forward to just two short months prior to the release of the album for the first actual ‘official’ video for the song "Feed The Fire" which is by far the most commercial friendly track on the album, quite possibly my favorite track at this point, yet it is still one of the heaviest tracks on the album. It is an extremely well-written song showcasing some nice harmony vocals. Johnson’s vocals on this one remind me a bit of Sully Erna from Godsmack.
Every track on this album is completely different. No two songs sound alike, yet when played from beginning to end it is a complete body of heavy metal mastery. As I listen to the album, I hear influences from such bands as Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch, Demon Hunter and Decyfer Down. Those are all bands that I really dig, which make this album a complete joy to crank up and jam to at any given point in my day.
I certainly look forward to checking out INVIDA live, which I am sure I will follow up with a concert review. I am sure they will not disappoint live either. Until that time I will continue to jam out to As The Sun Sleeps and look for any live video clips of them that may surface on YouTube, such as the live fan footage of "Feed The Fire", which sounded very solid. If these guys can keep it together, as most supergroups seem to have trouble with, I think they will be around for quite a while. I highly suggest that any true heavy metal fan gets themselves a copy of As The Sun Sleeps and set it to repeat. I know you will not be disappointed with this great album from a great band. Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, this album scores a perfect score of 10.
INVIDA – As The Sun Sleeps rocks. Get it. Crank it up and Feed The Fire.
About John Tedeski
JournalistI’ve been a musician since the age of 7 when my parents bought me my first drum set. By the age of 16, I was playing the local bar scene. I’ve played around the east coast, and in 1994, through those travels is how I met Founding member of Center Stage Magazine, Tommy Lemon as we were both auditioning for the same band in the Boston Massachusetts area and we’ve been friends ever since. Through the years I’ve met a lot of great musicians such as Vinny Paul (Pantera), Bill Leverty (Firehouse), Ace Frehley (KISS), Marc Ferrari (Keel), Bobby Dall (Poison), and even got to share the stage with Jaime St. James (Black ‘N Blue) and Billy Morris (Warrant), just to name a few. Unfortunately, life had a different path in store for me other than being a full-time musician, yet I’ve been blessed to still be able to play on the weekends with some great local talent. Here I am now with another huge blessing, still within the music world, but this time as a journalist for Center Stage Magazine where I get to talk with and interview musicians who do what I have always longed to do. It’s all good and much less hassle than having to lug my drums all around the country. Rock Out, Roll On & Follow Your Heart ...
