Into The Nebula is the new record from Russian power metal band, Distant Sun. The three-piece who hail from Moscow have been together for five years and this is their debut record.
Into The Nebula kicks off with ‘My Trust’, a song that is essentially the epitome of metal. It’s thrashy, chock full of double kicks and a multitude of guitar harmonies. Vocalist Alexey Markov’s voice is so similar to James Hetfield’s raspy tone it’s actually a little scary. It’s a track that definitely sets the vibe for the rest of the album.
‘Game Of War’ follows, a tune they’ve just released a lyric video for, then ‘God Emperor’. Three tracks in, there isn’t too much variation in this album – it’s straight-up Metallica-metal. The production is really great though, and the songs are well-written, so there isn’t too much to fault here.
Track four, ‘Inspired By Fear’ offers something a little different with a spoken-word intro from a female voice. It creates a nice atmosphere before leading into simple but effective riffs.
‘Andromeda’ has parts reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Hail to the King’ which means once again, there is a heavy Metallica influence here. In saying that, this instrumental track has diversity and groove.
‘Thrown of Iron’ is an absolute standout on the record and should definitely be their next single. The contrast between the verses and the melodic chorus, the galloping double kicks and clean guitars towards the finishing line all come together to form a very well-rounded tune. The highlights include the bass feature from Artem Molodtsov and the low and clean vocals from Markov which are completely unexpected and beautiful. This was just the kind of track needed to keep the listener’s attention.
The record finishes with the ballad, ‘I Do Believe’ and it is a nice note to end on. After listening to the first few tracks, you could be forgiven for pre-emptively judging Into The Nebula as a one-dimensional classic metal album with better production. However, by the end, it’s made clear that there is more to Distant Sun than meets the ear, and you may just be surprised.
