Sundown originally started as a side project for
Cematary vocalist/guitarist Mathias Lodmalm and
Tiamat bassist Johnny Hagel. But after the completion of their first album
Design 19, the duo was so enthused with the results that they decided to quit their day jobs and make the project their main goal. For
Tiamat, Hagel's defection would prove to be only a temporary setback, but for
Cematary, it meant the end of the road, seeing as Lodmalm was the band's prime instigator. Yet
Sundown's debut
Design 19 actually provides a natural progression from
Cematary's final recordings, which had largely abandoned the group's early black metal convictions in exchange for experiments in goth-inflected progressive metal. Despite delving freely in background synthesizer textures, outstanding tracks like "19," "Synergy," and "Emotional" retain a strong heavy metal guitar crunch. Yet other highlights such as "Judgement Ground" (featuring a dry, baritone vocal style reminiscent of middle-era
Paradise Lost and Gregorian chants!) and "Slither" tread surprisingly un-metallic ground with their eerie ambience and electronic elements. The band also experiments with
Pink Floyd-inspired space rock on interesting instrumental pieces like "112/Ghost in the Machine" and the beautifully eerie "Voyager." A worthwhile release for fans of Scandinavian progressive metal. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia