Musical Style: Heavy Metal	Produced By: Tracii Guns
Record Label: Frontiers	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 2021	Artist Website:
Tracks: 11	Rating: 90%
Running Time: 48:22

It doesn’t take much to explain the appeal to Sunbomb and its May of 2021 Frontiers Music SRL debut full length Evil And Divine.  After all, the group represents a partnership between renowned Stryper vocalist Michael Sweet and every bit highly regarded L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns.  Whereas one might expect Sunbomb to reflect musically its founding members main bands, melodic metal in reference to Stryper and Sunset Strip sleaze metal pertaining to L.A. Guns, that would not be entirely accurate.  Rather, Guns composed the music for Sunbomb with intent to meld influences of classic heavy metal along lines of Judas Priest and doom metal not unlike Black Sabbath.  It would not be out of line to accordingly suggest that Evil And Divine separates as perhaps the heaviest project in which Guns and Sweet have participated!

Sunbomb came together when president and A&R Director of Frontiers Music SRO Serafino Perugio contacted Guns about recording a solo project for the label.  Guns started work on material and soon reached out to Sweet, whom was the logical choice to front Evil And Divine in light of not only the long run of well-received Stryper albums on Frontiers but also the fact he has been writing and playing in an increasingly heavier style.  Upon receiving a completed song from Guns, Sweet loved the vibe and subsequently agreed to sing on the entire album.  He further sums up: ‘What I love about (Evil And Divine) is it's definitely different not only for me, but for Tracii as well. I think fans will love this album, and although it's reminiscent of some of the greatest metal bands of the past, it also has a fresh spin to it.’

Opener “Life” is an accurate indicator of the weighty Sunbomb sound.  It begins to a trademark scream from Sweet ahead of turning into a straight on metal assault, brimming with commotion (referencing the astringent verse sections) and every bit much composure (pointing to the congenial refrain).  Intensity to Guns’ lead guitar is off the charts.  Whereas Guns put together music, Sweet handled lyrics:

Let’s all remember who spoke of love
And never ever put down anyone
His words were so clear, came from above
We now can finish everything undone
Don’t’ use the trigger to divide us
If we are strong then we will never fall

“Take Me Away” ups heaviness with its doom metal austere, trudging and mournful in plodding its span at a near standstill to lumbering riffs.  Melody, however, does not forsake in that the song comes across surprisingly engaging despite the overriding duress.  Credit Guns’ former L.A. Guns band mate Andy Hamilton for the forthright timekeeping.

Doom-like sentiments carry over to “Better End” in opening calm and moody until Sweet lets loose with an ear-piercing falsetto.  Song proves contrastingly high energy moving ahead, reeking of vitality and verve but every bit imbued of overriding catchiness when factoring riffs, rhythms and refrain.  Lead guitar takes a bluesy tone on a track in which Sweet again makes an imprint lyrically:

We shouldn’t kill – we shouldn’t steal
And here we are on the road to hell
A change is needed before we feel

Don’t wanna face the bitter end
Our future’s in Your hands
He came for us but we let Him go
So now, let’s make a better end

With drum solo to start, “No Tomorrow” takes a classy melodic metal and hard rock heading fans of Stryper will be able to identify.  Yet, the signature Sunbomb inventiveness also rears its head, as found in the feedback driven pyrotechnics to adorn the backend.  This one represents a choice joining of heaviness and melody.

I enjoy how the opening to “Born To Win” reminds of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” with its bouncing rhythms.  It proves its own song rest of the way, central to heavy hitting themes and rolling low end as Sweet exhibits a complementary lower register side to his delivery.  A bit short at just three minutes but also positive from lyrics pointing towards moving forward in life:

I hear a distant voice calling from afar
Victory is leaving no scars
Why do we cry for yesterday
If we know nothing brings back the time
Taking chances on our destiny
The future’s in our hands
And we are born to win

“Evil And Divine” moves slowly forward from the start to dreamy vocal melodies only to explode at once in a fury of up-tempo emotion.  Song proceeds to separate as varied, interchanging between the aggressive misgivings to its rigid verse sections and catchy facility of its tempered refrain.   Albums title track warns against evil and darkness:

Now you realize evil and divine
Now you realize the devil in disguise

Facing the storm and the afterglow
Trying to suppress the darkness all around

From high up in our fractured throne
Deny existence
Of something suspicious digging a hole
Deep within us evil can hook us to

Albums lone ballad “Been Said And Done” is a good one.  It is acoustic based, warm and inviting with its spotless vocal harmonies and airy keyboards but also lending to radio play with a commercial resolve.  Particularly enticing is the bluesy soloing over the final half.

“Stronger Than Before” is another choice track, exuding a psychedelic doom refinement in transforming between moments that trample with abandon and others restive as limber guitar broaden the luring melody to evoke at once.  Guns wails throughout guitar wise, while Sweet literally sings his guts out.  Lyrics are uplifting in nature:

Remember all we said
And swore upon ourselves
There’s always more to gain
Everyday is a brand new day

I’ll still be standing here
Stronger than before…

“Story Of The Blind” forwardly charges from the get go, exuding a darker nature as vocals take a deeper tone in aligning with the unfathomable ambience to implacably rise above the surface.  Hooks are not lacking either, refrain reeks of the punchy and curt, and neither are bluesy refinements, noting the impassioned guitar melody.

Plundering doom returns on “World Gone Wrong”, impaling with its caustic vibe to see guitar maul and lacerate but contrastingly decided when factoring the preeminent harmonies to compel its length.  Imagine the more engaging material to Switzerland’s Pÿlon imbued with the forbidding muscle of Nomad Son.  Sweet once more makes a faith-based statement lyrically:

Just look outside at the world
It’s spinning no matter what we do
Just look inside of yourself
Don’t do any harm to truth
Why do we want this doom on earth?
And burn the temples
Listen to the Messenger
Listen to His call

“They Fought” plays up the upbeat but without backing from the assured precedence.  Song begins and ends to its title continuously chanted, with moments in between plainspoken as candid junctures coordinate with another ample melody to mirror the accessible.  Sweet lets loose with some screams hearkening back to the eighties.

If interested in a quality traditional meets doom metal album then look no further than Sunbomb and its tangible debut Evil And Divine.  No doubt, the Guns and Sweet partnership is an effective one, with songwriting presenting with an even balance of catchy hooks and guitar fortitude but also consistent in that not a single skip button presents among its eleven tracks.  No, Sunbomb is not a Christian band and Evil And Divine not a Christian album, but Sweet makes his faith known lyrically, albeit on a subtler side compared to Stryper.  Solid production and packaging round out what in my opinion is a potential top five album of the year contender

Review by Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing: “Life” (4:08), “Take Me Away” (5:29), “Better End” (5:04), “No Tomorrow” (4:49), “Born To Win” (2:55), “Evil And Divine” (4:12), “Been Said And Done” (4:44), “Stronger Than Before” (3:43), “Story Of The Blind” (4:07), “World Gone Wrong” (4:11), “They Fought” (4:58)

Musicians
Michael Sweet - Lead Vocals
Tracii Guns - Guitars
Mitch Davis - Bass
Adam Hamilton - Drums

Additional Musicians
Johnny Martin - Bass