Band: 40 Watt Sun
Title: The Inside Room
Label: Cyclone Empire Records
Distribution: Sure Shot Worx
Release date: April 3rd 2011
Review: CD

40 Watt Sun are a very young band, formed in 2009 by former Warning-musician / vocalist Patrick Walker (the UK-based Warning, evidently, aka Warning UK). Along with bassist William Spong and drummer Christian Leitch (ex-The River-guitar player, also involved with Warning UK in the studio), Patrick recorded the debut full length The Inside Room, which has a total running time of forty eight minutes, in three days and nights only at the London-based The Library Studio. The album got produced by 40 Watt Sun themselves, and it was engineered and mixed by William.
The Inside Room comes in two versions: a five-tracker and an edition with a bonus track, Take Me In (seven extra minutes), released in a limited vinyl-version. The promo copy I received unfortunately does not contain that bonus song. But I guess it will be of the same kind.
The melancholic and slow hymns are very Doom Metal-oriented, yet of a non-conventional kind. The guitar sound and the vocals differ from the ‘average’ (Traditional) Doom-approach.
When it comes to those vocals, well, those who are trusted with Warning UK know Patrick’s somewhat melancholic yet warm voice – which, by the way, fits perfectly to these songs. However, Patrick’s voice has grown stronger and more varying, which is nothing but a surplus in comparison to his former band. It all comes, by the way, with really interesting introspective lyrics.
The sound is little distorted and bleak, which covers the whole within the darkest melancholic spheres. The members’ roots are undeniable, yet at the same time 40 Watt Sun isn’t just an easy resurrection of the original band. Therefore the songs are too coherent (another positive evolution in comparison to the Warning UK-era).
This material will certainly please everyone who appreciates melancholic and atmospheric yet deep and darkened (Traditional) Doom Metal, or those who like(d) Warning UK.

80/100

Ivan Tibos.