Stone Of Duna are a band from Gothenburg, Sweden with sounds of Doom, Stoner and Progressive Rock. Preceded by a few singles, their debut album “Moonsplitter” containing five long tracks was released on September 12, 2023. The opener “Dirge For Fallen Giants” immediately immerses us in the album’s sounds between granitic guitar riffs and a monolithic rhythm section. The vocals are dynamic and expressive, a real added value to the band’s sound. The Heqavy guitar riffs are well constructed and the drumming is solid and elaborate, combined with a killer bassline, deep and driving, creating a rhythm section enriched by tempo changes. The vocal choruses counterbalance the powerful sounds of the song, which mixes stoner erd heavy prog with technique and quality thanks to the band’s personal touch. The album’s ‘shortest’ track “Deathbright,” which comes in at almost six minutes, continues to outline the band’s personal style. The rhythm section is powerful, with solid, elaborate drumming and penetrating, powerful bass lines. The guitar offers massive riffs, with precise use of distortion and scratchy solo inserts. The vocals are dynamic and expressive and fit perfectly into the musical context of the song, offering engaging, at times melodic rhythms. The band shows its heavier side with dark atmospheres in “Stygian Slumber,” a Doom track with prog traits. Continuous tempo changes allow the song structure to develop and evolve with technical and elaborate passages in a very intense succession of instrumental sections and refined vocal parts. More delicate openings and more heavy ones, with an interesting guitar solo in the second part, keeping the intensity always very high, enhancing the band’s compositional and performing technique. “The Seven Aspect Snake” opens with heavy guitar riffs and a granitic rhythm section. The vocals are more aggressive than the previous ones, and the song explores the band’s heavier side, between Doom Metal and Progressive. The band also succeeds here in bringing out their original personal traits with killer basslines, continuous tempo changes and the powerful sounds developed with a technical imprint that distinguishes their style. The vocals add a more melodic tinge in certain passages and more aggressive in others, working perfectly with the music to develop the central theme of the track. The title track “Moonsplitter” is the longest in duration, exceeding 10 minutes. It encapsulates all the stylistic nuances that define the band’s sound. Between heavy riffs, a deep, load-bearing bass line and solid drumming full of tempo changes. The vocals are very warm and expressive, while the guitar between distorted and addictive riffs, styratifications and solo inserts offers a proof of absolute value. The entire duration of the song is a succession of emotions that enhance the compositional style of the band, which, thanks to the tempo changes, is able to pass from moments of dilated sounds to bursts of energy that make you want to turn up the volume in your speakers. An excellent debut for this band, which confirms the good things heard in the singles that preceded the release. The band’s sound is granitic and the tracklist very intense from start to finish, offering five tracks with a markedly personal style. An original mixture of Doom, Stoner, Progressive between Rock and Metal, where the band manages to delineate its own markedly personal character. A recommended listen for all lovers of modern heavy sounds, an excellent album from start to finish.
Tracklist
01. Dirge For Fallen Giants (06:58)
02. Deathbright (05:50)
03. Stygian Slumber (07:48)
04. The Seven Aspect Snake (07:09)
05. Moonsplitter (10:45)
Lineup
Max Hed / Guitar
Marcus Asplund Brattberg / Vocals, Guitar
Arvid Enemar / Bass
David Wijing / Drums
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