Spin Cycle

Purple Suns - MINES - EP - coverIf you’re longing for the days when QOTSA was an indie band and still had that post-Kyuss fresh from the desert scent then Purple Suns is band you should definitely be paying attention to. On their latest EP, MINES, the band from Neptune (New Jersey, not the planet although their music could most certainly be classified as out of this world) lay on the rawk, pile on the grooves, and create something truly unique and wonderful.

Opener “Naked Eyes” lays the groundwork for MINES thanks to guitarist Jay Hernandez’s crunching riffs that veer off slightly giving this band some added twang and easily setting Purple Suns apart from others in their field. Hernandez also has an unmistakable voice (Think Jane’s-era Perry Farrell crossed with early Ozzy) that breaks through the low end that the rest of the Suns create. Drummer Jon Troncone immediately stands out with a style that can only be described as controlled chaos (Especially those fills at the end of “Naked Eyes”!) and a bass drum sound that instantly transports listeners to a live setting.

Rounding out the trifecta is Tanmay Buch who makes his grand bass playing entrance in full on the rocker “Ammo Collapse”. Later on, he shines during the fuzzed out psychedelic outro of “Any Animal” playing off Hernandez’s spacy licks which in turn leads to the epic nine minute closer “Rainshower” which ups the riffage and gives a glimpse of what Purple Suns is truly capable of.

MINES is available now through Bandcamp. You can name your price but let’s be honest, after sampling the songs on here you’ll feel guilty if you don’t support Purple Suns.

Grade: A