Black Sun

Black Sun

Black Sun is a sludge, doom, noise and experimental metal project from Glasgow, UK. It begins as a solo side project formed by Russell McEwan in the late 20th century, after he moves away from playing drums exclusively and wants to develop his own songwriting. The project initially works under the name Black Sun Machine.

Formation and early recordings

McEwan is joined by guitarist and vocalist Kevin Hare, who also plays in the Glasgow stoner band Lotus Lounge. In the early stage of the project, the first album, Fleshmarket, is built from loops and samples made by McEwan and Hare on an old Pentium P90 computer. The album is released on Over Records and receives critical acclaim. After that release, McEwan returns to the live drum kit and Graeme Leggate joins on bass guitar.

Line-up and development

Black Sun spends a long period rehearsing to adapt the material for live performance. As Leggate settles into the role of bassist, the project becomes a band rather than a solo vehicle. A further release, Circus of the Fallen, follows, after which guitarist Kerr Robin joins as a full-time member. With a stable line-up in place, the band begins playing regularly in the UK.

Releases and live activity

The band’s second album, Sacred Eternal Eclipse, is recorded at Berkeley 2 Studios in Glasgow in November 2004 and mastered by James Plotkin, known for work with OLD, Atomsmasher and Khanate. It is issued by The Distortion Project in September 2005. The album is an eight-track, 56-minute release built around slow, heavy doom metal, with songs such as “Vena Cava”, “Airstrike”, “Red Rain” and “Dumb Show” showing both punishing and more reflective material. The band’s live activity in 2004 and 2005 leads to a support slot with Khanate at the Barfly in Glasgow in November 2005.

Musical character

Black Sun is associated with sludge, doom, industrial and experimental metal, and its early work is described through loops, samples and dense, heavily layered sound. The band’s music combines oppressive slow sections with more melancholic passages, while remaining rooted in extreme doom and noise-driven heaviness.