Out on 6-6-16 the new album from Luna 13: ‘The Dark Side Of the Sun’
Award-winning DeathTronica band, Luna 13, signed to Cleopatra Records, will release their new album ‘The Dark Side Of the Sun’ on 6-6-16. The album also has an upcoming single to look out for, entitled ‘Skin’. Other songs that caught our ear include the title track, as well as ‘Doll Face’ and ‘Venomous Love’. Luna 13 is one of the more unique and adventurous electronica metal outfits that emerged in 2012.
Their forceful yet groove based electro-metal incorporates elements of electronica, death metal, and industrial rock – all done with no string instruments. Band member and music-maker Dr. Luna, creates a metal sound with synthesizers and distortion pedals by wrapping heavy distortion around sub-bass. The music is super tight, the synth bass work in here is monumentally ferocious.
Luna 13 who has been performing live for a few years now, opening for death metal/industrial and electronica projects alike, came into its own when Lilith Bathory joined in 2015 – the mesmerizing dance and voice sampling of Bathory, and the serial killer image of Dr. Luna creates a vibe of domination and the occult, that has become a Hollywood CA attraction. There is no in-between ground with music this intense.
Luna 13 have some damn good releases, including their last ‘The Hollywood Ripper’, but this is their definitive statement so far, to be locked in a time capsule for future generations to learn how to just get deep,dark and brutal. Hardcore enough for punks, metal enough for head bangers, and your parents will hate it more than your Ministry albums.
Dark, moody, loud, malevolent and groundbreaking, these five words best sum up ‘The Dark Side Of the Sun’ in all its crepuscular glory. Dr. Luna knows how to make great music and continues to impress us on this album. He builds structure and layers and variation in ways that other musicians miss entirely.
Together with Lilith Bathory, Luna 13 descends in order to transcend, delving into the dark side of humanity that many of us are afraid to acknowledge (especially within ourselves). Lilith Bathory creates a disturbing atmosphere of tenebrous sensuality, backed by the sinewy metal and industrial pounding of the music providing an aural completion to the visual work.
‘The Dark Side Of the Sun’ is by no means a conventionally “pleasant” album, but there exists a strange beauty within the dark subject matter. Majestically crushing, and unrepentantly dark and morose- this is a truly unique and self-dissolving piece of music you completely lose yourself into it. Not to mention, it kicks an ass or two.
Luna 13 is really not recommended for people who don’t appreciate crushing, dark music, but those who do will love it. The ponderous bass and drum patterns are all twisted and distorted into rhythms and song structures that are difficult even for the industrial metal genre. The synths play guitar riffs like screeching shards of industrial noise.
Luna 13 is just original. I believe this album is their most pure expression and the rhythms used are the most expressive and atmospheric out of all their songs. Every one of these songs – including the single ‘Skin’– is just simply breathtaking.
Listen to a whole new genre, style, and way of looking at electro-metal music being invented right here. Yes, it is crushing, brutal, aggressive, angry, and at times even frightening – but it is also flowing, multi-layered, dense, expansive, and deeply expressive – Luna 13 is currently a creative force at their most innovative time.
