Songs To Sun ignites a new era for Stoned Jesus, merging crushing heaviness with expansive vision and some of their catchiest moments yet.
Stoned Jesus have never been content to stay in one lane. For 15 years, Igor Sydorenko has steered the Ukrainian heavy rock institution through stoner riffs, doom-laden atmospheres, bursts of folk and prog, flashes of pop and alternative rock, and plenty of fearless experimentation. Now with a revitalized line-up and a head full of ideas, Sydorenko begins a bold new era with Songs To Sun, the first entry in a planned trilogy that will span the band’s full creative range.
The album opens like a desert sunrise, the massive title track emerging slowly on the horizon before catching fire in a psychedelic blaze. From the swaggering hooks of lead single “Shadowland” to the dark urgency of “Low” (their first track with blast beats) and the stark emotional weight of “Quicksand,” Sydorenko pushes into uncharted territory while keeping the spirit of Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest alive. Lyrically, Songs To Sun carries the weight of personal upheaval, break-ups, depression, and the grind of life on the road, yet it’s driven by an unshakable need to innovate.
Since starting as a one-man project in Kyiv in 2009, Stoned Jesus have grown from underground fuzz worship into one of Europe’s most respected forces in heavy music. Early releases like First Communion and the aforementioned Seven Thunders Roar built their reputation for epic songcraft and hypnotic grooves, while The Harvest and Pilgrims showcased a willingness to evolve with every record. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine delayed and reshaped their path, but also set the stage for rebirth.
Reuniting with longtime friend and drummer Yurii, and adding bassist-vocalist Andrew Rodin, Sydorenko found the chemistry to push forward. The result is an album that fuses the band’s heaviest riffs, most expansive prog moments, and biggest choruses yet into something that feels both like a summation of their journey and a springboard to the next summit.