Blood Of The Sun ~ USA ~ Fort Worth, Texas

Blood of the Sun (2004)

---Nov 2004

Blood Of The Sun is Dave Gryder’s new group, or I should say, the latest group he’s a member of. If you at all have any interest in the stoner rock genre, then this should go to the top of the list. This is a six piece with lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and a dedicated vocalist who reminds me of the guy from Monster Magnet. What separates Blood Of The Sun is the heavy use of organ, clavinet, and electric piano which are all played by Dave. Every track pretty much jams, with good breaks, fuzz leads, and more ideas than what is usually found in stoner music. Definitely early 70’s influenced with a raw production that sounds modern but is clearly geared with an eye on the past. On the underrated Brainticket label (Liquid Sound Company) which is based just down the road from here (ED: When we lived in the Fort Worth area). Great stuff and highly recommended to those that have sat through too many mediocre albums from the genre.

---4/27/26

Starting off with cowbell (of course it does), the heavy fuzz guitar joins the fun, followed by Gryder's Hammond organ. Then comes the tough-guy vocals, and we have arrived into the American early 70s past that was once dominated by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Mountain, and Rare Earth. Though I referred Blood Of The Sun above as part of the stoner rock genre, it may be more fair to describe it as retro hard rock. It's purposely non-metal, the guitar tones belonging more to the heavy psych genre of the late 60s and early 70s.

Blood Of The Sun's debut is mostly one dimensional hard rock - high energy and heavy all the time. Though, as noted above, it does allocate for some tempo changes and a few ideas per song. Essentially the band has removed the wheat from the chaff. For hard rock aficionados, that is. 

Ownership: 

2004 Brainticket (LP). Clear vinyl. Acquired in 2004.

2004 Brainticket (CD). Booklet has a photo collage of the band performing in a curtained room that looks like it was from 1973. Imagine that? Acquired in 2004.

11//04 (review); 4/27/26 (update)
 

Burning on the Wings of Desire (2012)

Burning on the Wings of Desire is the 4th album from Fort Worth, Texas' Blood Of The Sun. The modus operandi of the band is to recreate the hard rock culture of 1974 to the smallest detail. And to that end, the band succeeds greatly. Band leader Dave Gryder is an unreconstructed 1970s fiend, and it's his Hammond Organ that's out front and center along with the raunchy hard rock (never metal) guitars. The vocals are of the "tough guy" variety and all the tracks are about a lovin' and a rockin' and good times had by all. Wide lapels and rose colored glasses - hair over the ears with a pornstache. It's Saturday night at Barney's Ballroom in Steeltown, Ohio. It's so dark, you need a miners hat to see, and you're sticking to the floors - and it's best not to know why.

Though Gryder has listed a Hohner Clavinet, Mellotron, and other fun analog toys, one only hears the organ on Burning on the Wings of Desire. Wino (yes, that Wino) sings on 'Good and Evil', an homage to the era's tendency to close an album with a more thoughtful number.

If you can't get enough of bands like Bloodrock, Grand Funk Railroad, Mountain, and other popular hard rockers from the good ole' USA, then Blood of the Sun gives you the extract version of that. Be mindful not to OD son.

The slipcase shows a naked woman on both sides (of course it does).

Ownership: 2012 Listenable (CD). Acquired in 2015.

4/18/15; 7/14/18 (review)

Also own: In Blood We Rock; Death Ride

7/14/18 (new entry)