Search - Hideous Sun Demons :: The Hideous Sun Demons

Hiketa, Lomenzo & Luzier play amazing instrumental fusion

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 11/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Hideous Sun Demons is a great instrumental trio formed by three of rock's most prolific and successful musicians. Ray Luzier on drums and James Lomenzo bass were also part of the DLR band when they decided to hook up with Japanese guitar virtuoso Toshi Hiketa in order to write a totally freeform jazz/fusion record that is unafraid to dive into southern rock, blues, and Latin as well. Given all three of them taught music at various schools including GIT and Osaka School of Music, their amazing chops should come as no surprise. Yet I still think it is fascinating to hear what these guys are capable of technically, since you've never heard James Lomenzo cutting it loose in his former bands White Lion, Slash's Snakepit or Black Label Society. Similarly, Ray Luzier shows everyone what an insanely talented drummer he is working the drums passionately and with ultimate perfection. From glistening jazzy cymbals to impressive polyrhythms, Luzier is a truly gifted musician and it's him who drives half of the songs. I've never heard any of Hiketa's albums before, but his playing on this eponymous release suggests he is a very fluid and articulate player with immense technique.



"Elevation" is a short song that immediately introduces the trio's heavy fusion rock underpinning, packed with an accented bass bottom by Lomenzo and excellent sweeping. The Hideous Sun Demons' songs are heavy and melodic at the same time, marked by highly technical guitar licks thar border on rock, jazz, Latin and blues, always leaving enough space for the band's rhythmic drive. Luzier's drumming on "Rain" is so amazing that I can't remember being so impressed by a drummer in a long time. How a drummer can overplay so much without pushing the song out of its musical route is beyond me. This song also has great fusion bass arpeggios, stuff you'd normally expect to hear on a Niacin disc. On "Osaka Funk", guest player Chris Juergensen joins Toshi Hiketa in a slow yet very dynamic funk rock track that allows the bass and drums to shine gloriously. Hiketa reminds me a bit of a less playful Steve Vai, but he is also deeply rooted in a blues rock pattern and exhibits it on the more southern rock inspired tunes: the somewhat acoustic and slow "A New Day", the very brief full-on jazz "Demon's Blues" (except for its blues solo), and the wide-open jam session on "The Maze", with a heavy southern rock flavour. Besides its crazed jazz improvisation, this song is also highlighted by a terrific melodic drive and even some whistles that emulate the same melody. The bass-rich "Mosquito" also marries slow jazz elements with an intricate drum work and choppy guitar licks, while "S.O.C." stands out for its brilliant percussive beats. "Brainwashed" is a smoking fast fusion jam, featuring frantic guitar playing (again with a bluesy lead solo) and classic rock style immediacy. The trio also explores some New Age territory on "4 Seasons", a pretty acoustic piece driven by dreamy melodies and brush drums.



The Hideous Sun Demons' debut album is well worth a listen. I think anyone who likes fusion-inspired instrumental rock that is both intricate and complex as well as surprisingly easy to enjoy should look into it."

If you like great music as well as top notch musicianship, g

Jon Kwiat | DETROIT, MICHIGAN United States | 09/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always loved hard rock/heavy metal music. Although my taste in music is quite varied to include jazz, latin, even country, there is nothing like a good hard rock song to get you going. Besides rock I really liked fusion like Stanley Clarke's School Days, Tomy Bolin's Teaser, and Zappa's 70s gems like Apostophe/Overnight Sensation. But it's been very difficult to find music in that vein with great songs and great musicians with killer chops.



A few years back I discovered Dream Theater which lead to Liquid Tension Expirement, and then all of the great musicians on the Magna Carta label. I've also been able to find out about many great bands you won't hear on the radio from Modern Drummer magazine. That's what lead me to a drum instruction DVD by Ray Luzier, which by the way is excellant also. At the end of the DVD there were some smokin' live cuts with Ray performing songs by the Demons and songs he did with Billy Sheehan. That's how I found out about this Hideous Sun Demons CD.



If you love to hear quality musicianship AND great songs, this CD is great. It's not all metal, there is some latin flavored and jazz flavored stuff here, but over all this CD rocks. The first 3 cuts are awesome. And the song and playing on Mummy is absolutely fantastic. The drums in the middle section are unreal, it sounds like four drummers. Ray Luzier has quickly moved into the top list of my favorite drummers along with Ralph Humphrey, Ian Paice, Mike Portnoy, Terry Bozzio, Neil Peart, Omar Hakim, etc. But the other band members are just as exting to listen to. Great hard rock, fusion, whatever. Just a great first CD that rocks."