Sunbomb’s “Life” Puts the Power in Power Metal

Are power metal fans and NWOBHM devotees hip to Sunbomb yet? I fear they may not be: masterminds L.A. Guns’ Tracii Guns (guitars) and Stryper’s Michael Sweet (vocals) are the group’s big claim to fame, and those names naturally carry more weight in the glam world than they do the power metal world. So the same way that a fan of, like, Cinderella probably wouldn’t pay much mind to some new glam band started by Necrobutcher and Karl Willetts, there probably aren’t many Manowar and Crimson Glory fans who keep the authors of “Kiss My Love Goodbye” and “Calling On You” on their radars.

Which is a bummer, because I think power metal peeps would eat this band up with a spoon. Their second single, “Life,” is even more epic and anthemic than their first single, “No Tomorrows.” It’s got serious Somewhere in Time-era Maiden vibes. I’m not saying it’s as good as Somewhere in Time, but that seems like a clear influence here — “Life” has that same bittersweet mix of gloom and triumphalism.

(I was actually snidely thinking that the whole vibe of this song must appeal to Michael Sweet’s passion for martyrdom… and then I watched the music video, which is full of Christian imagery, and ends with a guy self-flagellating. So. Yeah.)

Something else “Life” has going for it is a sweet guitar solo by Mr. Guns. Just thought it was worth mentioing.

Check out “Life” via the music video below (p.s. apropos of nothing, Michael Sweet now looks like Dez Fafara if Dez Fafara was a regular at the Olive Garden’s happy hour). Sunbomb’s debut album, Evil and Divine, comes out May 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. Pre-order/pre-save it here.