I will admit to arriving at Le Trianon with very few expectations regarding Sungazer, and most of them frankly unfair. Given the tour pairing with Plini, I had half-expected another hyper-technical prog metal/djent outfit, all dazzling chops, syncopated breakdowns and very little in the way of actual songs. What emerged instead was something far more interesting: a modern jazz fusion group clearly indebted to classic acts like Return to Forever, whom they cover during the set, and Weather Report, yet thoroughly rooted in the present day. At times, there were even traces of certain incarnations of King Crimson, and in this house there are few higher compliments.
Their compositions are undeniably demanding, particularly on a rhythmic level, where entire passages seem designed to short-circuit the listener’s internal clock. But crucially, the complexity never comes at the expense of groove, melody or sheer enjoyment. Beneath all the technical fireworks lies a very physical music, one that swings, pulses and occasionally hits with surprising force. Just as importantly, Sungazer possess something many virtuoso-oriented groups conspicuously lack: a sense of humor. It surfaces not only in the stage banter but in the music itself, in the sudden detours, rhythmic fake-outs and playful tonal shifts woven into these entirely instrumental pieces.
There are not many young bands operating in this territory today, and even fewer doing it this convincingly. Technique is a given at this level but soul is harder to fake. Sungazer has both.
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