Local Review: Tower of the Sun — Sindar

Sindar
Tower of the Sun
Belegg Records
Street: 09.26.2025
Sindar = Five Finger Death Punch + Evanescence + Alice In Chains

Versatility is what you want in music, and Sindar’s new album aims to do exactly that. Their album, Tower of the Sun, is a post-metal, emo daydream that contrasts heaviness and beauty. Band members Kona Ossana and Christian Lucy created this album with inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien, drawing themes of darkness and light, death and grief, etc. (Their name also happens to come from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series, “Sindar” being a race of elves in the stories.) It might start out as a shot out of hell, but it gracefully takes you to heaven.

As far as unpredictability goes, Tower of the Sun is just that. One minute you’re listening to gut-wrenching growls and then all of a sudden, you’re listening to a beautiful acoustic guitar melody. At first, I had my doubts, but as the record carries on, you grow an appreciation for the style. Classifying this album as post-metal alone doesn’t give it justice, though I’m not exactly sure what to call it. At times, I would say it’s metal, but then you also have this softer side that almost falls under the emo realm and then another side that could be 1970s classic rock. Listening to this album was like an emotional voyage, from feeling sentimental and almost falling asleep to then wanting to grab my chair from under me and smash it to bits.

This record was Sindar’s first release in five years, and I must say it seems like a lot of work went into it. Seven out of the eight songs draw over six minutes, the album totaling just under one hour. But I don’t just mean it must have taken long because of the time length; the production is phenomenal and it couldn’t have been something that came easily. Numerous instruments are used throughout recording, and ones like the piano are snuck in work very nicely into the mix. Vocal harmonies are incorporated with a devastatingly lovely sound, reminding me of prime Alice in Chains.

One thing that I analyzed after listening that really caught me was how each song was so unique from the others. Yes, it followed a specific style, but each one had different levels to it, which made it such an intriguing listen. It felt like a journey in a maze; at each turn, there was a new adventure. I must say, as far as longer songs go, I’m not a huge fan because I think unnecessary elements are put in to take up time, but I didn’t feel that way here. Ossana and Lucy did an excellent job of knowing exactly what to put where and making the breaks suspenseful to keep your ear in it.

The use of heavy-to-soft is a style that is hard to play off, but Sindar does it in a way where you’re not jumping from one to another; you’re walking a staircase up and down, from the dark into the light and then back. I think the guitar is a big element for them in using this strategy, with heavier electric riffs and soft acoustic ballads. It’s an act that many try, but few execute it successfully.

Tower of the Sun is an album made for taking you on a journey—and not a basking one. While its lengthy songs seem intimidating, they take the listeners to an emotional and electric atmosphere. The five-year absence of Sindar feels acceptable here; the intimate release proves that some journeys are worth the wait. As far as “metal” goes, it’s in good hands with Sindar. — Zack Pinter

Read more local music reviews:
Local Review: Jerry Auburn — May Your Eyes Well Up With Blood
Local Review: RVLE THE WORLD — DISHEARTENING

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