Darkly industrial debut from Dublin metal newcomers. A curious combination of atmospherically intense, at times droning, industrial metal and more traditionally melodic hard rock sensibilities, this brooding, spring heeled debut from Dublin's Xerosun manages to straddle some disparate (though rarely uncommercial) influences to come off as a compelling whole. It's a clever - if not entirely original combination; one that replicates an almost Rammstein-esque sense of claustrophobic portent but rails against it with defiant vocals not a million miles away from Metallica frontman James Hetfield's insolent twang. Indeed, with tracks as hookily brilliant as opener Cut Me Down its difficult not to look past this debut to bigger prospects looming promisingly on the horizon but for now, this'll do just fine. KKK.

Thumping Solemnity from across the Irish sea. Although perennially scuppered by geography and the lazinesss of other nations, the Irish metal scene has long been a breeding ground for great bands and killer records like this one.

Originating from Dublin, Ireland, this quartet mix up a head-pounding cocktail of thumping industrial beats, hard rock and melody. The end result can be heard on Absence Of Light their debut album for UK label Rising Records. Offering more than your average underground metal band, Xerosun are certainly turning heads with their powerful, brooding sound and, with songs like Cut Me Down and the stomping Long Way Down, it is no surprise the quartet are being given time on Irish TV. Hopefully, with the album receiving favourable press all over Europe, the backing of Rising Records will give this impressive outfit the chance to really spread their wings and develop their glorious towering sound into something quite magnificent. New material is being written as we speak so it looks like 2012 could be a good year for these Irish lads.

Xerosun - Absence Of Light CD (Rising Records) - Rising Records have found yet another great U.K. band that we need to hear more of. ‘Absence Of Light’ is the Dublin rockers debut full length (and pretty damn fine I hasten to add) with a heavy but melodic style of metal. Having supported Avenged Sevenfold on the Irish leg of their world tour…

With ‘Absence Of Light’ Xerosun moves around in the gray area between rock and metal. I find them difficult to categorize, the whole album I am wondering whether they are a rock band playing metal or the other way around. They probably will be a lot heavier playing live as they have played already with a band like Avenged Sevenfold.