SHATTERED SUN play Mayhem 2015 photo: Arnold Garza
Sextet, Texas-born band Shattered Sun became a new addition to the metal scene, reopening the realm of metalcore, heavy metal fused with harcord punk. After a touring session with big shot metalheads Testament and Exodus, Shattered Sun is set to appear on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival, starting at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, CA on Jun. 26 and the San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernardino, CA on Jun. 27.
“This last tour that we were on with Testament and Exodus, nobody knew who we were for the first few dates of the tour,” Marcos Leal (vocals) said. “We didn’t even have an album out yet, so we really had to go earn it. But I think this time around people are not only coming to see us but I think our fan-base has grown.”
Shattered Sun creates a lyrical twist on the typical angry, gore-driven metal album. They created the fast-paced sound with layers of beautiful guitar work, beats and melodic keys, backed by a positive message of hope with their new release “Hope Within Hatred”.
“The message lyrically; I just wanted to put out this message ‘Hope for Humanity’, hope for the future,” Leal said. “I just feel like negativity drives the media … I just feel like people thrive off of it, so I kind of wanted to put out a more positive message; having a belief in the future, a belief in each other, just how things are going in society.”
The new album stood as a moving forward point for the band to determine where they would go in the music industry.
“Musically when we went into the album we were kind of at a crossroads in our lives individually and this was kind of like our last shot,” Leal said. “We put everything in this album and, like I tell everybody, this album is six guys at a crossroads trying to find out the path we’re going to be able to take.”
Marcos Leal (vocals), Daniel Trejo (guitar), Jessie Santos (guitar), Joseph Guajardo (bass), Robert Garza (drums) and Henry Garza (keys/samples) released their new album via Victory Records and have already landed No. 1 on the CMJ Charts, Top 20 on ITunes metal charts and No. 47 on Billboard’s Top New Artist/Heatseeker Chart.
The writing process for the band always starts with the creation of the music, followed by the lyrics, according the Leal.
“It’s not until I get I get the final sound and listen to it, music gets you into that place,” he said. “I don’t really like to be forced in a studio, it has to naturally happen. When it happens organically it’s something that’s really special and something I take pride in.”
On this album, Leal’s favorite lyrics became a reality in their song “Burning Regrets”, one of the more mellow, emotional pieces. This song offers a different tone to the metal crowd with the same technical sound behind it.
“‘Burning Regrets’ is about something really personal to me. My grandmother being diagnosed with cancer and at the time I wasn’t really there for her, so it’s kind of a personal apology to say ‘I wasn’t there, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t.’ I made her a promise on her deathbed that I was going to really pursue my talent, which was singing at the time since I was a little kid. Everything I do and everything on tour is really for her.”
Shattered Sun is the creation of a dream among childhood friends that continues to prosper, matching their commitment with their level of talent.
“The core of the group has been together since we were kids, so for it to finally be coming to life it’s just unreal to see us all grow,” Leal said. “It’s the American dream.”