Customer Reviews

Into the Sun

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Awesome. Just awesome. Nothing is better than real rock, and nobody does it better than Candlebox. It's time to kick the three-chord, screaming vocals, generic melody, solo-less, "I hate my life", modern rock garbage to the dump where it belongs, and Candlebox is back to lead the charge. It is such a pleasure to finally buy a new album made by talented musicians and great writers. Every song on this disc is killer. I would have preferred a couple more of the faster songs, and overall the album probably isn't a total masterpiece like the debut or Happy Pills, but this is definitely one of the best albums that will be released this year. Any rock radio station that doesn't play something off this should be boycotted.

UPDATE: Almost two months after getting this album, I appreciate it even more than I did in my original review. I have a substantial cd collection because I get bored with albums quickly, but I can't stop listening to this cd! I would now say that it actually deserves to stand with their two other classic albums, the debut and Happy Pills. Also, I would say that the mix of tempos among the songs is perfect. In fact, the slower songs have become the ones I enjoy the most on this cd, although the rockers are excellent too. Bottom line: this is an amazing album, especially when considering the ten year hiatus since the last one. Hopefully, they will carry on for many more years, and many more outstanding albums.

Plain and simple, Into the Sun is a pure and true rock and roll record. However, the media and the ignorant (those two might just be synonymous) love to put Candlebox into the 1990s grunge bucket. This is unfortunate and absolutely inaccurate, so much so that the band themselves have never embraced the grunge moniker nor have they ever sited any of the bands from that era as musical influences. Beg to differ? Listen to Loud Love by Soundgarden, Rehab Doll by Green River or Superfuzz Bigmuff by Mudhoney and then compare any of these to a Candlebox record. I love them all but they are not the same animal and should not be termed the same.

That said, when listening to Into the Sun you will not hear a grunge or "wannabe grunge" record but rather, you will hear a dynamic record which draws from various classic and hard rock influences as Candlebox always has. Right from the first notes of "Stand" you can hear Kevin Martin paying homage to one of his heroes, Robert Plant, in a vocal phrasing reminiscent of "Immigrant Song". There are moments which include psychedelic rock riffs, a Lennon-esque ballad and an attitude spitting rocker which takes the listener back to the classic days of Aerosmith and Van Halen. In fact, Led Zeppelin gets two nods on this album as the 8:30+ epic slow burner, "Breathe Me In" has a lengthy Rhodes filled intro which feels a lot like "No Quarter" before transitioning into a melodic vocal track and finally exploding into a crescendoed finale. This alone is worth the price of admission! All of the influences are of course seen through the lens of Candlebox and their signature treatments.

Peter Klett attacks his guitar parts with new found energy while expanding on his slew of styles and effects while Kevin Martin's voice has simply risen to another level. Anybody misusing the term "shouting" in reference to Kevin is clearly not listening. I can understand how this could have been the case on 1993's debut, but Into the Sun will have accomplished rock vocalists drop-jawed at Kevin's power, range and delivery.

Candlebox has not reinvented the wheel nor have they ever attempted to do so. They will never be the next Radiohead or Flaming Lips but what they do is write very catchy blues-driven rock songs and Into the Sun as an album is certainly no exception. It draws numerous comparisons to the debut and I can hear that on a level but Into the Sun also brings with it a confidence in song writing, playing and overall execution which has not yet been delivered from Candlebox. Into the Sun may remind us of old times but there are signs of growth and progression all over the record, for instance, Kevin sings in falsetto on the melodic title track, "Into the Sun", there is liberal use of new instrumentation and effects, and vocal harmonies are implemented liberally throughout. Most importantly, the songwriting is just plain better. If there is a downside, Into the Sun doesn't have the youthful, untamed energy of the first record.

All in all Into the Sun is a huge accomplishment for a band that took 10 years off and is a truly accomplished record the band and its fans should be exceedingly proud of! This one's a must have and it translates even better in their live show!

wow soo i bought this cd off of i tunes last night. and ive got to say wow. ive been a candlebox fan for a few years now. i never knew who they were when they were in their 90's hey day. but man i missed out. this cd is most compired to their "self titled" first cd. its verry hard rocking with awsome lyrics and smooth guitar solos. ive listened to the album once through and can say it can only get better the more i listen to it though the first listen did not dissapoint. my favorite song so far is the song " surrendering" i like the way kevin martin's voice shines through although his voice is awsome in all the songs it has a cool texture to it. kind of gravely and growly withou screaming. jsut an awsome hard rocking rock and roll album. if you like candle box for its singer and musicianship and u are looking for more bands similar to them check out buckcherry if you havnt already.

l8terz

Candlebox created it , toured it , improved on it , and the million No Talent , Copycat , Poser bands stole it , and they SUCK!! Into The Sun just proves the original is always best. ENOUGH SAID!!

The album contains some of the best guitars and vocals in this age of bad rock music. The bluesy grooves of some of the tracks just make you sit back, close your eyes and smile. Some tracks sound eerily familiar to their first album, but hey, that's why they went platinum back then! Its a refreshing change from current popsters and one I hope comes back again soon.

After a 10 year hiatus, Candlebox has finally released a new studio cd. And i must say that this new cd is a breath of fresh air. This cd is a well blended mix of bluesy-rock, captivating lyrics and an incredibly soothing voice.
Kevin Martin has matured as a songwriter and it shows on this new cd. His voice was excellent on their first cd, but i feel that it sounds even better on "Into the Sun". Peter Klett's guitar playing is seductive and catchy. I love the clean sound on tracks like "Breath Me In", "Surrendering", and "Miss You".
As a Candlebox fan from years back, I must say i was excited to hear about the release of this new cd and i am not at all disappointed. This cd is similar to their first effort but i feel this new cd has more melody and catchy sounds than their self-titled debut.
"Into the Sun" has a great mix of heavier uptempo songs, slower mid-tempo songs and even a few ballads.

Here's my take on some of the songs:

"Breath Me In" (A song Kevin wrote telling of his love for his Australian wife. The three minute intro to this song is great. Turn it up and lay back. It's such a soothing groove. It sets the mood for the whole song.)
"Miss You" (This is a song written about Kevin's dad. His dad was a WWII veteran who passed 4 years ago and this song sums up how much he misses his dad. A very moving song.)
"Surrendering" (A song about the call-to-action for wounded warriors of aching heart and good intent.)
"Underneath It All" (A much heavier, crunchy, and very electric song. This song explores the gypsy in all of us. Check out the killer riffs by Peter Klett in this tune.)

I am very impressed with this new CD. Kevin's voice has such an easy to listen to sound. And he hasn't lost any of that amazing range he had on the first CD.
Other great songs are the title track "Into the Sun", "Lover Come Back To Me", and "How Does It Feel".
The songs are very well crafted and as a whole, this new CD is a great piece that's worth a listen to. I admit it took me a few extra listens to appreciate this new CD, but now I can't stop listening to it.
I even went to see them live on their recent Winter Tour. I must say that I enjoyed the show and have grown even more fonder of this wonderful new CD after seeing most of the new music performed live. They sounded great . . . as does this new CD.
Get this new cd, you won't be disappointed !!!!

I have been a candlebox fan since I met my wife, (back in 2001 when she was still my 'girlfriend') she had all 3 albums and they were here favorite..I got to listen to them over and over almost every night. i got into songs like 'You' and 'Far Behind'; '10000 horses' and 'Happy pills' etc.. I liked the songs but I felt the overall feel of these albums was sad and depressing...Then while waiting for the next disk I heard that Kevin and Peter were not getting along..Peter wanted to do a more "Pink Floyd" type sound and Kevin wanted to do what he does...His solo record is excellent. 'Kevin Martin and the HiWatts'. If you like Candlebox and don't have it...get it...
I was really disappointed that they broke up...there are very few singer/guitar player duos who come along who have a tone the likes of Page and Plant or Tyler and Perry or Buckingham and Nicks that just goes together and works no matter what they do...Martin and Klett are right there with the aforementioned acts. Kevin's voice and Peter's guitar just go together and sound incredible together. This album is definitely their best effort. And considering how good the first 3 are, that's saying a lot.
This album delivers right from the start. Every song is strong, both lyrically and melodically. The guitar sounds incredible. Peter's tone is just incredible. Everybody talks about Kevin's voice, and don't get me wrong, he has the chops of Plant and the free flowing bluesy feel of Chris Robinson as well as having his own original sound, but without the guitar tone of Peter Klett his songs just don't seem to have the same power, the same feel. Together these guys are a monster. I just hope that others feel it as well. Keep up the awesome work you guys....If you like excellent rock and roll you need to have this record....

I've been a fan of Candlebox since their debut album in 1993. I bought this album the day it was released. All I can say is... WOW! To be honest, I can't go a day without hearing something from this album... I am addicted to it! It's not too often you find an album that you enjoy playing in it's entirety often... this is definately an album I love listening to often! In my opinion, "Breathe Me In" is by far the BEST song. It starts with an intro track that is instrumental and moves into the actual vocal song itself. When you hear this song, you really feel the music and message of it... it's so moving (amazing how one song can do this to you every day... such a beautiful song)! Kevin Martin has one of the best vocals in alternative rock (not too hard core grunge, but not too overly mellow). You will be impressed with Peter's guitar riffs on this album (not that he wasn't good before, but he will blow you away for sure now)... as well as Scott and Adam doing their part too! Candlebox deserves an award for BEST Comeback Album of the Year... actually, make it best comeback album of the DECADE!!!

The words to use are short.............what an awesome return. Almost worth the wait. (Nothing was worth the wait) The voice is still there, the great music writing is still there, the riffs are amazing and the package will blow you away. I expected alot. Figured I would be let down, but OMG. Boys, you aced it. I am happy to say, you are moving on to the next round. Wait a minute, forgetaboutit, you just won the whole bloomin' thing.

I have been a candlebox fan for a while now and i have been waiting for this album to come out. I just got done listening to the entire album thrice, and i must say that this band is phenomenal.
Peter Klett Wails amazing heart felt and in depth guitar riffs with a heavy, yet beautiful distortion that is just enough to make your heart skip a beat....Kevin martin hits incredible notes and holds his voice up like the triumphant musician he proves to be in every album. Scott Mercado is a thought provoking and amazing drummer. He acts as an incredible backbone of the band with his beautiful time signatures and creativity. Adam Kurry leads the band with his full and just right bass lines that inspire and provoke heart...
This entire band is heart. They are one of the most incredible bands out there and this album, just like all their others, proves this to hold true. They make sense of this sometimes trying and difficult life we lead, by holding your hand, and convincing you that everything is "Alright." I dont know what i would do without them....Buy this album, and get ready to be healed and inspired....