Sun of the Dying - A Throne Of Ashes

Labels: AOP Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 21 Nov 2025

Tracklist:

1. Martyrs

2. Black Birds Beneath Your Sky

3. With Wings Aflame

4. The Greatest Of Winters

5. The House Of Asterion

6. Of Absence

I seriously need to do something about my inbox, but that's for another day! When I chose to write about the newest full-length from Spanish doom-death band Sun of the Dying, I had no idea it had been six years since their previous release The Earth Is Silent, which I wrote about back in December 2019. In cooperation with long time supporters AOP Records, Sun of the Dying have released A Throne Of Ashes on CD and vinyl formats, as well as digitally.

I find that I can listen to pretty much any genre of metal at any time of the year, but listening to doom-death on a dark/cold December night makes the experience even greater. Sun of the Dying open their newest album with the majestic ‘Martyrs’, which is filled with soaring gothic-like melodies and passages of searing death metal. I could draw on many comparisons here from both Scandinavia and the UK, but I’m not going to. It’s better that this music is allowed to stand alone.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that after such a melodramatic opener, Sun of the Dying would perhaps move in a more uptempo direction given the shorter length of ‘Black Birds Beneath Your Sky’; instead, they present a more minimalistic approach during the verses, which is punctuated by melodic choruses and heaviness that’s joined by choral brightness. 

This release contains boat loads of musical maturity, as the guitars, percussion and keys demonstrate throughout. ‘With Wings Aflame’ is beautifully symphonic early on and the mix of Eduardo Guilló’s deep melodic tones/harsh growls and the clean vocals of guest Antinoë seem to elevate the song and Sun of the Dying’s sound further as it progresses. 

This sextet has mastered the art of throwing the listener off the scent when it comes to musical direction, as ‘The Greatest Of Winters’ highlights. From the fast, blasting intro to the doom-laden verses to follow; there’s no room for guessing what Sun of the Dying are gonna do next. What they do is inject the song with a breathy mix of introspection and death metal ferocity all rolled into one cohesive package. The keys towards the end are absolutely beautiful too.

Penultimate song ’The House Of Asterion’ is heavy right from the off but once again, Sun of the Dying lull you into a false sense of security (for those of you who prefer your doom-death leaning more towards death metal), as they drop back into another loverly melodic passage soon after. Some might say that their song-writing and structure is traditional in one sense, but at the same time there’s an unexpected nature to it as well. The mix of gothic gloom, downtempo heaviness and orchestral unease accentuates that point.

Closing with ‘Of Absence’, Sun of the Dying have one more chance to explore their exquisitely melodic side, where keys and guitars rule over the drums as the harsh vocals enter the fray,. Thankfully, the vocals don’t overpower the music as a whole and add to what is a gloriously emotive song, filled with fantastic melodic elements.

This album is a beautiful body of work from a band that continue to forge their own path. The only genuine similarity I can draw on here would be Portuguese doom/death band Moonspell; however, Sun of the Dying in their own right need to be appreciated. Epic and thought-provoking in every sense.

You can purchase A Throne Of Ashes on all formats from Sun of the Dying below:-

Physical copies can also be ordered from AOP Records here - https://shop.aoprecords.de/gb/49-sun-of-the-dying.

Sun of the Dying - https://www.facebook.com/SunofTheDying

AOP Records - https://www.facebook.com/aoprecs

Sun Of The Dying - The Earth Is Silent

Labels: Art Of Propaganda Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 29 Nov 2019

Tracklist:

1. The Earth Is Silent

2. A Dying Light

3. A Cold Unnamed Fear

4. Orion

5. When The Morning Came

6. Monolith

7. White Skies And Grey Lands

I count this as the fourth review in five days. It's safe to say that December is proving fruitful productivity-wise. The band I'm homing in on tonight is one from Spain's capital Madrid. Doom/death sextet Sun Of The Dying have been together since 2013 yet only released their first album "The Roar Of The Furious Sea" in 2017 with an initial digital self-release and then a digital/cd re-release via Mexican label Throats Productions. In November they released their second full-length via Art Of Propaganda Records. "The Earth Is Silent" is spread over seven song.

Starting with the title-track, Sun Of The Dying paints a melancholic and sorrow-filled picture on “The Earth Is Silent”. This opener may only be an instrumental intro but it proves effective at dragging you down as the choral singing comes in. Doom/death has always been a sub-genre that’s hard to crack for me but hearing the clean vocals and gentle piano/guitar of A Dying Light, it’s hard not to get lost in it’s soothing but unnerving tones. Imagine the Peaceville Three cross-pollinating with Hateful Abandon and you might begin to understand the sonics present here. Slow, mournful tempos mixed with low growls and orchestral instrumentation are all gathered together to great effect.

With A Cold Unnamed Fear, Sun Of The Dying heads in a more black metal direction briefly. The keyboards have more of a presence here and while it’s a long way from being symphonic (possibly a good thing), it’s memorable despite the heaviness. Orion maintains a lengthy instrumental build-up, which is a characteristic of doom/death before those clean vocals reveal themselves again. It brings to mind a whole host of great Scandinavian bands of the same ilk but there’s still an obvious originality to the music. It’s great to hear different countries and indeed cultures put their mark on different musical styles and here Sun Of The Dying combines the heat and positivity of their Spanish homeland with the cold and dank emotion of doom/death’s forbears.

If you’re after something both melodic and truly majestic then look no further than When The Morning Came. It epitomises Sun Of The Dying for me and shows their heart and soul is gloriously open fashion. The vocals, despite being as harsh as they have been throughout, are audible and the song-writing/craft shows a band that is truly maturing. In an age where complex and fast music is providing an instant hit for extreme metal fans, songs like Monolith will provide solace. Again, it’s slow and (as some might say) depressive, but it’s perfectly formed and indeed performed. The mix of textures from the vocals, choral singing and metal instrumentation gives it an instantly listenable impact. It’s possibly the band’s most complete song.

It all segues nicely into album closer White Skies And Grey Lands, with it’s prominent and glorious piano. It’s the final hymn and as such it paints a picture of misty and cold landscapes that are at odds with the sextets’s homeland but that works all too well. Creative and delivered with an assured confidence, “The Earth Is Silent” may be a sleeper when it comes to 2019’s big hitters but it has it’s own place amongst the music that’s shaping this year. As the decade comes to a close, memories will be made and people will be transported to different places thanks to music like this. When I listen to this again, I’ll think of how at peace I was when I first heard it. Incredibly moving, Solemn and soulful.

You can stream and purchase "The Earth Is Silent" on all formats via AOP Records below:-

Sun Of The Dying - https://www.facebook.com/SunofTheDying

Art Of Propaganda Records - https://www.facebook.com/aoprecs/