Culture Scars Hail The Sun

• 1Paranoia03:59
• 2Entertainment Lies03:45
• 3Body Damage04:31
• 4Words of Gratitude (Parents)03:02
• 5The 'Fun' in Dysfunction04:59
• 6The People That Protect Us04:24
• 7Burn Nice and Slow (The Formative Years)04:08
• 8Never Kill a Mouse; Let It Kill Itself03:53
• 9Ministry of Truth04:27
• 10Doing the Same Thing and Expecting Different Results05:35
• Total Runtime42:43

Info for Culture Scars

“Musically and lyrically, this song is about the perspective of how you see yourself versus how others see you, and whether it matters or not if there is a difference,” reveals Hail The Sun vocalist/drummer Donovan Melero. “This is the demo version, of course, and was redone in our sessions for the album but we wanted to share this anyway to put something new out into the world and have it be something special for our friends and early supporters.”

Culture Scars is Hail The Sun’s third full-length, and was recorded with producer Mike Watts (The Dear Hunter, Hopesfall, As Cities Burn). The ten track album offers a dark mix of personal reflection and social commentary, exploring the relationships between observation vs. action and perception vs. reality – and the effect of each on human emotion and society as a whole.

“Culture Scars is a term we came up with to refer to those scars, both physical and emotional, that come about due to certain things that society deems as normal and acceptable,” shares guitarist Shane Gann. “We don’t normally put much thought into the amount of pain that may be caused by dirty politics, found within a family with a “problem child”, or existing behind the scenes of an adult entertainment shoot. These themes are so commonplace in the world, and yet there is often so much trauma and hurt that is brought about by all these scenarios. We wanted to shed some light on the darker side of what we think of as normalcy.”

“I want people to stop so easily accepting the realities that exist. We are a generation who are so comfortable watching things happen from behind screens, who are so accepting of the goings-on in the world, so long as they don’t directly affect their own lives,” he continues. “I want people to challenge themselves to think and act differently, to stop believing everything they read, to make more than just a carbon footprint. Break the mold.”

Aric Garcia, guitar
Donovan Melero, drums, vocals
John Stirrat, bass
Shane Gann, guitar
Guests:
Nick Starrantino, additional percussion on track 7
Alicia Furey, cello on track 8
Casey Crescenzo, piano on track 10

Hail The Sun
is a progressive post-hardcore quartet who met in Chico, CA, while studying music technology. The overlap of influences throughout the group has led them to become one of the most dynamic and intricate musical acts to come out of the scene in decades. Formed by drummer Donovan Melero and guitarist Aric Garcia (who played in a death metal band in high school), the original idea for the musical direction was to remain high-energy, while allowing melodies and harmonies to be a prominent feature, rather than just screaming to portray intense emotion. The addition of Shane Gann and John Stirrat brought additional flavors, and the group began to stretch its creative legs, allowing itself to write parts and songs that were much more heavily influenced by jazz, funk, blues, fusion, and Latin musical styles.

The group has toured extensively throughout its three-year existence, and has recently begun experiencing national exposure. They have one of the most high-energy live shows ever witnessed, and that's all while playing amazingly difficult lines and rhythms. Their drummer is their singer, which is a show in and of itself, and the addition of the other three acting as visual "frontmen," while not singing, lets the audience's attention move from here to there seamlessly, and without feeling bored.

This album contains no booklet.