Surya Premiere “Arrows”; Into the Emerald Out Jan. 31
Set to release Jan. 31, Into the Emerald is the second full-length from Cádiz, Spain, heavy progressive rockers Surya. The 44-minute seven-songer creates a feeling of sprawl over its runtime, arranged as it is across two vinyl sides, each one working shortest to longest. That puts the album intro “Evergreen River” (1:28) and side A capper/tracklist-centerpiece “Beyond Eyes of Gold” (8:56) not so much in opposition, but makes the latter’s shimmer, warmth of tone, and fluid modern-heavy-prog realizations, the layered vocals of guitarist Antonio Hierro and drummer Carlos Camisón, feel like the destination through which “A Blazing Crusade” (3:43) and “Through the Stone” (4:14) traveled.
And as the band lead the listener across the first of the two included mini-journeys on Into the Emerald — which is the follow-up to 2019’s Overthrown (review here), released by a consortium headed by Spinda Records — headed toward the more densely riffed instrumental payoff of “Beyond Eyes of Gold,” which crescendos thick and then adds breadth in strum and solo, Hierro, Camisón, bassist Jose Mª Zapata and guitarist Jose Moares correspondingly bring a new sense of discovery to side B, beginning with “Arrows” (3:41, premiering below), which puts Camisón in the lead vocal role apparently for the first time.
He soars in a way that makes me think it won’t be the last instance in which the tradeoff is made, and even while “Arrows” doesn’t necessarily represent the entirety of Into the Emerald, it’s consistent in tone and purpose and is a look at what they’ll potentially be exploring over their next however-many records. “The Clashing” (6:20), with a guitar progression that feels specifically
Elderian, refines a heavy rock thrust in its verse with twisting lead flourish, and has room in its second half for a subdued divergence before aligning on the chugging, rolling groove and the crash with which it resolves ahead of “Shields at the Dawn Forest” (15:49), which unfolds with a grace toward which both sides of the record up to that point are revealed as building.
Guest organ from Koe Casas peppers the finale, thereby letting the four-piece commune all the more with progressive heavy rock and its contemporary affinity for classic elements. Riffing out heavy psych-style in the spirit of Samsara Blues Experiment, and as they have been all along, Surya are song-first, exploration-first, and though its unfolding is patient, “Shields at Dawn Forest” never loses its direction or becomes anything other than the culmination it was clearly intended to be, and the band earn bonus points for weirding out a bit with dual vocals and some nascent quirk before they take off with the speedier procession in the piece’s back third, an electric solo section giving over to more serene acoustic pluck and strum to close. This is a tie-in vibe-wise with “Evergreen River,” and leads one to wonder if the organic sound isn’t mirrored thematically in a lyrical narrative further portraying some kind of struggle.
That’s info I don’t have, but while Into the Emerald catches Surya at a seemingly transitional moment — lest we forget that change is the order of the universe for all of us — it stands on its own as well and converses fluidly with the greater European underground in a way that reminds a bit of Maragda‘s 2024 outing, Tyrants, while staying a little rawer in energy and grounded on the structural balance. Spain having long been relegated to second-class citizenship in said sphere, Surya present themselves as ambassadors in showcasing some of the regional stylistic aspects while embarking on a sound that draws influence from multiple sources and crafts it into something of their own. They’re growing, and one hopes they’ll continue to grow with the kind of adventurousness on offer in Into the Emerald.
“Arrows” streams on the player below, and the band were kind enough to offer some comment on the song thereafter.
Please enjoy:
Surya on Into the Emerald:
We are exploring new sounds, trying to get heavier and more complex with these new songs. Also, we found out that Carlos, our drummer, sings really well, and “Arrows” is the first time ever that he does lead vocals for a song, and we hope the first of many. We are not forgetting where we come from, but we just wanted to make the music we would like to hear.
‘Into the Emerald’ tracklisting:
1. Evergreen River
2. A Blazing Crusade
3. Through the Stone
4. Beyond Eyes of Gold
5. Arrows
6. The Clashing
7. Shields at the Dawn Forest
Recorded at Metropol Studios and Estudio 79 by Rafa Camisón
Mixing – Rafa Camisón (Estudio 79)
Mastering – Víctor García (Ultramarinos Mastering)
Artwork and logo – Nacho Fernández-Trujillo
Surya are:
Antonio Hierro – Electric guitar and vocals
Carlos Camisón – Drums and vocals
Jose Mª Zapata – Bass
Jose Moares – Electric guitar and acoustic guitar
*Koe Casas – Organ and electric piano (on Shields at the Dawn Forest)
