California-based progressive post-hardcore outfit, Hail The Sun, have released their highly-anticipated new full-length, Mental Knife, today via Equal Vision Records. Mental Knife is the closest the band has come to realizing the sound they’ve sought since forming in 2009. The band lived largely in the same creative space for this record as they did on its predecessors – Culture Scars (2016) and the Secret Wars EP (2017). However, all four members of the band have elevated their already impressive style of play on Mental Knife; pushing the limit of what is capable when walking the delicate line between intricate song arrangements and massive riffs and thundering rhythms.
To realize their vision for Mental Knife, the band worked with Beau Burchell, best known for his role as a member of Saosin and producing that project’s iconic Translating The Name full length which was a major influence on the members of Hail The Sun. You can stream Mental Knife now on YouTube or Spotify.
Donovan Melero adds this regarding Mental Knife:
“The four of us have never known each other, and our individual styles of writing, so well. This reflects in how quickly Mental Knife came together while still full encompassing everything we love to play as a unit.”
Hail The Sun will join Polyphia on a full North American tour this Fall to support Mental Knife. All dates are listed below and tickets can be purchased from hailthesun.com.
Since finding sobriety nine years ago, Donovan Melero, the vocalist and drummer for Hail The Sun, has found himself constantly consumed with the idea of making the most of every day. Melero – along with bandmates Aric Garcia (guitar), John Stirrat (bass) and Shane Gann (guitar) – manage both the creative and business sides of Hail The Sun as they continue to grow into one of the most revered acts in their genre. Melero has also developed into one of the most respected booking agents in rock due to his incomparable work ethic. Somehow he even manages to find time to advance his side project, the progressive rock supergroup Sianvar, which has developed a sizeable cult following of its own. On Mental Knife, Melero tackles that constant need for self improvement and his obsession with making up for lost time in a way that is both unabashedly honest and artistically innovative. The title of the record stems from the idea of cutting out those aspects of your life that don’t contribute to a more fulfilling existence. The subject matter largely centers on trying to develop a genuine confidence that allows you to acknowledge your own imperfections and provides the strength necessary to work towards correcting them. You can read more about how overcoming his past struggles shaped Mental Knife in a letter Donovan wrote to his previous self on the first day sobriety that was published today on Talkhouse.
Full Tour Dates (with Polyphia)
10/09 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
10/10 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box
10/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
10/12 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
10/13 – Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver
10/14 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
10/15 – Portland, OR @ The Bossanova Ballroom
10/16 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
10/19 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
10/20 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
10/21 – St, Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
10/23 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
10/24 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/25 – Columbus, OH @ Woodlands Tavern
10/26 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
10/27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
10/28 – Toronto, CA @ Mod CLub Theatre
10/30 – Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont
10/31 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
11/02 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
11/03 – Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
11/04 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
11/06 – Orlando, FL @ The Abbey
11/07 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
11/09 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
11/10 – Houston, TX @ The Ballroom at Warehouse Live
11/11 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda