Spiritual Beggars - Sunrise to Sundown

Artist: Spiritual Beggars
Album: Sunrise to Sundown
Year: 2016
Rating: 68/100

For all the excellent work that Michael Amott has done in metal over the years (primarily with the likes of Arch Enemy, Carcass and Carnage among many, many others), his other musical vehicle of note (and also my favourite band of his) is the stoner metal giants the Spiritual Beggars, recording their second album with former Firewind vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, the band's third vocalist after Christian "Spice" Sjöstrand and Janne "JB" Christoffersson (also of doom metal legends Grand Magus). But how does this one stack up?

Unfortunately, the Spiritual Beggars now feel like their music has had its edge taken off with the presence of Papathanasio on lead vocals, and they now sound too polished as a result. With JB leading them, the Beggars had a vocalist who got the balance between grit and melody spot on, while with Spice at the helm, his bruising, gritty, yet melodious bellow was the perfect foil for Mike Amott's meaty guitars and Per Wiberg's swirling Hammond organ. Don't get me wrong, Apollo Papathansio is a good vocalist in his own right, and when the Beggars do get it right on this album, as they do on the title track and the excellent "Diamond Under Pressure", you can hear what the Beggars are still capable of at their best. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen anywhere near enough on "Sunrise to Sundown" on the whole; Papathanasio is just not commanding enough a presence, and his vocals jar with the accompaniment that Amott and Wiberg provide.

"Sunrise to Sundown" isn't a bad record by any stretch of the imagination. However, it feels far too formulaic to be a truly excellent album, and the lack of real presence from vocalist Apollo Papathanasio means that it's not in the same class as the Beggars at their best, arguably with "Ad Astra" or even "On Fire". Disappointing, to say the least.

Track list:

1. Sunrise to Sundown
2. Diamond Under Pressure
3. What Doesn't Kill You
4. Hard Road
5. Still Hunter
6. No Man's Land
7. I Turn To Stone
8. Dark Light Child
9. Lonely Freedom
10. You've Been Fooled
11. Southern Star