Sullen

Sullen are the demon child of Sonic Youth, screaming out of a St. Louis womb and into the airwaves to perk the ears and erectile tissue of any sonic grunge punk aficionado. Scott Freeman and Shana Kiels are the Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of the new millennia, and Paint the Moon is more than just homage to the band’s inspirations. Sullen possess more of an aggressive punk nature than the aforementioned ever did, and even though the guitars swirl and churn all around to create a wall of sound, they are more of a hybrid of Gang of Four, Sonic Youth, L7, and Babes in Toyland. Although many influences are at work on Paint the Moon, Sullen do manage to create their own identity and artistic ground to stand on amidst the rock’n’roll haze. Not a quintessential release, but an engaging one.