Track Listing:
01. The Hunger to Survive
02. Meaning in the Movements
03. Intimate Moments
04. Nameless
05. Failing to See
06. Leveling the Playing Field
07. The Sixth Great Extinction
08. Secluded Acres
09. In the Blink of an Eye
10. Ulterior Motives
11. Withstanding the Test of Time

Rated:
6.5 / 10

Total Play Time:
44:0519

Band's Webpage

Having been in the music business in some form since 1991, The Fifth Sun hasn’t really caught the big break that would get them over. With their second album The Hunger to Survive, they won’t get to that point, but they’re at least working to get there. Having a fairly well-known producer in Patrik J. Sten as your drummer certainly won’t hurt their advancement in the scene.

The Hunger to Survive is the Minnesota band’s second album and based on what is on the album, bands such as In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and God Forbid could be cited as influences on their sound. The Fifth Sun performs this style of music reasonably well. However, the problem that could be encountered while listening to the album is that once in a while, I was asking myself whether or not some of the riffs were being recycled. This is not something a band wants to be questioned about when it comes to music because more often than not, it could mean that the ideas are few and far in between. Considering that the band has influences in the melodic death metal scene and that their drummer for this record has connections to the scene, one would think at least more elements could be incorporated into the music. Even if this were to be done, the problem of not being original in their sound would surface, which in itself, is a difficult thing to achieve nowadays in the melodic death metal scene. Vocally, it’s nothing too special, but like the music, it is done admirably and is consistent in its delivery.

After having listened to The Fifth Sun’s the Hunger to Survive, two conclusions can be reached: that the band is not quite ready for the big stage and that despite the flaws, there is potential for the band to at least make a mark in the music scene. Having Patrik J. Sten involved in the recording process will help your career, but not varying your music compositions every once in a while will not. There is room for the band to improve, but the band should not scrap what it has established either. Down the road, the band could make an impact. For now, it’s just another band that is stuck in the middle of the pack.