EP REVIEW: Wait To Rise – Summon King Sykes

Hailing from the mystical Danish capital of Copenhagen, SUMMON KING SYKES once again unleash their heavy brand of progressive, psychedelic stoner rock on their latest EP Wait To Rise. As the successor to the band’s first EP Past Human Minds, which was released last year, Wait To Rise sees the Danish quartet explore new, dystopian realms. With an exciting new vision, the band’s second EP displays an interesting and complex development in their songwriting. 

What separates Wait To Rise from Past Human Minds is its closer attention to atmosphere and melody. While the riffs pummel you to a pulp with their heaviness, the pain is numbed by the band’s own morphine concoction of eerie vocals from beyond the veil and hypnotic guitar melodies. Across the four tracks, SUMMON KING SYKES show you a different aspect of their fuzzy, hazy musical universe. 

Wait To Rise is slower paced than its predecessor, so everything feels inherently heavier, which easily plays to the band’s strengths. In several ways it feels like the flip side of the same coin, with the other side being Past Human Minds. There is a duality to both EPs and it feels like a natural progression for SUMMON KING SYKES.

There is a darkness that runs through the EP which gives it this really gritty and otherworldly vibe. SUMMON KING SYKES have always been a dynamic band, so the shifting grooves and sudden tempo changes shouldn’t come as a surprise, but with the slower tempo these shifts feel more precise. With that in mind, Hellion is a prime example of this, going from eerie quiet to skull-splitting discord to funeral dirge all in the space of 30 seconds. Darling Eyes is a trippy, occult-like adventure into the twisted darkness of the mind’s abyss, while Zenith is a straightforward, fuzz-drenched stoner face stomper. 

Overall, SUMMON KING SYKES have given us another robust, dark and brooding EP that makes the hairs on the back of your neck tingle because of its strange and eerie atmosphere. Packed full of riffs and strange melodies, this could be an acquired taste for some but ultimately it’s a punchy 15-minute listen. 

Rating: 7/10

Wait To Rise is set for release on May 3rd via self-release. 

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