Last Day of Summer (Sons of Alpha Centauri and Treasure Cat album)

Last updated

Last of Day Summer
SOAC & Treasure Cat - LDOS.jpg
Studio album by
Sons of Alpha Centauri and Treasure Cat
ReleasedOctober 7, 2009 (2009-10-07)
StudioRanscombe Studios
(Rochester, Kent, England)
Zone 8 Studios
(Granville, West Virginia, U.S.)
Genre
Length54:03
Label Underdogma
Producer
  • Mark Poole
  • Jim Riley
Sons of Alpha Centauri chronology
Sons of Alpha Centauri
(2007)		Last Day of Summer
(2009)		 WaterWays/Sons of Alpha Centauri/Hotel Wrecking City Traders
(2012)

Last Day of Summer is a collaborative studio album by British instrumental rock band Sons of Alpha Centauri and American instrumental rock band Treasure Cat. It was released on 7 October 2009 under the imprint of Underdogma Records. [1]

Contents

Production

In 2006, Nick Hannon spoke to Will Mecum of Karma to Burn, asking if he would be interested in coming to the United Kingdom to record with Sons of Alpha Centauri. Mecum accepted and chose to bring Roy Brewer, the drummer from Treasure Cat, his band at the time. [2] Mecum and Brewer recorded three tracks with members of Sons of Alpha Centauri under the moniker Alpha Cat, with the final album also consisting of four Sons of Alpha Centauri tracks and four Treasure Cat tracks. The collaborative, co-produced split release was deemed to be one of the first of its kind. [3]

The Alpha Cat and Sons of Alpha Centauri tracks were recorded with Jim Riley at Ranscombe Studios in Rochester, Kent, while the Treasure Cat tracks were recorded at Zone 8 Studios in Granville, West Virginia. [1] The recording and release of the album marked the beginning of an ongoing working partnership between Sons of Alpha Centauri and Karma to Burn. [4]

Themes

Although the music contain no lyrics, the artwork, composed by Jimbo Valentine, [2] is visibly influenced by conspiracy theories such as the New World Order, the Moon landing hoax, the writings of Zecharia Sitchin, Anglo-American relations (including the Special Relationship) and mass surveillance. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Altsounds92/100 [4]
Deaf SparrowStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
HeavyMetal.dk8/10 [5]
Lords of Metal79/100 [7]
PowerMetal.de8/10 [8]
RockFreaks.net7/10 [9]
Zwaremetalen78/100 [10]

Upon its release, Last Day of Summer received generally favourable reviews from music critics, receiving an average score of 3.67 out of 5 on Rate Your Music. [11] Lords of Metal described the album as "varied, strong, steaming, superb production and set into a great jacket." [7] Of the album's instrumental nature, The Sleeping Shaman said that the "vocals are not missed at all, due to the dynamic feel and structure of the music." [12]

Altsounds commented that the album strayed away from Sons of Alpha Centauri's usual sound, stating that "whereas they previously lulled us into a false sense of calm before ripping across the musical spectrum like cutting comment at a hostile band practice, here they unleash the beast and just give us the best of everything they've got." [4] Disagreement.net praised the collaborative Alpha Cat tracks, stating that they "link [the two bands'] genres which after all are not that dissimilar to make Last Day of Summer an incoherent listening experience." [13] Steve Howe of The Sludgelord, a rock blog, described the album as "a sprawling instrumental stoner rock odyssey packed with blazing riffs from two bands at the top of their game," adding that he felt it was "one of 2009's best instrumental rock albums." [14]

Deaf Sparrow gave the album a mixed review, commenting that the Alpha Cat tracks "are scrambled in the sequence, perhaps as an effort to put both bands in the same plane." [6] RockFreaks.net were pleased with the album but did not find it unique, stating that "if you disregard the undeniable excitement that comes from realizing how this project approaches genius in the way that it has been put together, the songs aren't actually that amazing as standalone tracks." [9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Flying Dutchman" Alpha Cat Jim Riley3:10
2."Battle of Britain"Treasure CatMark Poole4:09
3."Tribute to Harmonious"Sons of Alpha CentauriRiley6:09
4."Valhalla"Treasure CatPoole4:18
5."Last Day of Summer"Alpha CatRiley5:03
6."Under Surveillance"Sons of Alpha CentauriRiley5:18
7."Dresden"Treasure CatPoole4:19
8."Fire"Alpha CatRiley4:25
9."Crossing the Border"Sons of Alpha CentauriRiley7:00
10."On a Clear Day"Treasure CatPoole4:55
11."Exhaust"Sons of Alpha CentauriRiley5:17
Total length:54:03

Personnel

Credits for Last Day of Summer adapted from Discogs. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dream Theater</span> American progressive metal band

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy — all natives of Long Island, New York — while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to concentrate further on the band that would eventually become Dream Theater. Their current lineup consists of Petrucci, Myung, vocalist James LaBrie, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Mangini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster Magnet</span> American rock band

Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf, John McBain (guitar) and Tim Cronin ; they have since gone through several lineup changes, leaving Wyndorf as the only constant member. Monster Magnet has released ten studio albums to date, and they are best known for their 1990s hits "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and "Space Lord". The band has also been credited for developing and popularizing the stoner rock genre, along with Masters of Reality, Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Sleep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project 86</span> American Christian rock band

Project 86 is an American Christian rock/metal band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. The band has released ten albums, which have collectively sold nearly 500,000 units worldwide, two EPs, two DVDs, and one live album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sevendust</span> American rock band

Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and rhythm guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and lead guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group. Following a few name changes, the members settled on the name Sevendust and released their self-titled debut album on April 15, 1997, which sold only 310 copies in its first week but ultimately achieved gold certification through touring and support from their label, TVT Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fightstar</span> British rock band

Fightstar are a British rock band from London that formed in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and co-vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Generally considered a post-hardcore band as a whole, Fightstar are known to incorporate metal, alternative rock and other genres into their sound. During the band's early days, they were viewed sceptically by critics because of Simpson's former pop career with Busted. Their live shows got a more positive reaction, and their 2005 debut EP, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, was a critical success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullet for My Valentine</span> Welsh heavy metal band

Bullet for My Valentine, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is currently composed of Matthew Tuck, Michael Paget, Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias. Former members include Michael Thomas, Jason James and Nick Crandle; the latter were on bass. They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. A change of style from that of Jeff Killed John led the band to change their name. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August Burns Red</span> American metalcore band

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs and bassist Dustin Davidson. The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Metal Performance for the song "Identity" from its 2015 release Found in Far Away Places, and again in 2018 for "Invisible Enemy" from Phantom Anthem (2017). The band has released ten studio albums to date; their latest, Death Below, was released on March 24, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karma to Burn</span> American rock band

Karma to Burn was an American rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia. The band was noted for its heavy, mostly instrumental sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yawning Man</span> American experimental rock band

Yawning Man is an American experimental rock band from La Quinta, California. The band originally formed in 1986, although they released no studio recordings until 2005. They have been noted to be one of the first influential bands in the desert rock scene.

<i>Appalachian Incantation</i> 2010 studio album by Karma to Burn

Appalachian Incantation is the fourth studio album by the stoner rock band Karma to Burn. The album was the band's first studio release after a seven-year hiatus that lasted from 2002–2009. It was released on April 30, 2010 on Napalm Records, and later reissued in 2022 by Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Mecum</span> American musician (1972–2021)

William Charles Mecum was an American musician and lead guitarist for the rock band Karma to Burn (K2B). During K2B's seven-year hiatus from 2002–2009, he played guitar for instrumental bands Treasure Cat and Dragon Ass. He also played drums in the band Admiral prior to forming Karma to Burn. He lived in West Virginia. Mecum died on April 29, 2021, as a result of a traumatic head injury, from an accidental fall. As of the time of his death, he was the last remaining founding member in the lineup of the band.

<i>V</i> (Karma to Burn album) 2011 studio album by Karma to Burn

V is the fifth studio album by the instrumental stoner rock band Karma to Burn. It was released on May 27, 2011, via Napalm Records. The album was later reissued in 2022 by Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

Last Day of Summer or The Last Day of Summer may refer to:

Yawning Sons is a British-American collaborative musical project formed in 2008 by members of the psychedelic rock bands Yawning Man and Sons of Alpha Centauri. Often associated with the Palm Desert Scene, the project's nature has been compared to The Desert Sessions project founded by Josh Homme.

<i>Ceremony to the Sunset</i> 0000 studio album by Yawning Sons

Ceremony to the Sunset is the debut studio album by Yawning Sons, a collaborative musical project formed by members of American band Yawning Man and British band Sons of Alpha Centauri. It was released on June 15, 2009, by Lexicon Devil Records, with a deluxe vinyl edition released by Alone Records on October 25, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sons of Alpha Centauri</span> English rock band

Sons of Alpha Centauri is an English instrumental rock band based in Swale, Kent. Founded in 2001 by Nick Hannon and Marlon King, the band has developed and borrowed from a range of styles from the 1970s through to the 1990s including stoner rock, desert rock, post-metal and the New wave of British heavy metal, as well as British artists as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd.

<i>Sons of Alpha Centauri</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Sons of Alpha Centauri

Sons of Alpha Centauri is the debut studio album by English instrumental rock band Sons of Alpha Centauri. It was released on 26 November 2007 by Sound Devastation Records.

<i>Sons of Alpha Centauri</i> (demo album) 2004 demo album by Sons of Alpha Centauri

Sons of Alpha Centauri is the eponymous demo album by English instrumental rock band Sons of Alpha Centauri. Published on 11 November 2004, only 13 copies of the album were released in a hand-crafted slipcase. The album's artwork was designed by Seldon Hunt.

<i>WaterWays/Sons of Alpha Centauri/Hotel Wrecking City Traders</i> 2012 EP by WaterWays, Sons of Alpha Centauri and Hotel Wrecking City Traders

WaterWays/Sons of Alpha Centauri/Hotel Wrecking City Traders is a split extended play by the collaborative musical project WaterWays and the rock groups Sons of Alpha Centauri and Hotel Wrecking City Traders. It was released on 20 November 2012 by Bro Fidelity Records.

<i>Karma to Burn / Sons of Alpha Centauri</i> (album) 2017 compilation album by Karma to Burn and Sons of Alpha Centauri

Karma to Burn / Sons of Alpha Centauri: The Definitive 7″ Trilogy! is a compilation album featuring a series of split singles released by American rock band Karma to Burn and English rock band Sons of Alpha Centauri (SOAC).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sons Of Alpha Centauri / Treasure Cat – Last Day Of Summer". Discogs. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "The "Last Day of Summer" is here". WVRockScene. 26 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 September 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. ↑ "Sons Of Alpha Centauri & Treasure Cat - Last Day Of Summer". RockFreaks.net. 14 October 2009. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Sons of Alpha Centuri / Treasure Cat – Last Day of Summer [Album]". AltSounds . 28 December 2009. Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Sons of Alpha Centauri / Treasure Cat - Last Day of Summer". HeavyMetal.dk (in Danish). 2 October 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 "SOAC / Treasure Cat - Last Day of Summer review". Deaf Sparrow. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Sons Of Alpha Centauri / Treasure Cat - Last Day Of Summer". Lords of Metal. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Mathias Freiesleben (16 January 2010). "Review: Sons Of Alpha Centauri - Last Day Of Summer". PowerMetal.de. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Sons Of Alpha Centauri & Treasure Cat - Last Day of Summer". RockFreaks.net. 14 October 2009. Archived from the original on 30 January 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "Sons of Alpha Centauri + Treasure Cat - Last Day of Summer" (in Dutch). Zwaremetalen. 2 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 November 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "Last Day of Summer by Sons of Alpha Centauri / Treasure Cat". Rate Your Music. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  12. ↑ "Sons of Alpha Centauri/Treasure Cat 'Last Day Of Summer' CD 09". The Sleeping Shaman. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "Sons Of Alpha Centauri / Treasure Cat - Last Day Of Summer". Disagreement.net. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Last Day of Summer by Sons of Alpha Centauri & Treasure Cat". The Sludgelord. 8 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.