Stoned Jesus – Songs To Sun

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · Published October 7, 2025 · Updated October 7, 2025

Stoned Jesus is a stoner rock/metal band from Kyiv, Ukraine. Formed in 2009, they blend in progressive, heavy psych, riff rock, and metal into an expansive array of musical sounds. They have recorded and released: 2010’s First Communion, 2011’s Stormy Monday EP, 2012’s Seven Thunders Roar, 2013’s The Seeds, vol. I , 2015’s The Harvest, 2016’s The Seeds, vol. II, 2018’s Pilgrims, and 2023’s Father Light. The current lineup features originator Igor Sydorenko on vocals, guitars, bass, and keyboards, with Andrew Rodin on bass, and backing vocals, and Yurii Ciel on drums and backing vocals. The three-piece just released their latest offering (first in a “Songs To” trilogy) on September 19th 2025, called Songs To Sun. The album contains six tracks at forty one minutes and is on Season Of Mist Records. The record was mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén from Sweden, who has worked with Greenleaf, Dozer, Domkraft, High Desert Queen, and many others.

Stoned Jesus never really connected with me before. I remember hearing a few early songs that were decent but I never explored much of their music catalog as a whole. I had no real expectations about hearing Songs To Sun for the first time. Well, I was in for a real surprise because the music that is presented within these six tracks is simply amazing!

“New Dawn” starts with subtle strumming of clean guitars that joins together with the cymbal taps and psychedelic flavoring. The vocals come in clean as the music is slowly building up, transitioning ever so slightly. When the moment is right, the fuzz and heaviness strike together driving the song along. It switches back into more melodic verses and hits the chorus hard again with “And then we’re gone, with the new dawn” sung over a crushing riff. “New Dawn” explores some progressive elements when the tempo picks up towards the end and the instruments dazzle in a brief jam session. The transitions are flawless, and the song itself is a great representation to what Stoned Jesus are currently sounding like.

The second track “Shadowland” was the first single from the album. The music strikes right in with heavy grunge riffs and great vocals. The catchy chorus and hard rocking rhythms are decorative and distinctive. It has a more straightforward structure but still exhibits little twists and tweaks that keeps the song fresh and interesting. For brand new listeners, this tune would be a great place to start. It encompasses little musical nuances but paints a grand portrait of the song as such, maintaining a more direct and catchy approach.

“Lost In The Rain” delves back to the softer and soothing tones of clean guitars, layered keyboards, expressive vocals, and simple drum beats. It’s a beautiful song with a soulful and melancholy feel about it. It does get heavier but stays fairly docile, in comparison to the other tracks. Stoned Jesus factors in some nice guitar leads that shine towards the end of the track and carries on as it fades out gradually.

“Low” is another banger of a song! It starts with a hi-hat four count into accents and heavy rocking rhythms. The basic song structure is enhanced with Sydorenko’s great voice and fuzzy tones. The almost black metal sounding ending with fast rhythms, vocal screams , and drum blast beats were an unexpected twist, I must admit. I love that Stoned Jesus is never quite predictable or married on a certain style of sound. Igor and the band are keen on pushing the boundaries of their creativity and songwriting.

One of the most memorable and ass kicking tracks on Songs To Sun is “See You On The Road “. The hard riffing grooves are so gratifying, once It kicks in with that slamming rhythm! The music downshifts when the vocals come in with the guitar strumming and bass sliding on the verses. Each time it cranks back into the heavy riff, my head spins in all directions. Stoned Jesus has a knack for making a simple riff sound so electrifying and majestic. The degree of detail on these songs to make each one better is astounding. The intricacy in crafting such amazing tunes is remarkable, especially being this advanced in the band’s career.

If those first five songs sparked any indication of how this record would end up, you could try and predict how Stoned Jesus would complete it. However, the final score on Songs To Sun is a complete surprise and masterpiece. The almost ten minute acoustic-driven musical proclamation is heart felt and raw. The tribal percussion is the perfect backdrop for the guitars to express the song’s grit and emotion. The song is simply called “Quicksand” and it embarks on an anguished and passionate journey. The lyrics are poetic and heavy which resonated with me deeply. The softly spoken dialogue is a build up of anger and frustration and the tortured vocals crescendo accordingly. The verse parts are statements of disgust: “tired of..,” characteristics of the self, with an inner struggle of acceptance. The chorus sings “to become what you hate the most” in such clear and elegant tone. The song almost sounds like it could detonate at any moment, almost volatile. It is ultimately a song about finally giving in to the feelings that you fight so hard with to resist- as the chorus ends with, “now I’m ready to become what I hate the most”. One of the most beautiful gifts that music gives me is the connection between my emotions and reality. “Quicksand” feels like the band specifically wrote it for me. I was instantly drawn to the lyrics and totally immersed in the music too.

Once in a while, an album will emerge and find a deep and personal connection with me. Songs To Sun is that magical record as of late and I have already listened to it countless times, since the release date. I finally understand why Stoned Jesus are such a polarizing force in the heavy underground universe. Not only are they talented musicians but they are writing songs from a very intimate and powerful place and have managed to move me in a very spiritual and mindful way. It takes a special band and album to accomplish this and the timing was perfect for me to receive this musical gift. This is definitely one of my favorite albums thus far in 2025.