Black Sun (band)

Black Sun is a hard rock and heavy metal band from Guayaquil, Ecuador, established on 2002, who have delivered four albums.
==Early years==
Inspired by the North American thrash metal sound and Scandinavian power metal, the drummer Nicolás Estrada and the guitarists Christopher Gruenberg and Xavier Diab formed Black Sun in 1999, initially rehearsing and jamming to songs from Metallica, Megadeth, Helloween and Hammerfall. Later they were joined by Juan Miguel Iturralde, who took the bass player role. Yamil Chedraui, who's nowadays the singer of Spectrum, would become the first vocalist, but only for a short time, as Chemel Neme arrived soon enough. Chemel would become the lead singer of the group. Luis Fernando Fabara, from the band Demolición, would later take the bass player spot after Juan Miguel Iturralde replaced Xavier Diab at guitar. Hence, Chemel Neme (vocals), Christopher Gruenberg (guitar), Juan Miguel Iturralde (guitar), Luis Fernando Fabara (bass) and Nicolás Estrada (drums) would be the first line-up to record the first Black Sun track, "Metal Madness".Black Sun - Power metal from Ecuador Metal-Rules.com, February 20, 2020
==History==
===Tyrant from a foreign Land and Dance of Elders: national consolidation===
In 2004, Black Sun recorded their debut album called Tyrant From a Foreign Land published in July 2005, which broke through the Ecuadorian rock scene with songs like "Metal Madness", "Just like fire" and "Sueños". In 2006, the band was invited to support the spanish band Mägo de Oz in their show in Quito.
In December 2010, now with Santiago Salem on bass, the band released their second studio album, Dance of Elders, previously recorded in Hamburg, Germany, at Kai Hansen's (Helloween, Gamma Ray) studio.Black Sun - Dance of Elders Metal Kingdom.net, Retrieved September 21, 2020 The band promoted the single "Dehumanized" with a video clip broadcast in 2012 at the Ecuador TV public channel´s show Unízono. As a novelty, the album also includes a new metal version cover of the song "La Pinta, La Niña y La Santa María", original by Luis Padilla and which was performed by the indigenous artist Jesús Fichamba at the OTI 1985 Song Contest.
On August 10, 2012, Black Sun debuted at the Quito Fest International Independent Music Festival, together with local groups Muscaria, Mortal Decisión, CRY, the French band The Walking Dead Orchestra and the Brazilian Torture Squad. 
===The Puppeteer: International projection===
In 2017 the Guayaquil residents released their third studio album, The Puppeteer, recorded in 2016 at the Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki, Finland. The album produced by Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) features musicians like Netta Laurenne (vocals on the song "Let me be"), Henning Basse (Firewind, Sons of Seasons), Nino Laurenne (Thunderstone), and Santtu Lehtiniemi.Black Sun - The Puppeteer Metal Kingdom.net, Retrieved September 21, 2020 The song "Let Me Be" becomes the first single and reaches great diffusion inside and mainly outside of Ecuador, leading Black Sun to participate in several international shows with the Greek Firewind. The song "Robert The Doll" is also promoted as a second single from this album, with an animated video clip directed by Gustavo Argüello.
===Singer´s exit and Silent Enemy===
For their fourth album, the concept EP Silent Enemy, Black Sun contacted Nino Laurenne again, who flew into Ecuador and took the recordings back to Finland to finalize the album.Black Sun - Silent Enemy Metal Kingdom.net, Retrieved September 21, 2020 Laurenne brought in the collaboration of musicians such as Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Mr (Lordi), Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast), among other renowned artists from the Scandinavian metal scene. Netta Laurenne participates this time as the leading voice on the song "Still Alive", the first single from the new material.Ecuador´s Black Sun release single "Still Alive" Metal Jacket Magazine.com, May 17, 2020 
As part of the promotion of the album, the band also produces a homonymous short film, directed again by Gustavo Argüello and starring the Ecuadorian actors Mare Cevallos and José Andrés Caballero.
However, during the first phase of Silent Enemy's record production, Chemel Neme, vocalist of Black Sun, leaves the group due to alleged musical differences.Black Sun - the new single "Terror Zone" featuring Henning Basse (ex-Firewind, ex-Mayan, ex-Sons of Seasons) KickassForever.com, July 29, 2020
== Band members ==
===Current members===
* Santiago Salem (bass)
* Nicolás Estrada (drums)
* Christopher Gruenberg (guitars)
===Past members===
* Chemel Neme (lead vocals)
* Yamil Chedraui (vocals)
* Luis Fernando Fabara (bass)
* Xavier Diab (guitars)
== Discography ==
* Tyrant from a foreign Land (2005)
* Dance of Elders (2010)
* The Puppeteer (2017)
* Silent Enemy (2020)
==In the media==
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==References==
==External links==
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* Black Sun on sound cloud
* Ecuador's BLACK SUN Release Single 'Still Alive' - Metal jacket magazine
* Black Sun - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives
* Black Sun | Discography | Discogs
* Black Sun – Power metal from Ecuador – Metal-Rules.com
* News | Black Sun Announce Their Split - The Quietus
* Black Sun on spotify
Category:Musical groups established in 2002
Category:Ecuadorian musical groups
Category:Hard rock musical groups
Category:Heavy metal musical groups
Category:Power metal musical groups
Category:Thrash metal musical groups