Metal Underground.com

The Sun Through A Telescope is a one-man drone doom project from Canadian musician Lee Neutron, who sticks to cassette and digital releases. The band’s latest single, “Summer Darkyard,” is four tracks of bitter ambience, noisy sampling, and melodic scales. It lacks appealability beyond those who are drone fanatics, though Neutron composes some unconventional songs that step outside drone circles. Disturbing at times, “Summer Darkyard” could be what a mass murderer would listen to during a jog on a bright spring afternoon.

Each song may function within a drone doom environment, but they each bring a twist to this sound. “Darkyard” somehow makes sense out of shrieked vocals meshing with samples of chimes and wind gusts. The combination holds out for the majority of the track, only getting electric in the last 30 seconds with a spurt of speed that is a momentary diversion from the drone. None of the other songs attempt any type of fast movement, eliminating the need for any percussion.

“Cro-Magnon Nightmare” is an accurate title for what listeners will have to go through in eight minutes. The clean guitar intro is tempting for a more restrained performance from Neutron, but those hopeful traits disappear the second feedback shrouds the song in darkness. A distorted voice speaks of the type of haunting imagery that keeps kids up at night. It’s surprising that the band goes from this to something more downtrodden and introspective on the synth-driven “I’ll Die, Goodbye.”

Blasting “Summer Darkyard” out of dinky speakers is not recommended to ascertain every microscopic nuance of The Sun Through A Telescope. It’s a merciless album, incapable of easing its way into the brain without fearful persistence. The listener will either understand and commend Neutron, or scoff at the non-linear structuring and lack of standout tunes. Unique, yet a tall task to embrace, “Summer Darkyard” is made for a cult, underground following.