Red Sun Atacama – Summerchild
Release Date: 13th March 2026
Label: Mrs Red Sound
Bandcamp
Genre: Stoner, Psych, Desert Rock.
FFO: Fu Manchu, Nebula, The Shrine, Mondo Generator.
Review By: Paul Cairney
French trio, Red Sun Atacama have returned with their new album, Summerchild, following 2022’s rather decent ‘Darwin’. Predominantly a desert rock band, Red Sun Atacama also blend a bit of psychedelia into their sound, with an underpinning punkish vibe. A welcoming combination that works well.
Opening track, ‘Passenger’, opens with a brief bout of feedback before the fuzzy riff and vocals kick in. Vocally, Clément Márquez has a slight tinge of John Garcia in his style, but perhaps not the gravitas that the ex Kyuss legend has. Midway through, we have meandering doodling on the guitar before the track builds again, becoming a good intro to the album.
The fuzzy riffs do dominate the album. ‘Conveyor’ combines this fuzz, with a light, cleaner riff. ‘Graze the Sun’ has a slower intro, before the groove-laden riff makes you smile. Possibly the best track on the album. ‘Commotions’ has a heavy section that gets the head nodding, but it is the urgency the song provides that is key. ‘Weightless’ is nothing of the sort, with a meaty riff that follows a dull intro.
Summerchild never really catches fire though – it never gives you a feeling of utter listening inhibition. It is good, no more and no less. But, perhaps the biggest disappointment is the closing track, ‘Sundown’, where Red Sun Atacama provide you with a ballad. Where the rest of the album gives riffs, the last song leaves you feeling a bit, well, disappointed.
The good thing is that Summerchild is a sum of its parts and these French Metalheads know how to provide riffs and enjoyment, at least for the majority of the album.
(3.5 / 5)
