Review: Electric Sun Defence – Estuary
Style: Progressive metal, post-metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Psychonaut, Cult of Luna, early Mastodon
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 8 May 2026
In marine science, an estuary marks the place where the land’s freshwater rivers mingle with the merciless, salty waters of the ocean. The vast majority of Earth’s estuarine systems only date back to the last ice age, but their rich biodiversity, nutrient-dense waters, and thriving nursing grounds make up for their youthful and volatile place on Earth. The important mix of fresh and salt (brackish) waters to aquatic life is essential—some cultures even view them as sacred places of transition or vitality. Yet, estuarine ecosystems are threatened because of the modern-day treatment of our global climate. Despite the coming risks, life in these aquatic lands is resilient and creative, bringing hopes of survival to marine flora and fauna alike.
Similarly spirited characteristics can be said about music, too. In the way that a young estuary is a landmark for marine life, Glasgow-based duet Electric Sun Defence, formerly known as The Massacre Cave, find musical creativity in their debut release, Estuary. Although Estuary is the first album released under Peter Colquhoun’s and Joe Cormack’s new moniker, the duo’s musical skill demonstrates their deep familiarity and passion for the liberating blend of genres, earning their place on the progressive/post-metal music map. The calm, sometimes dissonant post-metal elements gently ebb and flow, acting opposite to the choppiness and unpredictability of Estuary’s dirtier, progressive sections. The brackish mixture of these musical elements embellish gritty soundscapes that flow through the listener’s ears, creating a new journey that keeps the spirit of progressive/post-metal well and alive.
One of the biggest threats to fragile estuarine systems is hypoxia1. The tense, suffocating nature of Estuary’s progressive tracks mimic the panic that comes when faced with a lack of breath. Taking a page from (early) The Ocean, “Phantom Limb Amputee”2 explodes with uncompromising sludginess drowned in frantic, high-tempo drumming that pairs with babbling and dissonant guitar rhythms. The raw, volatile delivery of Cormack’s robust harshes, while overall a bit fuzzy and quiet on the mix, add to the track’s nervous energy. The Ocean isn’t the only musical inspiration ESD wear on their sleeve; if Mastodon were the sheet of ice from the last ice age, “Fountain of Blood” is the estuary that resulted from the ice’s retreat3. Colquhoun puts on a polyrhythmic show of skill, allowing the low-end drums to groove with increasing intensity underneath harmonious, clean vocal lines and classic, chunky heavy metal riffing in the guitars. “His Will” continues to take after Mastodon, this time in ballad form, with throaty, textured fry vocals—not unlike Mastodon’s Troy Sanders’ singing—enveloping the track’s vocal lines. The feelings of discomfort and tension remain, with chromatically spelled guitars decorating the heavily distorted, serrated root notes in the bass. On occasion, some of the Estuary’s moments are choked a bit too heavily, lacking the progressiveness that makes the above moments perfectly tense, but it’s never too long until an engaging riff drifts back into the album’s sonic stream. While each track on Estuary takes on its own personality, the hypoxic motifs steadily loom over the album, casting a powerfully dark atmosphere onto an already highly immersive record.
Despite the real struggles that estuarine systems face, not all moments on the water are tense. On windless days, the stillness of the water’s surface reflects the sky and brings calmness to the life around it. ESD convey this serenity through shoegaze elements; closing track “In Bestia” serenades with its gaze-y bridge that drifts between sections of beastly soundscapes. A quick vocal modulation flushes away the introductory harshness of the track with nothing but a single, sparkly guitar, delicate drumming, and weary, reverb-ed vocals. “Spiderweb” and “Dysmorph” both act as dense yet bubbly interludes for the heavier tracks, although the former could do without the muffled spoken word segment and a touch more melody. While much of Estuary—both the album and the body of water—is filled with constant motion and activity, the few moments of total reprieve allow a listener, or a fish, the chance to drift away in the sonic streams of their choice.
What makes an estuary so special is its natural brackishness, allowing stalwart wildlife like mangroves and oyster reefs to thrive. Estuary is at its best in the places where the dirty, progressive metal marries perfectly within the doomy post-metal soundscape. “The Master’s Garden” incorporates a mucky dose of distorted sludge within the gentle waves of a phrygian-kissed post-metal sequence. This blend, alongside a Dvne-like hypnotism in the backing choir and vocals, makes the dissonant outro of “The Master’s Garden” a highly addictive post-metal riff worthy of repetition. A similar technique is used in “Choke Leper”, where a pure post-rock/shoegaze-y melody gives way to a shrill yet atmospheric groove, eroding the softness of the shoegaze over time. The transitions between styles, genres, and key changes are done with intention and care, nurturing the listener between waves of tension and sedation.
An estuary’s sprawling ecosystem is undoubtedly vital to survival for both aquatic life and humans alike. And, like a complex marine system, Estuary gives life to a genre that is naturally dense, rugged, and crushing. While the album isn’t completely polished, and the quietness of the vocal tracks is prominent enough to bring attention to, the execution of its musical prowess doesn’t go unnoticed. Estuary tells the journey of traveling through a nourishing, secret-ridden oasis that grants one final reprieve before spilling into the vast, salty unknown.
Recommended tracks: Estuary, Fountain of Blood, The Master’s Garden, Phantom Limb Amputee, In Bestia
You may also like: Void of Light, Dvne, Anciients, Hippotraktor, Barrens
Final verdict: 7.5/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Road to Masochist Records
Electric Sun Defence is:
– Peter Colquhoun (Drums)
– Joe Cormack (Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards)
- This is a result of a process called eutrophication; as algae quickly proliferate on the water’s surface due to an excess amount of light and nutrients, their density blocks out sunlight and depletes oxygen from the water below. Anything living underneath the algae suffocates, causing mass fish kills and plant die-off. The affliction eventually reaches the algae, and the cycle starts again. This is your sign to help keep your local river system free of organic matter! ↩︎
- I do think the track title alone is enough to cause a panic. ↩︎
- This is a bit of an ironic comparison when you think about it, as the retreat of the last ice age (along with hunting) wiped out any and all living mastodons in North America. ↩︎
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