Night Sun

For the Italian film, see The Sun Also Shines at Night.

Night Sun
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Heavy metal Hard rock Progressive rock
Years active	1970–1973
Labels	Polydor/Zebra 1972 Second Battle 1997
Associated acts	Take Five Kin Ping Meh Guru Guru
Members
Bruno Schaab Walter Kirchgassner Knut Rossler Ulrich Staudt

Night Sun were a German heavy prog/metal band consisting of Bruno Schaab (vocals, bass), Walter Kirchgassner (guitar), Knut Rossler (organ, piano, trumpet, bassoon) and Ulrich Staudt (drums).

Their only album, Mournin', was released in 1972 on Polydor's Zebra label. Schaab's vocals recalled the screams of Ian Gillan from Deep Purple. The group played a loud, Deep Purple/Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin style rock, with a characteristic "heavy progressive" instrumentation of twin guitars, organ, bass and drums. The album was produced by Konrad Plank (whose production credits include Kraftwerk's early output and Ash Ra Tempel) at the Windrose Studio, Hamburg.

With their sudden shifts of rhythm structures, guitar-with-organ riffing style and some studio effects, particularly phasing, Night Sun fortunately never went too close to the ordinary boogie and rock'n'roll trap.

Their sound consisted of many elements, all of which will be of interest to fans of Thrash, Stoner, Doom, Power and Prog Metal, and their 1970s roots.

History

Night Sun's origins lay in the late 1960s jazz band Take Five who were popular in the Rhine Neckar Area of Germany.

Take Five consisted of Werner "Steff" Stephan (vocals), Edmund Seiboth (trumpet), Knut Rössler (saxes/trombone/flute/keyboards), Freddie Münster (saxes), Frieder Schmitt (keyboards/voc), Hans Brandeis (guitar/vocals), Torsten duke (bass/vocals) and Karl-Heinz weber (drums).

Various members from this band went on to be part of Night Sun Mournin' and Kin Ping Meh.

Kin Ping Meh had a reasonably successful career through the seventies with 5 studio and 2 live LPs.

Night Sun Mournin' soon shortened their name to just Night Sun, during which time they went through various line-up changes until their 1972 recording of the Mournin' LP.

Night Sun had only moderate local success and after the leaving of Schaab and Kirchgassner in 1972, the band split in 1973.

After the demise of the group, Bruno Schaab briefly joined Guru Guru, where his contribution was notable on the track, "The Story Of Life".

Discography

They released only one LP.

• 1972 - Mournin' - Label: Zebra 2949 004

The LP was re-issued on CD digipak in 1997 by Second Battle SB 041

External links

• Night Sun reviews at Prog Archives
• Kin Ping Meh discog at Allmusic.com