*GUEST REVIEW*
This album pairs New Mexico's reggae collective Lion Tribe with Midnite's lead singer, Vaughn Benjamin. First, I would like to confess two biases that have undoubtedly effected my thoughts towards this album: 1) I am a huge fan of Midnite and especially Vaughn Benjamin and his lyrical style. 2) I am a reggae musician myself, and I am highly critical of others' work. That being said, this is one of the best Midnite collaborations to be released thus far. The sounds and rhythms are fresh, and Vaughn's style melds with them readily. Specifically, the use of tablas and sitar bring a sort of "Eastern" vibe to the whole album, yet they are used tastefully and sparingly without taking on a new-age feel. Also, Midnite has rarely used horns on any of their past releases, and Lion Tribe's horn sections are crisp with fairly original arrangement. The album opens with the rootsy, horn-inflected "Meltout," which is a strong beginning. My only complaint here is that the drummer switches up the beat several times, especially towards the end. While I know reggae can get repetitive, this switching around disturbs the continuity of the song and towards the end there is a noticeable drop in energy. This is unfortunate, because it takes away from a song which is otherwise solid. The next track, "Atom Trees," is a dark, hip-hop-esque reggae tune. The beat is plodding (in a good way) and Vaughn's flow is one of the strongest he has recorded. "Wesside" busts out the tablas and sitar, which combine with drum and bass to make a cool Bhangra/dancehall/hip-hop sound. "End of Doubt" deviates from the great organic sound that Lion Tribe has going and delves into the realm of electronica. This is not to my taste, and the other electronic tracks on the album also fail to hold my interest. This is not necessarily because this style disagrees with me, but because I don't think it was very well done here. "Sanctify" and "Avionics" are the other two electronic tracks. "Ganjah Man" features Jah Rubal on lead vocals, and his style and delivery also fail to captivate me. The band is not very tight on this track and neither is Jah Rubal. Suns of Atom is an interesting and different addition to the Midnite catalog and it holds its own against the reggae heavyweights at I-Grade. It is an album that could appeal to both fans of Midnite and those who have never heard them. However, I would highly recommend checking out their many other releases, namely Assini, Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance, Ras Mek Peace, and Nemozian Rasta. 

- Isaiah