Single Review: Death's Dance by Third from the Sun

By Erika Szumel

New Jersey native Third from the Sun returned with their brand new single, Death’s Dance, released on April 3. The band describes themselves as alternative reggae ska punk funk metalcore, and each genre’s various elements shine brightly in this track. 

The Good Friday release is not your mother’s Easter weekend single; it’s hard-hitting and heavy. At a length of 4:42, the song maintains a steady intense energy, just like the band’s live performances. 

The track jumps out of the gate with an energetic buildup, featuring a heavy beat with drums and guitar. In less than 30 seconds, the horn section comes alive with the voice of Josh Ramos singing, “When the fire dies, it's time I’m comin’ for your life / There's no escapin’ from the reaper, she will take her prize.”

This immediately leads into the first few screams by guitarist Jason Caprioni, which continue throughout the entire number. Midway through, you can feel the anger and desperation in each element of the song. The drums stay steady, the horn picks up, and the screams persist. The track surprises us with a Spanish verse here too.  

The song then shifts as the instruments fall nearly silent. Ramos repeats the line “on the Hellavator,” while the reggae and ska influences re-emerge through the horns.

Momentum builds again with a shout of “We sacrifice…your life.” 

It closes with just as much energy as it started with and all elements are at play, repeating the lines, “The darkest shade of light I’ll never see / Shot down in the dark, please set me free.”

On Instagram, Third from the Sun shared the tune’s backstory, “someone in the afterlife [is] being coaxed by the goddess of death to sell their soul for some more time. It’s a love song, a tragedy, and the sequel to our currently unreleased song, Hellbound.” 

Death’s Dance is dark and heavy, but it begs to be listened to, played loudly, and danced to. It ultimately asks the question: do you think you can escape the dance? 

The song was mixed by the band and audio engineer, Jason Caprioni, all in-house since the track's conception in 2022. 

Third from the Sun performs next at Spring Has Sprung Fest at The Berkeley Backyard in Asbury Park, NJ on April 17.