Release
date: April 11th 2016. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD
Zorya
– Tracklisting
1.Beasts
of prey
2.Zorya
3.Long
gone
4.New
horizon
5.Again
and against
Band
Members
Szy
– Vocals
Gad
– Guitars
Dob
– Bass
Rob
– Drums
Review:
Sunnata
return with their new album Zorya. Almost two years after their debut
album that received some minor acclaim within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner
Metal community. Has anything changed since their debut album? Yeah,
I think they’re sound has changed quite a bit as Sunnata have opted
for a more progressive doom/stoner metal sound with subtle sludge
vibes adding a more menacing approach.
Opening
track – Beasts Of Prey – sees Sunnata opting for a heavy doom
approach to their music that fans of Monolord will enjoy. The band
then adds a more psychedelic desert rock vibe near the middle of the
song but drowned out by heavier sludge based sounds. It’s an
intriguing concept and the vocals add a superb progressive feel. A
word of warning, this song runs for twelve minutes or so and the rest
of the songs run about the same amount of time. So don’t go
expecting short style songs as Sunnata create epic and highly
intelligent soundscapes to lose yourself in.
Second
track – Zorya – is more of a grunge driven number that owes a
huge debt to Alice In Chains in both terms of structure of the song
and with the vocals. Sunnata add a more sombre doomy atmosphere to
keep the riffs somewhat fresh. Zorya perhaps gives you best
impression of what Sunnata are really about, musically and lyrically
as they create the albums standout track.
Third
track – Long Gone – starts very slowly before Sunnata add
different layers of noise. Firstly with the guitars and then the
drums appear with Sunnata then creating the most direct sounding
Sludge/Stoner Metal song on the album. I can detect a slight
industrial rock/metal sound that allows Sunnata to fully experiment
with their sound. The hazy psychedelic vocals add a doom and gloom
feel to the album.
Fourth
track – Long Horizon – sees Sunnata finally becoming a lot more
at ease with their industrial rock/metal sounds. Though that doesn’t
stop the band play some of the heaviest doom/sludge metal riffs on
the album. It’s a very slow paced affair and that’s a good thing
as this creates a very bleak mood for the band to further enhance
their sound. This is perhaps the most progressive song on the album
and one listeners will probably enjoy the most.
Last
but by no means least is – Again And Against. Another ten minute
epic that has more a chaotic almost nightmarish feel compared to the
other songs on the album. Shades of Godflesh and NIN industrial
sounds appear and it ends the album on quite a depressing note and I
applaud the band for making that decision. They could have ended the
album with a more upbeat song but that would undo all the hard work
the band have put in creating this excellent album.
Sunnata
have created something very different from their debut album and that
should be applauded. They could of played it safe and released –
Climbing The Colossus Part Two, but nope. Sunnata have released
something far more brave and it’s a better album as a result. Zorya
is a stunning and complex sounding album.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Zorya will be available to
buy on CD/DD from April 11th 2016.
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