Release
date: March
23rd
2018. Label: Self
Released.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Outlands
–
Tracklisting
1.Intro
00:39
2.Lucid
Dream 09:18
3.Scars
06:10
4.Outlands
07:37
5.The
Ascender 05:34
6.Gordian
Knot 04:22
7.Falling
(Interlude) 01:37
8.Hollow
Kingdom 12:36
Review
Outlands is Sunnata's
new album and it sees the band expand their Psychedelic Sludge, Doom
and Grunge sound. Outlands is a very complex sounding album and you
may not like the album on your very first listen. Outlands is an
album that demands your full attention. As the band create complex
sounding rhythms that have a certain YOB-esque quality around them.
The album also sees the band channel early-era Alice In Chains on
certain parts of the album.
The vocals have quite a
trance based effect around them especially on the second song - Lucid
Dream. The opening track - Intro - is just a forty second interlude
before the real journey begins with heavy grunge sounding guitars of
Lucid Dream appear. Sunnata take the listener on a mystical journey
with the music being channelled at many different psychedelic levels
of heaviness and weirdness. The song becomes heavier with Sunnata
expressing themselves through the power of progressive rock/metal.
One of the coolest
aspects about this album is how Sunnata merge post-rock/post-metal
themes and sensibilities with the heavier Doom/Sludge Metal sounds.
The standout songs on the album have to be Scars, Outlands, Gordian
Knot and the epic sounding Hollow Kingdom. Sunnata constantly
challenge not only themselves but also the listener as the album
takes so many different turns on the individual songs. I thoroughly
enjoyed the Alice In Chains early grunge sounding dynamic of the
album. Though Sunnata manage to create this album on their own terms.
The vocals are never sound violently harsh though there are a few
parts where the vocals do become louder than the music itself.
Sunnata manage to
inject a few Middle Eastern psychedelic sounds on the album and
especially on the title track - Outlands. The production is superb
with the whole feel and sound of the album being first rate from the
start. The instrumental work is another one of the albums strengths
as Sunnata have improved immensely as musicians from their last
album. They've created a more complex sound from their previous album
and perhaps being more creative with their music. Maybe Sunnata have
ventured into their Grunge influences compared to their previous
releases. However there is still a lot of heavy Sludge/Doom Metal
goodness waiting to be discovered on Outlands.
A lot of people have
high expectations for this album and I can say they will be rewarded
with a deeply complex and heavy progressive album that you will be
listening to over and over again. As Outlands has set
the benchmark of what to expect from Sunnata for their future
releases.
Outlands is their most challenging and complete album to
date.
Excellent and Highly
Recommended.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Outlands is available to
buy on CD/DD/Vinyl now.
Links:
