SUNKEN - Departure
Triton's Orbit
I was ready to sink this release after enduring it's three minute intro and yes that pun was intended. Hey I have no problem with an ambient intro but you've got computer generated keys with ocean sound effects that finally leads into some music at the last ten seconds. On the release it says "Instrumental", no that's an intro. That bleeds into the first actual tune which is blistering tremolo riffed, blast beating industrial sized frenzy with banshee screams. The kinda sound you hear when a CD starts skipping. It reminded me of the scene from the movie Spun. Thankfully the band branches off into a more melodic, albeit harsh, direction.
SUNKEN are a black metal act from Denmark whose take on the genre is influenced by the sea and nature. That explains the ocean sounds in the intro. I've heard plenty of doom bands who use the ocean as influence in their music but never, to my recollection at least, a black metal band. Actually it does make perfect sense since the seas are vast and can be looked upon as dark and treacherous. Now I know why the only time I like going to the beach is in the middle of Winter when it's cold, cloudy and desolate. So with that understanding SUNKEN excels at creating, or recreating for me, a cold and cruel atmospheric black metal journey.
Departure is the debut full length by this Dannish four piece. Aside from the intro this release consists of four long compositions. Each one being a long voyage, pardon the many seafaring puns, which carries the listener along with various waves of emotion being slow contemplation or stormy breathlessness. There are times where the band does drown you with keyboard driven atmosphere which pretty much seems like filler. But while you are at that point then SUNKEN turns the tide just in time to keep your interest in tact. I believe the bottom line here is don't judge a release by it's intro.
http://www.tritonsorbit.com/
https://tritonsorbit.bandcamp.com/album/departure
https://www.facebook.com/SunkenDenmark
1 comment:
Glad you liked the release after all, the intro is instrumental since everything is played on instruments except for a sample of the stormy seas. As the recording engineer (and drummer) I can tell you that the entire album is made with an assortment of different guitar pedals, not a single keyboard or synth was used for the album. Only recorded samples of the ocean/animals/water have been used.
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