Review Summary: A multi-faceted Blackgaze/Atmospheric Black Metal release that demands attention.
It’s hard for new artists releasing more niche genres such as Atmospheric Black Metal. Making the album multi-faceted with other genres carves out an even larger niche that often causes drive bys or being passed by completely. Sundrowned is a tiny band that manages to make themselves sound grand and bright as the afternoon sun. Still, they have yet to grow a following and they deserve one. This was listened to on a whim and it’s a firm reminder that sometimes trying a random album can prove fruitful. Enter,
Become Ethereal.
Sundrowned brought their best foot forward when releasing their debut album. “Babel” gives way to monstrous vocals that serve as a halfway point between death metal and black metal. Animalistic roars compliment the full and dense atmosphere bathed in watery warmth. The reverb filled melodies and engaging drumming bring it all together. It’s strong evidence of combining their heavy side with an emotional atmospheric side. “Ethereal” showcases the brutal combo of heavy black metal and the shoegazey post rock inspired interludes in grandiose fashion.
Where the album also excels is subverting the listener’s expectations. In “La Tristesse Durera Toujours,” translated to “The Sadness Will Last Forever,” starts as a valiantly performed foray into blackgaze. The vocals and musicianship create a finely tuned atmospheric aggression, but it’s the song’s enchanting left turn that deserves the real attention. This beautiful march into post rock and shoegaze territory halts the listener’s tracks. It’s an intimidating showcase of drumming forming a gripping sense of momentum and the tremolo picking bringing to mind the style of Explosions In The Sky and Godspeed You Black Emperor. It’s the kind of sophisticated emotion that is to be expected from Sundrowned.
Similarly, “Ruins” and “Monarchs” keep the momentum going with well rounded and balanced compositions. They know how to grip the listener with executing both sides of their sound. “Ruins” boasts hypnotic guitar textures and monstrous vocals whereas “Monarchs” builds on its gentle guitar motif in its beginning until it's drowned in complex blackgaze. It’s with these tracks they lead into a powerfully moving ending.
“O Dom Da Fe,” translated from Portuguese to “The Gift Of Faith,” puts the finishing touches on the album with a complete genre bending odyssey. The gorgeous atmospheric guitar work juxtaposes with the bellowing vocals in a surprising way, as Sundrowned takes the listener through a stunning terrain of textures. The songwriting proves super strong and when the song ends with massive drums and post rock driven melodies. It’s a conclusion filled with both warmth and a complex feeling of pain, like the sun burning someone in the fiery sun. In time,
Become Ethereal may even earn a classic title with a following. The band’s sophisticated sound cements them as a worthy contender for a brilliant career to come. They just need well deserved listeners.
