Review Summary: A massive, luxurious doom metal album done with style and grace.
Washington’s Un have crafted one of the strongest metal offerings of the year with
Sentiment. The lush, yet foreboding atmosphere is stretched across just four tracks, the shortest barely under the twelve minute mark. Each song swells and builds with ease, utilizing tasty guitars and deep death metal growls. Despite the cavernous vocals though,
Sentiment is more doom metal than anything else. If you dug last year’s efforts by Pallbearer or Elder (USA-MA), chances are you’ll eat this sh*t right up. Un don’t seem concerned with how fast and loud these songs are; they’re thoughtfully constructed with a sense of serenity and grace. It often has a gloomy, depressing sound -- the melancholic instrumentation just kind of trudges along -- and yet, there’s a sense of solitude throughout the album's landscape as well.
Sentiment thrives on its atmospheric surroundings and consistency, making it difficult to pinpoint a favorite track. This thing’s a gorgeous beast, best heard in its entirety. I will say this, though: the closing track is the perfect conclusion to such a sprawling metal record. The album becomes simply enchanting during its last five minutes, with slight ambient touches and some of Un’s most meticulous guitar manipulation on display. There are many groove-oriented moments as well, which only add more depth to the elegant instrumentation at hand. With
Sentiment, Un have formed an album of undeniable depth and beauty, through and through.
