“Now septic, soon necrotic.”
In 2017, New Jersey five piece Sunrot made their debut into the sludge metal scene with LP Sunnata. In a niche genre crowded with long-active bands, the record didn’t generate the waves it deserved. Those that did find it will recall that it captured Sunrot’s incredible vocals and seismic heaviness. They’ve since shared the stage with other blossoming acts that fuse metal with noise (recently supporting Body Void, Imperial Triumphant, Ragana, and Vile Creature) and their newest batch of recorded material has crystallised on The Unfailing Rope. They can’t be the type to hit the studio with an exact style in mind (except maybe “darkspaceyabrasivedumbfuzzypunk” as per their Bandcamp tags), but if there’s a relevant namedrop I reckon it’s Neurosis. Though Sunrot have simpler riff writing, they punch with the same weight as the fathers of post-metal, and conjure the same ‘apocalypse-in-progress’ atmosphere.
The Unfailing Rope is a record of quality, not quantity, with just over 30 minutes of it being “full” songs, plus several other grimly noisy interludes. The opening duo of “Descent” and “Trepanation” lay down Sunrot’s intent: delivering heaviness in many forms through the cold embrace of noise and the celebration of simple riffs. “Gutter” follows, a fast track revelling in punk energy and blast beats until its more sluggish outro, fading into a vocal sample. “The One You Feed Pt. 2” is a short sequel to the debut record’s most emotional track; its response is upbeat and cathartic (“Even if you feel there is no hope / Just keep holding on”). Its massive riffs really sound like the end of an album, which makes some sense as it closes out side one.
On side two, “Patricide” is a notch doomier than the other short tracks. “Tower of Silence” is a spacious, atmospheric epic, and becomes Sunrot’s longest number to date. Tranquil droning swells introduce the record’s only meditative beat, over which vocalist Lex delivers a moving performance. The remainder of the track returns to nasty, towering sludge to close out the record.
The recording captures both chaos and precision. The hard-panned stereo guitars and prickly bass sound sharply noisy, and the careful performances ensure the riffwork remains tight. The allure of copious echo and reverb has been resisted, meaning The Unfailing Rope drags you very effectively into the performance room (more so than Sunnata did). Lex’s vocal performance is impassioned and desperate, and hasn’t been buried in the mix.
Sunrot are particular fans of voice samples – their debut brimmed with vox-pops from people that weren’t quite right in the head. These are back on The Unfailing Rope, though somewhat less frequent. These are great mood-setters, but they completely steal the band’s thunder if played over a proper riff, such as on “Trepanation”. Other samples are much more effective, like on “Love”, where a James Baldwin sample is rightly given centre stage. The response from the band is contorted distortion, as if they’re agreeing with Baldwin’s prophetic words in the bleakest way possible, closing out an even bleaker record. Ultimately, The Unfailing Rope is a solid album and a welcome addition to Sunrot’s discography. They will win you over through force majeure, rather than flashy songwriting or catchy melodies.
7/10
The Unfailing Rope releases April 7th via Prosthetic Records, and you can pre-order it here.