Wednesday 10 December 2014

SONANCE - Blackflower (Album Review)

BLACKFLOWER cover art

Album Type: Album
Date Released: 06th December 2014
Label: Self Released

Blackflower – Track Listing

1.BELGIUM/BLACKFLOWER 15:55
2.BELGIUM 03:24
3.ATTACHMENT 04:16
4.CONICAL 03:43
5.TEARCE 03:51

Bio

So far comparisons have been made with with latter era Scott Walker/Bohren & Der Club Of Gore/Godspeed You! Black Emporer/Badalamenti/Janek Schaefer/Stapleton and Tibet/Gnaw Their Tongues/Abandon/Khanate/Corrupted

IKE GHOSTS comes in two halves, totalling just under 42 minutes. The record is available on Bandcamp (http://sonance.bandcamp.com/) and is currently drawing around 300 plays per day since being uploaded on 12/11/2012.

Each part is an atmospheric heaping of interwoven arrangements, detailed and droned stretches that subside into sludge filled chasms as the bass pushes you through the floor and lifts dust from the walls. The record was written and rehearsed in a confined practice room in which the waves of sound could literally be felt shuddering up through your lungs and out of your mouth

Members

Ben - guitar, screwdriver
Chino - bass
Jamie - drums
Will - guitar
Nick - visuals

Review:

Sonance finally return after a two year silence with their spellbinding new album – Blackflower. A 5 song and 30 minute opus packed full of bleak atmospheric Sludge/Drone/Post-Metal/Doom/Post-Rock/whatever the fuck you want to call it. These guys are huge faves of ours at Sludgelord HQ. So I was pleased when they told me they had released a new album.

The opening track – Belgium/Blackflower – is an epic nightmarish take on all things Blackened Sludge with hints of Ambient Post-Rock/Post-Metal being moulded into your worst nightmare. The vocals when they finally arrive are bleak and full of menacing intent. Sonance mean business here. I have called these guys – Sonic Terrorists – in the past and that's the best way to describe them. The way they create terrifying music has to be witnessed for yourselves. The Post-Rock/Ambient textures adds heavy crushing weight to the desolate world they have created here. Belgium/Blackflower will appeal to fans of Neurosis, ISIS, The Ocean and possibly Corrections House. It's a brutal and enduring journey in sound that will leave you breathless.

Second track – Belgium – is a more subdued affair with the band focusing on Ambient based Post-Rock solitude rather than their violent heavy riffs. It's a beautifully played piece that shows Sonance know how to create a blissful song. Though it may disappoint some people who were expecting more heavy destructive riffs. Well the final 3 songs on the album will restore your faith in Sonance's musical vision.

Third Track – Attachment – starts in the realm of drone with clear/distorted vocals singing a haunting story. It's powerful and emotional stuff as Sonance crank up the tension with heavy bleak drone guitars hollowing in the background. The song comes to a sudden end when things started to become interesting. Maybe Sonance could of expanded this song for a few more moments as I was slowly getting more and more into the song.

There are no such problems with fourth track – Conical – which comes out you like an axe-wielding mad-man looking for his prey to feast one. The heavy as hell drums will send chills through your entire body. The vocals are terrifying as hell as Sonance venture further into the dark realms of Blackened Sludge Meal with hints of Post-Metal appearing towards the end.

Last but by no means least is – Tearce – which is a mixture of ambient based post-rock droned out riffs though evil is lurking around the corner with a sinister dronish noise waiting to turn things sinister one final time. Though it's more of a subdued drone ending than the heavy bombastic ending that you're expecting. It's a shame Sonance didn't include another song to this album as it would have been great to hear one epic violent finish. Other that that, Sonance have created an intriguing and superb new album that will only enhance their reputation.

Check it out for yourselves as Blackflower is available to buy on Buy Now Download on Bandcamp now.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words By Steve Howe

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