“…bridging a gap between acts like Helmet, Karp, Handsome, and Quicksand with the sonic journeys of an Isis or Jesu”
If you, not only, know who Handsome is but can also proudly compare yourselves to them then you’re already alright in our book. It also helps that we dug the hell out of Brooklyn’s Somnuri before ever reading that as well and yeah, the above press release quote is pretty damn accurate especially as one dives into their third full-length Desiderium.
Fresh off a sick cover of Soundgarden’s “Mailman” from Magnetic Eye Records’ latest (Redux) series of records featuring Soundgarden (Read our review of Superunknown (Redux) here) comes Desiderium which is one of those rare cases where the further you get into a new record, the more killer it gets. And speaking of killer, no song does that descriptor more justice than the aptly titled opener “Death is the Beginning” which is, quite frankly, INSANE! It’s just five minutes of heavy hitting heaviness as Phil SanGiacomo drops some blast beats, Mike G unloads a bombastic bass line, and guitarist/vocalist Justin Sherrell masterfully manages to shred while switching between a mighty scream and unforgettable swooning croon. “Paramnesia” has these CKY-style guitar tones, a HUGE rhythmic groove, and an enthralling chorus while “Pale Eyes” goes the High On Fire/Mastodon route for a thunderous bout of bombast.
“What A Way To Go” is the way to a Rawkin’ good time in a song that’s as close to that headline quote as it gets with a lot of Post-something magic happening amidst a constant Heavy and then “Hollow Visions” sneaks in next and sees Somnuri hearkening to that Soundgarden sound they displayed with “Mailman” (Off the aforementioned Magnetic Eye Records tribute) with the depths displayed here kind of transcending that genre for a new kind of Grunge as Sherrell’s powerful range is echoed by these nice Year Of The Rabbit-style guitar wails and SanGiacomo’s crushing drumming.
“Flesh & Blood” is divine with its’ overall radness, the title track that follows packs such a sonic wallop, and “Remnants” goes and kicks some more major ass with a technical bravado that’d have Baroness shaking in their boots. Leaving fans with the heavenly crunch of “The Way Out”, Somnuri exit album number tres with a majestic flex of rhythmic power from Mike G and SanGiacomo with Sherrell’s glowing vocals laying out some broad strokes in much the same way that the guitar acts as a lumbering giant before a powerful breakdown heralds the inevitable end.
Desiderium arrives via MNRK Heavy on July 21st. For all the pre-order and pre-save deets, head here, and for all the latest from Somnuri, including upcoming tour dates, follow them across the information superhighway by clicking here, here, or here.