Aaron Turner is like the underground heavy metal version of Mike Patton. He’s everywhere! Whether it’s Isis (RIP), Mammifer, Split Cranium, Old Man Gloom (Have you listened to The Ape Of God yet????), or Jodis, the man just can’t stop creating. That said, SUMAC is Turner’s latest musical endeavor and if you’ve been impressed with his heavier output then SUMAC is sure to satisfy.
SUMAC is a heavier Isis, a bleaker Old Man Gloom, and on The Deal the results are crushing. Opener “Spectral Gold” is foreboding, littered with bits of sounds that build and build into “Thorn In The Lion’s Paw”. “Thorn…” is an almost 9-minute track that’s as dense as anything Turner has been a part of with intricate percussive beats thanks to Baptists drummer Nick Yacyshyn and a solid, grinding guitar line. Turner’s bestial bellows eventually enter and easily bring to mind Godflesh rather than any of the members other outfits.
“Blight’s End Angel” begins like something off the latest Jodis and morphs into a destructive sonic force thanks in part to Yacyshyn’s cataclysmic fills and thundering bashing before sauntering off into the wasteland while “Hollow King” is just intensely vicious for the entirety of its 12+ minute running time. If you’re looking for a reprieve you’ll only find it during the opener and “The Radiance Of Being” which closes the album. But let’s be honest, if you didn’t want something this loudly intense you wouldn’t have picked up SUMAC.
The Deal is out now through Profound Lore/SIGE. Get yours here.