Written By: Noam Asulin
Album review - Sunken - Livslede
Release date - 18.9.2020
Record company - Vendetta Records
Genre - Atmospheric Black Metal
It really doesn't matter what season of the year or where on earth you are, because the band "Sunken" will make sure to bring you chills of freezing cold with a melancholic and atmospheric album.
"Sunken" comes to us from Denmark and was founded in 2012. As of today, the band has two albums, the first one was released in 2017 and their second album is the featured album "Livslede", which was released in 2020.
"Sunken" (to sink, to be covered in water) is an atmospheric black metal band that is influenced by nature, the sea, and melancholic themes. This is actually the band that introduced me to this very non-standard subgenre.
The band members are:
Simon Skotte Krogh (Guitars)
Kasper Deichmann (Guitars, Keyboards)
Martin Skyum Thomasen (Vocals)
Jonas Faghtmann (Bass Guitar)
Jakob Ridder (Drums, Keyboards)
The album includes a total of five tracks, with a total length of 43 minutes. The first track "Forlist" is an intro designed to introduce us to the melancholic atmosphere that the band members want us to "dive into", literally. The piece begins with the sounds of waves, a piano, and a slow and melancholic violin.
The next piece "Ensomhed" ("Loneliness") already includes vocal parts. It is accompanied by the same melancholic motifs, sea, and nature, which are meant to introduce us to the gloomy feeling and "loneliness", but then comes the angry blast beat, screams of agony, and a slow increase in emotion and energy that lasts throughout the twelve minutes of the song. For some reason, despite the cries of cold rage and despair, the atmosphere in this song is still soothing and it doesn't change even when the vocalist enters with hoarse, high-pitched vocals. All five sections have the same atmospheric and sweeping motifs, but as mentioned, they are combined with blast beats and screams that instill a sense of restrained rage.
I think this is an album that may not be easy to "digest", especially if this genre is not your cup of tea. However, the melancholy and the sense of nature that is conveyed beautifully in the songs connect me to this album. Regardless of the environment or the temperature I'm in when I listen to it, it makes me feel like I'm enveloped in darkness, in a fetal position during winter. Therefore, even if you find it difficult at first to contain the style, give this album a chance. Who knows, you might be surprised.
For Listening: Deezer, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music