Band:	Sunrot
Album:	The Unfailing Rope
Style:	Sludge metal
Release date:	April 2023

01. Descent
02. Trepanation [feat. Scot Moriarty]
03. Gutter [feat. Bryan Funck & Emily McWilliams]
04. The One You Feed
05. The Cull
06. Patricide [feat. Blake Harrison]
07. Tower Of Silence
08. Love

How would I describe Sunrot? How about compulsive-post-noise-power-sludge?
Or dark-spacey-abrasive-dumb-fuzzy-punk? Yeah, that sounds about right.

One thing's for sure, those overly descriptive Bandcamp tags*** do Sunrot more justice than simply giving their music the old umbrella term "sludge". With the aggression of punk, the unforgiving atmosphere of doom, the pure emotional pain displayed by post-metal, and fuzzy, catchy, stoner riffage, this US five-piece present one of the vilest forms of sludge that you can encounter on this side of Hell.

The introducing track "Descent", after playing a distorted rendition of the Czech national anthem, dives headfirst into deafening noise, bearing many similarities to some Neurosis songs, in which cacophonous sounds are infused with eerie spoken audio samples. The second song presents raspy cries of the vocalist that remind me of the pained shouts of Lord Mantis. In fact, overall, with the calmly spoken yet disturbing audio samples and the deranged screams leading this bludgeoning riff fest, The Unfailing Rope sounds perhaps most similar to Dragged Into Sunlight's highly acclaimed Hatred for Mankind.

The lyrics on this album cover a wide range, from gory skull incisions on "Trepanation" to fatherly subjugation on "Patricide". But the overarching theme is clearly all about suffering — feeling trapped in one's pain and guilt, with no hope for redemption. Musically, the album's effect is aided by the use of crisp production, allowing the sharp blasts of the drumset to cut through the oppressive haze created by the buzzing, droning guitar-work.

The strained, screaming vocals don't change much throughout the album, which can make listening quite a chore for people not used to this slice of sludge. However, Sunrot attempt to sprinkle variety across the tracklist to keep each song interesting. For example, "Gutter" ends with the inclusion of haunting female singing like an alluring siren song, while the fourth track starts with a calm acoustic guitar melody, making the ensuing heavy riff all the more impactful. There is also a large diversity in the song structure and length. Tracks 1, 5, and 8 are short bursts of abrasive noises and ominous audio samples. This is contrasted by the 11-minute-long epic "Tower Of Silence", which demonstrates a slow, tranquil build-up accentuated by the anguished cries of the vocalist, before crushing guitar riffs come crashing in like an unstoppable avalanche.

In conclusion, The Unfailing Rope is a satisfying dose of metal for any lover of vile sludge. I wish you all a fun time suffering together with Sunrot on this claustrophobic trip of despair!

"This is Hell
This pain
It's everywhere
In everything"

*** It turns out Sunrot removed some of those overly descriptive tags in the last few days when I was writing this review. Well, I guess my review can preserve them for posterity!