Sunnata – Zorya

Hailing from Warsaw, Poland, Sunnata have been carving a niche for themselves in the noise/post metal scene since 2008. Blending several different textural ideas, they most certainly bring something new to the table, but does it all work?

Sunnata begin Zorya with the multi-layered post metal dirge of “Beasts of Prey.” Ebbing and flowing between heavy riffs and quiet sections, this song may not be to everyone’s tastes but it certainly sets the tone for the rest of the album.

The title track follows with a crescendo of melodic vocals that have a real immediate impact. The opening riff soon joins to add a heavy element to the melody, this subsides to give way to an Alice In Chains-esque verse, giving a good dynamic change that lends itself perfectly to the song.

“Long Gone” brings a very interesting ingenuity to the table. Beginning with a quiet intro before a slow build over time, this track has the same vibe as a lot of dubstep, in that it builds gradually to a drop followed by everything chiming in at once. This is something I had personally never heard used in heavy metal and it struck an immediate chord with me, as I’m sure it will with others.

The final two tracks “New Horizon” and “Again and Against” are definitely the most experimental songs on the album. However, the more avant-garde elements don’t lend themselves as well to the tracks as a whole as perhaps they could. It’s not that they don’t work at all, it’s just that the execution is a little off-kilter with what the theory behind using them may have been.

Overall I like this album but there comes a point where switching from loud to quiet becomes almost expected, taking any surprise out of the equation. However, Zorya is indeed an interesting album, with different facets to keep the listener guessing, it’s a pretty strong release from a band I would like to hear more from in the future.

Zorya will be released on 11th April, 2016 via independent release.

Favourite Track:
Long Gone

Zorya track listing:
1. Beasts of Prey
2. Zorya
3. Long Gone
4. New Horizon
5. Again and Against

Sunnata are:
DOB – Bass
ROB – Drums
GAD – Guitars
SZY – Guitars/Vocals