Sunnata are a Polish doom metal band and this is their fifth album.
Sunnata hugely impressed me with their 2021 album Burning in Heaven, Melting on Earth, which in hindsight I definitely should have included in that year’s best of list. Yes, Chasing Shadows has some big boots to fill, so let’s see what it has to offer.
So, the red flags immediately start to fly as soon as I noticed that Chasing Shadows contains interludes, has 11 tracks in total, and has a the beefy duration of 63 minutes, compared to its predecessor’s no interludes, only six tracks, and a leaner 45 minutes. Is the extra running time warranted? Will the interludes add any value at all, or will they be the usual filler that 99% of bands peddle?
Fear not, for Sunnata know what they’re doing.
Sunnata’s ritualistic doom metal continues to be a highly appealing prospect. A charismatic blend of percussive texture, immersive riffs, hypnotic bass, and layered vocals, this is high quality music that can’t help but make a strong impression.
Chasing Shadows takes the absorbing soundscapes of Burning in Heaven, Melting on Earth and expands them. Sunnata’s music has embraced the vast horizon, incorporating newer influences into itself so that Chasing Shadows emerges even more of a multifaceted, mood-rich experience than the previous record was. Chasing Shadows is so obviously at its heart a doom metal album – it couldn’t be anything else – yet avoids so many of the style’s pitfalls that it almost sounds like a new genre. It isn’t, of course; Sunnata just have way more personality than most.
The songwriting is intricate and creative, weaving multiple musical strands into and around the music at any given time. Ultimately this is a combination of doom and grunge more than anything else, (I’d say that the grunge aspect of the music is more prevalent this time around), but around these sit the scattered ruins of sludge and progressive rock. However you view it, everything comes together under doom’s protective aegis at the end of the day; Chasing Shadows delivers an engaging mix of sounds and styles that sit comfortably under the doom banner, but are not restricted by it.
Sunnata are clearly not afraid to experiment and push themselves, with results that are frequently captivating. This could be from a section that sounds like a dream sequence given sonic form, or maybe it’s the use of horns that grabs you. Blast beats make appearances, seamlessly integrated into the shamanic whole, while psychedelic introspection works its subtle wonders. These examples offer just a taste of the record’s charms, and all are subservient to the core sound that Sunnata have built and sustained so well.
So what of those pesky interludes then? Well, unexpectedly they seem to just merge into their surroundings in a pleasingly unobtrusive manner. The entire album is a trip into the sublime, and the interludes manage to just add to the experience of the whole. Upon first listen I was both pleased and surprised. If I had to pick a minor criticism, I’d suggest that the vocals are a little high in the mix for my tastes, but other than that, this is a great album.
Chasing Shadows is less of an immediate album than Burning in Heaven, Melting on Earth, (which itself was a bit of a grower), and requires time to truly let its hooks sink into you. But sink they do. Chasing Shadows is an atmospheric powerhouse, and Sunnata have once again impressed.
Wonderbox Metal 