Sunrot are a sludge band from the US and this is their second album.
Sunrot’s hostile music is a sludge metal monster that is enhanced by noise and effects in the manner of early Eyehategod records. It’s a 40-minute trip through the corridors of sludge and doom, and wears its influences on its sleeves like badges of honour. Sunrot know what they’re doing with the style though, and The Unfailing Rope is an enjoyable slab of heaviness.
The Unfailing Rope is heavy and well-built. It’s a feast of unfriendly sludge that should fine favour with fans of bands such as Body Void, Iron Monkey, Primitive Man, Eyehategod, and Thou, and reminds me of a mix of acts like these, as well as a few bits of others such as Neurosis, Godflesh, and Sunlight’s Bane.
Sunrot play the style with harsh passion, infusing the music with jittery energy in places, while in others they embrace the gloom and darkness of doom. Noise, samples, and experimental effects add a layer of texture to the music’s hostility. The songs are well-written and have learned from the veteran bands in the genre, taking strengths from these and repurposing them for Sunrot’s own vision.
I’ve always been a sucker for this sort of ugly sludge nastiness, and Sunrot are a good example of the style. The Unfailing Rope will likely not convince anyone unconvinced of the the value of apocalyptic sludge, but if you are already a fan of the style, then Sunrot are definitely one to check out.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 