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Sönambula – Bicéfalo

sönambula – bicéfalo

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Spanish band Sönambula (which I hear may well translate as ‘sleepwalker’) bring us their third release, “Bicéfalo” (which pretty much means two headed from what I can gather), after their 2015 EP ‘Hilen Argia’ and their debut album “Secuela” from 2016. Describing themselves as Death/Doom, or Doom/Death depending on what you read, they pretty much had me interested either way you put it, as I am a fan of both genres. Having heard absolutely nothing of their previous material made it all the more interesting. Everyone loves a new discovery after all don’t they? Especially if it’s good! So are they any good? Will they be my discovery of the week? The month? And what’s with all the fucking questions!

In a nutshell, or in other words to save more fucking around, the answer is a resounding yes.  Sönambula bring exactly the type of goods that I have been after lately, having been on a bit of a Death/Doom kick of late with the likes of Atavisma, Ataraxy and Kåabalh amongst others. This is not to say they are exactly the same, this is just to say that they are very much fitting right up my proverbial alley at the moment. Production values are kept to a bare minimum meaning that at times this can sound almost demo like, and thus fits very well into the ‘Old Skool as Fuck’ category quite well for all you audiophiles out there.

The lyrics are in Spanish one presumes, not that that matters one iota, as it is quite easy to gather the intent of these cheery folk just through the tone of the vocal delivery alone, and to be quite honest who can hold their hand up and tell me they understand every word on a lot of this type of music anyway. Not I, and for me a good ninety percent of the enjoyment of any album derives from the sheer intensity of this style of stuff, the sickening gurgling and grunting over the top just makes it even better. Right from track one “Mutación Sintética” you have a fairly good indication of just where this album is going, and it does not disappoint. Standout track for me “Nostromo” brings with at a whole early Paradise Lost, Amorphis type vibe, and that’s one I can quite easily deal with seeing as they are at the top of the Metal chain for me, and always have been.

Other influences can creep in, but as a whole I think these three fine Spaniards (an Tricefalo perhaps?) are really onto a fucking fantastic sound and I certainly hope they stick with it. The crunchiness of these riffs, the on point drumming, rumbling bass lines and guttural vocals bring me much joy. “Colección macabra” is pure perfection, even invoking the great spirit of a certain Celtic Frost for me at times, yet again another win as far as I am concerned. These guys have an amazing sense of song structure that keeps ones ears engaged throughout, beleive me, and I really cannot fault this album at all, and therefore can only highly recommend it if any of the above tickles your sickly Deathly Doomy fancy. Not much more I can really say about this one, apart from go and fucking get it! Hell yes! (The Great Mackintosh)

Sönambula

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