Imagine a world where Baroness never matured, Torche never slowed down, and Mastodon never stopped making Leviathan. Brooklyn’s Somnuri often find themselves in that righteous world and the proof is in the pudding with an eight-track beast of a self-titled debut.
“Kaizen” is pure hyperspeed of anything those aforementioned brutes has ever collectively done then wanders off into the riff-fueled ether as powerhouse vocalist/guitarist Justin Sherrell leads the charge. Like Brent Hinds AND Troy Sanders inhabiting the same human, Sherrell spews both the vitriol and the vigor of those vocalists and forges something completely unique in every song.
“Slow Burn” is like the greatest Remission-era Mastodon track produced with the Masto-melody of today in mind with this thick sludge by bassist Drew Mack laying the foundation. Then it goes batshit crazy with this equally immense and intense breakdown before segueing into “Opaque” which allows a quiet, albeit brief, respite before the head pummeling begins once again. That particular pummeling comes in the form of “Welcome The Stranger” which shreds with mountainous riffs, tribal Phil SanGiacomo drumming, and monstrous vocals when the going gets goin’. Almost like some old school Soundgarden riffage at times, the track just slays.
“Pulling Teeth” then crushes with fuzz and riffs and screams and dreamy/psychedelic moments adding in some Sabbath-ian flourishes before “Through The Dead” continues the psych trip with some “Searching With My Good Eye Closed”-style riffin’ and rollin’ as it rollicks on to close Somnuri’s debut as brilliantly as it was started.
Somnuri is out now through Magnetic Eye Records. Your very own copy can be obtained by clicking here or the stream below then head on over here for more on the band.