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Sonance – Blackflower

Sonance – Blackflower

Sonance’ debut from 2012 was two long songs of roughly 20 minutes put out on vinyl by a Norwegian label Doognad records. The band from the UK is now releasing a new album in the UK and providing us a long track; ‘Belgium/Blackflower’ on side A and four shorter ones on side B (although the last one is extended to ten minutes on vinyl). Again the new album ‘Blackflower’ is a rough painting where the genres Doom Metal, Postrock, Classical music and Post-hardcore are spread over the songs. The tracks are recorded in a single take in Joe’s Garage in Bristol.

Sonance is acting like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. In the first track ‘Belgium/Blackflower’ they build up the sonic event like Godspeed You Black Emperor does; halfway screaming vocals with straightforward hardcore attitude and heavy riffs are kicking in as if Neurosis is knocking at the door. Throughout the heavy sludge parts epic string sections enlighten the listener. All in one fifteen minute song and it never gets boring.

To calm down ‘Belgium’ and ‘Attachment’ are focusing on the string sections and these instrumentals are meandering and keep you in a terminal state until the short sludge song ‘Conical’ is surprising your neighbors (because you were still enjoying the previous beauties on full volume). The vocals are low growlers combined with screams and the singer needs to get rid of all his internal demons. The fury of the song would be an example for modern hardcore albums.

And then the last song ‘Tearce’ is left. In a mellow way the album is closing off. Due to the long first track the last four songs (all around four minutes) are over before you notice and ‘Tearce’ stops at a moment while you are expecting it to continue twice as long. It does on the vinyl version, so go to this page and order. Only 250 copies on transparent red vinyl are pressed.

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