SOMNURI
Desiderium
MNRK HEAVY
New York sludge warriors go for more than a gut punch
Somnuri specialise in Crowbar-esque slo-mo sonic torture, but here they occasionally stretch their black leathery wings. They show a surprising amount of restraint on Paramnesia, Hollow Visions, and the title track; they’re all powerful, riff-hammering grunge rockers with clean vocals and earworm hooks that come on like a sludgy Alice in Chains. The epic Death Is A Beginning slithers between this approach and a battering, bottom-heavy doom metal sound. Mostly, however, it’s a repeated fist to the guts, steeped in their characteristically abrasive, slow-crawling sludge metal. Suitably oppressive but surprisingly versatile, Desiderium proves disgusting and gorgeous in equal measure. ■■■■■■■■■■