Sunken Seas return with Cataclysm, an E.P. that solidifies the tripped-out prog-noir of their 2012 debut album Null Hour, concentrating the crushing tension and malevolent noise into wider depths of both inner and outer space.
Purveyors of apocalyptic gloom, Sunken Seas' surround sound would falter if not for the meditative quality that structures their work; the thick, pounding drums of opener 'Asylum' build in unison with razor guitar chords and echo-laden vocals, acting as a gravitational pull and sucking us deeper within a soundscape that finds beauty within fury.
Those fleeting glimmers of light that shine through the gloom display a band well on their way to masters of seduction and suspense. On 'Seesaw' chiming guitars unravel with screeching feedback briefly into ecstasy, before peeling back into the dark trance.
By the time the seven minute title track pummels us with brutality and poise, an exhausting ride ends but the impression instilled is one of restraint; Cataclysm manoeuvres through dark terrain like an agile beast, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. Let's hope the full potential is unleashed with the next release.
