Somnuri to Release Desiderium July 21; Video Posted and Preorders Available
At some point this morning — probably about 15 seconds after I close my laptop to attend to whatever domestic task has suddenly popped into my head — an announcement will come through the PR wire for the new Somnuri record, which is titled Desiderium and will be released as the Brooklyn trio’s label debut through MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Heavy). You can see the preorder link below. I got it from the video, which I searched out on YouTube after I saw the banner with the release date on social media and a new pic of the band (above) in the same color scheme that one assumes is to coincide with the release announcement that, again, is probably coming today. Is it in my inbox yet? I’ll check. Nope.
Fair enough. That hasn’t stopped me from digging into the three-minute aggro burst of the song itself. It put me right in mind of when High on Fire signed to E1 in 2010 and went on to unveil Snakes for the Divine, which remains a treasured piece of their catalog. I don’t know what’s in store for Desiderium as I haven’t heard more than the three minutes of “What a Way to Go” in the video at the bottom of this post, but if you weren’t already betting on Somnuri after 2021’s Nefarious Wave (review here), there just might be enough energy here to get you off your ass and on board with their assault.
Plus, Justin Sherrell eats dirt in the clip, and that’s a sacrifice worth honoring.
When and if I see the actual album announcement — 10AM Eastern? oh! oh! maybe it’ll have cover art and recording info and a tracklisting and oh! well organized biographical and lineup information! oh that’d just be the best! — I’ll be glad to update this post with it [EDIT: Obviously that happened]. Until then, it’s you, me, a buncha links and a new Somnuri song, which as it turns out is plenty.
Enjoy:
SOMNURI: Brooklyn Sludge Metal Trio To Release Desiderium Full-Length July 21st Via MNRK Heavy; “What A Way To Go” Video/Single Now Playing + Preorders Available
Stream/Purchase Here: https://somnuri.ffm.to/desiderium.OYD
Tour Dates: https://somnuri.ffm.to/bandsintown.OYD
Brooklyn, New York sludge metal trio SOMNURI will unleash their third full-length, Desiderium, on July 21st via MNRK Heavy, today unveiling the record’s artwork, first single, and preorders.
SOMNURI does not keep their feet planted in surface reality. The band’s flavor of heavy metal stomps from genre to genre with the fervor and confidence of a band ready to cross thresholds of all that’s perceivable and possible. Composed of lead guitarist and singer Justin Sherrell, drummer Phil SanGiancomo, and bassist Mike G, their latest effort is a true testament to the band’s insatiable work ethic cementing them as one of heavy metal’s most exciting emerging acts.
Recorded at Gojira’s Silver Cord Studios, mixed by Justin Mantooth at Westend Studios, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Mastering, on Desiderium, the band weaves seamlessly through a variety of tempos and sounds, giving some well-trodden genres new roads to travel. Songs like “Paramnesia” swing in like a sludgy wrecking ball, calling to mind the likes of Eyehategod and Crowbar in their heaviest moments. Instead of going for all-out mosh parts, the band pulls back, allowing Sherrell to get a few clean vocals in before charging back up on full assault. Sherrell’s voice is insanely versatile, both able to deliver soul-filled clean vocals and some grim screams. It’s the perfect counterpoint to the band’s instrumentals, weaving a ladder between sludge, grunge, psych-rock and more. All of this leads to something like Alice In Chains if they got way into acid and wanted to go full-tilt heavy.
SOMNURI’s flow from genre to genre works well, much like being in a fever dream of sound. The album’s lyrical themes blossomed from Sherell experiencing a chain of dreams wherein he lived a multitude of different lives and realities. These dreams concluded with Sherrell witnessing a suicide that embodied both a tragic end and a strange new beginning. “Was I experiencing a dream state and experiencing someone else’s reality? Or was that just me leaving my cocoon to start a new life?,” Sherell wonders. The dream stuck with Sherell, informing the album’s title, which is defined as a feeling of loss or grief about something lost.
Front to back, the abundant ideas and soundscapes turn SOMNURI’s Desiderium into a prism of sound. Every song is an amalgamation of what makes rock kinetic, bridging a gap between acts like Helmet, Karp, Handsome, and Quicksand with the sonic journeys of Isis or Jesu. It’s this thirst for exploration that makes SOMNURI who they are: they’re an ascendant band, not constrained by any label or descriptor.
In advance of Desiderium’s release, today the band presents a video for the record’s first single, “What A Way To Go.”
Elaborates SanGiacomo of the track, “‘What A Way To Go’ is an anti-authoritarian kick in the teeth. With all of the corruption in the world, it’s hard not to feel like you’re being buried alive sometimes, the song came about while trying to vent that frustration. It’s straight to the point and urgent, with less twists and turns than some of our other material.
Adds Sherrell, “Susan Hunt, who directed the video, captured the imagery perfectly along with a sense of being hounded and surveilled. This is the first single from our new album, Desiderium, and we couldn’t be more excited to set the tone with it and let people know what kind of energy they can expect this time. The album is the pinnacle of our sound thus far and we can’t wait to unleash it.”
Desiderium, which comes cloaked in the cover art of Alex Eckman-Lawn, will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. For preorders, go to THIS LOCATION.
Desiderium Track Listing:
1. Death Is The Beginning
2. Paramnesia
3. Pale Eyes
4. What A Way To Go
5. Hollow Visions
6. Flesh & Blood
7. Desiderium
8. Remnants
9. The Way Out
SOMNURI Live Lineup:
Justin Sherrell – guitar, vocals
Phil SanGiacomo – drums
Mike G – bass
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