Preorders are available now for the second full-length from Lviv, Ukrainian post-metallers Nonsun, titled Blood & Spirit. One might call that title prescient as regards the war that’s broken out in their home country over the last couple weeks following an unceremonious invasion by the neighboring Russia, but the fact is the title is more than three weeks old, and even if you want to cite that Ukraine and Russia have been in direct conflict since 2014 — before Nonsun even released their 2016 debut, Black Snow Desert — the band take pains to note that they’re working from different ideas than recent headlines. So it goes.

In my home country, we’ve returned to a woefully comfortable disdain for Russia — those with half a thought to spare note it’s “not the Russian people” before launching into some stereotyped declaration or mockery — with shades of what I remember of the end of the Cold War, which I admit isn’t much. In the age of internet fundraising — be careful out there — money has also been donated to Ukrainian aid from a vast swath of sources, up to and including the merchandise for this site as well as the federal government and too many others for me to count. Perhaps in the spirit of helping the band from day to day on the ground in Lviv, they’ll receive 100 percent of the proceeds from the preorders, and if that’s not enough to convince you to place one, there’s an album teaser streaming below that lets you know what you’re in for.

To wit:

NONSUN – Blood & Spirit

You may be familiar with this Lviv, Ukraine quartet from their debut album Black Snow Desert, which we released back in 2018. But whatever you think you know about them, put it to the side in preparation for their sophomore effort. Whereas their first album was intended to be like a single composition spread across six tracks, Blood & Spirit is more a collection of distinct, standalone songs, each telling its own story. And what stories they have to tell! We loved the dense and often demanding drone/sludge approach of Black Snow Desert, but what listeners will discover on Blood & Spirit is truly a force to behold, blending the breathtaking immensity of their doom leanings with a gripping immediacy that’s more consistent with traditional post-metal stylings.

Listeners who loved Black Snow Desert will still find some callback to that record’s drone leanings, particularly on Blood & Spirit’s back half. Both “Guilt, Disgust, Disaster” and “In Your Eyes I’m a Cripple” feature lengthy opening passages that gradually establish an oppressively bleak tone before eventually erupting into explosive crescendos that provide powerful counterpoints to the creeping atmospherics that precede them. Though it is technically an instrumental record, vocals do play a role in a non-traditional, non-lyrical fashion. The band consistently integrates rumbling, guttural vocalizations and breathy chants into the fabric of the songs, subtly perceptible but effective in building a looming sense of dread that pervades the album.

Fans of doom, drone, post-metal, and avant-garde music should consider this 2xLP a must-have. It’s one of the most compelling combinations of principles from those brethren genres put to record in some time, offering an increased accessibility without sacrificing the potent ferocity or probing experimentalism Nonsun initiated with Black Snow Desert. Blood & Spirit reveals a group of musicians tightening their collective grip on an already-compelling conceptual framework and elevating it to new levels of might and impact.

Words from Nonsun:
“Never could we imagine how painfully relevant the album’s title would sound near the time of release… Wish it wouldn’t. Initially it was meant to have a more personal meaning. The songs were written and recorded in 2016-2020. The album title refers to spiritual struggles through the bloodiest of times. The five tracks, in a sense, are yearnings, or prayers, thrown into the void. What doesn’t kill you… Does it make you stronger? Or leave you even more crippled? When all magic is gone… Is wisdom worth a thing? It’s about raising questions rather than giving answers. As the rational mind & willpower fail, a spiritual quest begins”

(Also, all the song titles, the artwork, the description above have all been created and finalized during 2016-2021, thus well before the war).

Words from Dunk!records:
“Obviously you are all aware of the devastating situation in Ukraine. You might also know about one of our label bands, Nonsun, who live in Lviv, Ukraine. At this moment, all band members and their families are ok. However, the circumstances are difficult and their lives are completely upside down. In agreement with the band we decided to launch the pre-orders for their new album Blood & Spirit. This creates an opportunity for us and for you to support the band in these hard times. Dunk!records will donate 100% of the profits to the band (as well as all profits for their 2018 release Black Snow Desert) as of today until release day (April 15th, 2022).”

Pre-order 2xLP here: https://bit.ly/Nonsun_BloodSpirit_2xLP

Pre-order digital album here: https://bit.ly/Nonsun_BloodSpirit_Digital

Tracklisting:
1. A Wizard Grieving Over the Loss of Magic
2. That Which Does Not Kill
3. Days of Thunder Bring New Wisdom
4. Guilt, Disgust, Disaster
5. In Your Eyes I’m a Cripple

Nonsun are:
Goatooth – guitars, keys & voices
Alex – bass
Alpha – drums

http://nonsun.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/NonsunDoom
https://www.instagram.com/nonsun_band
https://www.facebook.com/dunkrecords
https://www.instagram.com/dunkrecords
https://dunkrecords.com/