Known Flood
(Sacrament Music)
March 15, 2013
Grade: A
Verdict: Known Flood sounds more like a movie soundtrack serving as the backdrop to some dismal post-apocalyptic wasteland then an album, and it’s made all the stronger for it.
The phrase “thinking man’s” metal is one that’s thrown around anytime a new metal band breaks the mold of “playing the same scales at breakneck speed over and over again”. But oftentimes, many a band uses this tag as an excuse for making boring music, protected from criticism but an established wall of pretensions. For these reasons ”thinking man's’ metal” , otherwise known as post-metal ( or ambiance metal for the music label sticklers) has been a tough sale to the metal community whom by their very nature are suspicious of change. But every so often when these prejudices are pushed aside, some truly innovated metal bands emerge, combining complex ideas with good ol’ fashioned brutality. And the Brooklyn trio of Sannhet are one of those bands.
Known Flood sounds more like a movie soundtrack serving as the backdrop to some dismal post-apocalyptic wasteland then an album, and it’s made all the stronger for it. The frantic drumming creates a nicely claustrophobic atmosphere. The guitar riffing shifts from eerie and melodic to heavy and distorted at the drop of a hat. Sannhet utilize the wall of sound approach but do so it in a sophisticated way that doesn’t forsake creative by burying everything in all encompassing drone. The albums more intense moments (“ Safe Passage” and “Haunches”) are paired beautifully with the sparse sounding swells of “Endless Walls” and “Flatlands”.
Known Flood demonstrates some higher ideas beyond the tried and true staples of metal but never lets up on the brutality. Whether it’s chugging along ominously to the sounds of dying static or screaming violently behind a wall of guitars, at no point does it sound overdone. Sannhet have an equal amount of muscle and mind in their arsenal.
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