One of the many things to appreciate about Sunrot’s second full-length is the opener, ‘Descent.’

Not only is the title extremely indicative of the track – and the record, The Unfailing Rope (Prosthetic Records), as a whole – it also gets right to the point of what the New Jersey-based sludge metal/noise band is trying to achieve: uneasiness and mind play. 

The song’s opening seconds play out like a military parade circa 1940 before quite literally devolving into a burgeoning slab of noise and grotesquery. And if you’re hoping for any kind of respite from the ear-popping soundscape of horror, I hate to break it to you.  Actually, I don’t, because The Unfailing Rope succeeds in reintroducing listeners to a band that has released only two long players since its inception back in 2013. 

Sunrot thrives in finding ways to dive deep into the recesses of hell. Another aptly named song, ‘Gutter’ is grimy and caustic, yet the mental turmoil it births is somehow inviting. It’s easy to begin to wonder if Sunrot is a band of actual humans or if ChatGPT took over and created what it would think fans of the genre most want. ‘Patricide’ is a steaming heap of dense fuzz. ‘Love’ is a sonic firestorm filled with phasers and whiny electronics.

And the last three tracks ensure the record ends with as much sadism and blasphemy as possible. 

‘The One You Feed Pt. 2’ has Lex Santiago screaming with a kind of heinous comfort. In fact, the vocalist was actually hospitalized between the first and second attempts at recording The Unfailing Rope. Their psychotic episode undoubtedly left its mark and can be heard and felt throughout. ‘Tower Of Silence’ is paced in a way that’s akin to trying to run in a dream. The screams chip away at the walls of a catacomb. And closer ‘Trepanation’ finds Mephistopheles himself controlling the knobs and tuning. The see-saw of furious yells and recorded elements brilliantly bolster the finished product.

Buy the album here:

https://sunrot.bandcamp.com/album/the-unfailing-rope

9 / 10

MATT COOK