Sumptus Ignis - Seasons Of Attrition

Sumptus Ignis is a puzzling band. Their debut album “Seasons Of Attrition” comes with four tracks of pure melancholy and rage. Don’t get them wrong, but Sumptus Ignis is really this sonorous melting pot, and they do it very well. A lot of tempos ups and downs, acid and vigorous male voices with angelical and velvet female singing, echos and strong distortions. All this in only one musical proposal. I, particularly, like this kind of musical dialects, the trip to the extremes and the comeback to the regular sonority. Let’s not forget the dash of raw guitar playing which, in their case, gave the effect they wanted.

The opening tittle “Voices Of The Dead” sounds like a history in its almost nine-minute trip to the unknown. Well, Sumptus Ignis define themselves as H. P. Lovecraft’s gospel song. So that’s alright! “As Is”, the second track, guides us to a trip of many metal/rock styles of singing and playing. Perhaps the song that most well defines Sumptus Ignis. Guttural voices mixed with clean and lyrical ones sound as hell good. Now the guitar is not raw at all. It’s almost symphonic and as strong as it can get. That’s intense! I may be wrong, but “Beyond the Blighted Shore” sounds to me as a piece that New Model Army could have done in the good old days. Sometimes reviewers are wrong, but I sure got this feeling. Listen to the accoustic guitars and then tell me. It’s really hard to a musician to go through all these changes of playing styles. From the most simple to the most complex. And what a delightful keyboard!

“Voices Of The Dead” is a good choice after hearing a brutal death metal album. It chills out, and pleases.

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