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sonneadam_transformation
Artist: Sonne Adam
Title: Transformation
Genre: Drone/ Death Metal
Release Date: 1st April 2011
Label: Century Media


Album Review

Israel based SONNE ADAM’s debut album, ‘Transformation’, is a bit misguiding at first. Don’t expect the typical death metal as this sounds more like a hybrid of EVOKEN and SUNN O with thick, reverb drenched chords grinding at a very slow pace with ugly death metal vocals carrying on the torment and pain. There is some melody and rhythm mixed in on a track like ‘Sonne Adam’, but it is mostly created through the keyboards and often heavy, gothic bell chimes. The guitars actually tend to sound somewhat boring as they drone along like they would in sludge or done metal. On the instrumental ‘Solitude In Death’ they are heavy in following the drone metal path and feel like an echoing fog horn for the most part, except near the end where the instruments, performed by the individual known as Davidov, take on a sort of eastern tinge. The drumming is varied enough; sometimes heavy and fast like one would expect from death metal, but other times very foreboding and slow as in doom metal.

The vocal work performed by Dahan is deep and guttural without being incomprehensible. While it tends to sound a bit monotone as he drones on and on in twisted lament, on a track like ‘Take Me Back To Where I Belong’ is much more aggressive and powerful in both the music and vocal work, so it seems to break the hypnotic pace of all the other tracks, and, for the sake of cutting out boredom, follows along the lines of a band like MORBID ANGEL in its still dark, but ripping style. The title track is almost sort of a thrash based track with the rapid, clicking chugs that open on the song and continue onwards amongst the typical drone metal style of the drums and guitars. ‘Apocalypse’, the closing track, truly sounds like a roller coaster crawling up the first hill of tracks with its thick chug that makes it the ugliest, most distorted song on the album that is chock full of atmosphere and makes the listener completely feel drenched and suffocated in the music to great effect. As a result, the music here is sometimes difficult to digest as it has a very gritty style and atmosphere, save for when the solos are performed such as on the last track, which tends to herald more to the death metal side of the music.

Fans of less melodic and more old school style death metal such as VOMITORY, PORTAL, or even early GODLESS RISING will find this quite enjoyable. The drone doom elements may not be for everyone, or be quite as hypnotic as SUNN O, but it adds just enough to keep the atmosphere creepy and keep listeners on edge without being too long and boring.


Tracklist

01. We Who Worship The Black 5:57
02. I Sing His Words 4:41
03. Sonne Adam 4:29
04. Solitude In Death 2:04
05. Take Me Back To Where I Belong 4:12
06. Shine 5:51
07. I Claim My Birth In Blood 3:36
08. Transformation 5:00
09. Apocalypse 5:57


Line-up

Dahan: Vocals
Davidov: All instruments


Website

http://www.myspace.com/sonneadam


Cover Picture

sonneadam_transformation


Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 7
Total: 7.5 / 10


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