Review: “King Of The Sun” by Sargassus

A long gestating project that has only recently borne fruit, Sargassus have roots that go back more than a decade with guitarist Teemu Leskinen and drummer Matias Rokio having played and practised together for years before sharing any of their sonic creations. Curiously most of the songs that they have written have been composed intuitively in live jamming sessions, the connection between the pair from their shared history meaning they have a meeting of the minds to form an axis of evil. Their debut EP “The Giant” was composed over a two year period starting in 2018 and completed once vocalist Matias Stenman was recruited. The creative juices were flowing so the band continued on and released a sophomore EP titled “The Albatross” just six months later, the quartet rounded out by bassist Jukka Teppola. Operating somewhere in the depths of Post-Metal and Progressive Death Metal, the Finland natives thematically the band draw their inspiration from mythology and literature…

Feeling like it has been cut from the soundscapes created for a dark Stanley Kubrick science fiction film, “Dies Iræ” stirs the senses and sets the scene for something totally unexpected. Gloriously nuanced movements of complex music are offered up with “Queen of the Moon“, the savage brutality of Stenman’s unclean vocals, a beastly Death Metal drawl accompanied by flourishes of the sublime and the obscure. Moments of Sludge Metal are interspliced into the DNA of freeform Jazz like passages with eerie haunting melody and a depth and texture that sends a chill down the spine. Odd time signatures and creepy whispers torment with the thrill of a psychological horror film, Rokio creating some incredible and unusual moments from behind the kit, all of which is reminiscent of the Post-Metal World of Hundred Year Old Man. Introducing some Horror Folk Metal vibes “Breed of the Exodus“, touches the void into Black Metal while also having a rich clean sung passage and some dreamy acoustic guitars as it floats downstream. That doesn’t stop it from having some vicious unclean vocals as well and a sublime warm solo adds that depth you crave from a Progressive Metal record, in a similar vein to the recent album from Edenfall it’s a brave and bold composition. Bongo drums add another layer as they bring in “King of the Sun“, the title track and a piece of opulent magnificence that has moments of shoegazing quality as well as being sinister and menacing. Stenman’s vocals ensure that things remain heavy and stay focused as the band create a soundscape that knows no borders or boundaries, they would no doubt become feral in his absence. In short form, these songs work incredibly well, diverse and intriguing with little sounds and moments that surface from the mix that you don’t hear on the first, second or third spin. What they could do with an album, well only time will tell… [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Dies Iræ
2. Queen of the Moon
3. Breed of the Exodus
4. King of the Sun

“King Of The Sun” by Sargassus is out 17th August 2023 via Inverse Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp