Friday, January 6, 2017

EP Review: "Reborn" by Sunterra

Reborn
As this review is being written, we are sitting in the waning hours of 2016 and the world is still reeling from the news that Carrie Fisher has died.

2016 has been a year of amazing highs and terrible lows.

But, as we must, we forge into the future with a grim determination that there isn't a damned thing in this whole world that's going to stop us!

Princess Leia taught us that.

I will simply beg your forgiveness today because it's hard to think of anything other than Princess/General Organa and the legacy left behind of a very strong woman who never quit. 2016 has taken its toll on us. Let's not forget that we can still fight, smash, and win.

Sunterra
It's not lost on me that on a day when I cannot stop mourning Fisher's untimely death, the review subject features a woman in extreme metal.

It's a delicious coincidence.

Sunterra, as a group, features four people and no drummers. The guitarist, Ivan, also has programming to his credits, which one could assume includes the drums.

Because it has to be said, the drums do sound a bit programmed, but it's probably not noticeable for someone who's just listening rather than reviewing the EP. Lilly, our aforementioned heroine adds artwork to her vocal credit. She sings the clean vocals.

Usually, dirty to clean and back again vocals sound like a parlor trick to me, sorry Fear Factory, but in this case, it's more reminiscent of King Diamond's The Puppet Master. More voices, more emotions, more power.

Carlos, voice and flute, brings the powerful throated growls. They're just the right mix of grating and intelligible. Masterful.

To describe this record, the idea of R2-D2 metal comes to mind. There's a computerated element to the songs, but it never feels like they're an industrial or synth group. Perhaps, Ghost In The Shell Metal is a bit more apt.

Either way, this is a band that has more than one mode, and even in this EP, they're firing on all cylinders.

Release: 1/20/17
Genre: Industrial Metal
Label: NRT-Records
Formats: CD/Digital
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