Close to four years after forming, Spanish black metal band Sulphur Seas has released their debut full length Suzanne. In the time between this effort and 2015’s self-titled EP the group gained a drummer after previously relying on drum programming and has pushed their sound outwards significantly, delivering plenty of twists and turns across eight tracks. With equal amounts of dense, overwhelming moments and calmer, unsettling ones, Suzanne has a considerable amount of substance for listeners to discover.
“Déluge” starts the album off in aggressive fashion, kicking things off with a faster tempo where the guitars and drums work in tandem to create a dense, swirling atmosphere that feels like it’s going to completely overwhelm you. But rather than keeping their foot on the gas, it doesn’t take long before Sulphur Seas shifts over towards slower instrumentation where the melodies spread outwards slowly. This is one of the elements that really help the material to leave a strong impression, as the fluid transitions between periods of calm and raging intensity make each song feel like a journey into the unknown. Tonality wise Suzanne is reminiscent of a number of French black metal bands as there is an equal emphasis on dissonance, but some of the mid-tempo passages also give off hints of long-running Greek black metal bands like Varathron and Rotting Christ. Black metal is not typically a genre where the word restraint feels appropriate, but Sulphur Seas is able to make the most of their softer passages and draw the listener in before setting them ablaze.
Vocalist J. sticks with a lower growl for the majority of the album, and with the way that the material was mixed his performance is often one of the most prominent elements. He has a full pitch that hangs over the recording with a foreboding presence, and while it stays at around the same range for much of Suzanne there is enough space between each verse to keep the intensity at a high. Though Sulphur Seasis based in Spain J. is from France originally and all of the lyrics are written in French, which gives the band a similar feel to some of the more prominent acts from that country. There may not be as much deviation between higher and low ranges as some of the other black metal out there, but Sulphur Seas makes the most of it and delivers a powerful vocal performance that suits their instrumentals perfectly.
Suzanne is a strong debut full length that has the same type of sprawling, mysterious atmosphere as French and Greek black metal while pushing off in its own direction. Sulphur Seas has left themselves with room to expand outwards even further and truly define a sound all their own, but already have plenty of substance to keep listeners coming back. Turn off the lights, crank up the volume, and let this band take you into the unknown. Suzanne is out now.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.