Sunken, Ba’al
Sunken, Ba’al
Star And Garter, Manchester
30/05/2024
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
The black metal scene in the UK is stacked. Fiercely stacked. Especially in Manchester, where the appetite for the extreme side of metal is particularly ravenous! Tonight, Danish act Sunken invaded the shores of the UK for the very first time with their brand of atmospheric Black Metal. In support, they have enlisted hotly tipped post-metal act Ba’al, still riding the momentum off their latest release “Soft Eyes”. Hosted in Star And Garter, a hot bed and breeding ground for some of the brightest stars of the UK’s Metal scene, this was one I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. It genuinely is a privilege to have such incredible gigs right on my doorstep here in Manchester, and one of the main reasons I moved here!
“Did the new EP sound better live?” was the question posed to me by one members of Ba’al, as I was chatting to him at the end of the night. I replied with a simple and emphatic “YES!”. Because it’s true! See, “Soft Eyes” is good. Very good. But it is nothing compared to seeing it live and in the flesh. This is when your senses become engulfed by wave after wave of atmospheric delight provided by the Sheffield based quintet! The band well and truly have carved their own wonderfully unique take on the genre. They can provide slower, more Doom-heavy elements with the drums and bass locking in to shift some serious neck snapping air, providing a British solution to Batushka. They can also shift to the more ambient and melodic components that will make your bottom lip quiver with the raw sentimental quality! I was treated to a wonderful Progressive Rock inspired passage mid-way through the set; I did actually wonder if I was at a Genesis concert! But no, I was having my senses pounded by Ba’al’s post-Black Metal assault… and it was wonderful. As cliche as it sounds, the band genuinely are only at the beginning of what could be a phenomenal journey in the world of extreme metal!
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The Danish black metallers Sunken played in Manchester for the very first time on this night. Simply, don’t make it your last. Please. Come back! I need to relive this! Another band whose live experience cannot be adequately downloaded onto physical or digital media of any description. No, you need to be fully immersed in the glorious atmospheric offering! Their sound was phenomenal with every note perfectly in place and as important as the last. Some of those guitar tones were out of this world… they certainly know their way round the pedal board and can get the most out of their instruments! Visually, the rather simple yet devastatingly effective floor and strobe lighting added a much welcome dimension to the overall experience. After speaking to the band’s vocalist, they had plans to introduce a smoke machine but were prevented due to smoke alarms in the venue. Shame. This would have added much welcome “hellish atmosphere”, in his words. I agree. Nonetheless, when Sunken are back in the UK, buy a ticket. It’s simple.
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