Traversing somewhere in the murky depths of metal stamped with prefixes such as ”post” and ”progressive,” the Tampere-based squad, SARGASSUS, released their latest EP “King of the Sun” already in August 2023 via Inverse Records but, as usual, yours truly appears to be somewhat slow to catch up. They say that music, if it’s any good, will always find its way to the listener – so, at long last, I get to expose my delicate ears to the fine metal conduct of this bunch. As both of these metal subgenres represent something that I quite fancy, and Tampere is renowned for producing some of the most interesting acts with respect to both post-metal and the progressive side of things, I was pretty hyped up to press play on tape. So far, Tampere hasn’t let me down – not even once – and, as luck would have it, this metal endeavor didn’t either.
The 4-track offering kicks off with a cinematic intro entitled “Dis Irae” – with the title referring perhaps to the medieval poem about the judgment day or to the Catholic liturgy used in the Requiem Mass. Either way, the ominous synth textures create nothing short of an unsettling atmosphere that’s ripe for the relentless blast beats of “Queen of the Moon” intro to start slashing. My first impression leans perhaps more toward the progressive sludge metal of MASTODON rather than the airy ambiance of post-metal. A great deal of this impression owes to the smoothly rolling, yet intricate drum work of Matias Rokio. He sure seems to know how to sound laid-back and tight simultaneously, pretty much like Brann Dailor does with those awe-inspiring MASTODON bangers. Oh, I’m liking the band already! At some point, the high-octane blasting gives way to more mellow and atmospheric conduct too, which sort of cements my fondness for this bunch.
The third track, “Breed of the Exodus” gears up on the somewhat black-metal-tinted aesthetic with an opening riff that is straight-up black’n’roll. If bands such as BORKNAGAR or ENSLAVED are in any way your cup of tea, you could do yourself a favor and check these metal rogues out! The market of metal EPs in 2023 has not exactly been overflowing with an abundance of quality releases but this 3-track effort here poignantly echoes the sentiment of “quality over quantity.” Even if there was only one EP for you to check out all year, make sure this is the one.
The title track blends prog-tinged sludge riffs with Viking-metal rogue choir, almost as though MASTODON and ENSLAVED had a lovechild in the dark outskirts of Tavastia county, Finland. The post-metal influence does not shine through particularly thick, not in the case of this song, let alone the EP as a whole with its strong progressive and black-metal-tinted leanings. So, what I would very much like to hear from these ruffians in the future is how they would incorporate, say, those haunting post-rock crescendos and atmospheric textures of post-metal acts such as ISIS, CULT OF LUNA or the band’s townfellow act, CONSCIOUSNESS REMOVAL PROJECT into the mix. I just have a feeling that it could well be the secret ingredient that elevates this awesome band’s craft to a league of its own. Then again, SARGASSUS is doing pretty damn fine as it is, make no mistake! This bunch is by far the best new metal acquaintance that I made in 2023!
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Dies Irae
- Queen of the Moon
- Breed of the Exodus
- King of the Sun
Lineup
Teemu Leskinen – guitars
Matias Rokio – drums
Matias Stenman – vocals
(as it happens, the band is short for bassist at the moment)
Label
Inverse Records
