Self-described as “audial terrorism”, the debut album from Sunlight’s Bane is raw, nihilistic and downright putrid. The blackened grindcore is unrelenting in its power and ambition to inflict as much pain and anguish as possible.
But this isn’t just one-dimensional pummelling, and while music of this ilk often feels cramped, Sunlight’s Bane have given themselves room to breathe, finding new, imaginative ways to cause harm. The soundscape they create is one of joylessness; there is no light at the end of this tunnel, it just gets darker, colder and more frightening. The stomping, groove-laden riffs, the inherent sludge and gloom, the unstoppable drums and the gnarled barks are hellacious in their delivery and intent, with the slower moments creating uncomfortable feelings of dread. Sunlight’s Bane’s palette is one of negativity, with each colour darker than the first, painting a portrait too vile to look at directly, but too powerful to ignore.
