Sunterra
Reborn
(NRT Records)
Austrian metallers Sunterra first began as something of a rather grim Gothic metal act, and not quite the kind that you’d expect when I’d mention Gothic metal. We’re not talking about a primarily female fronted vocal with synths and hard-driving riffs, as this seems closer to the works of early Graveworm, Tristania and Sirenia. Their debut album Lost Times currently ranks at an astonishing 100% (per one review circa ’02) over on Metal Archives, but nothing has been so much as glanced at afterwards. The band shortly went on hiatus around December of ’06 but reformed in ’15 with a new lineup. Needless to say, Reborn marks the band’s first effort in over a decade – and quite expectedly, a brand new sound has formed during this absence. I still hear a little bit of what made them a Gothic metal act, but this is decidedly more electronic. Although the band utilizes dubstep, I have to say that Sunterra are the ONLY band I’ve ever heard that has mixed together something I absolutely abhor with something I absolutely love in a fashion that actually works for me. Normally went bands throw it to dubstep, I prepare my cringe face and grit my teeth while the horror processes itself through my ears. But being a long time fan of electronic music in general, I feel that these Austrians have developed a happy medium that comes off quite pleasant. This is exceptionally rare, and commendable.
There are only a handful of songs here and it’s less than a half an hour long. But that’s fine as this is essentially a demo presentation for the “new” band. Carlos handles vocals for the record, which are mainly death metal growls and feel generally entertaining. Perhaps they are a bit dry in some instances and lack emotion, but there are a couple of moments where a rasp feels prominent in the mix. Lily commands the female vocal element, which of course is quite good. There are few female vocalists in metal that I cannot get into, and as far as a pleasant approach is concerned, she nails that. “Shadow In The Dark” really works to show her abilities and it adds in a unique mix of flute, piano and slightly unexpected electronics. As I said, there are tinges of dubstep, but it is not done in an overbearing way and feels like a strong backbone aside from the drumming. The majority of riff matter here seems to echo it’s Gothic roots, which without the electronic sections would still feel like Gothic/death metal. Obviously the drums are programmed here, but that isn’t such a bad thing and I can’t really sense the whole “programmed kit sound” on this record. Again, drum programs are getting pretty good, and pretty soon a man will be able to type up a few compositions on his computer that when performed may rival that of Flo Mournier, Gene Hoglan and even Richard Christy. Now there’s nothing of that level here, but if you told me that this was a computer program, I would not have believed you. Considering the fact that this and electronic Gothic metal album, I’d say the programmed kit works pretty well, regardless.
That being said, it’s not perfect. Some portions of the record just feel a bit lifeless and I’m not sure if a greater drum or electronic presence would help them. There are several moments where we are almost thrown into silence, or it just feels as if something is missing. As you might expect, Reborn still has the atmosphere of a demo and that’s a bit unfortunate. Even so, it’s a good demo and a sign that this band are moving towards far greater things. Even if the drums are programmed, the guitars are not and Ivan performs some pretty nice solos every now and again which you might not expect for the type of music you’re getting here. Sunterra are one of the few bands out there trying to revolutionize the Gothic metal scene and perhaps we should applaud them for it. For many years various Gothic bands have tried to change the style, like Estonia’s Forgotten Sunrise and their breakout ‘04 release Ru Mipu Dis, but more often than not, these modifications aren’t really grasped upon by the rest of the world in the way that they should be. So will these Austrians also end up grasping at straws? Or is it just the right time in the plight of human civilization that man seems to prefer more metallic and electronic approaches mixing together, than at any other period in recorded history? Perhaps the time is right, the time is now. Maybe even Forgotten Sunrise could have made history if Ru Mipu Dis hadn’t been so far ahead of it’s time. In any case, Sunterra are definitely a band primed and ready for the future of music, and if you haven’t heard the terms hardstyle, nightcore and witchcore yet; then you have no earthly idea what most of the young adult population is digging right now. I’d almost bet that when this album drops, that same generation will give this type of music a new buzzword as well, which really says something. There’s nothing like this right now, which is why I was more than happy to cover it. Reborn is not perfect, but it’s a sign that a musical revolution is surely near. Are you ready?
