New York sludge metal alchemists Somnuri released their third full-length album »Desiderium«, out now via MNRK Heavy!

Brooklyn, New York based sludge metal band Somnuri presents their third full-length album, »Desiderium«, which was just released on July 21st, 2023 via MNRK Heavy.

Tracklist:
01. Death Is The Beginning
02. Paramnesia
03. Pale Eyes
04. What A Way To Go
05. Hollow Visions
06. Flesh & Blood
07. Desiderium
08. Remnants
09. The Way Out

Courtesy of Earsplit PR:

Brooklyn, New York-based sludge metal alchemists Somnuri released their mammoth third full-length, »Desiderium«, July 21, 2023 via MNRK Heavy!

Recorded at Gojira’s Silver Cord Studios, mixed by Justin Mantooth at Westend Studios, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Mastering, »Desiderium« is a true crusade through a black hole of sounds and heaviness. Weaving through a variety of tempos and timbres, the band – guitarist/vocalist Justin Sherrell, drummer Phil SanGiacomo, bassist Mike G, and recent addition, guitarist Chris Drapeau – gives some familiar genres new paths to travel. Every song is an amalgamation of what makes rock kinetic, bridging a gap between acts like Helmet, Karp, Handsome, and Quicksand with the sonic journeys of an Isis or Jesu.

Elaborates Blabbermouth in part, “»Hollow Visions« takes a mid-paced approach to the aforementioned blend of excoriating sludge and melodic mischief; shades of Sonic Youth’s liberated guitar abuse emerging from a lurching, hard-headed riff-up. »Flesh & Blood« turns left-field grunge on its head, as shiny hooks duel with brutish riffing, while the title track is a wonderfully intricate piece of post-metal songwriting: equal parts laconic emotional outpouring and jagged, juddering, Soundgarden-style riff concoction.” Notes Distorted Sound, “Sonically, it’s crisp, punchy, and weighty; likely what you’d expect for a band recording at Silver Cord Studios (yes, that Silver Cord, home of Gojira) in their hometown of New York with a production job that lets the various elements breathe and gives them their own space without sacrificing suffocating atmosphere when it needs it.” Wrote Revolver of the band’s »Death Is The Beginning« single, “Opening with a damn-near black-metal shriek, the track eventually settles into a Mastodon-style doom trudge before the double bass comes back in and everything goes haywire. Sludge that doesn’t slouch. Hell yeah.”

Photo by Gina Ribando

»Desiderium« features mind-altering cover art by Alex Eckman-Lawn and is available now on CD, LP, cassette, and digitally at THIS LOCATION.

Watch Somnuri’s video for »What A Way To Go« HERE, »Death Is The Beginning« HERE, and »Paramnesia« HERE.

Somnuri is:
Justin Sherrell – Guitar, Vocals
Phil SanGiacomo – Drums
Mike G – Bass
Chris Drapeau – Guitar

“Opening with a damn-near black-metal shriek, the track eventually settles into a Mastodon-style doom trudge before the double bass comes back in and everything goes haywire. Sludge that doesn’t slouch. Hell yeah.” – Revolver on »Death Is The Beginning«

“It all feels like a weird, half-remembered fever dream, which as it turns out is exactly what Somnuri wants.” – Metal Injection on »Paramnesia«

“This band has always been defiant and awkward: melodic when others would be brutal, brutal when others would take their foot off the gas, and only tangentially nudging probable inspirational sources like Mastodon, Baroness, and Kylesa… an album that can only strengthen Somnuri’s reputation as arch sludge manipulators.” – Blabbermouth

“Sonically, it’s crisp, punchy, and weighty; likely what you’d expect for a band recording at Silver Cord Studios (yes, that Silver Cord, home of Gojira) in their hometown of New York with a production job that lets the various elements breathe and gives them their own space without sacrificing suffocating atmosphere when it needs it.” – Distorted Sound

“Heavy and meaty, but with emotive depth and substance, »Desiderium« is a grower, one that delivers more and more as you get to know it more and more. It’s good to have the band back once more, and they have returned with a winner.” – Wonderbox Metal

“Somnuri are fastly becoming one of the best upcoming bands from the doom/sludge/stoner metal scene and with »Desiderium« it’s not hard to see why. This is simply another wonderful release from Somnuri who could end up becoming one of your new favorite bands.” – Outlaws Of The Sun

“Fans of Kylesa and High On Fire may get a thrill out of »Flesh & Blood« a number that illustrates the band’s talent for producing pummelling sludge metal but with an intelligent and experimental streak while »Desiderium« is wonderfully expansive and unpredictable and you are never quite certain where and when it will land, I was reminded a little of latter-day Deftones in places.” – Ghost Cult

“Dense, dynamic, and diabolical…” – Rock And Roll Fables

“»Desiderium« have plenty of anger driving its riffs, yet vocalist/guitarist Justin Sherrell also has a great singing voice that he doesn’t ignore. It’s this duality of melody and rage that Somnuri has nailed down after years of being on the cusp of getting there. If there was a release that would break this band out into the greater masses, »Desiderium« should be their golden ticket.” – Heavy Music HQ

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well