EP REVIEW: Aletheia – SUTRAH

For the past few years there has been a general impression that The Artisan Era can’t be wrong about bands they sign. The Nashville-based label are home to a variety of extraordinary acts including AUGURY, INFERI, and INANIMATE EXISTENCE, and now by signing Montreal tech death metal act SUTRAH that statement is proven even further. SUTRAH first came under the radar in September 2017 with the release of their full-length debut Dunes which received quite a bit of traction within the technical death metal community. The trio returns now with the release of a four-track EP entitled Aletheia, a tenebrous and harsh soundscape with a balance of dismal atmosphere and massive guitar riffs.

In the middle of pulverising dissonance there is a praiseworthy level of technical skills shared between singer Laurent Bellemare, guitarist Claude Leduc, bassist Alex Bao and guest drummer Kevin Paradis. And speaking of drum work, it is persistent in its complexity without losing the potential to sound fundamental. Back this with thick guitar riffs and you have yourself a release that is heavy naturally, without being forced. SUTRAH pay attention to the tiniest details here, and that is easy to notice especially on the closing 16-minute monster Variation II.ii – Genese, where some perplexing parts transform into breakneck riffs and drum patterns.

Death metal singers usually tend to sound quite similar, and while Bellemare still utilises a known style of growls and raspy barks, there is a brutality to his voice that is rarely heard in death metal. Instead of going the path of low, virtually faint gutturals, Bellemare‘s delivery is rooted in bringing the demons out of his throat. The peculiar and unconventional ways the guitar is used on Aletheia create some very quirky sounds, as is evidenced right off the bat. At times, it sounds like death metal riffs are being conveyed through a wah-wah pedal, but whatever it is, the guitar style here is both one of the EP’s greatest strengths.

With Aletheia, SUTRAH certainly ticked all the marks that make technical death metal great. If Dunes made it hard to distinguish the band from the ocean of acts playing this particular style, Aletheia proves that the Montrealers improved and stepped into the right direction. Overall SUTRAH’s newest offering moves comfortably from one musical idea to the next. The band has found a rigid symbiosis to their music; all they have to do now is keep the momentum going. Aletheia is a release that deserves hitting the replay button.

Rating: 8/10

Aletheia is out now via The Artisan Era.

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