EP REVIEW: Placodermic Heraldry – Sulphur Sun

Switzerland’s SULPHUR SUN may not be the most prolific band, but the material that they have put out is incredibly impressive. Crafting a decidedly more progressive and interesting take on death metal, the band’s debut EP, Bioluminescense, and 2017’s Vitreus, both laid down some solid musical foundations that did a lot to set this band apart from the vast majority of their contemporaries. Their latest EP, Placodermic Heraldry, sees the bands style begin to expand into far more ferocious and experimental territories than before, cementing them as one of the truly innovative bands within the death metal scene.

The Temple of Dunkleosteus crafts a powerful, atmospheric feel right out of the gate, which quickly shifts towards a fantastically jarring and tight slab of controlled chaos, with intricate drums and frenetic, discordant guitars providing a great backdrop to the dirty, ferocious gutturals and the aforementioned ambience, jumping between tempos and styles to give this song a razor sharp urgency. The brilliant, demented solo that comes courtesy of Dallas Toller Wade only adds to this songs disjointed charm, resulting in a song that is every bit as catchy as it is cacophonous.

Trilobite Thief, unlike the previous track, which eased the listener in, goes straight for the jugular with meaty guitar hooks and sludgy, virtuosic bass lines and energetic and precise drums, all of which make for a weighty and rabid slab of death metal with a solid, progressive bent. The vocals complement the music exceptionally well, with dense, monstrous gutturals, interspersed with arid shrieks and sonorous cleans, would some incredibly effective throat singing and spacey ambience adding an intriguing twist to death metal that works extremely well. It’s an excellent offering from SULPHUR SUN that manages to perfectly balance the more experimental and traditional tropes of death metal, making for a monolithic and memorable closing track.

This is a record that captures the more progressive potential of death metal in a great way, peppering the music with subtle, experimental flourishes that work without leaning too hard into it to the detriment of the music’s punchiness. Dallas‘ grating guitar work and the beautiful atmospherics add to, rather than distract from, the music, with the drums and bass both providing a muscular and tight foundation for the rest of the music. The use of throat singing works incredibly well here as well, adding another form of harsher vocals that complement the more traditional gutturals and howls incredibly well. Hopefully there won’t be another lengthy gap between records, because, if this EP is anything to go by, SULPHUR SUN has the capability to come up with plenty of impressive music for years to come.

Rating: 8/10

Placodermic Heraldry is out now via self-release.

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