SUNDROWNED comes across as a direct reflection of the harsh but beautiful landscape of western Norway where they’re from. With their feet planted somewhere in the post-metal genre with the structure and heaviness of acts like ROSETTA or CULT OF LUNA draped in a melodic, dreamy haze akin to that of ALCEST or the shoegaze bands of yore. “Higanbana” continues the series of albums exploring what it means to be a human through the lens of classical alchemy. “Higanbana” is at its core about the cycle of life, the physical body and how after death we are put back into the ecosystem to give life to our surroundings. Wonder, exploration, and introspection.

The album has seven songs, and “Barren” is first. A gentle sound eases in, with clean guitars and some backing ambiance, followed by harsh vocals. The vocals are filthy, but they don’t taint the melody at all. Segueing into “The Seed,” is features a sound that is both heavy and weightless at the same time. The song drips with atmosphere…in the guitars, and in the background. It helps to thicken up the stew even when the guitar notes are few and far between. “Primrose” has devastatingly heavy bottom, but the top rises above and into the clouds. The melodies are kept simple, and warm, yet they also have a solemn edge to them. The harsh vocals threaten to drown the entire song, and the guitar work keeps it afloat.

“Llex” is where the band cuts back a bit on some of the darkness and just lets the melody shine. Still wresting with one another, and still weighted, the ethereal melodies keep the song suspended in the air, rather than driving it down. “Wisteria” has a bit more energy, and a faster pace from the timekeeper, the drummer. Melodic lead breaks combine with tortured vocals in a dance to the death, with neither side giving in. That dreamy haze that the band talks about is very alive here. The title track is another gorgeous song where you can put the harsh vocals into the background. They are still there, creating a stifling atmosphere, but the melody cuts through them and leaves them grounded.

The lengthy “Jacob’s Ladder” is the final offering. Ethereal melodies rise out of the mist and into your home, providing a sense of warmth. Darkness and light then meet head on in the battlefield, and neither of them gives an inch. But the birds chirping in the end tell you that spring is coming.  This is an album that is crushing and breathes freely at the same time…a difficult feat for a bad to accomplish. The songs create this sort of ache that you can’t get to…and itch that can’t be scratched. They keep the listener suspended between two worlds…the world of darkness and pain, and the world of light and hope.