Somewhere in 2017, these Danes – then known as Arescet – released Departure under their new name, Sunken. Their subsequent 2020 record, Livslede, which came out via the German label Vendetta Records, slipped past our ears unnoticed. Fortunately, their third album, Lykke, has reached us. Perhaps the ever-efficient promo machine of the Eisenwald label has had something to do with that this time around.
The previously more atmospheric black metal of these Danes now embroiders itself intricately around the musical ideas of band masterminds Krogh and Thomasen. Krogh – and also Fagthmann – can occasionally be spotted on stage alongside their friends from Afsky, from whom new material is also to be expected. Larsen, the man behind the drum kit, is also the one massaging the skins in the excellent Glemsel, which released the brilliant Forfader in 2022, and before that, the highly accomplished Unavngivet.
Lykke, as an album, ought to be one of contrasts. So you can expect, alongside atmospheric passages, intense blast beats and furious riff work. This is, in fact, reflected on a lyrical level as well. I’ll put it to the test.
In any case, the record opens – and immediately so – with Din røst malede farver i luften, in a gentle, undulating, and contemplative fashion. Meandering guitar work that seems to lose itself in the mist suddenly picks up more aggressive distorted sounds, and before you know it, you’re swept from one emotion into the next. Which, of course, is exactly the intention. The Danes immediately leave their mark on the whole. The lead parts are easy on the ears, while the rust-toned drum work adds a certain nonchalance to it all. On this kind of atmospheric black metal album, it often happens that when you’re absent-mindedly gazing out the window at the falling leaves, you’re in no time carried into the next track by sounds that blur the lines between songs. On Lykke by the Danes of Sunken, it’s no different.
Weary, tormented vocals that harbour a certain suicidal ideation form the basis of the final bars of Og det er lykke, while its narrative counterpart takes the reins on Glædesfærd. A track that pulls you deeper into your own sorrow. It’s like joyriding through your own head, taking your tears along on an emotional rollercoaster. Something that, in my view, the final track Når livet går på hæld, with its clean vocal lines, does even more effectively.
Personally, I take joy in this latest release by Sunken. Lykke is album number three, and above all, it breathes a great deal of maturity. It proves that the band truly understands how to play with contrast and that, it seems, was precisely the point. Strongly atmospheric, at times brutal black metal craftsmanship.
Score:
85/100
Label:
Eisenwald Records, 2025
Tracklisting:
- Din røst malede farver i luften
- Og det er lykke
- Glædesfærd
- Når livet går på hæld
Line-up:
- Simon Skotte Krogh – Guitar
- Martin Skyum Thomasen – Vocals
- Joans Fagthmann – Bass guitar
- Joachem Højer Larsen – Drums
- Anders Salling – Guitar
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