Equal parts industrial and rock, Sunna deftly juxtaposes bluesy vocals with impassioned melodies on its debut album, One Minute Science. The London-based quintet’s first album is a metal-inspired jaunt somewhere between the dark beats of Nine Inch Nails and the subdued melodies of Tool.
On the album’s first single, “O.D.,” Sunna frontman Jon Harris alternates between meandering interludes and fiery choruses, all layered over a moody instrumental. Although the album occasionally emerges from the depths of its own self-imposed gloominess, Harris’ vocals remain decidedly dark.
Check out the lyrics for the sweetly serene “Preoccupation”: “I’d laugh if it weren’t for my tears/ Please cry till the water is clear.” One Minute Science is what Fiona Apple’s When the Pawn would have been had Marilyn Manson been the producers.
But as much as the acoustic vocals fight to offset the electric guitars and chilling samples, One Minute Science remains strictly esoteric in its appeal. So sit back, relax, take your Prozac, and enjoy luxuriating in your own depression.
Archived article by Michael Tivin