SUMO: III

SUMO’s third full-length album, appropriately titled III, is my first exposure to the Miami-based trio. They call their sound “heavy instrumental space rock.� I hear the heavy part for sure, and it’s definitely instrumental. But I don’t know how spacey this album is. I guess the closer, “Enceladus,� sort of reminds me of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.� Whatever you might call it, it’s good.

There is a strong post-rock feel to the album. So, it’s no surprise that the band says it will be of interest to Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky. I can definitely see Mogwai, but not so much Explosions in the Sky. They’re not heavy enough. Tortoise also comes to mind, though the drums play a far more dominant role in their music than in SUMO’s.

The sound can be sludgy, while bordering on industrial often and sometimes going over that border, such as on “Shadow of Antiope� and “Cygnus.� The band says fans of The Cure might also be interested in the album. I guess I can hear that on a few tracks, especially “Eta Carinae.� But I don’t feel particularly introspective or melancholic when listening to III. Instead, overall, it’s pretty energizing music, good for the gym.

If you want to hear the lighter side of SUMO, they have three ambient single-song EPs (each of the tracks clocks in at more than ten minutes), reminiscent of late 70s, early 80s Brian Eno.

I’m glad I found SUMO. These are talented guys (Amado Ventura on bass, Hector Mojena on drums, and Chris Salazar on guitar) whose work you should check out if you like heavy instrumental music.

Track Listing
1. Alyssa (5:50)
2. IPCRESS (5:40)
3. SETI3 (1:39)
4. Shadow of Antiope (5:10)
5. Eta Carinae (6:48)
6. Apophis (5:10)
7. SETI4 (0:47)
8. Cygnus (3:40)
9. Enceladus (6:43)

Added: January 27th 2025
Reviewer: Aaron Steelman
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 204
Language: english

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