Band:	Somnolent
Album:	Renaissance Unraveling
Style:	Funeral doom metal
Release date:	March 28, 2011
A review by:	BitterCOld

01. Exhale!
02. Emptiness Beyond The Horizon
03. Visible World Eraser
04. P.R.O.S.E. (Poem Risen On Somnolence Error)
05. Solipsistic Exfoliation
06. Chrysalis Verge (Part 1: Inside)
07. Chrysalis Verge (Part 2: Tearing Out)
08. Division Of Nihil

Somnolent seem to have a bit of a musical identity crisis going on. Apparently they started as a funeral doom band, released an album, then they altered their identity for this go around. Renaissance Unraveling is part prog, part post and part doom with some sludgy bits tossed in as well.

The problem is that while there are cool bits here and there, nice riffs, leads, or atmospheric sections, they aren't strung together in any meaningful sort of way and just sort of sporadically appear spread through-out the release. It feels disjointed. There just isn't any continuity.

The band spends a significant amount of time with mellow moments? where sparse, clean guitar tones interact with interesting drumming and bass work. Normally such passages are things I applaud, providing a nice counter to intense music. It allows the listener to relax a moment and breath, and has the added boost of making the harsh music seem to pack an extra wallop when it slams back in.

However, they are too much, too many, and too often. Take "P.R.O.S.E." for example. For a minute it builds with meandering guitarwork, followed by some shouted vocals before at roughly the one minute mark the drums kick into a cool beat, the guitarist starts shredding a cool solo? things are happening! And then 17 seconds later it collapses straight back into the pointless meandering.

Perhaps one of the high points of the album is "Solipsistic Exfoliation" ? it's got more of the mellow moments? and meandering music going on, but is backed with an interesting theology/science spoken bit that provides intrigue.

The album does have its heavy moments, but I wish there were more of 'em and perhaps a little less "busy". It's like these guys went ADD nutty after the minimalist confines of their funeral doom past and tried to cram in as many ideas, concepts, bits, and pieces as they could.

As for the vocals? just lots of harsh shouting that seemed out of place at times, annoying at others. They really didn't do anything to enhance my listening experience.

It's got some cool ideas from time to time, but just not enough of them, coherently connected frequently enough to encourage future spins. Interest unraveling.