So Numb

Brooklyn instrumental trio Sannhet's third album, So Numb, seems less indebted to black metal than their previous releases. That doesn't make it any less intense or powerful, however. The recording quality is cleaner and more defined, and there's a bit more of a post-punk/shoegaze shimmer to some of the guitars, but the music itself still surges and strikes. Apart from the ambitious seven-minute epic "Fernbeds" and the nearly Justin Broadrick-esque semi-industrial track "Salts," most of the songs are relatively concise, going without the meandering build-ups typical of the more crescendo-loving post-rock bands. Instead, they get right down to business and deliver a full-on attack. The album does conclude on an ominous note with "Wind Up," which sounds like a cluster of music boxes slowly decaying against feedback and haunted pianos. ~ Paul Simpson