Sunrise
Traces To Nowhere

January 2005
Released: 2004, Lifeforce Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Gabriel C. Zolman

A long-running Polish Hardcore/Crossover act, the music of Sunrise more resembles the rumblings of New-Thrash luminaries such as Dew-Scented or Corporation 187 than any traditional Punk-inspired musings of their straightedge brethren. Essentially metallic, with only a handful of shout-out choruses to betray its Hardcore roots, the sheer versatility and maturity of this band suggests a comfortable nestling into any number of genres, sounds, or scenes.

At times recalling Entombed or early Transport League, the vocals bellow with the sort of Wookie roar last heard on old Usurper and Dead Youth LP’s. The guitars grind and gyrate swiftly and menacingly; the bass rumbles ominously like a bridge ready to collapse. The drumming is precise, focused, and deliberate—driving oft-meandering compositions back into manageable, memorable territory (most evident on Metalcore headbashers like “Escape Failure”).

Both the title track, and the animated “Undercover Enemy,” exhibits a keen Melodic Death influence, with both Night In Gales and a young In Flames coming to mind. Other standouts include “Coma Is Over,” with its rollicking Speed Metal chug, and the Euro-influenced flare of “Compromise Zero,” with its more traditional metallic bite.

The album’s ferocious pacing keeps the listeners’ attention far greater than many artists of this ilk. The most notably “punk” moment comes in the form of “Scream Bloody Murder,” with its incessant slamming and catchy breakdowns—yet all of this remains tightly filtered through a distinctly European lens. All in all, this is surprisingly fresh and potent stuff.