The Deal

SUMAC is a new band who’s main core consists of Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer) and drummer Nick Yacyshyn from Baptists. Bass player Brian Cook (Russian Circles, Botch, These Arms Are Snakes) also joins the duo (as an auxiliary member) and did all the bass tracking on the band’s debut album entitled “The Deal”. An album consisting of steamroller crushing heaviness and methodical free-range technicality. SUMAC came to form when Aaron Turner had the urge to create music that’s heavy and colossal once again, wanting to bring back the heaviness aspect that he incorporated in Isis, and what he currently does in the OLD MAN GLOOM collective, into a wholly new and different band unlike anything he has previously done before. With one of the goals for SUMAC was for Turner to write some of the heaviest music he has ever written, he found the ideal partner with Baptists drummer Nick Yacyshyn, one of the best drummers in heavy music today. With SUMAC, Yacyshyn allows himself to showcase and expand his drumming talents even further as it is with SUMAC where we will really witness the true talent of this drummer. The duo would enter the studio in Seattle late summer to track “The Deal” with Mell Dettmer (Wolves In The Throne Room, Sunn 0)) etc.) where they would be joined by Russian Circles/Botch/These Arms Are Snakes bassist Brian Cook who would ultimately lay the pulse down for the album (which would be mixed by Kurt Ballou of Converge at Godcity Studios and mastered by Mikka Jusslla at Finvoxx Studios in Finland). Overall, “The Deal” is an absolutely crushing album that stands its own ground which will bring some familiarity with Turner’s repertoire and bring back that classic Hydra Head Records forward-thinking sound and vibe.

Since disbanding his seminal post-metal act Isis, Aaron Turner has broadened the scope of his work with groups like Old Man Gloom and Mamiffer. The debut from his latest project, Sumac, which also features contributions from Russian Circles bassist Brian Cook, finds him at his most sonically aggressive in years.

A review of The Deal by Sumac, available February 16th in Europe and February 17th in North America via Profound Lore Records.