SONG REVIEW: SUNVOLUME - "Fever In The Funkhouse"

SUNVOLUME

Sunvolume offer an eclectic mix of sounds in “Fever In The Funkhouse”

Written by JD Walker

Genre-blending has been one of the most popular and interesting approaches that new bands take in recent memory, and for very good reason: While the individual genres have been widely explored through the years, when entirely different sounds collide an unimaginable new sound takes form. Sunvolume utilized a wide array of soundscapes and musical colors in their artistic single “Fever In The Funkhouse” for a creative new offering that’s just as odd as it is amazing.

“Fever In The Funkhouse” starts with an ambient, glitching intro as the drums slowly fade into an array of guitar arpeggios. The verse drops into a chunky sounding groove, heavily inspired by the likes of Tool and Deftones. The sound borders on the lines of prog while still maintaining a discernible pulse. As the song progresses through the chorus, the phrasing rides the line between order and chaos as the sound turns to a more grungy, gritty approach. A quick solo before the final chorus utilizes an overdriven fuzzed out sound reminiscent of early 90’s alternative rock, and the final chorus brings a resolution to the short journey of a song.

Sunvolume are a refreshing group to discover - the Chicago-based trio list a number of genres that don’t seemingly fit with one another as their influences. Drawing inspiration from the sounds of hard rock, psychedelica, electronic music, and even hip-hop, the power trio composed of Justin Sanetra on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Russell on bass, and Brett Sassetti on drums mean business in their approach. “Fever In The Funkhouse” clocks in at just over two and a half minutes, making it a short yet sweet single that’s ripe for continued replays.

Sunvolume seems to have a large volume of incredible influences - including the aforementioned inspiration from Tool and Deftones, the group shares sonic semblance with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, Intronaut, and many other new-age rock bands. In addition to the world-class songwriting, “Fever In The Funkhouse” features production from the award winning duo of Kane Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie) and Tristan Hardin (Disturbed, Corey Taylor) of Hideout Recording Studios in Las Vegas. 

Sunvolume have a truly special sound that can’t be pinpointed to one genre - while the groups influences are clearly stated in their approach, the resulting sound is something otherworldly. It’s also hard to believe that just three guys are able to create such a massive sound - a sound that speaks volumes to their musicianship and raw talent in songwriting and performance.