The inaugural EP from newly molded metal band Sleepless has something for every stripe of heavy metal fan.
Eric Dorsett and Eric Detablan are two musicians who were original members of the thrash band Dead Conspiracy which formed in the late 1980s and then reformed a few years back. They have come together now with Kevin Hahn to create Sleepless, a metal amalgam of classic takes on heavy music.
There are four tracks on the album and the whole business in done in a little over a quarter of an hour. The vocals have that soaring, epic metal quality – very theatrical. The guitar work is crisp with catchy riffs and good lead wielding. The arrangement of the order of the tracks is interesting: longest to shortest in a straight line. It creates a sense of urgency as you work your way through with an increasing rapidity.
“The Man Who Could Not Sleep” is a tour through metal attributes with sidetracks to lands unknown. There is a lot going on in the song, and all of it is good in each of the separate ways. It is a nudge off balance with its sharp corners and its subterfuge, a sort of environmental enrichment, you might say.
“Host Desecration” is more straight forward in its approach, as is “Deluded Hordes,” the latter being my favorite song on the EP for its whirling lead guitar and the combination of thrashy elements with a grinding lowdown-ness. The closer is the title track, and it was released as a single late last year.
Blood Libel is out this Friday, March 12th. Right now the single is active at the Bandcamp link. The entire EP should pop up on release day. It is a snappy quadratic and a good way to shake up your smoke break. Recommended.
Links.
Flying Fiddlesticks Music Blog 