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Cyrus Gold sure know their way around the low-end!! These Pittsburgians have built a strong sound with equal parts grimy Rock-n-Roll and rabid, off-kilter Post-Hardcore. The rhythm section thuds along while the guitar swirls, churns and drenches everything in overdriven noise. The vocals are rough, raging and rabid. Mix equal parts Black Sabbath, Deadguy and the Swans and you will have a pretty good idea where these miscreants are coming from. If you were ever a fan of Amphetamine Reptile records, the Jesus Lizard or Big Black, you will find plenty to enjoy here.
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I have to admit, when it comes to Progressive Metal, I don't know a damned thing. I mean, I am a fan of Tool and the Deftones to an extent, but, this is a genre I have spent little to no time exploring. I hope I can do this album justice with my review...
Carving Colours are from Spain. They are really good at what they do. When I envision a Progressive Metal band, this is exactly what I think of. The guitars are heavy and crunchy, yet intricate. The vocalist definitely sings more than he growls or screams. In fact, there is almost zero aggression in the vocal delivery save for the rare moments where there is. I am more often than not reminded of mid-to-later period James Hetfield when Metallica began losing their faith in Metal. That's not to say these guys sound like Metallica... I guess they probably sound more like Kings X or Blind Guardian when the songs begin exhibiting more of a Power Metal thing that just leaves me cold. I think my favorite part is when everything falls out and the piano interlude takes over. There are some strange keyboard flourishes here and there that add an almost video-gamey feel... I don't know... These songs are well developed and competent. I just don't know enough about the style to tell you whether or not they are better than most.
I guess, if you are a fan of bands like Dream Theater, Queensryche, Nevermore, Anathema and later/shittier Mastodon, you will probably like this.
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Yes, I would be more than honored to immerse myself in the new Sleepless songs and review them on my measly blog. Thank you for thinking of me.
Toronto is a living, breathing music mecca these days. With so many wonderful bands creating so many disparate sounds, you might imagine it would be difficult to make an impact with your music. In many cases that is true. For all the bands from that city that I have an affinity for, a lot of them are treading a very similar, aurally familiar path. Tons of Screamo and Sludge and Power-Violence and whatnot... Don't get me wrong, I love and cherish all of that. But, sometimes, you just want to ROCK! Like, I mean solid, meat n' potatoes Rock. The kind that sticks to your ribs and makes your belly feel full and warm and... Damn, I just want to bang my head so hard right now!
I have reviewed these guys before. My thoughts have not changed. Sleepless are ten times better than all the myriad Balance & Composure/Transit/Seahaven clones wandering the earth right now. This is Emo-Post-Rock-Post-Hardcore-Post... played like the 90's were still in full swing. And, I just love it!! Gruff, melodic, hook-laden hopefulness with a very dry, self-deprecating sense of pain and anguish in the lyrics. The guitar lumbers and sways and these guys definitely understand the concept of loud/soft.
My original comparisons still stand. The Casket Lottery, On The Might Of Princes, Small Brown Bike, Hero Of A Hundred Fights... I would also throw in some Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age this time around. Basically, this is emotional Post-Everything steeped in heavy doses of Alt-Rock with a little Blues-based boogie for good measure. I was so excited for these songs to come out and I am certainly not disappointed. Thank you Ben. Thank you guys.
Don't sleep on Sleepless. If you do, you will absolutely regret missing the boat on a band that is bound for bigger and better things. I predict a tour with Title Fight sometime within the next year... It will happen.
