Sleepless - Winds Blow Higher
Raven Music - 2002
Reviewed by Philip Whitehouse
Go to the The End Records website to order this CD.
Go to the Sleepless website.
This is a bit of a change of speed for me. Y'see, after being officially titled 'our wee extreme metal guru' by Mark Bridgeman, I've been used to receiving packages of CDs that consist mainly of melodic death metal, the occasional metal/hardcore crossover CD and, of course, stinkers like the new Timo Tolkki album (that must have been a joke....). So, to now receive a CD by a gothic/industrial/jazz rock band comes as something of a shock to the system. But they say variety is the spice of life, so on went the CD...
And I must say, my eyes have been opened to yet another new style of music. Sleepless - the duo of Maor Appelbaum and David Bendayan - sound like a harmonious amalgamation of Nine Inch Nails' industrial/electronic wizardry, Lacrimosa's classical/metal crossover and Angelo Badalementi's jazz score for the moview 'The Lost Highway'. All of which basically adds up to mean that what we have hear is a highly original band creating melodic, atmospheric music with a sometimes sinister but always melancholic edge.
Third track 'Sands Of Time' is an excellent example of the kind of atmospheres Sleepless can conjure in their songs - from a melodic, reverb-drenched beginning covered by clean, vulnerable-sounding vocals suddenly changes into a an angry, brooding chorus with just the addition of some harsher vocals and distortion in the guitars.
Sleepless's main victory lies in their ability to conjure up moods and atmospheres in their songs. From within the sounds of the instruments come swirling mists of emotional colour, changing and evolving with each chord change and progression in the song structure, never jarring the listener but always lulling them, gently and with the least persuasion, into a fresh state of mind. The album is by turns relaxing, depressing, uplifting and sublime.
Along with Lacrimosa's 'Fassade' album and VLE's 'Book Of Illusions...', Sleepless's 'Winds Blow Higher' is one of the best albums you can buy for those times when you just need to chill out, burn candles, and get all dark and moody. Most recommended.
9/10
Raven Music - 2002
Reviewed by Philip Whitehouse
Go to the The End Records website to order this CD.
Go to the Sleepless website.
This is a bit of a change of speed for me. Y'see, after being officially titled 'our wee extreme metal guru' by Mark Bridgeman, I've been used to receiving packages of CDs that consist mainly of melodic death metal, the occasional metal/hardcore crossover CD and, of course, stinkers like the new Timo Tolkki album (that must have been a joke....). So, to now receive a CD by a gothic/industrial/jazz rock band comes as something of a shock to the system. But they say variety is the spice of life, so on went the CD...
And I must say, my eyes have been opened to yet another new style of music. Sleepless - the duo of Maor Appelbaum and David Bendayan - sound like a harmonious amalgamation of Nine Inch Nails' industrial/electronic wizardry, Lacrimosa's classical/metal crossover and Angelo Badalementi's jazz score for the moview 'The Lost Highway'. All of which basically adds up to mean that what we have hear is a highly original band creating melodic, atmospheric music with a sometimes sinister but always melancholic edge.
Third track 'Sands Of Time' is an excellent example of the kind of atmospheres Sleepless can conjure in their songs - from a melodic, reverb-drenched beginning covered by clean, vulnerable-sounding vocals suddenly changes into a an angry, brooding chorus with just the addition of some harsher vocals and distortion in the guitars.
Sleepless's main victory lies in their ability to conjure up moods and atmospheres in their songs. From within the sounds of the instruments come swirling mists of emotional colour, changing and evolving with each chord change and progression in the song structure, never jarring the listener but always lulling them, gently and with the least persuasion, into a fresh state of mind. The album is by turns relaxing, depressing, uplifting and sublime.
Along with Lacrimosa's 'Fassade' album and VLE's 'Book Of Illusions...', Sleepless's 'Winds Blow Higher' is one of the best albums you can buy for those times when you just need to chill out, burn candles, and get all dark and moody. Most recommended.
9/10
