It’s been almost three years since one local band underwent a line-up change that made them go from “OK, I guess” to “Nice, I do declare!” in my book. This change was in the form of their lead singer, who was previously of the power metal variant, but was replaced with a growler and thus changed the entire dynamic of the quintet…if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m going to write about Sleepers’ Guilt today! The guys are about to release their first full-length, or should I say overfull-length, called Kilesa on February 27th!
While the line-up is the same as on the 2013 released EP Road Of Emptiness, this marks the first real release in the current line-up, since the aforementioned record was written with the ex-singer in mind and even though it worked out quite well in the end, you can definitely tell what the true potential of the new sound is this time around. While the Sleepies are staying true to their symphonic and melodic roots, the songwriting is a lot heavier this time around, and almost a one-eighty degree turn, because instead of having the occasional mosh-worthy part among the progressive tunes, these thirteen songs are almost non-stop headbang extravaganza.
But fear not, SG have not descended into bland death metal or hardcore or whatever you’re picturing right now…no, no: they created a, in my opinion, perfect blend of brutally heavy and dreamy melodic parts. If I had to explain it to a stranger, I’d say that they sound like Amon Amarth, but with actually well-written and diverse songs. There’s one for the album sticker, people.
In the opener I mentioned that Kilesa was an overfull-length album…let me delve into that a bit more: the crowd-funded record is a double album which amounts to a total playtime of seventy-eight minutes! Ambitious, to say the least. Ingenious too, though. In order to avoid boredom and repetition, the second half of this opus, is a concept album that features guest vocals of Noémie Leer, of Elysian Gates, and that has a slightly more orchestral and progressive feel to it. The three songs are all around the ten minute mark and provide a wonderful listening experience.
However, this zest for action also has a negative side to it…at least for me. I am simply not a huge fan of albums that are almost as long as a friggin’ movie! I always try to listen to a record at least twenty times before reviewing it…but with a playtime like this, it’s a sheer impossibility. Maybe I’m showing signs of the fast-food society we live in, but I fear that it’s just too long for some. …and that’s what she said.
In all seriousness and in closing: Kilesa is a brilliant work of art that will capture everyone that takes the time to be absorbed by it. And if you are, like me, apprehensive about the playtime…take it one disc at a time. Trust me, it’s worth it. You can visit Sleepers’ Guilt‘s Facebook page for more information, watch the video below for a first impression and last but not least, swing your butt to KuFa on Saturday for the release show of Kilesa!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbsZz-WBOBU]