Seven Sisters of Sleep - Self-Titled LP

"tune low, get high" probably sums this album up better than the widely circulated description "sludge for people with short attention spans". granted, both are accurate, but there's so much more to Seven Sisters of Sleep than sludge. this is one of the few full-lengths in recent history that can be appreciated beyond the tracks contained within. this record, with its incredible gatefold artwork, consistency, uniqueness, dope (pun slightly intended) lyrics, etc. is simply an experience that the listener is actively engaged in. the fact that it's only 8 tracks at just under 20 minutes in length makes it all the more impressive.

tons of melodic feedback allow the songs to flow together nicely, and also gives you a chance to let your brain catch up with your ears. distorted, gruff vocals work in collaboration with the rhythm section nicely, whether intentionally or not is irrelevant. the cymbals are probably one of the biggest overall record highlights. maybe it was an effort in microphone placement or equalizing or something, but they actually stand out without having to be whipped as hard as possible. the rich tones they produce help keep an overall mellow vibe even with SSOS is hammering your soul with satanic, anti-capitalist hardcore. yes, i did just use the words "mellow" and "vibe" in succession. no, i do not regret it.

while describing their sound in more detail with a handful of local punx, i found myself viscerally making the following oversimplification: "it's somewhere between COUGH and early BLACK SABBATH, but with more rage and sometimes way faster". so yeah, to further oversimplify: heavy metal guitar riffs, crust punk bass, gritty wailing vocals, drums that slash your face.

standout tracks, in my humble opinion, include: Tide is Rising, CCEC, and Follow the Serpent. this may only be for the fact that they're the most pissed off sounding ones, but i stand by it. honorable mention also goes to Passed Out Standing, mainly for using a guitar riff that gets stuck in my head for at least an hour a day. Swamp also has some sweet lyrics. most of their songs can be streamed on youtube with footage from The Holy Mountain and weird shit like that. so that's cool. i wish i could spend more time talking about how special i think this band is/will be, but i think for the time being this album speaks for itself. another gem dropped by the folks at A389 Records. click this posts' link to access their website and check out all of their sweet merch that's probably all limited and shit like that. otherwise, you can dig them via facebook, like 'em, and build the hype so that they may exceed it in the future.

till next time...