Sunday 7 June 2015

Godsleep - 'Thousand Sons Of Sleep' (Album Review)

By: Theron Moore

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 18/09/2015
Label: Self Released




I think the reason why the record works so well is the musical chemistry which is fantastic. “Thousand Sons of Sleep” is a deep and complex record with a lot to offer. I’m recommending buying this record, the boys in Godsleep are quite good at what they do and this record proves it well.


‘Thousand Sons Of Sleep’ CD//DD track Listing:

1.The Call 07:18
2.Thirteen 08:00
3.Wrong Turn 09:08
4.This is Mine 04:15
5.I Want You 06:50
6.Home 08:27
7.Feel Like Home 04:02


The Review:

Godsleep starts the show with “The Call,” going all the way back, summoning forth ghosts, wringing up cosmic echoes of 1968 to 1971. For me “Thousand Sons of Sleep“ really brought up memories of Noel Redding’s post Hendrix band Road, it just has that vibe to it although Godsleep covers a fair amount of musical territory on this record from stoner to metal to southern boogie & blues even.  I liked how the band plays coy throughout most of the song, waiting, building until the moment presents itself unloading, heavy as titanium drums in full thunder mode, watery, spacey vocals mesmerizing behind a wall of psychedelic guitar sound.

But Godsleep plays with you, entices you, allowing the song to build with ominous anticipation teasing you with a full out distortion attack but holding steady until the last minute and delivering just enough fuzz and down tuned goodness to quench that thirst with a little volume play. And that’s just the first track.  With seven tracks on this platter, song two, “Thirteen,” tears into it full on, like a train goin’ off the tracks, destroying everything in its wake. The vocals have a Down or Pantera feel about them, calling forth the inner Anselmo via “Goddamn Electric” with a down home metallic feel to it, churning out a tsunami of a groove throughout. You can hear every ounce of pain the singer has inside a web of southern blues inspired boogie giving the song a dingy, smoky barroom feel to it. With lyrics like, “Dead man walkin’, dead man walkin’ dead man walkin’ now” you believe him, its real.

Wrong Turn” slows it down and further explores the Pantera style quality the singer has, which isn’t a bad thing because it works well with the band in a very back to the 70’s-ish, way-out-groove-boogie type manner which incidentally is how the song progresses and eventually culminates.  Track four, “This is mine,” just pummels you right off the bat with its Sabbath style saunter and bad ass ramble. This song is complete attitude and Tyrannosaurus riff. I had this image of a Hells Angels biker type with a hot tattooed chick in cut off daisy dukes riding down the highway, that’s what it sang it to me.

Track five, “I want you,” opens with a monolith of hellish distortion, something you’d imagine getting shat out of a black hole by an angry god. The last two tracks, “Home,” and “Feels like Home” are great examples of what I call “quiet heaviness.” The guitars have that dreamy, Jimmy Page quality to them, ala “No Quarter.”  I love the interplay of the music and the vocals in Godsleep. I think the reason why the record works so well is the musical chemistry which is fantastic. “Thousand Sons of Sleep” is a deep and complex record with a lot to offer. I’m recommending buying this record, the boys in Godsleep are quite good at what they do and this record proves it well.


‘Thousand Sons of Sleep’ is available to buy on CD/DD from BandCamp.

Band info: Facebook | BandCamp