ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Hour Noise, "Sleeping Dogs"

By: Josh McIntyre

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 10/01/2020

Label: Silver Maple Kill Records

“Sleeping Dogs” CD//DD track listing:

1). Scatter

2). The Texas Effect

3). Nerves

4). The Waltz

5). Moonlight

6). Sleeping Dogs

7). Vessel

8). Remorse

9). In Shackles

10). Audience Joins Murder

11). Iris

The Review:

In the last five years or so we’ve seen a new wave of mathcore bands appear with a decent amount of underground support. Just as it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out amongst the crowd we have Dead Hour Noise come at us with their debut full length. The Michigan band employs the dissonant chords and hardcore chugs that we expect from the genre but they do it with creativity and sincerity that separates them from the Dillinger and Every Time I Die worship that’s so common. 

The grooves are, well, groovy and the riffs are hooks that push the songs forward as they flow into each other in a fashion that is rather exciting to listen to. Often the tracks will twist and turn about similar to a rollercoaster ride. Still, Dead Hour Noise don’t play the ‘fun’ or ‘sassy’ kind of mathcore (the kind with silly song titles and gang vocals). The music is dark, the vocals are fierce, and although the riffs are catchy they still carry a sense of unease to them. Part of this feeling comes from the range of ideas on display. Some parts have blast beats, others focus on a mid tempo groove, and as the album progresses we get slower, sludgier, and more experimental tracks. The contrast keeps the album alive and interesting as the band manages to avoid predictability while staying neatly within their subgenre. 

Besides the thoughtful song writing, my highest regards go to the tight musicianship on display as technical and thoughtful as it is. Multi-tracked guitars sound natural, every note and harmony comes clear as day thanks to excellent mixing, and every instrument sounds punchy. There is a lot of energy captured in this recording and the snarling, raspy vocal style fits perfectly on top of the bouquet of metallic hardcore riffage. 

“Sleeping Dogs” is an album that feels like an album. The tracks flow so well together and the range of ideas makes it feel like a concise whole that tells a story rather than a collection of individual parts attached. I hope to see Dead Hour Noise live someday soon and I also hope to see them grow so that they are mentioned alongside the other mathcore/metalcore bands lately gaining traction such as Seizures and meth.

“Sleeping Dogs” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook