Seven Sisters of Sleep: Opium Morals

These guys are an extremely heavy band that successfully mixes doom, sludge, and hardcore. I was especially pleased with the way most of the tracks include a healthy dose of feedback, usually at the beginning or the end of the song. The use of feedback for musical effect has a long history that I can't review here. Suffice it to say that many listeners enjoy the musical qualities feedback offers, the high pitches, the whiny chaos, the sense of uncontrolled sound. The music on this album matches the attitude such feedback suggests. Each track is fuelled by fast riffs, heavy drums, and screaming vocals, all clearly executed. Check out the first track, "Ghost Plains," for the way these guys introduce themselves. I don't normally like a slow opening, but it works really well here. I felt like I was watching these guys take the stage, ramping up the energy for a night of music.

When I read that these guys come from Los Angeles, I was even more excited about what I was hearing. I grew up in that area and hate the way that many people think only of the excesses of glam metal when they think of L. A. That was then. Keep in mind that L. A. has always produced a wide array of musical styles, many of them on the cutting edge of hard-driving metal and punk. These guys exemplify that side of the L. A. scene and I say more power to them.

My only complaint about this album is that it runs a little long; with most of the tracks drawing on the same musical style and effects, length can make a big difference. Still, it's good to get a full-length from these guys, if only to widen their exposure to fans. My advice for anyone interested in Seven Sisters of Sleep is to check out the first five tracks of this album and then decide if you want to hear more.

Track Listing:
1. Ghost Plains
2. Moths
3. The Flock
4. Grindstone
5. Sunday Mass Grave
6. Orphans
7. Reaper Christ
8. Recitation Fire
9. White Braid
10. Part 2

Added: April 10th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2333
Language: english

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