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SEA SLEEPER "Burden Of Antlers"
SEA SLEEPER "Burden Of Antlers"
By Dr. Abner Mality
This is one of the wildest rides of the year so far. I don't really know how to process it myself...I can't say I truly enjoyed "Burden of Antlers", but it provides something that is really lacking in the extreme music world...originality! SEA SLEEPER has got their own sound for sure and that's nothing to take lightly.
Just how the hell do I even describe this Portland outfit? They are death metal, but a kind that I've not really heard before. This mad beast lurches wildly from subgenre to subgenre...it's as fidgety as a toddler with ADHD and never content to stay in one place. It is obvious that SEA SLEEPER are fans of classic death metal and incorporate parts paying homage to that, but in no way could this be called "old school". There's a strong deathcore element, but whereas most deathcore has a very predictable sound, with breakdowns appearing almost at regularly scheduled intervals, there is nothing predictable about the way any of these songs are put together. The angular weirdness of DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and CONVERGE is here, but there are also some moments of post-metal ying and yang including serene moments that give way to cataclysmic riff explosions. Guitar solos range from some that sound almost rock and roll to screechy noise bursts.
On top of this, we have the vocals of Jesse Cooley, which I have never properly heard the likes of before.He has a very harsh nasal tone with a kind of robotic quality but can also engage in soothing croons. Neither of these sound like typical harsh/clean contrasts...they add an almost alien feeling to what is already a hard to digest sound.
I won't go into individual songs too much, as they are all constantly twisting and changing. First track "Machines Of the Bombing Run" is odd from the get-go, almost VOI VODian in spots, but is actually one of the "straighter" tracks here. Some songs like "Coma" and "They'll Miss You" are insanely heavy at times, but just around the corner might be some of Cooley's relaxed vocals and some post-metal calmness. Last track "Husk" was so dissonant, I could barely make it to the end...many of the songs here leave the listener in a state of queasy unease.
It's incredibly unique and can barely be compared to anything else I've heard. That in itself is a huge triumph in these days of cookie cutter bands. i salute SEA SLEEPER, but I cannot say this album is something I'll be returning to on a regular basis.
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