Giant Sleep concocts a mind tingling blend of proto-metal laced vocals and progressive stoner rock riffs. Dead Memories kicks things off with an enormous lead with building aggression partnered with spaced out guitars and vocals regurgitated like a Glenn Danzig chorus line after a couple packs of unfiltered cigarettes. I say that in the classiest way it can be interpreted. Not a fan of Danzig? It doesn't matter. It was just a comparison and I wouldn't say the album overall sounds like Danzig as it's not in the same ball park let alone even playing in the same league. It is however good enough to fill a ball park in an imaginary world where good music sells out stadiums unlike the current industry’s state of affairs.
While listening through the album on multiple takes I couldn't help but kick myself for not jumping all over this one sooner. I mean it's only been out for a month or so and I kicked down cash for a 'name your price' price tag so I obviously liked it, but it's one of those that likely came around the same time as 12 other albums and it just sort of got lost in the shuffle. Anyway, it is found now and I am listening again and dumbfounded. Their bandcamp says for fans of Monster Magnet, Tool, QOTSA, King Crimson, Amplifier, and Pink Floyd. I myself am fans of those bands and even if I wasn't I can't find a reason why I wouldn't like Giant Sleep. It doesn't sound really like any of those bands but contains traces of their sounds sketched within their own unique mural of progressive rock. The progressiveness is apparent yet I wouldn't coin this as progressive metal or rock like say Amplifier or King Crimson. If anything it's got a Toolish vibe with more of a Monster Magnet space factor sprinkled in.
The fact that Giant Sleep was released on bandcamp on 4/20 gives the stoner metal community something to cough over on top of the fact that it contains a multitude of some of the most wicked psychedelic stoner riffs I've heard all year. Just listen to the instrumental song 7 Argos and tell me that isn't a cool ass riff. Immediately after that, the album floats into my favorite song on the album with a mellow blues based rocking masterpiece titled Another Adventure. Vocals moan a deep sultry swagger underlain with an electrifying atmosphere of eerie riffs and vivid textures. The album has an almost NWOBHM ring to it, but without the classic high pitched euro vocal register. Sort of similar to what studio band 'Dawnbringer' sounds like. Giant Sleep is a superb stoner metal take on classic progressive metal. I dig it, I recommend it and I'll be revisiting this one for months to come. Keep your eyes and ears out for these guys going forward. Don’t know what their plans are but this album indicates they have potential worthy of your attention.
-The Huntsman
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