Seven Sisters of Sleep, possibly my favorite alliterative name in recent memory, are back with their sophomore album Opium Morals. Seven Sisters of Sleep, or SSOS for brevity’s sake, are the kind of band I believe appeals to both metal heads and non-metal heads for exactly the same reason; regardless if either side of the coin knows it. Their brand of steel bridge cable heaviness and microphone engulfing vocals might blow the minds of those unfamiliar with the sludge genre while those that are will simply find their bellies full.
With food in mind, SSOS are a real meat and potatoes kind of band. They’re not looking to recreate the wheel, and why should they? Their honest to goodness style coupled with great song writing chops creates easily satisfying music that gets right to the point. At their best, SSOS make seamless transitions from slow to fast, and always back to slow. Opener “Ghost Plains” does this in perfectly as the track builds up towards the middle only to churn through the viscera towards the track’s end.
While the band isn’t so unorthodox, they take some liberties here and there that are welcomed changes from last year’s self-titled EP. “Moths” begins with a very post-rock vibe, much akin to Baton Rouge’s Thou. This is a high point for the band as they develop the track with the utmost sense of brevity and skill, leaving no important note unstrummed or beat unhit.
As I scan the track list, each song’s length is concise; something I’ve grown to really appreciate as some bands just don’t know when to stop. In this way SSOS show a bit of hardcore seeping through as they know how to pen a song with the utmost sense of energy. Each track’s length also reflects the strength of the album as a whole as it won’t rely on one or two tracks to tie the listener down, but rather a myriad of ideas and approaches that work well together to create a great 33 minutes of downtuned, angry, and memorable sludge.
“Sunday Mass Grave” shows the band’s tendency to incorporate a blast beat or two, which is welcomed as it pushes you right back into the meat grinder of groove. Speed’s manipulated again with “Orphans” and it’s up tempo power chord surge mid-way through, a nice variation in the band’s catalog. These variances are what spoke to me the most, as the band could just chug away and be boring, but they don’t. Choosing to incorporate different tempos, rhythms, and approaches keeps Opium Morals fresh throughout.
Out in mid March, be sure to check out a streaming track here and the band’s label, A389 Records, here.
Lani Parker
February 17, 2013 at 5:13 pm
I, too, have grown weary of bands who don’t seem to know how to cut their lovies and keep it simple (does every drone/sludge/prog release really need to be 70 minutes long?).
Ryan Fury
February 13, 2013 at 11:44 am
SoSS? Seven of Sisters Sleep?