Crank this to 9.4 of 11 - Editors' Pick
Released: 2020
Genre: Progressive Doom
Sounds Like: My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Katatonia
The dynamic trio from Milwaukee, Wisconsin are back with their seventh release (outside live releases) entitled Aeon. Sleestak took a seven year hiatus from their 2013 EP ‘Book of Hours’. Aeon is a very diverse album that picks up nicely from the bands previous works. The eight tracks are quite diverse and beautifully produced.Lead singer Matt Schmitz has a very theatric way about his voice as we are reminded on occasion of the late Petrus Thomas Ratajczyk from Type-O-Negative.
The album features a healthy goth-like backdrop with crisp guitar and percussion work that embrace the doom, stoner and progressive genres. Aeon keeps us quite engaged throughout as it contains a very balanced dosage of heavy along side of some very ethereal and spacious moments that include distortion and angelic choir-laced background vocals. We found ourselves further absorbed with each listen as the calming yet heavy blend makes for a refreshing journey.
Track Listing:
1. Infinite Eternal (7:47)
2. The Void (6:52)
3. Black Iron Prison / Submerged (7:58)
4. Distant Lights (8:00)
5. Keepers of the Illusion (6:03)
6. Out of Body (6:01)
7. Omelas (4:22)
8. STCFTHOTS (16:41)
Standout Track:
"Keepers of the Illusion" really had us take a step back. Tremendous relaxed hooks completely lull you into this very relaxed state at the onset only to build to a cacophony of beautiful rage. Schmitz shows us his amazing range with his morph into some very dark death metal grimace. The dramatic spoken word further engages the listener with intrigue. Lovers of contrast and originality will gravitate towards this standout beauty.
Adult Beverage Pairing:
The relaxing rays of Aeon are complimented by a nice can of Thumbprint Scream Double IPA from Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing Company. This Imperial Double IPA will further your relaxation. Rich in both flavor and bitterness, the double IPA boasts an impressive 9% ABV and 85 IBUs (International Bittering Units), and has been voted by Beer Advocate as one of the top beers in the state. If you like complex, strong beers, then this beauty will flow perfectly with the entire Sleestak library.
ROTATION RECAP :
Song Structure
9.3 out of 11
Weight of the Heavy
8.9 out of 11
Vocal Performance
9.4 out of 11
Fretwork Prowess
9.2 out of 11
Percussion Prowess
9.7 out of 11
Overall Album Flow
9.7 out of 11
Contrast
9.8 out of 11
Album Cover Aesthetics
9.6 out of 11
Production Value
10.2 out of 11
Authenticity
9.8 out of 11
Band Members:
Matt Schmitz - vocals, guitar, keys
Marcus Bartell - drums
Dan Bell - bass
Final Thoughts:
Sleestak has an eye for different and beautiful. Take a look at their library of album covers and images. While the name certainly conjure’s up those evil cave-ridden creatures from our childhood, we can see their deep artistic eye. Kudos to Steve Somers and his ability to capture the wild and tie-into the beautiful production of Sleestak. Aeon features some epically majestic dark tracks that will expand your love for heavy. Sleestak embodies a refreshingly unique view upon the musical world that should not go unnoticed. The last two tracks of this album (20 minutes) will whisk you away into a very expansive and relaxing viewpoint