Black Shapes - Sleep Sleep Sleep
Since breaking into the London music scene back in 2011 and having since released various material and made the occasional line-up change, Black Shapes are now set to release their debut album Sleep, Sleep, Sleep.
The album opens with the screams of Treason, Heresy and Witchcraft. Don't be fooled by the twenty seconds of calmness at the start of this track as the album as a whole is it is anything but calm. While drums pound the guitars rage and then the scream round it off in one almighty ball of madness. The music rumbles away for over four minutes, the last minute or so sounding a little repetitive.
Next on the agenda is This Requiem. The music takes a darker turn on this track as things twist and turn and guitar riffs shatter. At one point the vocals stop screaming the words at the top of their lungs and actually become rather sinister, darker and more unnerving which suits the track perfectly with a little bit of a croak! This track actually has you visualising images at one point it is that strong of a tune; certainly the most memorable track on the album.
This is followed by the guitar strong Sin Of Sinners before things are taken down a notch for the milder yet eerier Sleep With The Gods. Placed among tracks that are loud, fairly fast paced and extremely strong, this track sits out like a sore thumb. It is musically dreary and has vocals in the background that sound as if screaming through a megaphone from a fair distance; not one of the albums highlights.
Nerissa turns things back up with the passionate screaming of lyrics, mad crashing of drums and explosive guitars. This pattern of enthusiasm continues throughout The Echoing Grief and Midnight Brides before another two minute doze through Clear View Of Static. Age Of Porcine makes a name for itself with even darker vocals and a untied forefront at times, Legend of Web takes the upbeat nature of most tracks but retains some of the dreariness of the slower tunes, while the concluding number to this album Our Temptress The Sea crashes out just as a concluding performance at a live show.
After hearing the style that Black Shapes tends to flow through with this record, you can understand why it will not be everyone's cup of tea. However, some musical potential does break through the tough exterior to give a glimpse into the crazy world Black Shapes create around themselves.