From their EPK, “SLEEPBOMBis a San Francisco-based psychedelic doom project focused on full, original scores for genre films including the German Expressionist silent masterpieces - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu and Metropolis. Historically a live experience, they have performed their scores across the West coast of the US since 2003 and now has set their sights on expanding to the East coast and the world for 2025. Originally stylistically close to a chaotic version of THROBBING GRISTLE vs BLACK SABBATH, they have been exploring experimental sounds and forms, guided by the band’s love of GOODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, COIL, NEUROSIS, SUN 0))), ULVER, and SWANS, among others. Settling on a drone influenced style of doom metal as the overarching theme while exploring other genres as appropriate for each film’s particular style, their goal is to re-contextualize the experience of these well-known films.”

The album has seven songs, and “Cemetery Song” is first. It’s a slow and somber song, that builds with subtle layers. Many of the tones are creepy, and harrowing, and it could be a soundtrack to a horror movie. “Refuse/Resist” has smoother edges to it, and it moves along slowly with a good deal of backing ambiance. You can feel the waves of change as the music swells with tension and retreats, and the hardened tones that arise seem to come out of nowhere. “Flames from Afar” is another song that has a lot of tension in the tones, and they are as thick as fog sometimes. What the band has done well so far is using textures and atmosphere in their music, to create real feelings for the listeners. “It Was a Good Plan” hints at the old adage of “the road to hell was paved with good intentions,” and it has more hardened musical elements, especially that weighted riff.  “Emergency Broadcast Network” is a shorter song that supports the hints of doom that come with hearing the familiar sound of the song title.

“The Basement is the Safest Place” is a familiar saying within the world of horror movies. Although the statement may seem to be true, it can actually be a trap, and for some reason, many horrible atrocities occur in basements. The swelling of guitars brings that sense of impending doom high to your mind, and you can see the shadow of the killer materializing. “Another One for the Fire” closes the album, and leaves the listener without much hope. There are very pretty and melodic tones, but they bite with a sense of tragedy. This was an excellent album, and it pushed emotions like fear, anxiety, and even agitation. Without vocals, some people find it hard to relate to music. However, I am not one of them, and I believe that it forces a band to concentrate more on songwriting, dynamism, and textures in the music, so that the music can be brought to life. That is what SLEEPBOMB has done with “The Sleeping Dead.”