Sleepbomb – The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Sleepbomb – The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Koolarrow Records/Consouling Sounds
Release Date: 03/11/2023
Running Time: 1:04:00
Review by Gaz Bates
7/10
As an old school horror fan, the album name ‘The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari’ really leapt out at me, and as a Doom Metal fan, the name ‘SLEEPBOMB’ stuck out on the review list like a sore thumb. Honestly, I did not know what to expect with this album, a band doing a modern soundtrack to a silent horror movie that came out over 100 years ago?
I was not familiar with the band until I heard this, walking down a dark street on a typical November night in the UK, walking through puddles and under streetlights, the first track on the album, aptly named ‘Intro’, sounds like something from an 80s Horror flick, unsettling and eerie until the next track, ‘Act 1’, which has guitar tones reminiscent of Type O’Negative with creepy voice overs. This song builds and builds, the suspense is heavy throughout, moving throughout soundscapes. This album can easily stand alone, but I would very much like to see this accompany the film. This is not just songwriting, this is musical composition, well thought out and intricate, dynamically fantastic. SLEEPBOMB build and build each ‘Act’, keeping you hooked as you listen to the intricacies of each piece of music. The synths are haunting throughout, and the guitars use dissonant harmonies with Doom riffs filled with fuzz. It calls to mind the ‘Halloween 3 – Season of the Witch’ soundtrack (God that film was awful, but the soundtrack was ace), or synth artist Bo Hansson, mixed with Stoner Doom guitar riffs. Ethereal vocals and jazz style drums.
SLEEPBOMB have made something special with this album, it is something you can listen to intently or have on in the background. Something you could close your eyes to or, clearly watch along with the visuals it is intended for. ‘ACT 3’ stood out the most for me, I can’t really say why, maybe the vocals or the steady pace of the guitar picking notes like a metronome all the way through, but something about this track really grabbed me. ‘ACT IV’ has funeral doom elements and when it climaxes you can tell that seeing this performed live would be heavy and hypnotic. The final 2 acts build more atmosphere, and heavy parts give way for more space in-between the movements.
This is not what I was expecting to pick up and listen to today, but I am glad I did. Hopefully I will be able to catch one of their performances alongside the film. Reading about them just makes me more interested as they have done live shows alongside movies like Conan the Barbarian, Nosferatu and Metropolis.
TRACKLISTING:
01.Intro
02. Act I
03. Act II
04. Act II (Interlude)
05. Act III
06. Act III (Interlude)
07. Act IV
08. Act V
09. Act VI
LINE-UP:
Charlie Hernandez – Guitars, Occasional Vocals and Percussion
Tim Gotch – Basses, Synths, Sound Design, Film Editing, Vocals
Rob Johnson – Drums, Percussion
Claire Hamard – Vocals, Synths, Electronics, Percussion
Brown Hues – Sound Engineering, Technical Wizadry
LINKS:
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