After a first release called "Skylon Express" which was in fact more the addition of their two previous eps than a real first album, "the fall of Altrusia" is the amazing new release of SLEESTAK, a very original quartet from the Wisconsin formed in 2003 by and around maestro Matt Schmitz (guit/voc/organ).
Let's be clear and direct, the kind of music that SLEESTAK displays during the 7 chapters of "the fall of Altrusia" requires a rather opened mind, a minimum of foresight; but once you entered their spectral range, pleasant and varied feelings are certainly guaranteed !!! That isn't experimental though, spacey but still metallic and even extremely heavy at times, it has a doomy vibe in the sense that you enter here frequently a world of dark, trippy, almost oniric atmospheres which sometimes make you feeling like you're floating in the air (maybe not as light as a butterfly but this is something palpable at least for myself ! ).
The guys have worked hard for affirming a very personnal style, a blend of contrasted and twisted emotions : intense then almost intimist, utterly dark then gently psychedelic, menacing then relaxing...
Even if this is not your usual doom metal, neither atmospheric and ethereal doom/death, I think it can suit to a large part of its most "adventurous" supporters, by its melancholic caracters and sheer heaviness ("in the beginning", "the prophecy of the great sleep" and "regression within the hive" ) , sounds to me like an obscure, epic and progressive mix between bands like Isis, Clutch, Opeth, Godflesh and Pelican... Not the worst references in terms of songwriting and originality !
Except for the heaviest parts which are not growled but extremely thick and powerful, I know that Matt's vocals are compared to Wovenhand's, don't know much that band but this is certainly a top notch reference; the guy also plays organ which brings a real value, enveloping the music with a delightful mystical and almost intrusive aura.
I would be really curious to see this band live, they recently played at the "Days of the Doomed Fest" for example, that should be a pretty captivating experience. As for now, I highly recommend this surprising self-released album, it's available for 12 $ (pp) and comes with nice stickers from :
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