Produces Reason, the debut album from Finnish outfit Sleep Of Monsters, is indeed an intriguing listen. It’s difficult to earmark the band into one specific genre, with the band drawing a lot of different influences into their sound, such as prog, avant-garde, acid rock and post-rock to name but a few. At points, there’s almost a Devin Townsend Project feel to it – never a bad thing! – and it keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
The vocals are especially striking throughout; there’s a unique tone to Ike’s voice and there’s a fantastic power behind his deep voice. It really keeps the momentum going throughout and gives the tracks an extra sparkle, which is great!
Nihil Nihil Nihil is a particularly good inclusion. It draws you in with its unique introduction before the full band joins in for good measure. The chorus is striking and memorable, swiftly worming its way into your head – especially the la‘s, which I dare you not to sing along to! Other great tracks include Murder She Wrote, a largely haunting track with eerie instrumentation that also features some smooth female vocals, and funkier number Through A Mirror Darkly, which features a great guitar solo and a magnificently chunky instrumental line for good measure.
Produces Reason is a rather special release – you can’t just listen to it once and walk away. You’ll want to come back to this one time and time again.
9/10
