AN NCS PREMIERE: SLEEP OF MONSTERS — “HORSES OF THE SUN”

For the second day in a row we step off our usual beaten paths and bring you a song premiere that not only breaches the rule embodied in our site’s name but stands out in large part because of that transgression. And there are other connections between yesterday’s offering from The House of Capricorn and today’s striking debut from Sleep of Monsters.

Apart from the fact that both band’s’ new albums are being released by Finland’s Svart Records, The House of Capricorn pay stylistic homage in their music to Finland’s distinctive Babylon Whores, while Sleep of Monsters features that occult death rock band’s vocalist Ike Vil. In addition to his formidable presence, Sleep of Monsters includes guitarist and main songwriter Sami Hassinen (guitarist for Blake), drummer Pätkä Rantala (who played on HIM’s debut album), keyboardist Janne Immonen (who has toured extensively with Waltari and Ajattara), guitarist Uula Korhonen, and bass-player and backing vocalist Mäihä.

Sleep of Monsters’ debut album is named Produces Reason, and while the record was distributed earlier this year within Finland, it is now finally getting a global release by Svart Records, who also recently reissued the entire Babylon Whores back catalogue on vinyl.

photo by Ville Juurikkala

The song we bring you today is named “Horses of the Sun”. As mentioned at the outset, it is notable (among other reasons) for the strength of its vocals. Ike Vil’s impressive vocal range is on full display, but he isn’t the sole vocal star of this song. You will hear at the beginning of the song and again later the arresting voices of Hanna Wendelin, Nelli Saarikoski, and Tarja Leskinen, who collectively are known as “the Furies” but sound more like sirens. They begin creating the dark, otherworldly mood of the music immediately, and as the song unfolds it casts an increasingly entrancing spell with an intoxicating mix of shimmering guitar chords and wistful piano notes. It’s the sound of shadows cast by moonlight and the flow of wraiths at the edge of your vision.

Produces Reason will be released internationally on November 7th by Svart Records as a digipak CD and a gatefold LP. More information is available via the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/sleepofmonsters
http://sleepofmonsters.com
http://svartrecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords