... New EP announcement : SLEESTAK 'Book of Hours'

Sleestak have announced their forthcoming EP Book Of Hours for self-release at the end of May. Having taken a break from writing the next epic full length album and experiencing the first lineup change in ten years, the band decided to get down to basics as a three-piece and write some songs where they could just  let loose the power of the riff. The five songs contained on Book Of Hours
pay homage to the pioneers of heavy, bluesy, stoner metal in the vein of  early Sabbath and Cream while giving a nod to contemporary bands such as  Sleep and Clutch.

Recording is set to begin April 10, with the band once more entering Bobby  Peru's Recording Studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Behind the controls will sit long-time friend and mixologist Shane Olivo who produced all previous studio recordings of Sleestak. Cover art was created by Steve Somers.

Pre-orders are now being taken for the CD and digital download versions at their Bandcamp page - http://sleestak.bandcamp.com - and will be limited to a total of 100 for the physical copies. All CD orders will include new  sticker designs as well as the digital version. Bonus material is also being planned for inclusion.

In the coming weeks, Sleestak will be releasing excerpts of the songs so  please visit Bandcamp and their homepage at http://sleestakmusic.com as well as http://facebook.com/sleestakofficial for the latest updates.

BOOK OF HOURS TRACK LISTING:
1. Appeasing The Gods
2. Seven Sorrows
3. Five Million Years To Earth
4. Lone Wolf
5. Blacklight Communion

"the fall of Altrusia" by SLEESTAK

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 :

http://sleestakmusic.blogspot.com/