Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

In Glorious Times

Label: The End Records Country: USA

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's third studio release keeps the torch alive on theatrical rock while making their own road. Somehow the band manages to nod to Rock in Opposition (RIO), avant prog, and dark metal with the same set of movements. In fact one review refers to them as Metal In Opposition, and the official review quote from The End Records calls them Rock-against-Rock.

The music is incredibly well crafted complex and demanding rock, intelligent and expressive and letting go a lot of energy. It incorporates an extended orchestration that's generally pushed by guitar, but also includes found and built instruments, percussive devices, samples, drop-in recordings, some odd electronics (electric pancreas??), and some lovely acoustic instruments.

Not surprising given that the two lead vocalists are active musicians outside of Sleepytime: Frykdahl is also heard in Faun Fabels, while violinist Carla Kihlstedt, beside her own 2 Foot Yard, is a prolific improviser in both the improv and avant rock scenes.Comparisons might be Present or Art Zoyd for the dark chamber rock element, Cop-Shoot-Cop for aggressive energy and percussive elements, Magma for the sense of drama and extended orchestrations, name your favorite dark metal band for that certain sensibility on the rockers, Gabriel era Genesis on-stage and in costume, and Art Bears for the irony and articulation.