Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – In Glorious Times / 2007 The End / 11 Tracks / http://www.sleepytimegorillamuseum.com / http://www.theendrecords.com /
The disconcerting sound that Sleepytime Gorilla Museum puts forth on their “The Companions†blends circus music with a movie score. The falsetto cuts through listeners and the music on the track alike; when the band finally breaks into a harder rock style, things change. Of course, the circus feel to the track remains, but it is hidden behind aggressive guitars and a set of vocals that bounce back and forth between a Morrissey sound and that of Trey Parker. The decision to have the disc’s longest track up first (at ten minutes, it is over a minute longer than anything else on the disc) is a controversial one.
However, the Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is able to break up the track into a number of different movements, and change things up in those movements enough that individuals will stay interested. The band shifts again during “The Companions†into something that is a blend of the instrumentals from a Bond movie and a new-rock track. The styles fight it out amongst each other before the band moves back into a Spartan style, winding down for the last segment of the track. “Helpless Corpses Enactment†moves the band into a black metal sound, which the band is actually able to work to their complete advantage. The track opens up into a blend of old Disturbed and Cannibal Corpse, with any form of structure thrown out the window soon after. The eclectic nature of the band is manifest in a schizophrenic sound, one that makes it possible for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum to approach a number of styles within a short period of time.
However off the wall and experimental Sleepytime Gorilla Museum might get with their efforts on “In Glorious Timesâ€, there is an underlying theme to the madness. “Puppet Show†marks a return to the dystopian sound that set off the beginning of the disc, with a more fifties sci-fi atmosphere imbued on the track. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is an act that does not need vocal accompaniment on any of the tracks on “In Glorious Timesâ€. When the band does use vocals, it is with the express purpose to further the instrumentation. When vocals are used during “Puppet Showâ€, they provide additional gravity to what is already a serious and intense track. The band may be a little too “out there†for some, but will provide those willing to tempt fate with large rewards.
Top Tracks: The Salt Crown, Angle of Repose
Rating: 6.8/10