Sleemo are back with a bang! They excite us with their new EP ‘Degradation’. Only a couple of weeks ago, they thrilled us with the first release of this album which already gave a foretaste of this amazing new album.
Sleemo are a trio from Norwich who create proper rock sound. It’s a lot of noise combined with massive energy. Their music is a wild trip. You won’t sit still, that’s a promise!
‘Degradation’ has mainly been shaped by the last year and pandemic. It reflects on thoughts and feelings the band has experienced during that time. It’s about mental health and the extreme mental burden I’m sure each of us can relate to.
It opens with ‘Mind Bender’, a mix of grunge, hardcore, and metal sound. The song starts with a screeching guitar, followed by crashing drums, and then the thick and heavy bass kicks in. It’s loud, it’s dark. You immediately find yourself going into the headbanging mode, no matter if you’re used to doing it or not. It just happens naturally. This song is powerful! It’s literally bursting from the pure energy the guys put in there. A banger at all levels. I really like the interlude in the middle, a calmer post-rock part with a progressive guitar. It feels like them trying to go into meditation in order to calm the mind and the senses, to give the body some rest. But it’s only a quick breather before it goes back into the crashing heavy sound again. ‘Mind Bender’ is a force!
The next song is ‘Rabbit Run’. Fasten your seatbelt, because this one is speedy! It starts off with a cycling bass line, then fast guitar riffs follow. Is it the rabbit running? I guess so. ‘Rabbit Run’ is a track that progresses from punk into post-hardcore. It’s a little (but only a little) quieter in sound than ‘Mind Bender’ but the faster in pace. In front of your inner eye, you can see the rabbit run for its life. It’s hypnotising!
Next up is ‘Dead Fish’. This song offers a hammering sound with punchy bass. It’s a beast of post-hardcore sound driven by alternative metal rage. First, you get the impression that it is a bit less noisy than the other songs. But then the middle part kicks in and you find yourself back in the great hardcore bang sound. What I especially like in this song is the nice calm guitar riff in the middle that gives you some rest from the banging sound. It is combined with great vocals and creates a very tense atmospheric scene. The sound increases and finally explodes. Much love for the guitar!
The EP finishes with the riff-loaded up-tempo song ‘Imitate The Thief’ which was also the first release from this album. ‘Imitate The Thief’ offers a beautiful dark sound. The interplay of the rough guitar riffs, a huge bass, and feral drums is fantastic. Again, this is a song that is bursting with energy. It pumps you up immediately. The sound is smashing and bold. ‘Imitate The Thief’ is five minutes of pure and energetic rock power and the perfect closer for this fantastic EP!
‘Degradation’ feels like a catharsis. The whole EP is a wonderful arrangement of loud outbursts and calm intersections, and a weird mix of emotional softness and aggressive heaviness. It’s full of distortion. It leaves you puzzled but also relieved somehow.
Every note, every second of music on this album transfers us into an ecstatic state of release. Sleemo experiment with sound, broaden the spectrum and create their own sound identity full of aggressive guitar riffs, a driven punchy bass, and feral drums.
‘Degradation’ is an album of sheer energy and power. Sleemo sound more confident and bold than ever before. It’s a wild ride of raw rock! We will hear a lot more from them!