Slumber isn’t something you would readily associate with Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, a band who’ve spent over a decade mining the sludgier ends of Black Sabbath and Hawkwind to make an unholy, brilliant racket. But for Land of Sleeper singer Matt Baty has cited the ultimate escapism of dreams as the inspiration for his latest batch of songs, a construct he points out in which anything can happen.
It was probably beyond the realms of the Newcastle based quintet’s own wildest imaginations that their raw and by design primitive strain of metal would gain a foothold in anywhere but amongst a relatively limited spectrum of the movement’s uber-cliquey acolytes. But after 2020’s Viscerals elevated them to the festival circuit, Land of Sleeper is another forward looking chapter on a seemingly inexorable upward path.
All the signatures current fans will love them for – enormous bludgeoning riffs, weird psychedelic keys, Baty’s leg-quivering howl – are very much present. However there is also room for some finesse, with additional vocals from folk singer Cath Tyler on closer Ball Lightning, whilst for a band who once let tunes run to gargantuan lengths the noirish glam rock of Mr. Medicine is all over in less than three minutes. Land of Sleeper‘s centrepiece though is The Weatherman, a doomy robe-clad monster that begs to be accompanied by candlelight. You might not get much sleep listening to this – but still, don’t have nightmares.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 