Produced by 'neath
Released: 2007
When thinking about progressive death metal, names like Alchemist and Opeth spring quickly to mind. If The Spider's Sleep is any indication, however, then 'Neath will soon be another name to add to this prestigious list. With a glowing review in the hardcore magazine Death Before Dishonour of all places already behind them, it is abundantly clear that 'Neath is set for bigger things. According to their MySpace, the band has spent most of its time in the studio working on its music, and this has certainly paid off for them.
'Neath would probably rue any comparison to Opeth as such things tend to stick like shit to a blanket, but with inflections from the likes of Green Carnation, The Spider's Sleep is really in the same ballpark. The album's five tracks sprawl across 37 minutes of savage but melodic riffing, darkly moody sections dripping with sinister reverb, crushing guitars, thundering drums and shades of atmospheric keyboards.
The songs have a natural flow that sounds like they grew out of long, extended jams and don't rely on jaw-dropping technicality or overtly virtuoso playing like so many other bands in the progressive field. This gives The Spider's Sleep a warmth of character and a sense of immediacy that does the band immense credit, as they could have quite easily over-played everything. Instead, 'Neath has crafted a stunning debut album that should have all fans of modern progressive metal beating a path to their door.
- When the Birds Lie Dead
- The Spider's Sleep
- The Silk-laden Whore
- Sordid Grim Lie
- Blank Identity Crisis
Rating: 93%
