Sleepless - Winds Blow Higher


Year of Release: 2001
Label: Raven Music
Catalog Number: RAVEN006
Format: CD
Total Time: 42:41:00

Israel isn't really the kind of country one would immediately associate with prog, although in the past some pretty important albums were released by Israelian bands. Think of acts such as Churchills, Jericho, Zingale, Ktzat Acheret, Lord Flimnap, Piamenta and Atmosphere. Completely new on this firmament is Sleepless, a band that mingles prog with alternative rock and jazz elements, larded with a slight gothic sauce. Especially the male vocals will steer this music in a direction similar to Tiamat, Mission, whilst the weak female vocals will try and accentuate the gothic atmosphere. Ambient passages alternate with short solos such as the jazzy piano during "Lying In Wait." The whispering, dark voice during the title track occasionally refers to Devil Doll. Pure gothic knocks on the door during the nicely arranged "Sands Of Time," where fragile guitar underline heavenly keyboard passages before the floodgates towards an aggressive approach are opened. A nice flute solo alternates with saxophone during the intimate "Solitude." All over this album, the drums remain in the background and also the guitars follow the stream in a discreet, modest way so that you really can't speak about a pure "metal" album here. Sleepless says goodbye with the wonderful "Do You Remember," whereby the major role is reserved for some outstanding piano. It does remain a difficult task to put the right label onto this product though. So maybe we have to make do with the not so original label of "typical Sleepless music"?

Also released by The End Records (/te021)


Tracklisting:
Lying In Wait (5:42) / Winds Blow Higher (4:15) / Sands Of Time (4:58) / Solitude (5:23) / Change (6:45) / Strings (4:33) / Rain (Instrumental) (3:00) / Moments (2:50) / Do You Remember? (5:05)

Musicians:
Dabid Bendayan - vocals, samplers, acoustic and electric pianos, lead synths, drums, B3
Maor Applbaum - vocals, bass guitar, fuzz bass, fretless bass

Guests:

Glaad Schlung - saxophones
Roey Kariok - guitars
Shiri Kone - classical guitars
Leon Gibbs - flutes
Nitza Bendayan - backing vocals

Discography:
Winds Blow Higher (2004)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin IL

Added: August 1st 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.sleeplesscd.com
Hits: 1632
Language: english

  

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