ALBUM REVIEW: The Sleeping City – An Abstract Illusion

The influence of cinematic 80s soundtracks on heavier genres is nothing new. The “synthwave sound” in rock and metal has seen neon-drenched distorted synths and 808s proliferate across the past decade, iterating upon itself repeatedly. Yet on their third album The Sleeping City, Swedish progressive/blackened death metal outfit AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION find a way to pull from those original influences of past decades without a copy/paste of the modern sound, and in doing so, find a fresh and exciting gear.

Three years on from their acclaimed second album Woe, which weaved a long-form tapestry of connected songs, The Sleeping City takes a different approach. Here, the songs are more self-contained, stories of their own, linked thematically through the influence of 80s dystopian sci-fi soundtracks. As such, arpeggiated synths abound, the work of keyboardist Robert Stenvall driving both lead melodies and textures. Though any illusions that this isn’t the work of a death metal band are quickly dispelled on lead single No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons – beginning with furious blast beats, staccato guitar stabs, and the growls of Christian Berglönn. It veers sharply between heavily discordant technicality and the more open textures of prog, drawing on guitar and synth solos transplanted directly from ‘80s era metal.

But it’s the opening track Blackmurmur that best sets the scene for the album. Those familiar ascending space synth arpeggios kick off an intro that continually ramps up in intensity. There’s a lushness to the guitar arrangements, guitarist and primary songwriter Karl Westerlund often tripling acoustic, clean and distorted guitars to create a full progressive sound. AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION show no fear in embracing saccharine melodies and chord progressions, adding some light and pathos to the death metal scaffolding without ever jarring. The track is a tour de force over 11 minutes; its continual switch-ups in tone echo the attention-deficit creativity of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. It squeezes in vast prog atmosphere, some four-to-the-floor thumping beats and a closing section of unbridled black metal fury.

Central to the concept of the album is the titular sleeping city, structures bathed in purple light amidst wintry weather, as depicted on the classic black metal-style artwork. That choice echoes the musical inspirations – not the retro-futurist cyberpunk neon of synthwave, but a paean to black and death metal that additionally draws on common influences from past decades. The retrofitted characteristics of over compression and noir overtones have no place here. Instead, the band cite the likes of DEPECHE MODE and MY BLOODY VALENTINE as key influences.

Frost Flower perhaps presents the most significant departure from the core metal sound: a slower affair that draws on cavernous reverb in its toms and surging synth dirges that could be mistaken for Disintegration-era THE CURE. Berglönn’s clean vocals are delightful here, set against 70s-infused acoustic guitar. The range of vocal styles is impressive – huge high-register cleans and washes of background choir, as well as superb death metal growls over djent-textured guitar.

There are more cinematic influences on the later track Silverfields. It’s a shorter instrumental that goes all-in on the classic snare reverb, alongside a video-game inflected sound that brings to mind M83 and their Digital Shades compilation albums. But The Sleeping City remains an unapologetic death metal album, even amidst the moments of cathartic prog wonder and atmospheric synthscapes. Like A Geyser Ever Erupting shows more of this intensity, heavy detuned guitar set against rising, fraught strings; later, single Emmett sees literal shrieks of anguish as the album’s palette moves towards darker fare. The closing title track brings all the influences together, but moves away from the more major-key moments for something darker, more haunting and in line with the band’s roots. If there is a criticism of the album to be made, it’s that its best material sits on the earlier tracks; the standard remains high but not stratospheric.

At its best moments, The Sleeping City absolutely soars. AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION have crafted a vast and rich sound, pulling on ‘80s cinematic influences to augment their heavily melodic and aggressive metal sound. A seamless blend of textures and styles creates a thrilling ride that doesn’t bore, elevating itself above the constraints of death metal’s core by embracing moments of positivity amidst the darker tones. In an era when bands can be guilty of recycling tropes of past decades, The Sleeping City finds a fresh angle on old influences that any heavy music fan will enjoy.

Rating: 9/10

The Sleeping City is out now via Willowtip Records. 

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