ALBUM REVIEW: Alias – Sleep Waker

There’s a hell of a lot of ideas crammed into Alias’ brisk, thirty-two-minute run time. The second full-length from Grand Rapids five-piece SLEEP WAKER asks some big questions about human identity, the nature of self and the impact of grief on the human mind. It’s also a thumping great metalcore banger, with all the mosh-inducing hallmarks you’d expect of the genre. The result is a bit like being beaten to within an inch of your life by a gravity-defying Kung Fu master; it’s bloody and brutal, but you can’t help but admire the art behind it.

The title track kicks things off and sets their stall early. It’s a raging beast of an introduction, with foundation-shaking riffs and a barking, maniacal performance by vocalist Hunter Courtwright, but it also features introspective lyrics and a subtle science-fiction vibe. The subject matter seems to be grounded in reality, but then SLEEP WAKER throw weird little electronic effects into the mix and the entire mood changes. One moment it’s a song about lost young people staring into an empathy-free world and trying to figure out who they are, but one offbeat flourish later and it’s a song about Cyborgs. Or is it?

This theme of constantly questioning reality continues throughout and while Alias isn’t a full-blown concept album, there is a loose thread tying it all together. Melatonin is named after a medicine used to treat insomnia and seems concerned with how exhaustion affects perception. Insomniac is a cathartic blast of raw anger, while 110 Minutes has a distorted, stuttering atmosphere similar to what CODE ORANGE have dabbled in before. They’re not as abrasive as them, but the digital effects and ‘not-quite-djent’ style will certainly appeal to fans of the Pittsburgh genre-mashers.

Serenity meanwhile has a wholly inappropriate title considering what a fist-swinger it is, but best of them all is arguably Distance, the record’s closing number. This one is just as heavy as the preceding tracks, but it’s also genuinely moving. Inspired by one of Courtwright’s relatives suffering dementia, it walks a fine line between anger and sadness, winding up as a bittersweet depiction of loss and a terrific way to end proceedings. It’s no wonder it’s the finale, they didn’t really have any other choice.

While on the surface Alias is a decent metalcore album, it’s got a depth to it which puts it ahead of the competition. It’s a cage fighter with a PHD and while it could do with being longer, SLEEP WAKER have done a grand job. Their second album is perfect beard-stroking fodder and it could turn a University library into a warzone.

Rating: 8/10

Alias is set for release on July 23rd via UNFD. 

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