ALIVE IN THE ARMS OF DEATH

After a 13 year hiatus, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum returned to release their fifth album, of the Last Human Being, on Feb. 23. The band’s resurrected for 13 songs that create an indescribable atmosphere that makes listening to this album a real experience.

“Salamander is Two Worlds” consists of a nice variety of vocals with a beautiful instrumental, which sets the tone for the album until it’s immediately shifted to a cinematic-like, violin heavy score in “Fanfare for the Last Human Being.”

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum truly cannot be categorized into a genre. While much of this album can fall into rock, calling it rock would be a disservice to the amount of genres they swap through and take inspiration from throughout of the Last Human Being.

Singles on the album; “Burn Into Light” and “Hush, Hush,” portray horror and terror with sounds that are perfectly accompanied by the uncomfortable music videos released to their YouTube channel ahead of the album’s release. However, a song like “We Must Know More” sounds much more suited for a Broadway musical, which is a drastic, yet welcome switch-up on this album.

Each new track on of the Last Human Being introduces a new, interesting sound, which can be attributed to the wide variety of instruments used in this project. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum utilizes the classics but dabbles in so much more, from the bass harmonica to the pedal-action wiggler. 

“Silverfish” is a perfect example of just how multidimensional this band gets. It is a song that starts with ghastly vocals over an empty, yet chaotic instrumental, quickly turning on its head and incorporating elements from the Celtic genre.

Another highlight of this project is “El Evil,” which features amazing drums and guitar, as well as vocals that become demonic as the instruments pick up the pace. It’s a wonderful track that transitions right into “Bells for Kith and Kin.”

It’s clear that Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is creating a world for people to not just live in and understand, but to experience for themselves. While the songs may differ in tone, genre and atmosphere, the story it tells most certainly does not wander, which commands a listen from previous fans and potential new listeners.