FABLES OF THE SLEEPLESS EMPIRE

Negoba said it well: listening to this album is like getting a sip of water out of a fire hose. In the best way possible. The intertwining lines of the guitars, violins, and piano with constantly changing meter push the boundaries of what extreme metal can be. Brutal, beautiful, serious and whimsical, the attitude of the music changes as quickly as a the meter, which moves at a breakneck pace throughout much of the music. Highlights include the album opener, Orange Vigilantes, and Unfed Pendulum. This album is certainly in my top releases for the year, and it may be a defining album in the extreme metal genre.