A year after the release of their first EP, Wicked Snakes are back with their debut album, Sleep Dance. The title of the album is definitely a relevant one, with the tracks often having a distorted, atmospheric feeling: the introduction and guitar solo of opening track ‘First Light‘ demonstrating this well.
Their sound has grown and developed over the year since Lead Me To The Sun was released. The musical talent, particularly in the writing of the guitar parts, has improved and the vocals are more melodic in this release. Although none of this has compromised the sound that is so inherently Wicked Snakes. Luke Davis has a depth to his vocal that sounds like a cross between Rob Damiani of Don Broco and Eddie Vedder.
The majority of the songs are quite bassy, keeping a strange darkness to the songs, contrasted with the melodic guitar lines. This contrast within songs echoes the differences between the songs on the album. Track 5, ‘Dusk‘, is an acoustic song, giving Luke’s vocals time to shine, as well as introducing some harmonies. The ninth song is an interlude, and the shortest track, which also compiles the various sounds of the record with some hazy guitars accompanied by simple ‘ooh’ vocals, and some lower tones too.
We do also get to see the screamed vocals that we so heavily used in the EP. ‘Bejewelled Sky‘ combines them with a System Of A Down-esque tone, while the title track is much more of a straight up reference to Wicked Snakes earlier music.
Overall, the album is a great development for the young four-piece. All the songs sound different but tied together by the title and a similar tone achieved by a contrast in the guitar and bass lines and an often slightly muted vocal line, which never makes Luke’s voice any less powerful.
