Review: Drowse – Soon Asleep

Drowse
Soon Asleep

//APNEICVOID//
Street: 06.09
Drowse = Ulver + iamamiwhoami

This album begins with “Melt,” a track of incoherent mumblings looped over what sounds like a song playing on a broken record underwater. Dizzy, ambient droning and strangely down-tempo black metal influences create a psychedelic sleep-world of forlorn, Celtic wanderings and occultist ritualism. “Awake” is full of watery and tinkling effects in juxtaposition with the darkness and empty abyssal feeling of the remainder of the noise. Listening to this album while awake might melt your brain, and not necessarily in a good way. But if you choose to flip on this album as a white noise background for falling asleep to, as Soon Asleep thematically suggests, you might end up with some trippy, existential dreams, the likes of which you have never experienced before. –LeAundra Jeffs