Sea Sleeper – Nostophobia Review

  The fan that goes beyond Metal music frontiers will understand the comparison I’ll make. To listen to Sea Sleeper “Nostophobia” the fan goes into a trip into the Free Metal – the name for the mix between Metal and Free Jazz. The melodic construction of the music herein is a bit chaotic at times. From my point of view, Sea Sleeper bring back the idea of Metal music to represent the musical chaos. And as we all know it, chaos is the major feature a Metal band must follow. Never forget it, my child of the night. Metal music is musical chaos!

As I’m aware that it’s always interesting to keep my dear fan always posted and well-informed Nostophobia is repugnance or dislike of the past, the antithesis of nostalgia. Nostophobic reactions are often encouraged to reduce resistance to workplace or similar changes. The fear of returning to one’s childhood home is nostophobia combined with its comorbidity ecophobia: fear of house. Therefore, by all means this album “Nostophobia” shows a band that isn’t afraid of challeging the fan with uncanny musical structures and weird oriented guitar riffing through the most insane vocals. Sea Sleeper took it very seriously. This album couldn’t have a better name, if you ask me. It’s too bold to be true. 

That’s exactly what “Nostophobia” shows in each track. Insane and growled vocals contribute a lot for the feeling of the chaos the album brings. There are a lot of Pantera’s Phil Anselmo references in vocals, a feature that enhences the sense of chaos and disarmonical constructions. In fact, the band uses many known techniques to make its music sound this way. Let’s say it’s a mix of Groove Metal with Technical Death Metal. From the guitar squeaks of Groove Metal to the use of exotic scales of Technical Death Metal. I guess this explains a lot about the band and its music. Moreover, it brings all the dissonances Black Metal bands try so hard to bring to their efforts. However, some tracks sound more melodic while adding some 1990s grunge features as in “Salt,” but this dash of ‘melody’ means nothing when compared to the ocean of disruptions and sonic distress. Tittle track “Nostophobia” dares to combine a cutting edge flamboyant instrumental that really impresses the fan with the feeling that modernity means all the chaos an disorder Sea Sleeper put in their music. Modernity is chaos by Sea Sleeper words.  There’s no coming back the way they see it. Therefore, the only solution is, as Whaldemar in “Feelings” say, fill up your life with Heavy Metal! 

Sea Sleeper “Nostophobia” will be realesed on February 05th via Metal Assault Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Salt
  2. Old Guard
  3. Coffin Salesman
  4. Mountain Carver
  5. George Van Tessel
  6. Nostophobia
  7. Far More Than Sustenance Now
  8. Low

Watch “Old Guard” official video here: