"Locals Only" Review!

Big sounds on Dark Signals – Rolands, Moogs and Korgs, oh yeah. Weighty pads, lots of freaky analog and digital noises, hypnotic electronic beats and spiraling loops are all jam-packed into this six-song EP.

I’d probably classify Sleepy Eyes of Death as an instrumental band, but there are vocals sprinkled here and there that make these tracks all the more versatile. In “Final Heart Beats Black,” an ambient and cascading tune, they’ve layered in a minimal yet over-processed vocal track that keenly reminds me of a Laurie Anderson album I used to listen to as a kid. “Metastatic” is a bit more intense. Drum machines and heavy synths navigate this odyssey of sound, and like many of the tracks on this EP it is impressive and epic. For the album’s finale, SEoD chose “Crushed by Stars,” a thought-provoking fusion of distortion and spellbinding melodies which compel the beholder to respect the beauty of noise.

Dark Signals is a significant contribution to Seattle’s music scene. The album is refreshing, innovative and has deservedly earned the number two spot for records sold in early February in the PNW area (stats according to their blog). If you like Brian Eno, Gary Numan, Vangelis, John Carpenter movies or heavy psychedelics, then this is a must-have EP for your collection. After you listen to Dark Signals, go check out their live show. With synchronized lights and billowing clouds of dramatic fog, the performance is bigger and better than you can possibly imagine.

FUN FACTOID: The name ‘Sleepy Eyes of Death’ hails from a Japanese film series of the same name. The series is based on a half-breed samurai warrior who is driven in his quest for a perfect death by his hatred of society and Christianity.