Review: My Sleeping Karma – My Sleeping Karma

Review: My Sleeping Karma – My Sleeping Karma

Jun 08
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My Sleeping Karma – Moksha (Instrumental/World/Rock – Napalm Records)

Released 6/9/2015

If you were to create a word cloud from music review blogs of the average heavy metal or hard rock release (this humble blog included), you would likely see the most common adjectives being descriptors such as ‘pounding’, ‘devastating’, ‘blistering’, ‘savage’, and ‘brutal’ (although spellings of this last one vary, depending on what corner of the metal blogosphere you may have found yourself in). What you’re not likely to often see are adjectives like ‘chill’, ‘groovy’, ‘laid back’, and ‘heavenly’. And this is certainly not because the heavier side of music cannot only have these qualities, but have them in spades; it just means that not enough people are reviewing bands like Germany’s My Sleeping Karma. Over the course of four records, this world-inspired rock band has been peddling a mix of Indian and Middle Eastern melodies delivered with a laid-back blues jam band sensibility and plenty of atmosphere. Their new release, Moksha, is no new leap forward, backward, or anywhere else for the masters of heavy chill, but it is an absolutely perfect display of everything the band does, and they do it well.

While nearly any song from the record could be used as an example of what the album as a whole represents, it’s nonetheless fitting that it opens with ‘Prithvi’; a track with a deep drum and bass groove foundation underneath a guitar that rises and falls while playing around a single, basic but emotive melody. The swelling and settling flow of the song structure found here and in most others is an effective approach to the music; by building up and expanding the energy over time with an eventual tapering to take a breath, the band makes the most out of a single idea, essentially creating an engrossing listen in each song by exploring the full potential of a basic melody. This organic inhale/exhale flow isn’t just a feature of individual songcraft either; the album as a whole is interspersed with short interludes between each song, helping to create additional breathing space along with a natural bridge from track to track. This pacing is made even more effective by the fact that many of the songs end after a grand swell, so having a short come-down before the next number creates a nice, even continuity during a complete album listen. And it is indeed worth stressing the ‘complete album listen’, as this is something an album like Moksha demands; there’s a journey to be taken, one with grand, uplifting highs, and mysterious, bottom-of-the-ocean lows.

Soundscape wise, there really isn’t any new territory explored on this new release that the group hasn’t trod before, but that’s a really hard thing to count against a band like My Sleeping Karma. They have their sound and that’s that; evolving the aesthetics and material trappings takes a very far backseat to where the music takes the listener when it comes to instrumental music. To put it simply, a road trip is about the destination, not having a new car to take it in.

While it’s true the band may not be reinventing their wheel, it’s also true that the wheel they’re playing is one they invented themselves. The textured blend of instrumental rock, blues, indian and eastern melodies, and mood-driven atmosphere My Sleeping Karma have been crafting for the last handful of years is delivered to a polished perfection in both form and presentation with Moksha. With a great flow over the album’s entirety, and songs that transport the listener so effortlessly to the ensemble’s own headspace (a hookah lounge with a rock band residency, one would imagine), Moksha is a worthwhile and engrossing experience for those more laid-back times. Take a listen, and take a trip.

8/10

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