Adept fans have been anxiously waiting for the release of their fourth full length album, “Sleepless,” now available on Napalm Records. The Swedish post hardcore/metalcore quintet are truly gifted musicians and they certainly pull out all the stops musically on the new record.
The genre sometimes gets a bad rap but I’ve always been a fan of the contrast between the blistering metal and the outstanding melodies. Add an interesting breakdown and I’m sold hook, line, and sinker and that’s exactly what you’ll get with “Sleepless.” The record is full of brutal riffs and terrific arrangements and melodies with the brilliant European production you would expect. There are a lot of spoken intros added this time out, adding an interesting touch to the title track and “Black Veins.” “Wounds” has a devastating riff and an absolutely bittersweet chorus. “Rewind the Tape” has a real old school feel to it with the added sound effect of someone hitting the stop and rewind button on a tape recorder and there is a great breakdown in “The Sickness.” What really carries the album though, is the brilliant guitar work of Jerry Repo and Gustav Lithammer as they are on fire throughout the record. A stand out track is “The Choirs of Absolution” with an orchestrated instrumental beginning and fantastic harsh vocals from Robert Ljung.
With quality songwriting and the top notch musicianship of “Sleepless,” Adept has given the metalcore world something to be excited about.
