Heaviness is a concept that doesn’t necessarily require sounds that batter your senses in order for that state to be achieved. You also can pay an emotional toll that makes it feel like you’ve been battered by unforgiving black waves, pushing you to your brink, sparked by sounds that feel like they’re here to soothe. Yet, reality proves the opposite.
It’s not that you can’t absorb dream doom power Iress and not let yourself fade into tranquility, but once you hear the words and intent of their music, especially what makes up their intoxicating second full-length “Sleep Now, In Reverse,” you’ll realize you taken a path to something more sinister. Their gazey energy dressed in doomy colors stands apart from most heavy music bands, and they’re one that could find followers in metal and so many other territories. The band—vocalist Michelle Malley, guitarist Graham Walker, bassist Michael Maldonado, drummer Glenn Chu—unleashes 10 tracks and 50 minutes that, while often softer and more delicate sounding, always leave room for thunder and pain. Malley’s ethereal singing and pointed words make you realize you’re in the middle of a quiet storm with the music providing the ideal setting, lulling you into wonder that feels perfect in the nighttime but always jerks you out of any comfort zone. This record is moving and menacing, an incredibly strong musical statement.
“Falling” eases its way into your mind, the singing icing wounds, a shadowy edge getting sharper as Malley levels, “Always waiting for you to call my name.” The playing falls and teases, the words are darts, and that seeps into slumber that feels transformative. “Ever Under” feels grungy at first, delicate singing lathering with heart, the chorus rushing over you. “I know what it feels like to be broken,” Malley sings, softer melodies snaking underneath, disappearing into the unknown. “Mercy” emerges with a heavy emotional pall, the pace driving as Malley admits, “I don’t want to go, I don’t want to stay.” The singing rises, as does the tempo, sending sparks before pulling back, sounds simmering in an eerie strangeness. “Leviathan (The Fog)” plods and moves with a calculated plot, eventually landing some punches as the bruising arrives. “Didn’t want to go, sick obsession,” Malley repeats, working its way down your spine, mixing into a deep fog and eventually fading away. “Lovely (Forget Me Not)” is a little thornier, guitars dripping and leaving a sheet of uneven ice, the playing getting a little dirtier. The melodies swell before becoming more fluid, guitars blending into a ghostly gaze.
“The Remains” is cloudy and pillowy, the verses gripping your mind, the chorus warming up as the guitars soar. The playing gets a little tougher, swinging through fire, digging in and drubbing with a newfound force, churning your sore muscles. “In Reverse” bleeds into the picture, deep calling feeling like it’s emerging from your sleep, the guitars elevating the temperature as the drums clash. The pressure eases for a moment, guitars falling like sheets of rain, the singing echoing and mesmerizing, flowing directly into the shores of “Knell Mera.” Grimy playing clogs your veins as guitars melt and drizzle, making the aura feel surreal. There’s even a level of peril crawling underneath this being, swinging back and trudging, Malley demanding to know, “Will you take it over me?” “Sanctuary” starts clean, but the vocals give off a foreboding sense, Malley jabbing, “You broke me in two,” before warning, “I see red.” The melodies snake through murky waters, Malley calls, “You said I’m not what you wanted,” as the hurt and disappointment revels in blood. Closer “Deep” starts basking in shadows, guitars plucked over hushed singing, Malley pleading, “Take it easy … on me.” Electric impulses rise to the surface as the darkness emerges again, slowly letting this minimalist dream fade, the wounds you sustained trying to congeal.
Iress pull no punches on “Sleep Now, In Reverse,” using the surreal energy of their doom glaze to send unsettling energy down your spine. It’s not the heaviest record from a decibel standpoint, but you will feel every word and ride every ripple of this gloomy sojourn. Iress have been a mesmerizing force ever since they arrived, and as they build new blocks on their foundation, their prowess and muscle grow in leaps and bounds.