As dreamy as Sleep Now, In Reverse may sound, I'd highly recommend not sleeping on this one.
It's inevitable that, from time to time, some will want to take a break from the extreme end of metal and zone into a more relaxing state; one of the most satisfying sub-genres that helps us do this is shoegaze. However, there's also various metallic offshoots of shoegaze where our minds can wander and reflect (blackgaze for instance). This now brings me to the band in question, a US foursome named Iress that formed in 2014, who merge doom and shoegaze elements together, unsurprisingly resulting in a sound categorized as doomgaze.
At the forefront of blackgaze and doomgaze, there's an exceptionally talented group of female vocalists, with Katherine Shepherd (Sylvaine), Suvi Savikko (Shedfromthebody), and Kiki GaNun (BleakHeart) to name a few; also within this group is Michelle Malley. You could say that she's the beating heart of Iress, as her hauntingly soothing, angelic vocals really help complement the dreamy tranquil soundscapes we associate with this genre, but let's not forget the fact that this is a band effort, and joining her are Alex Moreno (guitars), Michael Maldonado (bass), and Glenn Chu (drums). This is the band's third full-length offering Sleep Now, In Reverse, which follows a reasonably impressive debut Prey (2015), followed by an arguably more impressive sophomore in 2020's Flaw.
Despite Iress being participants in one of the darkest and gloomiest genres there is, with themes often reflecting on loss of hope and desperation, Sleep Now, In Reverse is instead a rather uplifting and embracing experience. Music-wise, the album builds on the band's previous record Flaw, released amidst the global pandemic 4 years prior, but throughout its 10 tracks there are powerful and memorable moments that outshine anything the band has released before. "Falling Under" sets the mood in swing, and straightaway Michelle Malley's voice soars into action; once again, her raw emotional performance remains second-to-none throughout, and it's just as impressive instrumentally. The rhythm section flows through the song, as the bass complements every powerful and decisive drum beat, and even though there's no fancy technicality or breakneck riffs to be heard, the guitar work really draws the emotion in through heavy, slow-to-mid-tempo melancholic riffs.
The opening track flows into the following one, "Ever Under", via an atmospheric bridge, and each song begins with a similar inter-flowing passage, so the course of the album doesn't in any way get disrupted. The rhythm throughout is mostly repetitive, often driving you ever deeper into an emotional hypnotic state, although there are moments in which the tempo slightly increases, as soft melancholic instrumentation occasionally unleashes heavy doom breaks.
Sleep Now, In Reverse could prove to be one of the best releases in the doom/shoegaze category this year; the flow throughout and in between each song allows for such a smooth and engaging listen. Instrumentally it takes you to places of self-reflection that can offer be both an uplifting and at times sorrowful experience, but the vocals remain the key element that helps bring the incredible raw emotion to life, making this one of the most captivating releases in both doom and shoegaze this year. So, I once again recommended you don't sleep on Sleep Now, In Reverse.