An empowering call-to-arms descends upon the weak-minded, the undecided, the superficially concerned with the arrival of Son Of The Morning, the new album from OH, SLEEPER. On the followup to their When I Am God debut, these Texan lads obliterate any notions of the "sophomore slump" with an alarming urgency sure to excite anyone with even a cursory interest in bands like Underoath, Slipknot or Dillinger Escape Plan. Oh, Sleeper has crafted a concept album detailing the final battle between the devil (with Micah Kinard screaming in character on the title track) and God (with Kinard answering on "The Finisher," which closes the record) from start to finish. Produced by Andreas Magnusson (Black Dahlia Murder), Oh, Sleeper's Son Of The Morning is poised to turn 2009 upside down.
If "The New Breed" and "Commissioned By Kings" (with its "Bring out the dead! Bring out the dead!" chorus) don't get your fists pumping, nothing will. "A Banquet For Traitors," "In All Honesty" -- Epic moments, driving moments, pummeling and punishing moments -- all are to be found in abundance throughout the record. A few tasteful doses of electronics can be found on the record which combined with Blay's soaring vocal melodies lend balance to the otherwise ultra-heavy assault.