The very idea of pulling out a well-done vintage sound is something that bands have been striving to achieve for several years now ever since the reverence for that classic sound has found immense fandom and support as time has gone on and the respective realms of rock and metal push their own styles forward toward the future. Even with that high level of reverence and love, though, it can be immensely difficult to find an act that manages to bring it back to life in such exquisite detail that it makes you wonder how such a sound could fade in any capacity whatsoever. When I first stumbled upon Sleepwulf two years ago, I knew the act was quality to its very core but I don’t think there was much that could have prepared us for the reality that this act would bring forth on just its second record that raises the bar in virtually every single way.

There are many different forms that a classic sound like this can take on the form of with several different names from proto-metal, psych-rock, doom-rock, 70s-doom, heavy psych, proto-doom, and so many different others that it makes one wonder what the difference even is. But it’s when we are able to come upon an album like what Sleepwulf has made with “Sunbeams Curl” that I cannot help but feel we have been gifted an album that takes all of those difference, condenses them in just eight tracks for us to enjoy, and leave it simply at that. Not only could this be transported back to the late 70s and find just as much recognition it does now if not more, but it’s the very spirit of each track here that floors the listener and the competition for it’s right from the very beginning of “Sunbeams Curl” that it’s clear we’re not dealing with some mere riffs paired alongside a strategic lack of modern production. Rather, Sleepwulf brings the classic sound to their modern mindset such that all the roots and influences are on clear display without compromising their excellence even as Sleepwulf’s undeniable personality makes its way through without any struggle or misstep to really make the whole of this album a fluid experience that’s as gripping as it is whole in its vision all the way to the very end.

By no means is this the kind of record that busts open the doors of what it means to perform this sound nowadays, but it’s in every possible way that Sleepwulf has raised the bar for themselves and everyone else for all that they’ve accomplished in this effort as it immediately elevates itself beyond a simple collection of riffs with the reality of the effort being it’s a true experience of vintage metal and rock can still be should the right hands craft it. There’s no way to deny that Sleepwulf have the hands to do it over and over again with “Sunbeams Curl” surely just the start of what they’re capable of.

LISTEN to “Sunbeams Curl” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Sleepwulf on Facebook here.