Deep Sleep

Deep Sleep has released a number of EPs, and now has them handily collected together on the appropriately titled Three Things at Once -- a sure ode to the 1988 compilation by one of their biggest influences.

The collection kicks off with the band's newest 7", Paranoid Futures, which was released concurrently with this comp. Following their logical progression, it's the band's most melodic and upbeat material yet -- not exceedingly so, but enough to make mention. It's also their best, with the minute-long "Out of Time" (not a Burn cover) firing off a playful riff and "Static Void" succeeding on some stuttered restraint and a catchy refrain -- there's actually some singing in that latter one, rather than the rushed bark.

The other 15 tracks, culled from 2006's You're Screwed and last year's Manic Euphoria, blow by just as quick, nodding to early-to-mid-`80s punk/hardcore luminaries just as steadily. I'd call it west coast-styled, but those hints of Dag Nasty splashed in there ("Textbook Timebomb" is superb) keep it equally indebted to both coasts.

Three Things at Once is a convenient compilation that provides a comprehensive look at one of Baltimore's more overlooked hardcore(-ish) acts.

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On a Slab [Paranoid Futures]
Face Down Dead [Paranoid Futures]
I'm on Top [Manic Euphoria]
Textbook Timebomb [Manic Euphoria]
Let Go [You're Screwed]