Deep Sleep

Turn Me Off (2011)

Rich Cocksedge

These guys really don't believe in hanging around or overstaying their welcome–they're definitely of the short, sharp, shock brigade, getting in, doing their business and evacuating almost before anyone knows what they've heard/witnessed.

Taking their cues from the likes of Descendents, Black Flag and Circle Jerks, you're immediately hit by a punk juggernaut, thick and solid in sound, full of pace yet with an element of control that stops it from becoming a total wreckage across 14 minutes of sheer, pummeling punk rock.

That doesn't mean that they're sacrificing quality for speed, as they manage to weld both into a concoction capable of maintaining both for the–albeit short–duration of the album.

There's an interesting sound to the songs, as I really need to turn them up loud to hear the musical nuances they contain, like little additional guitar leads, etc., but I wouldn't say it's poorly produced. In fact, once you get the right level, the sound is really good with each component coming across nicely. (Headphones really do enhance the listening experience.)

The more I listened to this album, two of the obvious influences above were notable in small parts with "Slow Down" having an element of the bassline of Descendents' "Sour Grapes", and "Nothing Inside" having an opening riff reminiscent of the guitar sound on Black Flag's "Rise Above". Added to this was "Another Me", which had me thinking of Stiff Little Fingers' excellent "Wait and See", as snippets of the song sounded very familiar to that track. That doesn't mean that "Turn Me Off" is derivative–it's just that with repeated plays, I'm hearing more from what initially sounded like quite a straightforward set of songs.

Again, there is a definite Descendents thing going on from start to finish on this record, with both bass and guitar sounds resembling that which the mighty Karl Alvarez and Stephen Egerton use. Imagine a hardcore version of that great band and you're close to nailing down Deep Sleep's sound, and it's very appealing.

If you like melodic, mid/fast-paced hardcore, then this should be the record for you. It's got a lot going for it and provides a short, stimulating listen.