2007 The End Records
Progressive/Metal

3½ out of 5

Oakland's Sleepytime Gorilla Museum returned to the spotlight in April with their third LP. The followup to 2004's disturbingly epic Of Natural History, In Glorious Times continues its predecessor's theatrical flair while returning somewhat to the aggression of their debut.

...Times begins much as Of Natural History did, with the uncharacteristically melodic and subdued introduction of "The Companions." Vocalist and guitarist Nils Frikdahl twists his pliable voice into that of a paranoid storyteller, almost Bowielike in its inflection, singing "all the desperate people in this town are coming out tonight...they'll be here soon..." The music and lyrics take a mutual slow turn towards the deranged before exploding into SGM's trademark assault of screeching violin and clattering percussion, building and building to a short yet incredibly sweet climax of Frikdahl and violinist/vocalist Carla Kihlstedt screaming in harmony over a roller coaster of shifting time signatures before settling back down to where it started.

Though at times the album gets bogged down in too much of the Museum's very King Crimson-inspired guitar vs. violin meandering, there are enough exceptional moments to keep it interesting and at times enthralling. This is in part due to the increased presence of Kihlstedt, whose airy yet powerful voice compliments Frikdahl perfectly. On "Angle of Repose," she takes over lead vocals to deliver a musically and lyrically stunning portrait of the futility of human culture clashes, hissing and crooning like a sinister Beth Gibbons. Bassist Dan Rathburg also steps up to the mic on the oddly bouncy "Ossuary," bringing a third personality into the nearly impenetrable clamor usually dominated by his bandmates. New drummer Mattias Bossi and percussionist Michael Mellender keep the whole thing rolling nicely, further improving on the band's already obscene technical prowess.

While the unifying concept behind the record is not as clear-cut as it was on the last two albums, In Glorious Times is well tied together by a series of barely decipherable telephone messages allegedly left by a deceased relative of Frikdahl. The lyrical subject matter is a little less cohesive than in the two previous records, but in effect this forces the songs to stand more on their own rather than being part of a single longwinded epic about the downfall of humanity and the revenge of nature.

In addition to featuring the thickest and most polished production in their catalogue, In Glorious Times is both the band's most accessible record to date and the most diverse, strengths which work· manage to complement each other. "The Helpless Corpses Enactment" is dead-on black metal· (complete with a hilariously Emporer-esque music video — see below) while "Ossuary" sounds like it could have been written by Les Claypool. "The Salt Crown" is classic Sleepytime, and would sound very much at home on their first album. The result is a record that has something for anybody, or at least anybody with an adventurous taste for music and some time to let it sink it. I stand by the widely held belief that Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is primarily a live band, their bizarre stage antics being a large piece of their appeal, but as far as their studio work goes, this is the one to get first.

For fans of: Mr. Bungle, King Crimson, Kayo Dot
Standout Tracks: Angle of Repose, The Greenless Wreath
Best moment: "BEHOLD THE BREATH OF THE DRAGON!"