even the slept

Defining philadelphians rockers even the slept (in lowercase) is a hard thing to do. Their debut EP ‘Sinks the Ocean’ is a collection of the most diverse sonorities: we have a significant presence of progressive rock, with a touch of alternative rock, hard rock, metal and even jazz. It would be something like The Mars Volta meets The Reign of Kindo meets Porcupine Tree. Since you probably haven’t understood anything I wrote, it’s easier to define them with their own words: is a five-piece group that don’t care about being signed or making money playing music. And that’s why they deserve your attention.

Every song on ‘Sinks the Ocean’, no exception, is awesome. From the “Mars Voltesque” opening track “The Oculus” to the catchy “One Against One Too Many” – especially the remarkable groovy bass from bassist Mcgurt –we have close to 30 minutes of pure joy and experimentations that you’ll listen in few rock albums this year. The EP highlight is up to “New China”, that starts with a jazz rhythm, turns to progressive rock and arrives to a bridge full of explosive guitar riffs, drums splashes and yelling vocals that would make any Tool fan proud.

‘Sinks the Ocean’ is absolutely one of the best debut EPs from 2011. In a year that most bands released repetitive albums with no creativity at all, this is a must listen for anyone that desires for something different. Future holds something brilliant to even the slept, and I can’t wait to listen more of these talented guys. - Rock News And Reviews

From the land of cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, Phillies, Eagles, and Rocky Balboa comes a prog band named even the slept. They are in training: playing live, writing and recording, sparring every day, taking punches and throwing a few more. Their recently released EP, Sinks the Ocean, is more than a warm-up, it’s a prizefighter. Yo Adrian, buy this EP.

Many folks may think that Philadelphia, long a tour destination for top prog bands, can only produce homegrown soul bands like The Roots. Philly does have plenty of soul. But they also love their progressive music. When former Gov. Ed Rendell was Mayor and YES was scheduled to perform at one of the downtown arenas, he invited the band members to his house for an afternoon cook-out. He also invited 100-200 close friends. It was the hottest ticket in town.

And now there is another hot ticket in even the slept. Their iconic pop styling sets them apart from other progressive rock bands. Their influences cross diverse genres like we cross the Broad Street. Bossanova, pop, prog-metal all blend together in some kind of special drink. Be thirsty, my friends.

According to their biography on myspace, the band members met while searching online for the best BBQ places in North Carolina. How they conspired to choose Philly is anyone’s guess and they aren’t ones to provide answers to silly questions. Let it go at that- BBQ, North Carolina and now Cheesestaks in Philly.

even the slept’s melodies jump ahead and behind the music, a staccato vocal dance daring us to follow with our ears. Lead singer Chris Young channels Sting, Roger Waters, Jared Leto, & Greg Lake. His notes are pure and clear; he’s the uncracked liberty bell pulling you into the music…and before you are aware, his scream/growl of metal is dancing in your head too. His range is so broad and his tone is pure as virgin snow or rough as a gravel road. I’m jealous, envious, and awestruck.

Then there are his lyrics. According to the band he is studying for an advanced degree in creative writing. With lyrics like these from their opening song, The Oculus, we are left wondering how deep and far he can go:

She was methodical, exotic and sensual
She was meticulous, a natural at all things unnatural
I screamed I’m unavailable
But she knew my every move
Wretch, you’re a momentary thrill
But she knew my every move


And then there is this, from the fourth track, Carbon Copy

Tear down your habits of thought
And swerve toward a chord
A new day has rendered itself
To save you from yourself

The band charges through the music like a thoroughbred at Philadelphia Park. There is no hesitation, wasted measures, no drifting through a musical passage until the next solo is slated to begin. even the slept understands there is power in a well-arranged song.A bossanova style beat opens on the third track, New China, and by the song’s conclusion, a wailing guitar is skipping across the scales, in a progression worthy of Coldplay or U2. You’ve forgotten that this song started somewhere else, with a tropical beat. You are lost in the moment. Great music is defined in this way. You aren’t scrolling back for the better part of the song because you won’t find it. Just enjoy the ride.

This is music made effortless and we are carried through each song with a confidence more fitting for a band with 8 albums and 6 world tours under their belt. Even if we stumble, are interrupted by the phone or, God forbid, a text message; we step back into the music and even the slept calls forth their magical progressions to mesmerize us once again.

Suddenly, the opponent is down. The songs are over. No! We wanted a full 9 rounds, not a knockout in the second round. Boo! Give us more songs! More songs! More songs! EP’s suck! We want a full album! Damn you even the slept! Spies!!! - Dante's Prog Blog Inferno

From the land of cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, Phillies, Eagles, and Rocky Balboa comes a prog band named even the slept. They are in training: playing live, writing and recording, sparring every day, taking punches and throwing a few more. Their recently released EP, Sinks the Ocean, is more than a warm-up, it’s a prizefighter. Yo Adrian, buy this EP.

Many folks may think that Philadelphia, long a tour destination for top prog bands, can only produce homegrown soul bands like The Roots. Philly does have plenty of soul. But they also love their progressive music. When former Gov. Ed Rendell was Mayor and YES was scheduled to perform at one of the downtown arenas, he invited the band members to his house for an afternoon cook-out. He also invited 100-200 close friends. It was the hottest ticket in town.

And now there is another hot ticket in even the slept. Their iconic pop styling sets them apart from other progressive rock bands. Their influences cross diverse genres like we cross the Broad Street. Bossanova, pop, prog-metal all blend together in some kind of special drink. Be thirsty, my friends.

According to their biography on myspace, the band members met while searching online for the best BBQ places in North Carolina. How they conspired to choose Philly is anyone’s guess and they aren’t ones to provide answers to silly questions. Let it go at that- BBQ, North Carolina and now Cheesestaks in Philly.

even the slept’s melodies jump ahead and behind the music, a staccato vocal dance daring us to follow with our ears. Lead singer Chris Young channels Sting, Roger Waters, Jared Leto, & Greg Lake. His notes are pure and clear; he’s the uncracked liberty bell pulling you into the music…and before you are aware, his scream/growl of metal is dancing in your head too. His range is so broad and his tone is pure as virgin snow or rough as a gravel road. I’m jealous, envious, and awestruck.

Then there are his lyrics. According to the band he is studying for an advanced degree in creative writing. With lyrics like these from their opening song, The Oculus, we are left wondering how deep and far he can go:

She was methodical, exotic and sensual
She was meticulous, a natural at all things unnatural
I screamed I’m unavailable
But she knew my every move
Wretch, you’re a momentary thrill
But she knew my every move


And then there is this, from the fourth track, Carbon Copy

Tear down your habits of thought
And swerve toward a chord
A new day has rendered itself
To save you from yourself

The band charges through the music like a thoroughbred at Philadelphia Park. There is no hesitation, wasted measures, no drifting through a musical passage until the next solo is slated to begin. even the slept understands there is power in a well-arranged song.A bossanova style beat opens on the third track, New China, and by the song’s conclusion, a wailing guitar is skipping across the scales, in a progression worthy of Coldplay or U2. You’ve forgotten that this song started somewhere else, with a tropical beat. You are lost in the moment. Great music is defined in this way. You aren’t scrolling back for the better part of the song because you won’t find it. Just enjoy the ride.

This is music made effortless and we are carried through each song with a confidence more fitting for a band with 8 albums and 6 world tours under their belt. Even if we stumble, are interrupted by the phone or, God forbid, a text message; we step back into the music and even the slept calls forth their magical progressions to mesmerize us once again.

Suddenly, the opponent is down. The songs are over. No! We wanted a full 9 rounds, not a knockout in the second round. Boo! Give us more songs! More songs! More songs! EP’s suck! We want a full album! Damn you even the slept! Spies!!! - Dante's Prog Blog Inferno

Progressive? Yes. Rock? Yes. Fascinating? Most definatley.

Sinks The Ocean will literally sink the ocean of mosh we all like to call brain. This album sounds well crafted; the production is simple, yet overpowering. The opening track, “The Oculus”, is a nice taste of the essence of the band. You can hear all their influences, mostly Circa Survive. The voice is not as high as Anthoney Green’s but the style and lyrics are almost there. The way these songs are written is not something you hear everyday. Verses, choruses, breakdowns, it’s not all very clear, yet there is something about the sound that just flows. Every song goes up to around 5 minutes totalling 26 minutes, nevertheless the EP does not bore you. The longest songs “New China” and “Carbon Copy” are hipnotizing with a mix of tremolos and delays. 

Get this album now on Amazon and iTunes; these Philly boys know how to do well.
- The Illegal Press Sound

Progressive? Yes. Rock? Yes. Fascinating? Most definatley.

Sinks The Ocean will literally sink the ocean of mosh we all like to call brain. This album sounds well crafted; the production is simple, yet overpowering. The opening track, “The Oculus”, is a nice taste of the essence of the band. You can hear all their influences, mostly Circa Survive. The voice is not as high as Anthoney Green’s but the style and lyrics are almost there. The way these songs are written is not something you hear everyday. Verses, choruses, breakdowns, it’s not all very clear, yet there is something about the sound that just flows. Every song goes up to around 5 minutes totalling 26 minutes, nevertheless the EP does not bore you. The longest songs “New China” and “Carbon Copy” are hipnotizing with a mix of tremolos and delays. 

Get this album now on Amazon and iTunes; these Philly boys know how to do well.
- The Illegal Press Sound

Today we take a look at the Philadelphia progressive rock group Even the Slept and their latest release, Sinks the Ocean. Combining the uptempo rhythm of jazz with the strumming guitars of progressive rock, Even The Slept provides a unique perspective to their craft. The disc kicks off strongly with “The Oculus”, a dark yet melodic hard rock tune that does an adequate job of showing off the band’s versatility and their adequate skills of playing the guitar diligently among other instruments. “New China” is an intricate, experimental track that sees the band delving into a plethora of influences that give the song some diversity and also shows off their depth as musicians. “Carbon Copy” is another solid track, using more of the influences we heard in the prior tracks in more varied degrees of tempos it gives a little bit of variety to its listeners. The song that most encapsulates this vision is “One Against One Too Many.” On the opposite end of the spectrum is “The Jig.” Rather than relying on it’s blues and jazz influence, they instead delve into straight hard rock.

Overall, a solid and well constructed effort from Even The Slept, who have shown their capabilities as musicians and their ability to user their musical skills to create dynamic and resourceful tracks that cater to listeners from all different kinds of genres.The new EP “Sinks the Ocean” proves to be a chameleon of sound, using many different sounds that blend well into one unique, coherent vision.

EP Score: B-

Track Listing:
The Oculus
The Jig
New China
Carbon Copy
One Against One Too Many
- Esente Center Stage

Today we take a look at the Philadelphia progressive rock group Even the Slept and their latest release, Sinks the Ocean. Combining the uptempo rhythm of jazz with the strumming guitars of progressive rock, Even The Slept provides a unique perspective to their craft. The disc kicks off strongly with “The Oculus”, a dark yet melodic hard rock tune that does an adequate job of showing off the band’s versatility and their adequate skills of playing the guitar diligently among other instruments. “New China” is an intricate, experimental track that sees the band delving into a plethora of influences that give the song some diversity and also shows off their depth as musicians. “Carbon Copy” is another solid track, using more of the influences we heard in the prior tracks in more varied degrees of tempos it gives a little bit of variety to its listeners. The song that most encapsulates this vision is “One Against One Too Many.” On the opposite end of the spectrum is “The Jig.” Rather than relying on it’s blues and jazz influence, they instead delve into straight hard rock.

Overall, a solid and well constructed effort from Even The Slept, who have shown their capabilities as musicians and their ability to user their musical skills to create dynamic and resourceful tracks that cater to listeners from all different kinds of genres.The new EP “Sinks the Ocean” proves to be a chameleon of sound, using many different sounds that blend well into one unique, coherent vision.

EP Score: B-

Track Listing:
The Oculus
The Jig
New China
Carbon Copy
One Against One Too Many
- Esente Center Stage