The Sleep of Monsters – or SOM for short – are a genre-bending vehicle for darkly melodick melancholia, perfumed in the incense of ancient mysteries and sullen decadence. Alternatively, you can file it under AOR – Adult Occult Rock, that is.
With three female and two male vocalists and the unique lyrics of lead singer Ike Vil, SOM are, to quote Monty Python, something completely different – hidden behind their sometimes deceivingly catchy songs lurks a poison garden of cloaked meanings and soul-shattering revelations.
Produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, Sentenced, Apocalyptica et al), their third album, titled ΓΓΓ, was released to critical acclaim in May 2023 on Svart Records. Aiming for a grittier, earthier, more organic sound this time, SOM have immersed themselves in ancient Greek mysteries. Written e.g. at the site of the wine-oracle of Perperikon and the sanctuary of the Cyprian Aphrodite in Palaeopaphos, and heavily influenced by the corpus known as Greek Magical Papyri, the lyrics constitute a modern initiation rite; a five-g’s-in-total-darkness-type of trip that optimally bestows upon an intrepid listener the tripartite secret beyond the piper at the gates of dawn.
The line-up on the records is Sami Hassinen – gtr, Pätkä Rantala – drums, Ande Kiiski – bass, Janne Immonen – keyboards, Uula Korhonen – gtr, Jarkko Hassinen – baritone gtr & vocals, Tarja Leskinen – vocals, Hanna Wendelin – vocals, Nelli Saarikoski – vocals, and Ike Vil –lead vocals.
SOM kick-started their career by opening for HIM on New Year’s Eve of 2013 at the Helldone Festival, Helsinki. They were signed to the Finnish Suomen Musiikki label in 2013 and released their debut album Produces Reason in Finland in November 2013, entering the Top 50. Svart Records picked the album for international release and put out the digipak and gatefold vinyl versions of the album, complete with a bonus track, in November 2014. In 2016, SOM released their second album Poison Garden on Svart Records. A video was shot for ”The Golden Bough”, the band’s tribute to the dark duets of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. In 2017, the band played Tuska Open Air in Helsinki, and toured Finland with Swallow the Sun.
“Sleep of Monsters are producing, important, substantial music here; Ghost have proven that occult music doesn’t need to be impenetrable to the untutored ear, and on ΓΓΓ you’ll find some of the most accessible occult rock ever committed to tape. On all levels this is a great success.”
(Michael Stronge / Sentinel Daily)
“This is by no means anything but a superb little album (...) Having been to Wacken Open Air festival a couple of times now, I know that this is the type of band that will see the crowd pleased, so if you know that festival, and enjoy it, then this will be a bit of you.
(Lee Beamish / Sleeping Shaman)
“They are masters of the obscure and of the esoteric meandering; they are weavers of elegantly debauched tales, conversationalists into the early hours and breathing strangely scented smoke into the dim light. They write songs that nestle against you and take you on a swaggering walk or an elegant waltz with equal ease. Louche, intellectual interlopers in lounge bars and guides to places long forgotten by the sun, they leave me mesmerised every time.”
(Gizmo / Ave Noctum)
“(...) truly impressive album of occult heavy rock music led by Ike Vil’s characteristic and
charismatic vocals and his complex, esoteric lyricism.”
(J / Only Death is Real)