Oh, Sleeper- Son of the Morning

Controversy isn't always a bad thing. Enough of it can draw in those brave and curious enough to find out what it's about, hence bringing more exposure and maybe even a few fans. Like when Oh, Sleeper released their debut in 2007, titled When I Am God. At a first look, that might seem very prideful and completely out of place. Some people might have found themselves checking the label. "That does say 'Solid State,' right?" So then what was this Christian metal band doing with a title like that?

"Vices Like Vipers"--the track from which the album title was taken from--talks about how "When I am God, the church is unsound," letting God be God, and allowing Him to rule your life. See? So this time, when their sophomore album cover was released to the public, revealing part of a pentagram, people might have taken a second look to see what this one was really about. And by not jumping to conclusions, they discovered that, again, things are not what they seem at first look. The upside-down star normally has the bottom two points at the top (those being the devil's horns) and the single point at the bottom (that being the head). However, the horns are missing, relating the the final song, "The Finisher," in which God tells Satan, "My angels will sing to a world reborn as I cut off your horns. I'll cut off your horns." Makes sense now, right?

So to start off the album, the title track speaks from Satan's point of view. A bunch of things against God and His children are said. The only part seen from God's point of view is the chorus, where He says, "If you could see like Me you'd see you haven't won anything, If you could see like Me you'd see it's by My grace you're breathing." It's a really powerful son, and can easily make us angry at Satan's mindset, all building up to the satisfying finale where God promises his demise. But between the beginning and the end is where God goes about bringing people to Him and preparing an army to defeat Satan. That's what takes up the eight tracks between.

As far as the music goes, it's your typical metal. There isn't a whole lot that sets it apart. Micah Kinard's screams are intense--as usual--but aren't as deep as a lot of metal vocalists'. They're more like the higher screams of TDWP's Mike Hranica. In most songs there are spots where things slow down temporarily, but nothing is too shockingly drastic. Kinard's singing voice is crystal-clear in places, and in others sounds like a combination of the growling and singing. The usual doubl bass becomes highly impressive in the songs "World Without a Sun" and "Commissioned by Kings." Some might even find themselves wondering how it's even possible that someone could move their feet that quickly. It's unbelievable.

Other than the fact that there's only one song over four minutes and only ten tracks, I'd say Son of the Morning is a great sophomore album for Oh, Sleeper. Any fans of Solid State should be prompted to give this album a listen with no hesitation. A great album that fantastically displays spiritual warfare, any fan of Christian metal should check this out--and always remember to look past the surface of things. They aren't always what they seem.