MELIAH RAGE – The Deep And Dreamless Sleep

The Deep and Dreamless Sleep is the seventh release for veteran Boston-based Metallers Meliah Rage, a band that has acquired something of a cult following over the years from fans who appreciate the group’s no-nonsense approach to Heavy Metal. The album is eight tracks in length, and has a running time of close to 36 minutes.

Meliah Rage plays a Thrash-based style of Metal, with lots of fast chugging riffs, squealing solos, aggressive rhythms, forceful drumming, and strong, in-your-face vocals. It’s not a fancy album, but it delivers what it promises: lots of rough-edged, “back to basics” Metal that rarely slows down for a breath, with only one song — “Last Of the Wanted” — that could be considered “slow” (or at least slower than the others).

Guitarists Anthony Nichols and Jim Koury put down a lot of heavy riffs on The Deep and Dreamless Sleep, giving listeners plenty of opportunities to headbang along with this album; the riffage may remind some people of vintage Metallica; check out “Curse,” which sounds a lot like “One” in places. Combine the riffs with the powerful vocals of Paul Souza and the rapid-fire drumming of Stuart Dowie, and all the pieces are in place for an enjoyable album.

Yes, The Deep and Dreamless Sleep is pretty enjoyable: heavy, not too “clean” sounding, good riffs, and the songs have good driving energy and are fairly catchy. Some vocal melodies get repeated a bit too much for their own good, though, like on “Twisted Wreck,” where the refrain “Twisted wreck! Twisted wreck!” is shouted out over and over. This doesn’t detract from the song, however, which is a vivid account of a car crash, and one of the better songs on the album.

Some other effective songs on this album are “God and Man,” which has choice guitar work and catchy vocals, the propulsive “Undefeated,” and “Last Of The Wanted,” which has a good mid-paced groove and strong riffs. Meliah Rage has a knack for creating simple, yet memorable, riffs and guitar lines, and vocal work that gets stuck in your head. There are no weak songs on The Deep and Dreamless Sleep.

For Meliah Rage fans, The Deep and Dreamless Sleep is an automatic purchase, as it’s a strong (but slightly-short) disc from them. If you’re new to the band, or are just in the mood for some good, no-nonsense Heavy Metal, you’ll probably enjoy the album as well.