Local Review: Sleep Cult – Speed Freak

Sleep Cult
Speed Freak
Slop Records
Street: 08.17
Sleep Cult = Stink-era Replacements + early Hüsker Dü + Black Francis

The Salt Lake City based band Sleep Cult sounds like a band raging in a garage somewhere at 2:00 a.m., in the beautiful moments between when the drugs kick in and the cops show up.

Sleep Cult’s new album Speed Freak is a perfectly sloppy, untamed noise bomb. The record sounds like early ‘80s Midwest punk rock angst like The Replacements and Hüsker Dü, with a little of the high altitude electric buzz that comes with living in a mountain town like Salt Lake City.

Speed Freak starts with a quirky bloop that finds its way to the wall, followed by a fast and furious trip touching all the bases and a reckless slide at home plate. Speed Freak is a record of sound and frenzy that explodes quickly and embers out with a total run time of 13 minutes and 19 seconds.

The first track, “Greater Good,” consists of a slice of dialogue: “I’d like to ask you, why you use drugs?” And it is with this that Speed Freak begins. The title track is a first-rate banger with sick aggressive guitar, alien noises and a B-movie soundtrack feel turned up to 11. The instrumentation on this record is delicious. It’s sonic assault is an absolute delight that delivers punches to the face.

The Sleep Cult wall of sound continues to ignite like a furnace blast on “Everynight,” “Nice Guy” and the instrumental “Cowboy Song.” The rabid yet friendly “Pizza Skin” is a stand out track. It’s a loud, fun mosh pit of a song that will make you want to bounce off the walls. This track should be on everyone’s late Fall playlists.

The album ends with the sludgy track “Suffocating” a Black Francis, Doolittle-era Pixies scorcher. “There’s nowhere to go / There’s nowhere to hide / Now he’s paranoid / Scratching out his eyes / Taste the blood when it starts to drip.” Gorgeous! The record concludes with a final slice of dialogue: “It is my opinion, falling asleep is one of the best feelings there is. Even better than harmonizing with your voice.” Perfect.

For any successful cult, a system of religious veneration and devotion must stick to the brain to make it all work. Sleep Cult’s Speed Freak is a caustic and charismatic entity that will draw you in and convert you to its magic. Please don’t sell all your possessions, shave your head and move to the mountains to wait for the next Sleep Cult record. Get over yourselves! Enjoy this one! 

Speed Freak is a great rock-n-roll record that was birthed in the garage, sounds like the garage and hopefully will never leave the garage. And thank God for that. I hope to see Sleep Cult live soon, I’m already one of the converted. –Russ Holsten

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