'A Hymn To The Morning Star' shows the range they have and it just makes the album feel that much more unique. Not only the lyrics, but just the vocals themselves, too. I usually do like when symbolism is not up for interpretation for I see, and I quote the great Devin Townsend, 'People going up their own ass.' Besides the political themes that travel through the album, the lyrics also help create that atmosphere I like so much. But even if it is obvious, it does not take away anything from the song. Take for example 'The Creature.' This song has a blatantly obvious reference to politics, I think. The lyrics tend to have a deeper meaning to them. And as some people think the lyrics sound forced, I actually enjoy them quite a lot. The amount of tension this band creates with instrumentation is pretty unreal it helps settle a truly dark mood. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural Historyĭefinitely one of the better avant-garde albums I have heard. You might love or hate what you learn, but most likely it will be a combination of the two.The key is an open mind. I really have never heard or seen another performance like this anywhere else. However, I think that people should listen to this, even if they hate it (and it certainly would not be difficult to have that reaction) because here is something unique. If it were only for the music, this album might earn 2 stars because of the amount of 'real' SGM songs and the recording quality which is not excellent. The rest is a mixture of improv, anecdotes, pseudo-intellectual tidbits, and insanity.

Out of the 16 tracks (taken from various SGM concerts), there are only a handful of actual songs that have appeared on studio albums. That's really what I kept coming back to the most accurate description of the album's attitude is dadaist.

If you listen to this album not as a recording of a music concert but as a dadaist performance, then maybe you will be able to appreciate it. Through the apparent chaos of this music lies a contentedness that is only visible through unobscured vision. It certainly is possible to reject societal standards without the anger, but sometimes anger is necessary. It isn't selfish or irrational anger, but calculated retaliation against society's constrictions. Though the rage may be painful at the time, it can achieve a measure of clarity. 'Morning will come for you at last No matter how far into night you have strayed'ĭismantling the unspoken requirements for 'normal' interaction often requires violent measures. Many people are unable or unwilling to restore sight to themselves, but SGM's music offers the willing a powerful tool to do so. It's so thrilling because it temporarily breaks the illusion of order and uses the guise of insanity to see society in a truer light. It is an understanding, a twisted beauty that dares the listener to defy his cultural conditioning and escape for a moment from the accepted standards of society. The emotion is a more complex one that rarely sees the light of day. The thrill of listening to this music goes beyond a primal rush of adrenaline or even a chilling sense of uneasiness.

SGM's music has been categorized as anything from avant-prog to art rock to experimental metal to rio (Rock In Opposition). frequently in a renovated vintage Green Tortoise bus, and their live performances have featured puppet shows, pseudo-scientific scholarly presentations, and performances by members of the Butoh group inkBoat. Previous members include percussionist Moe! Staiano, founding drummer David Shamrock, and drummer/manager Frank Grau. Matthias Bossi (drums, glockenspiel, xylophone, vocals) and Michael Mellender (percussion, assorted melodic instruments, vocals) both joined in 2004. The band was founded by Nils Frykdahl (guitars, flutes, vocals) and Dan Rathbun (bass, log, trombone, lute, vocals) of the band Idiot Flesh, with Carla Kihlstedt (violins, percussion guitar, autoharp, organ, bulbul, vocals) of Tin Hat Trio, 2 Foot Yard and The Book of Knots, after the three worked together in Charming Hostess. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum formed in 1999 in Oakland, California, United States.

Sleepytime gorilla museum