A totally unknown entity to me back in 2012 when I came across My Sleeping Karma and their then new album, Soma. But this wax immediately became and still is my favorite chill album. Definitely a great Sunday remedy to cure a bad hangover or just to help me relax...and that works on any given day. Hmmm come to think of it I should try Soma on my demon dog, Killer the chihuahua, might work wonders exorcising his inner demons.
Hailing from Aschaffenburg, Germany My Sleeping Karma has been going at it since 2006 honing their skills to perfection. This being their fourth full-length I have the desireful quest of traveling back in time to explore their previous releases. Because Soma is instrumental trippy doomy and groovy post metal of the highest order.
I've said it before but it is worth repeating. When instrumental music is written and performed where a clear storyline appears courtesy of the music alone while the listeners can create their own story and visions at the same time, then this is one of the greatest forms of art there is. After all, if you can creat powerful, vivid pictures without words you have boundless talent.
Taking a lot of inspiration from the Hindu gods and scriptures is another aspect of their multi-layered, psychedelic sound. It feels like I'm on a cloud floating around different atmospheres where even in the most violent conditions I am perfectly at peace. My Sleeping Karma keeps it pretty much even-paced but from time to time they throw down the gauntlet and rock hard. It's not random though and serves a purpose in the bands quest for higher enlightenment and harmony. Ephedra, my favorite track on the album, is a perfect example. For the most part it moves along in a dreamlike state only to occasionally erupt into brief frenzied segments and it makes so much sense. Personally this is THE song for cleansing, of starting over fresh, pure and pristine.
Matte - bass, Seppi - guitar, Steffen - drums and Norman - soundboard have birthed something truly unique with their band. The backbone of the music is repetitive and trance-inducing in the best possible way. You can also hear snippets of their musical influences but they amass all this and turn it into music this great and unheard of is so inspiring and uplifting to me as a listener. Each spin brings new angles and interpretations while keeping the foundation intact...and that is greatness!
Every time I listen to it the album picks me up and sends me off somewhere else taking me on a cleansing journey. Since Soma is the intoxicating drink of the Gods it's no wonder I feel the way I feel while spinning this wax. And therefore I can't hardly find anything else that can surpass it as the perfect Sunday AM album. However, it can and should be played at anytime because there is not a single situation where it won't work. So don't limit your session with this wax to Sundays only. Go out and buy it and let yourself be reborn....time and time again. Truly amazing!
Swedebeast