F.O.D. – Sleepville CD (Bearded Punk Records / Wiretap Records / Thousand Island)

F.O.D. returns back with another exceptional full-length album. The album has been encompassed by the concept of the quiet town called Sleepville, and each record has been accommodated with an actual book that reveals a story about it. Previously, F.O.D. has published dozen of remarkable recordings such as Dance To This EP, Something More 7”, Ontario 12″, Tricks Of The Trade 12” and Harvest 12”. However, the group has decided to depart from the classic punk rock cliches and proceed into further explorations, until they reach the desired sound. To be honest, these guys have pushed songwriting and composing to an entirely new direction with this one. The idea to include a whole orchestra seems a bit ludicrous, but it worked out pretty amazing for F.O.D. Sleepville commences with an orchestral overture that gradually transits into recognizable skate punk maneuvers, but the band includes even more ear-appealing orchestrations as the album passes by. The essence lays deep down in the aesthetics of melodic punk rock, but the entire material has been decorated by beautiful orchestral sounds. Besides their initial characteristics, you may encounter similarities with The Queen or The Beatles, especially noted within chorus structures. Speaking of concept, Sleepville possesses certain narrative qualities of psychedelic rock albums of the seventies. It contains some sort of that vibe hidden somewhere deep inside, but only in aspects of storytelling and orchestrations. The compositions have been thoughtfully arranged to accommodate the aforementioned storytelling and progressive instrumentations, mainly based on dynamic skate punk rock improvisations. The wide array of instruments involved in this masterpiece goes beyond reasoning, and these skillful Belgian musicians have used them to highlight specific segments. Sleepville sounds unpredictable with dozen of unexpected harmonizations, which will lead you further through the entertainful sonic explorations. The generous servings of enjoyable musicianship and the abundance of ideas contributed to produce this comprehensive collection will leave you speechless. Sleepville has been released on deluxe looking vinyl and eco pack compact disc between Bearded Punk Records, Thousand Islands Records, and Wiretap Records. The vinyl comes with the aforementioned book that includes the complete story, and incredible illustrations. Keep an eye on this album, and make sure to purchase it in the desired format.