WE DIE FOR TRUTH

Some excellent, ethereal ambient, post rock, and post metal by an up and coming band. Most of the album isn't metal, sticking in a calm and strange take on the realms that are best described as atmospheric when at their best, as Sleep Maps pulls off. "The Life Beyond" is a beautiful opener, and features voice samples ruminating on sleep, death, and the afterlife. It's not long before metal joins on later tracks, but there is mostly a disquieting but gripping calm, other voice samples fading in and out. The metal itself just adds extra texture to the total soundscape, being as well done as the rest of the music. Ben Kaplan has to be one of the very best post metal, and really post in general, artists ever. The whole record is his work, and he forged it all wonderfully, especially the keys and guitars. We are left with a desolate soundscape brought to life at times by a beautiful, powerful metal guitar. A very enjoyable combination of the best of the aforementioned genres, highly recommended.