Oh, Sleeper
Children of Fire
By: Nick Habisch
Rating: 
Oh, Sleeper have always been a band of unrealized potential. The musical talent is there, the lyrics are strong, the mindset is solid, there’s just always been something missing. Now on their third album, the question is whether Oh, Sleeper can finally distinguish themselves as something more then Underoath mixed with Thrice. Children of Fire, the band’s latest release, leaves out no punches musically or lyrically, but does it truly set Oh, Sleeper apart from the masses?
Not really. While Oh, Sleeper sure brings the musical chops to the table (see The Family Ruin’s dynamics, or Claws of God’s hard hitting guitar fireworks), with guitar riffs all over the fretboard, solid, if not typical drumming, and vocals that show a nice set of screamed and clean tones, the band still feels as sterile as they were on When I Am God. The songs tend to incorporate heavy verses and sung choruses, which leaves structure pretty stagnant. The band also suffers from using much of the same styling’s that have been present on all their albums: tremolo guitar riffs, tapping, and gang vocals. There’s just not much of a sense that Oh, Sleeper has progressed in any sense of the word.
If there were to be a strong point in Oh, Sleeper’s toolbox it would be the lyrics. Ever since songs like “The Siren’s Song” off of When I Am God, up to their first concept album, Son of the Morning, the lyrics have always been thought provoking and intense. Children of Fire continues the concept introduced in Son of the Morning, with God and the Devil disappearing, and humanity in all sorts of chaos. Songs like “Endseekers”, “In the Wake of Pigs”, and the disturbing “Hush Yael” paint a vivid picture of this concept, and could very well be what holds this album up.
When all is said and done, Oh, Sleeper does not do much to distance themselves from their metalcore brethren. The vocals bear too tight a resemblance to Underoath and Thrice (screamed and sung respectively), the musicianship, while tight, floats in typical Oh, Sleeper style, and the lyrics are the only thing keeping this album above the water.
This album will satisfy fans of Oh, Sleeper’s past albums, or the mass of generic metalcore bands, and it may be worth the time to check out the lyrics and concept, but if none of this floats your boat: wait until Oh, Sleeper decides to be their own band.
