Search - Sleepy Hollow :: Goin' Over

GOIN' OVER shows a heavier side of Sleepy Hollow than their debut EP, more focused on thick organ sounds and drop-tuned guitars. Still, the band continues to be rooted in classic hard rock, metal, and prog more than the modern sound - although they make good use on this album of nu-metal, modern power metal (a la Iced Earth), and even a touch of death metal vocals. Their style of progressive hard rock owes more to the meaty sophistication of bands like Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, and Iron Maiden than the extravagant virtuosity of the modern progressive metal scene.The first half of the album is dedicated to the 20-minute title piece, portraying a young man's descent through increasingly dangerous drugs with different styles of music reflecting the various drugs. (The segments are tracked separately, and stand alone as individual, shorter songs.) Beginning with a Renaissance-inflected acoustic section, with 3 flutes entering at different times, the song then goes into a nice classic metal section. This is followed by a strong funky groove propelled by Frank's wonderful drumming (a strong point of the album throughout) and Joe's organ bass, underneath a funky wah guitar riff and some filthy vocals that take no time for breath. A heavy speed metal segment leads to an excellent foray into nu-metal (with a nod to King Crimson in the bridge). This gives way to a very heavy metal section, which then transforms (retaining the same chord changes) into a mellow section with clean guitar and harmony vocals that brings to mind Pink Floyd. A soaring guitar solo leads to a march, and the opening theme is recapped on harp to end the piece. The overall effect should please both those seeking ambitious music and those who wish to rock out without making an effort.The remaining half of the album is made up of 5 songs of more traditional length. "Pay the Price" is an aggressive, driving hard rocker. "Under the Ground" is a heavy dirge about being buried alive that still manages to groove. The combination of one of the heaviest organ sound in rock with ethereal keyboard "ahs" and death metal vocals in the chorus make this track a perfect synthesis of influences from the whole history of metal. "90's Child", on the other hand, isn't metal at all, but a catchy pop rock ode to Generation Whine that reminds one of Jethro Tull's "Teacher". "Mare Crastinum" starts out quiet, with a vocal reminiscent of Geoff Tate and some excellent poetic lyrics, then builds up into a powerful heavy metal tsunami. The classically-influenced instrumental section, with all four musicians swirling around each other, shows how great a skilled band can sound when everyone's working together rather than trying to steal the show individually. The album closes on a lighter note with "Rock Hard", a radio friendly classic rock anthem with all four singers trading vocals.