Vessel - The Somnifer

Vessel is a doom/stoner metal band from Australia, who formed in 2011. Their latest release, “The Somnifer” is their fourth full-length album. 

This is my first experience with Vessel—and I have definitely been missing out.   Although rooted firmly in doom, the album is quite dynamic. It's subtle at first–this is an album that is very encompassing and as it absorbs you, you'll want to pass out the other side and go back in again to hit up details you might have missed.

In that respect, it has a lot of psychedelic elements it uses to build layers of psychosis. Of course, it's usually world building with a slower tempo so even as it creates, it crushes with raw power.

Like any good doom/stoner album, “The Somnifer,” has a big blues influence and a ton of groove and fuzz.  But it needs all these influences to present its concept of the relationship of trauma and sleep.  The songs are written to capture the different mental stages a person can pass through. 

It's certainly an unique concept yet the subject matter feels right at home for the genre. Personally, I think it works very well with the presentation. The vocals are sparse, used only when needed. They too have a variety and never really sound the same or use the same patterns when appearing. 

I also noticed something very interesting—it seems the interludes of the album follow each other just as much as they fit in with the album as a whole.  Maybe it's all in my head but it makes sense to me. 

Perhaps on the road to recovery or dealing with the trauma, these smaller pieces represent set backs or major blocks to mental and emotional freedom? Regardless, it's a testament to the album’s depth that it's lyrics and music can be dissected and explored like that to begin with.

The album begins with the title track. It's bass is deep and rolls through the clean guitar.   The drums do a fantastic jump in budding the song up but the guitar slowly creeps in, pulling mounds of fuzz along with it.

“Rapid Eye Movement,” opens with deep clean tones that grow into powerful stoner fuzz before throwing on blues guitar riffs. The vocals have a sort of spoken word feel to them and it all sounds great. Musically, it alternates Between doom and psychedelic tendencies. 

“Recurring Nightmare,” is one of best songs on the album—the guitars and bass are gargantuan. There is an odd but infectious pent of energy in this song….it feels like it's going to explode and is barely hanging out.  The final half of the song is minimalistic, focusing on the bass and drums to put down pressure as the guitar echoes through the smattering of leads.

“Image Rehearsal Reaction,” is a ten minute stoner epic. I don't do drugs but if I did, I can understand how this journey might send me from the desert to the moon and all the way back again. Even sober, it's an interesting song that uses bass centric tones and sound bytes to deliver its message.

The final song is the smoke and smooth “Body and Soul.” I like the tone of the guitars in the opening, a solid bedrock for the bass to stand upon which is interesting because it's usually the other way around.  The later half of the song is trippy, the solo meditative yet mind bending.

Vessel “The Somnifer,” is a very interesting doom album that explores several styles while blending them all together in with a high level of depth and impact.