Sleepytime Gorilla Museum might sound like a jumble of disparate words picked out of a hat, and that is likely how the band got it's name, but they're also the specific words that infer a jumble of disparate sounds tumbled through a hat. If you're already familiar with the angry experimental prog metal legion of clowns that call themselves Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, then news of their grand reopening will come as a thrill. Or, you'll think, "I never cared for them. Too difficult." And you know what, you're right, too. And if you've never encountered these Oakland weirdos, in all their live performance hijinks and decidedly unusual sonic offerings, then all my ramblings above mean absolutely nothing to you.
Consider "Sleep is Wrong", which you could call something along the lines of a cult hit, if not a billboard chart-topper.
This is one of the band's more agreeable offerings. I'm really keen on this kind of off-kilter, jazzy metal, so I think the whole album, well, rocks. I have, however, been told to turn off their "Of Natural History" album off when I played it in public, so I acknowledge that my opinion might be controversial. Regardless of all that hubbub, I highly recommend taking a look at the band's unique instruments like the sledgehammer dulcimer or the viking rowboat and/or seeing them live on their grand reopening tour. After a twelve-year hiatus, they've seasoned very well.
Previously: The Book of Weirdo – a history of the greatest magazine ever published
