Sleeping Through the War

All Them Witches - Sleeping Through the War
Critic Score
Based on 8 reviews
2017 Ratings: #51 / 940
User Score
Based on 117 ratings
2017 Rank: #386
Liked by 7 people
February 24, 2017 / Release Date
LP / Format
Stoner Rock / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Clash
'Sleeping Through The War' strikes the perfect balance of the familiar and the alien to distill 45 minutes of musical opium. Bliss.
86
GIGsoup
Simply put, this is All Them Witches’ best work yet. It’s brimming with confidence, band maturity and mastery of their respective roles and instrumentation. It’s wholly apparent that utmost thought goes into the construction of tracks, resulting in deeply dense compositions with highly successful cosmic exploration.
85
The Line of Best Fit
Like Josh Homme’s Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age, they dig up diamond hooks from rough desert rock. They can swing between tranquil and torrential in an almost Mogwai-esque manner, as the massive strobe light opener “Bulls” demonstrates.
80
musicOMH
Whether All Them Witches’ fans will approve in droves is unlikely, but instead of burying their heads in the sand maybe they should embrace the bands continuing evolution because at times it’s simply spellbinding.
80
AllMusic

The Nashville-based quartet's fourth studio long-player, and second for New West Records, Sleeping Through the War is All Them Witches' most fully realized set to date, a sprawling yet remarkably focused effort that takes their exploratory, often spliced-together work ethic in a more stridently song-oriented direction.

80
No Ripcord

Sleeping Through The War is the embodiment of a gentle giant: huge in presence but unwaveringly accessible.

80
American Songwriter
Between the album’s imaginative, original art work and music that follows suit, this is one CD you’ll want to hold in your hands and stare at as you strap in and let the inspired music unspool.
DachetG
75

It’s really odd. Typically, a band starts out with tracks that engage the audience, and then the music peters out in the second half. Also, the longer songs usually drag on and wear out their welcome. The opposite occurred here. I really appreciated all the six-plus minute odes, and was less impressed with the shorter works. It feels as if, when they had a good beat or hook, the band worked or embellished the song, and for those that didn’t pass muster, they were quick and ... read more

CheapandLethal
95

Exceptional

AllShallParish
83

All Them Witches Binge #3

This is a bit of a trip. This album is so different from their first two albums, and in some places I think it is a lot better for it. First of all, the production on this album is much cleaner than their previous records, and across the album it allows for a more clear view of how fantastically talented these guys are. The guitar work is sprawling, beautiful, well-structured and ear-catching, the drums are crisp, tight, and creative, and the keys across the album ... read more

Heinos
82

Consistent, smooth as hell and full of interesting experimentation. The mixing, while clear and detailed at times, feels like it misses a bit of "punch" that their other records have.

Love the concepts of the lyrics in here, really interesting stuff for an album like this.

Overall its clear that they were slowly transitioning into a bit more commercial direction for this, which unfortunately strips away a bit of their depth. The record does get better as it goes on, transforming ... read more

AllShallParish
83

All Them Witches Binge #3

This is a bit of a trip. This album is so different from their first two albums, and in some places I think it is a lot better for it. First of all, the production on this album is much cleaner than their previous records, and across the album it allows for a more clear view of how fantastically talented these guys are. The guitar work is sprawling, beautiful, well-structured and ear-catching, the drums are crisp, tight, and creative, and the keys across the album ... read more

oskar4
85

Short review (track ratings below):
All Them Witches are amongst stoner rock‘s most beloved insider tips, mostly known for their blues rock roots and incredible live shows. "Sleeping Through the War" is easily their best and most unique record in my opinion (though a case can be made for Lightning at the Door ignoring its bonus tracks). The album is hypnotic, a gigantic but calm presence like depicted on the album cover. The prime examples for this description can be found in ... read more

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Added on: November 16, 2016