From Iceland — We Made God: As We Sleep

Published September 12, 2008

This record is preceded by its reputation. Before it was even released, British Kerrang selected “As we Sleep” as one of the 50 must-have albums in 2008. And the sound of the four young guys is actually catching. While settled somewhere between the epic gravity of bands like ISIS and the fragility of  Sigur Rós, We Made God manage to establish their own sound, which is primarily characterized by their wide, melodic guitars and Maggi’s eclectic vocals. I also like their powerful drums, though they sound a little artificial on this record. That “As we sleep” is not in my personal Top 50 list is owed to fact that the songs sometimes still sound slightly awkward, including small instrumental misplays. This does not destroy the album, which is quite good, and shows the promise of this young band. But for a perfect record We Made God will need some more grinding.