COME SLEEP, The Skull of Ahab  (2004, demo)

The skull:
Man, just when you think you’ve seen the simplest of simple skull album covers, here comes Come Sleep. I very much doubt this is the skull of Ahab, unless he was of the Homo Habilis species, and somehow I think the dude was younger than 1.4 million years old. But hey, Come Sleep have provided artwork that’s beautiful in its simplicity, with the understated band non-logo tattooed across the skull’s left eye. What a hipster.

The music:
This Swedish band rank at about a 5 on the Sludge Boredom Scale. It’s not the boring-est sludge ever, as it has various layers and textures that keep it just a little bit colorful, and some of the vocals are actually emotive in a way that ape-thug shouts can never be. You can tell they’ve studied the requisite Neurosis and Mastodon albums, but ultimately this five-songer does indeed beckon me to slumber. It’s just not my thing, but if you like sludge, there’s lots worse out there, and the band’s obscurity is not quite deserved.
— Friar Wagner