Children of Fire

Children of Fire

Oh, Sleeper’s third album is the conceptual sequel to 2009’s Son of the Morning, which mused on a battle between God and Satan. Inspired by The Book of Revelation (but written like a Cormac McCarthy novel), Children of Fire takes place during the end times (spoiler alert: Satan and God are both assumed dead following their fight) and focuses on an atheist girl and her priest father, who assumes the role of judge now that God is dead. “Endseekers” opens with pummeling drums, winding guitars, and a brooding bass that all combine to create accessible metalcore over which Micah Kinard screams of an earth ravaged by the rapture (chronicled in the band’s preceding album). With a similarly relentless sonic attack, “Shed Your Soul” erupts like an angry volcano as Kinard growls about how there can’t be a heaven nor a hell with both deities dead. Exuding more propulsion (especially in the rhythm section), “The Marriage of Steel and Skin” plays with explosive fury before the triumphant title track ends with the daughter saved and ready to fight for God.

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