SLEEPING GIANT - FINISHED PEOPLE (*NEW-CD, 2022, Bombworks Records)
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- Officially licensed
- Limited to 1000 units
- 12 page booklet with lyrics and rare band pics / remastered
- 1st pressing includes a limited edition foil-stamped band collector card
- Guest appearance by Levi the Poet
- Brook Reeves of Impending Doom
- Originally released in 2014 on Century Media Records
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BWCD1420 SLEEPING GIANT - FINISHED PEOPLE CD 637405143393
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SLEEPING GIANT - FINISHED PEOPLE
...the Salt Lake City based band produce a monster of a hardcore record with enough heart to make up for what it lacks in musical complexity. “Finished People” capitalizes on congregational hardcore worship anthems and challenges listeners everywhere to boldly love and spread the message of Jesus.
INDIE VISION MUSIC
ABOUT THE ALBUM
In their fourth studio album, Finished People, the band has harnessed a specific theme: that those who are downtrodden, who have given up, who are seen as useless and finished, still have limitless potential to be used by God in ways that no human could predict. In the title track, vocalist Tommy Green screams, "God sees saints in the cell blocks/We see revival in chains/ The world calls us the finished ones/ God forgive me for bringing tears to my own/I hope you won't forget me/or I am finished."
The ferocity with which they deliver their message is hard to ignore. Each song opens in tones of impendence, with calls of duty just pounding down like a hammer to your ears. "There is a sickness and we are the cure/The whole world will pass away but we will endure," for example, from the track "Blood Meridian." "I have the DNA of Heaven in me/Strongholds will fall when I pray," from "Victory."
Musically, at Bombworks Records we can't think of a better genre to relay this kind of God-desperate message than the blood-thirsty hardcore that Sleeping Giant dishes out. The original punk/hardcore spirit comes out in waves. They intend to pummel listeners with real zeal, real messages, crying out against upside down systems and broken standards. They scream and play with bravery, and unabashed honesty to a crowd that they really care about.
In past albums, we have heard a standard fare of hardcore yells and metalcore breakdowns, and a mechanical ear could say the same about Finished People, but suddenly from Kingdom Days In An Evil Age to this, we have a significant increase in quality. Guitar notes are sharper, the drums and low-tones hit harder, and the melodies in the clean vocals have improved drastically.
The 2022 Bombworks Records CD reissue comes in a jewel case with an 8-page booklet with lyrics, and it's been fully remastered by Rob Cowell of Bombworks Sound and the first pressing of the CD comes with a band foil-stamped Collector Card.
Tracklist
1. "Clutches" 3:32
2. "Overthrow" (feat: Brook Reeves of Impending Doom) 2:45
3. "Finished People" (feat: Joe Musten of Beloved and Advent and Nate Rebolledo of Xibalba) 3:05
4. "Death Knell" (feat: Bruce Lepage formerly of 100 Demons) 3:13
5. "Son Of God, Son Of Man" 3:44
6. "Christus Victor" 2:47
7. "Violence" (feat: Levi the Poet) 3:03
8. "Brother's Keeper (The Easter Rising)" 2:39
9. "The Great Divorce" (feat: Drew Di Jorio of Stray from the Path) 3:14
10. "Blood Meridian" (feat: Joel Muniz of Dynasty) 3:07
11. "Victory" 5:05
Total length: 36:15
INDIE VISION REVIEWS
For anyone familiar with Christian hardcore legends, Sleeping Giant, you already have a pretty good idea of what to expect on their newest release, “Finished People”. A raw production style, riffs focused more on getting the crowd moving than technicality, and front man Tom Green’s passionate vocal performance. “Finished People” takes this basic formula the band have used in the past and refines it to become perhaps the best Sleeping Giant record to date.
Clutches shows that Sleeping Giant have not been slacking off in their three years of absence. This opener is one of the heaviest hitters on the album, both musically and lyrically. The only returning member from the “Kingdom Days in an Evil Age” lineup, drummer Matt Weir, gives a standout performance. Complex drumming patterns and an overall high volume in the mix make Weir’s presence known. Green passionately exclaims in his signature sing/yell/scream style, “God don’t let people fall into the hands of an angry church without love I never would have made it / Father don’t let your people fall into the clutches of an angry world/ Without your love we’re never gonna make it”.
Overthrow is a super groovy track. Simplistic riffs work in the favor of this single because the listener is able to focus more on head banging than being distracted by a mindboggling guitar lead. The catchy chanted chorus sounds like it should translate wonderfully into a live environment as Green proclaims, “Flesh and bone. Snakes and Vultures. Overthrow prison culture. Watch me flow, like a River. From the throne into every nation on the earth.” Impending Doom’s own frontman, Brooke Reeves also makes a guest appearance at the end of the track, adding a little grit.
The title track, Finished People, is one of my personal favorites. Right off the bat the track comes out swinging with a furious breakdown over a prayer spoken in Russian. The track, lyrically, speaks about how God can use anyone – even prisoners to carry out His mission. Tom Green explains God’s vision and says, “I see saints in the cell blocks / I see revival in chains”.
Christus Victor is a slower, more worshipful song than anything previously on the record. This middle track seems to be “Finished People’s” rendition of Tithemi from “Kingdom Days…”. While Christus Victor does not have the same power that Tithemi did, the simple and worshipful lyrics are beautiful and more impactful in their redundancy. Violence keeps the slower tone going in the form of a spoken word track. Levi the Poet does the bulk of the vocals here as Green does background chanting. Levi does awesome work (As always), however I felt that the song seemed a bit out of place on this record seeing as the poet does all the singing rather than just having a small part in the track.
Brother’s Keeper finds Tom Green putting an almost rap spin on his vocal delivery. I have always been a fan of his yelling, perhaps more than his screaming and this is no different. Musically, the band keeps things consistent with the rest of the record with beatdown breakdowns, blast beats, and groovy riffs.
Sleeping Giant throws a little bit of melody into The Great Divorce. Melodic leads and Green throwing around some clean vocals really diversify things. This focus on melody finds it’s way into album closer, Victory. The final track begs to be played live as fans chant the repetitive, yet powerful lyrics in congregational style worship. “I am your victory / I live in love because you now live in me/ I am a prophet and king/ I will do miracles and nothing will contain me/ I am your victory/ Jesus my Victory!” make up the bass drum led anthem. The track closes with an old recording of the hymn, Victory in Jesus, which seems a bit abrupt coming from a hardcore riffs. At the same time however, the addition of the old hymnal gives the album a completed feeling.
Overall: Sleeping Giant have not pushed the envelope of the hardcore world by any means with “Finished People” and yet the Salt Lake City based band produce a monster of a hardcore record with enough heart to make up for what it lacks in musical complexity. “Finished People” capitalizes on congregational hardcore worship anthems and challenges listeners everywhere to boldly love and spread the message of Jesus.
JESUS FREAK HIDEOUT REVIEW
In the past year, we have seen an outbreak of chatter regarding metal bands in the Christian scene. Are they Christian? How many of their members are even faithful anymore? Are they just pretending? And it doesn't help that lyrics are so vague these days, even from artists who profess their faith, that no sound example can be made of them. Personally, I'm sick of it. That's why California's Sleeping Giant are so refreshing. They do exactly what Christians with the talent for music and gathering people in front of them should be doing. They are worshipping and ministering wherever they go.
In their fourth studio album, Finished People, they have harnessed a specific theme: that those who are downtrodden, who have given up, who are seen as useless and finished, still have limitless potential to be used by God in ways that no human could predict. In the title track, vocalist Tommy Green screams, "God sees saints in the cell blocks/We see revival in chains/ The world calls us the finished ones/ God forgive me for bringing tears to my own/I hope you won't forget me/or I am finished."
The ferocity with which they deliver their message is hard to ignore. Each song opens in tones of impendence, with calls of duty just pounding down like a hammer to your ears. "There is a sickness and we are the cure/The whole world will pass away but we will endure," for example, from the track "Blood Meridian." "I have the DNA of Heaven in me/Strongholds will fall when I pray," from "Victory."
Musically, I can't think of a better genre to relay this kind of God-desperate message than the blood-thirsty hardcore that Sleeping Giant dishes out. The original punk/hardcore spirit comes out in waves. They intend to pummel listeners with real zeal, real messages, crying out against upside down systems and broken standards. They scream and play with bravery, and unabashed honesty to a crowd that they really care about.
In past albums, we have heard a standard fare of hardcore yells and metalcore breakdowns, and a mechanical ear could say the same about Finished People, but suddenly from Kingdom Days In An Evil Age to this, we have a significant increase in quality. Guitar notes are sharper, the drums and lowtones hit harder, and the melodies in the clean vocals have improved drastically.
If you weren't a fan of Sleeping Giant before, Finished People might change your mind.
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