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Favorite Character ? (The Graveyard Book)
Mr and Mrs Owens
Mrs Slaughter
The Sleer
Jack Frost
Miss Lupescu
Nobody Owens
Silas
Liza Hempstock
Scarlett Amber Perkins
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My own personal depiction of The Sleer, one of the Characters of Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book". This Beast is described being a Three-Headed Serpent Monster that lives in The Graveyard's Barrow Grave along with the Indigo Man. A Creature that only Bod (the Main Character of The Graveyard Book) can see, this fictional creature is said to be an ancient malicious spirit who inhabits the deep ancient barrow of the Grave and Guards its Treasure of a Long Lost Master. It appears in one of the Chapters, "The New Friend" where Bod meets Scarlett for the first time and then later on, the Monster defeats the Man Jack (the One Serial Killer who killed Bod's Biological Family when he was a Baby), never to be seen again. The Sleer (c) Neil Gaiman
The Sleer Usher In Omens of Autumn with ‘Vigil’
~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~
Art by Jonathan Byxbe
Portland, Oregon is known for many things: the home of Voodoo Donuts, Stumptown Coffee, Nike world HQ, the Portland Trailblazers, a robust microbrewing industry, and a stubborn DIY ethic. To lovers of heavy music, it is a mecca for some of the heaviest, dankest riffs around. Whether we're talking hometown heroes Witch Mountain, Red Fang, and Toxic Holocaust or something slightly more underground like THE SLEER, you can count on the underground music scene here to continually surprise with its depth and breadth.
Much of the music is famously reflective on the darker, rain-soaked fall and winter weather. With our first multi-day downpour signalling the imminent sunset of summer, the "blackened something" trio of Robby Marshall (guitar, vox), Sean Fredrich (bass), and David Alexander Tucker (drums) are unveiling their newest spin, 'Vigil' (2019). Downcast and dour, mournful and melancholic, The Sleer's new record was welcome music to my ears and soul food for this damaged soul.
Of course, the themes run deeper than the moody ambience of the Pacific Northwest. The Sleer finds its inspiration in the works of English writer Neil Gaiman, best known as the author of American Gods, Stardust, and The Graveyard Book. Like his novels, The Sleer's output is deeply dramatic and wholly absorbing. Were you unaware of its thematic roots (see interview below), you would still be swallowed up in the potent atmosphere and emotional intensity embodied in these four tracks, taking us deep into the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
Look for The Sleer's moving 'Vigil' (2019) in compact disc and digital formats, releasing this Friday, September 13th (pre-order here).
Give ear...
An Interview With The Sleer's Robby Marshall
Tell us about the band's origins.
The band started in Denver/Colorado Springs. The original line up only lasted for about a year, and I moved back to Portland shortly thereafter. I put a different group of guys together, but that lineup was also fairly short lived. People came and people went, and now we're a completely different line up from that one as well.
Who or what is "The Sleer"? Does this reference Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book'?
Yes, "The Sleer" is in reference to the creature in Neil Gaiman's novel The Graveyard Book. The band was going with a different name in the beginning, but I wrote a song called "We Are The Sleer," and we just decided to change the name.
How would you describe your whole vibe, soundwise and thematically?
In the beginning, I just wanted to make something sort of doom that would showcase overall song structure versus just having a couple heavy riffs. I've tried to stick with that throughout.
Can you tell us about the new EP and how it came together?
Vigil is about 40 minutes, so it's not intended to be an EP. I guess any theme would just be a continuation of our last album, Midnight Sister. On that album we visited a couple of different scenarios in Neil Gaiman's novel, American Gods. "Midnight Sister" is about the protagonist Shadow's encounter with Zorya Polunochnaya. "His Horse is the Gallows" describes his ride on the carousel in the house on the rock and Mr. Wednesdays big reveal. The song "Vigil" is actually a huge leap ahead in the same book.
Give us a short walk through of each track.
"Wear This Shroud" is a song about abolishing hate. "White Stone" is about hopelessness, "Can't Let Mother Drown" is about my family, and "Vigil" I'll leave be because everyone should just read everything from Neil Gaiman.
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