Album Review: Sleep & Violence

Impostor Syndrome, made up of vocalist Ryan Culleton, drummer Scott Nicolson, and multi-instrumentalist Shannon Coulomb are an experimental music project that defies genre norms, exploring the spaces between nostalgia and new beginnings. Blending alternative rock, film scores, spoken word and electronica.

The name “Impostor Syndrome” serves as a reminder to push through self-doubt and continue creating authentically.

Self-produced, Sleep & Violence explores the realms that exist between the planes of anxiety and neuro-divergence and is a brilliant concept album.

The opening track Lore is hauntingly beautiful with its orchestra and lyrics about Death coming for you. A pre chorus, the words ‘Haunt my dreams, and visit me nightly, his cold hand on my shoulder’ hits you hard and the orchestral background gives chills.

In a complete contrast to the vibes of Lore, we now have Here I Sit which starts with hard hitting drums and guitars. A catchy chorus and hearty guitar riffs make this song one of my faves. Singing about ‘burnt out neurons fire one after the other, with no correlation of what came before’ is also very relatable to this neuro-diverse human.

Track 3 is Silhouette and starts very funky, reminding me of Firestarter by The Prodigy. Silhouette is more of an electronic feel and at the end of each verse the guitar slowly fizzles out before heading into the next verse which is interesting and keeps you on your toes thinking is this the end of the song? Then bam! Next verse. 

Latest single You I Saw is up next and the band describe it as ‘a eulogy to the past – a journey through lost nostalgia and the search for meaning within it’. This is an easy to listen to song that makes you think of your past, and who you are now, which is just what the band wanted. Once again, great guitars, electro vibes, and Ryan’s voice in this song reminds me of Bowie. 

Another heavy song right after a serious song, Know Me Well makes you want to headbang, has a huge guitar riff, and reminds you this is a band with a very diverse range.

Freedom Is A Thought is another funky, fast song, and boasts the lyrics ‘Freedom is a thought today, just let the water wash it all away’ 

Finally we have The Haunted Cornette, which as its title implies is haunting. The song ends with ‘sing me softly to sleep, now let me weep’ ending Sleep & Violence on a harrowing tone.

This album is unlike anything I have heard before and brings mixed emotions, good and bad. Some of the songs make me sad, others make me happy, and most importantly they are relatable. As a neurodivergent, anxious and depressed person, Sleep & Violence is like Imposter Syndrome has put my brain into an album and that is epic. The sharp contrasts from a slow song to a fast electro song perfectly captures the unhingedness of a neurodiverse mind and in doing so makes me feel at ease.

All in all this album is pure genius and the Imposter Syndrome boys have made a masterpiece that will stick with me for years to come.