Iress conforma un discazo abierto a la cavilación de muchos con una riqueza compositiva que por muy fina que parezcan sus bellas líneas sonoras, no deja de tener esa crudeza apasionada que completa las partes más camaleónicas de esta montaña rusa de conmociones.

There are always a few albums that sneak into my consciousness at the end of the year which grab hold of me. Right when I’m trying to finalize year-end lists, I get a curveball. One of them this year is the new one from Iress called Sleep Now, In Reverse. I can’t seem to get enough of it right now.

Iress is based in Los Angeles. They’ve been around for over a decade at this point, but this is the first time I’ve heard of them. The lineup includes Michelle Malley on vocals, Michael Maldonado on bass, Glenn Chu on drums, and Graham Walker on guitar.

The band plays a cross between doomgaze and dream pop. Sometimes, they venture into alternative and doom metal territory, but most of the album is hovering space filled with atmospheric whispers, emotional vocals, and dim colors. I particularly like the sometimes gritty, sometimes smooth as silk vocals from Michelle, and the lumbering, purposeful, and calculated drumming from Glenn.

One thing I like about the way this band composes is how they punctuate their music well. Many of their songs are floaty and spacious but pronounced and driving moments filter in and out. It makes the music feel somewhat abstract, yet the band also knows how to write both nuanced and mega vocal hooks. So, this sometimes-abstract stream of consciousness takes shape with moments of clarity, and it all feels so hypnotic and addictive. To be sure, sometimes all of this can be nuanced, reveling in subtlety, but this hidden world opens up the more I listen.

Sleep Now, In Reverse has ten songs and runs about 50 minutes. I’ll admit that the first half is my favorite, though the whole album is great. I adore the opener “Falling” with its convincingly emotional chorus and impressive stage presence, so to speak. “Ever Under” follows and is just as good; I absolutely love the chorus, but instead of being repeated ad nauseum, we only hear it a couple times amidst the foggy ambience and color of the rest of the song. “Mercy” comes next and is a hazy piece with some beautifully pining moments I savor.

My favorites on the album are right in the middle, “Leviathan (The Fog)” and “Lovely (Forget Me Not)”, and they aren’t that much alike. The former is reserved piece with lots of cymbal play, almost feeling like internal determination, or a steeling of the will. Yet, the latter is a drum-heavy, groovy song that is instantly lovable. Honestly, I love the way it grooves its way into the lush chorus and how melody seems to linger over the whole thing. It might be one of my favorite songs of the year.

The second half of the album has some real gems. I love the vocals on “The Remains”, a heavier track with lots of harmony and despair. “In Reverse” feels like a 90’s track to me, for some reason; it feels comfortable and familiar in all the right ways. “Knell Mera” is probably the heaviest track with its crunchy riffs, but it’s quite expansive and atmospheric, too. “Sanctuary” is mostly ambient at first; I love the spiritual color and emotion; it gets a little angsty and doomy near the end. The closer “Deep” is a short, muted piece with vulnerable vocals, and I think it ends the album very well.

Iress took me by surprise. I love their sound, and fans of Chelsea Wolfe, BleakHeart, Sylvaine, and other doomgaze artists should eat this up. Sleep Now, In Reverse isn’t necessarily innovative or overly technical, but the sheer passion and control of atmosphere the band displays has me sold.

Welcome back to DUM DUM Zine’s Text Message Interviews! This month we interview the band Iress hot off the heels of their album release show for Sleep Now, In Reverse and UK tour.

DUM DUM Zine’s creator Taleen Kali joins Michelle of Iress in text message excursions about touring the U.K., playing in ancient churches, and living the L.A. band life. Read on and #GetDUM before their next L.A. show coming up at a DIY venue near you.

Taleen Kali (DDZ): Hey Michelle! Taleen here, I just saw you guys landed in the U.K. Ready to get our epic text message interview started?

Michelle Malley (MM): Yes we can do it babe 🙂 

DDZ: First question is, can you send me an image that’s currently inspiring you? Here’s one from me from Azad Archives at a cool vending event I went to in L.A.

MM: A picture of the venue we just played. 

DDZ: Second question: how did the 1st UK show go? I just saw footage of it on IG!!

MM: Kind of a double answer but it’s such a beautiful venue so I thought I would share. First show was very inspiring and so beautiful!

It was a sold out show in Southampton with Green Lung. No AC with 400+ bodies so it was sticky and sweaty and wonderful 🙂

DDZ: Oh my god that sounds heavenly. Is this a converted church venue?

MM: Yes!!! No ac because they cant make modifications

DDZ: Oh wow cause it’s a historic site?

MM: Yes! I was like wow what an honor and perfect way to begin the tour.

DDZ: What city are you guys in now?

MM: We’re in Leicester. Here’s us having dinner at our air bnb

MM: I’m home

We’re home 

DDZ: Welcome home champions! Love doing some time traveling via text message interviews, hah, this will make for a fun read. How was the plane ride?

MM: Both trips were a little wild because we end up staying up like 24 hours

First flight was harder for me than the flight home

That’s hardcore all nightering

Yeah it was wild haha but all worth it I miss it already. Here’s us in London

DDZ: I love this! Let’s do an emoji blast. What are your post-tour vibes rn? Here’s mine: 🌀💿🖤👀💙🫖📸❄️

MM: 💅🩷🫠☠️🤷‍♀️🤌🪰

DDZ: Let’s go back full circle since you’re back in town. I was at the L.A. release party before you headed out and it was so amazing to celebrate your new album and crowdfunding success and send you off to the other side of the pond. What inspired you guys to do your first U.K. tour?

MM: Arctangent Festival is what motivated us to tour 🙂 Once we got that we were like okay let’s do this! It’s also one of the places in the world with our highest streams. The UK and Germany.

DDZ: Arctangent looked simply wild from the footage you guys were posting on that day. Can you give us a quickie recap of what it was like?

MM: There was a lot of build up to Arctangent. I was really nervous about my voice lasting for tour and being rested for this specific performance. We were on the road at 5am that day, with interviews at 9am and by the time it was showtime we were beyond ready and excited. Looking out into the crowd, I wasn’t even nervous anymore I was like…this is what I wanted to do everyday. It was the most incredible feeling. It set the tone for the rest of the tour. We were riding that high and loving life the rest of the way. Such an unforgettable moment.

DDZ: It also felt unforgettable seeing you play L.A. before heading out on tour. I remember hearing some amazing tunes Justin played that night and the selection and bands playing was so mixed genre. I don’t think we get enough mixed genre bills in L.A.! The scene just kinda ends up being grouped by similar sounds which can also be nice, though it risks becoming myopic so easily so I was so happy to see the lineup. Especially with our good friends Twolips and dum dum veterans Slugs!

MM: It was so moving to be at The Echo with our community, a place with so many memories. The lineup was friends we’ve known for years along with new friends, and our DJ being our label, it was just a beautiful night all around. So many beautiful people and so much support. It was the perfect was to leave LA on our tour journey.

DDZ: You guys have been a huge part of the la music community for awhile now. You’re also dum dum veterans since 2016 echo park rising and 2023 dum dum fest. How did it feel to have your L.A. community show up for you? 

MM: I mean it’s honestly so humbling. We were so scared to do our Kickstarter and the amount of people who contributed, gave us advice, and helped us make our goal and then showed up at the show to celebrate with us…it’s making me emotional just thinking about it. We love our community, we love where we come from, and we can’t wait for our next LA show.

DDZ: Do you have any advice for diy bands stateside  who want to tour the uk?

MM: Advice for bands….DO IT. Make it happen. I know touring overseas is daunting but it was a magical experience and worth every penny. On a practical note, get yourself a driver! It was a game changer, we would have been lost without ours and we also made a friend for life. 

When you book hotels/airbnbs, look up parking because sometimes the closer ones to the venues don’t have any for your van. I could go on and on with advice, just so your research with airlines and travel and it will all work out 🙂

DDZ: Tell me about the “Sleep Now, In Reverse” album cover. What’s the image, who created it, and how did it come into being? 

MM: The cover was created by Filthywitch, a member of the band Faetooth. We met because we are label mates and I came across their work and fell in love. I told them I wanted something dark and feminine; an image that represented our music; soft, delicate, wispy, heavy. The final product just blew us away. They are incredibly talented and we plan to work with them again in the future.

DDZ: This is a question we ask everyone as part of our 1 question interview series: what inspires and astonishes you as a creator?

MM: Life inspires me. Love & Pain. I’m a water sign, and so is most of the band so we are ruled by emotions and I’m the most inspired when things are complicated and hard. What astonishes me is how one tiny idea….a melody and guitar riff I wrote in my room can morph into something so powerful. The chemistry of my band is what inspires and astonishes me the most truly.

Iress is headed into the studio to prep some exciting new things. The band’s LP Sleep Now, In Reverse is now available via Dune Altar.

Iress es un grupo formado en Los Ángeles hace catorce años, tiempo más que suficiente para lograr dejar una impronta con su etérea mezcla de doom metal, shoegaze y slowcore (hay quienes dicen “doomgaze”). Formado por Michelle Malley (voz y guitarra), Graham Walker (guitarra y sintetizador), Michael Maldonado (bajo) y Glenn Chu (batería), esta banda se ha consolidado, con este cuarto álbum (aparte de dos EP), como un exponente cautivante en el paisaje del underground musical más sensible, donde las personas andan en busca, no tanto de experiencias catárticas, sino de sonidos cuidadosamente arreglados para acompañar determinados momentos de su vida. Hordas adoradoras de propuestas como Anathema, The Gathering, Katatonia, pero también Deftones, Chelsea Wolfe, Emma Ruth Rundle o A.A. Williams: denle una oportunidad a Iress.

Ya desde el primer track, Falling, resulta evidente el talento compositivo de Iress. Les anticipo que no es una banda con canciones mediocres: cada una encuentra la forma de tocar alguna fibra íntima. La voz de Malley es hermosa, emana una tristeza tan dulce que resulta atractiva. La propuesta instrumental es simple y concisa: se trata de ejecutar con extrema delicadeza las más melancólicas melodías, armonías y texturas. Ever Under eleva la intensidad con un riff que invita al headbanging sin dejar de evocar una cálida oscuridad envolvente. Amantes de la música dark: suban el volumen. Cada nota, cada golpe, cada palabra tiene su impacto. El despliegue vocal es brillante en todo momento, pero en el estribillo puede ser lacrimógeno.

Mercy se erige con fuerza, y mientras nos dejamos llevar por la magia de este cuarteto californiano, empezamos a percibir ese patrón como de oleaje, de idas y vueltas oceánicas en la potencia sonora de la emoción. Me animo a decir que Iress crea un metal con sensibilidad de balada pop: pero de las buenas, la de los 80’s. Las líneas de guitarra son de una sutileza estremecedora. Leviathan (The Fog) nos lleva a un plano más introspectivo, hasta con ciertas reminiscencias de Sade, no solamente por la preciosura de la voz, sino también por el trabajo percusivo. Todo estalla hacia la mitad del track, o mejor dicho: la marea rompe contra las rocas, siguiendo la metáfora que venimos elaborando.

Lovely (Forget Me Not) nos coloca ante otro tipo de energía, algo de la bruma se disipa para que lleguen algunos rayos de luz. La atmósfera se siente más liviana y podemos encontrarnos bailando sin darnos cuenta. La virtud estética mantiene el nivel, al punto de que sería difícil elegir las piezas favoritas en esta colección. The Remains tiene una base rítmica donde el bajo suena prominente por primera vez, en un in crescendo que va directo hacia la cresta sentimental con un gran solo de guitarra incluido, para volver a descender y acumular poder nuevamente. Aparece una distorsión más densa que la presentada anteriormente, y unos cortes y transiciones espectaculares, en uno de los tramos más pesados de todo el disco.

In Reverse… ¿Cómo puede una canción sonar a hit desde la primera frase cantada a los veinte segundos? Malley maneja las dosis precisas de dramatismo al cantar. Aquí la batería se destaca por su versatilidad y surgen otros lapsos de especial contundencia en la totalidad del conjunto. Las armonías conmovedoras son una constante. Knell Mera arranca a puro machaque para, inmediatamente, volver a hundirnos en las profundidades de nuestro propio ser, sabiendo que no nos darán tiempo de caer en el sueño. Un bajo melódico captura una mayor atención aunque, de todas formas, siempre la acapara la sirena que lidera la banda. Ciertamente, creo que Iress es un grupo del que puede no haber retorno.

Llega Sanctuary y nos vuelve a proponer un lento ascenso hacia un punto de desborde que genera un goce existencial. Creo que es el primer track que puede resultar un poco desafiante, en el sentido de que no nos roba la voluntad rápidamente. Aquí retenemos el control para ver qué sucede. Todo termina con Deep, un título que no podía ser más apropiado para cerrar el álbum y que suena bastante similar a lo hecho por Chelsea Wolfe. Claramente, optaron por un final relativamente calmo, para un trabajo excelente, de gran belleza y muy recomendable.

When I first heard Iress’ uniquely dreamy doomgaze sound live around seven or eight years ago (our bands shared a stage, full disclosure) it struck me as elegant and powerful, and it remains so now on Sleep Now, In Reverse, their strongest album to date. The Los Angeles group maintains a seemingly impossible balance between soaring heights and roaring lows, their sound anchored by an undeniable sense of power and muscle while their melodic sensibility aims for weightlessness. They’ve been compared to the likes of Emma Ruth Rundle and King Woman, artists whose music is more metal-adjacent than strictly for-the-riffs. And it’s fitting, but Iress have established a sonic identity all their own, one where a moment of delicate beauty can hit just as hard as a double-bass pummel.

L’aver detto, poco tempo fa, tra le risposte ai commenti di un mio pezzo precedente, che Sleep Now, In Reverse degli IRESS non mi avesse fatto impazzire, mi ha fatto guadagnare qualche canzonatura per la mia città di origine, non certo nota per la delicatezza di carattere di chi vi è cresciuto. A parte gli scherzi (scherzi?), la questione del doomgaze ancora non l’ho capita del tutto. Voglio dire, doom per davvero non mi sento dire che lo sia, ma un post-rock più fragoroso. Praticamente significa prendere i Mazzy Star e suonarli con le chitarre un po’ più pesanti (non troppo) e le batterie quadrate. Che occhio, non è affatto una cattiva idea, non mi trova affatto contrario. E in realtà, vi dico, sarà che son cominciate le brume quassù in Padania, ma ‘sto disco inizia ora a prendermi.

Insomma, gli Iress sono californiani e mi viene da dire che non potrebbe essere altrimenti. La gentilezza malinconica è prevalentemente quella di Michelle Malley, cantante chitarrista di nero vestita. Sussurra molto, per cui non so quanti altri lettori di Metal Skunk possano trovare interessante una proposta così. Ma il disco, nei limiti di stile che si impongono i quattro, è valido, in realtà. Sussurri senza troppi sussulti, anche se un brano come Lovely (Forget Me Not), in cui i nostri si muovono tra Cure e certi Smashing Pumpkins, potrebbe valere per far convincere, che so, la vostra morosa che un animo sensibile ce lo avete pure voi, anche se venute dal basso Lazio. Meglio ancora, dopo, The Remains, che gioca la carta della malìa sontuosa ma che lascia intuire che i tre musicisti, volessero, potrebbero fare più casino. Chissà che strada prenderanno mai, in futuro. Per ora vi bastino, se vi garbano, dieci brani omogenei di mestizia autunnale e femminea.

Iress “Sleep Now, In Reverse” (Church Road Records)

Gli Iress provengono dalla California. Si sono formati nell’instancabile, e poliedrica scena di LA nel 2010, plasmandosi intorno alla figura della cantante Michelle Malley, affascinante interprete del crepuscolare viaggio che la band ha deciso di intraprendere, e che li porta, oggi, a pubblicare questo altrettanto affascinante “Sleep Now, In Reverse”.

L’album, uscito in estate per la britannica Church Road Records, mostra un taglio spiccatamente cinematografico che, con grande intensità, guarda nel profondo in cerca di quella lieta tristezza che non può non ammaliare, andando a soddisfare la nostra sempre più difficilmente colmabile voglia di malinconia.

Il quartetto statunitense rappresenta una delle realtà contemporanee tra le più sottovalutate. La magia del loro tocco dovrebbe averli portati ai vertici di quel coacervo di band che si muovono tra il post metal meno aggressivo e lo shoegaze più sognante. E invece, come puntualmente accade per tutti coloro che non hanno santi in paradiso, non è così.

Gli Iress, al netto degli addetti ai lavori che ricevono puntualmente gli aggiornamenti sulle loro uscite, continuano ad essere un nome che resta relegato ai margini. Basta ascoltare questo “Sleep Now, In Reverse” per rendersi conto della magia che caratterizza le dieci tracce, e che sublima una tristissima depressione, portandoci a toccare l’estasi.

‘Dream’ and ‘metal’ aren’t two words usually heard side by side in heavy music. LA-based doomgazers Iress, however, are proud to be the first band to officially represent the subcategory. 

“Some songs of ours are really dream-like and pretty, whereas others are heavy and dark,” says frontwoman Michelle Malley, speaking of their new album, Sleep Now, In Reverse. “It’s two completely different sides of music coming together.” 

Recorded at Pale Moon Ranch, a studio in the Californian desert, Sleep Now, In Reverse marries the lush, shadowy soundscapes of dream pop bands Beach House and Cocteau Twins with the weightier and more ‘sensual’ end of metal as represented by the likes of Deftones. It’s an album of oppositional forces and transitions; from light to dark, loud to quiet, from feelings of euphoria to melancholy. 

“A lot of this album is like a tug of war,” Michelle says, noting how the songs cover the unstable nature of relationships. “People hurt you, betray you and wrong you. Maybe I don’t express my anger in the moment, but in my songs I let it out freely.” 

In response to her tender untangling of relationships, the frontwoman has been dubbed ‘the Adele of Doom’. 

“People can’t stop saying it,” she says with a chuckle, thinking the moniker over. “I love Adele, and I have a similar kind of soulfulness in my voice, so it’s fitting.” 

Looking forward, Michelle hopes that Iress will one day support their favourite bands from both sides of the musical spectrum, including Radiohead, Deafheaven and Beach House. 

“Do we want to be the heavier band on the bill, or do we want to open for somebody heavier than us? I’m still finding that sweet spot.” Liz Scarlett

Sleep Now, In Reverse is out now via Church Road

Sounds Like: Listening to crashing waves with a lovelorn, heavy heart
For Fans Of: Chelsea Wolfe, Beach House, Deafheaven
Listen To: The Remains

For me, autumn is the best season for gloomy and introspective music, whether it is Dark Folk or more heavier music, perfect time for Iress’ new record Sleep Now, In Reverse.

I don’t know about you but I’m one of those music fans that has a specific sound craving at certain times. We’re (finally) in autumn, I longed for this weather so much that I can’t hide the excitement for this season. If you have read something from me before you know that I tend to associate some genres to specific seasons/times.

Iress formed in 2010 and I will openly admit that I think it’s my fault that I discovered them only with this album. I have no excuses, I know, but I’m catching up!

The band has previously released two full-length records (Pray in 2015 and Flaw in 2020) and an EP (Solace in 2023); the singer Michelle Malley has been defined as the Adele of Doom, her vocal range and ability to blend in with the music is perfectly controlled (think about Messa’s Sara for example!). This is the kind of vocals I personally love in heavy music; Michelle is so expressive, and perfectly able to control her instrument any way she pleases.

Iress plays a kind of Doomgaze with preponderant vocals even though they don’t outshine the final result, it’s more like an even-tempered path where the instruments complete the vocals. Sleep Now, In Reverse is one of those records where I wouldn’t retouch anything, the band’s formula is right there, and it’s unique.

“Falling” is a great opening. There’s the perfect mix of gloomy lyrics and atmosphere backed up with loads of heaviness. Without any doubt this is one of my favourite tracks. It has everything I want to listen to during darker seasons like this (am I overly-enthusiastic about autumn? yes.).

Throughout the whole album Iress never lose track of their sound, we can have some “experiments” that don’t fall too far from the core of their identity. You may hear some soft Math-influences in “Ever Under”. “The Remains” starts softly, it makes me think about the old Hiss Spun-era Chelsea Wolfe, and since her name popped up … what about a real collaboration between Iress and her? I will pray to the music gods for this. On the other side “Knell Mera”, which may be one of the most powerful tracks on this record, has a heavy start but the verses made me think about a parallel universe where Blonde Redhead are heavier, I’d love that.

Overall, this record points out smoothly the band’s capacity and uniqueness, the balance between the whispered, softer parts is harmonized with heavier and doomer moments. Sleep Now, In Reverse could be defined as a record of melodic heavy ballads, that follows the Doomgaze path and adds the unique talent of their singer.

Too bad they already toured Europe this summer and I didn’t have a chance to go see them. Let’s hope for a comeback in the near future!

IRESS – Bixler Stage

Iress live @ ArcTanGent 2024

Since their formation in 2017, Church Road Records and ArcTanGent have been the perfect bedfellows and given the sheer beauty of their Sleep Now, In Reverse album, it’s clear to see why LA’s IRESS are on both rosters. They mesmerise the sizeable crowd with their dreamy doom-gaze, led by the soaring and impassioned vocals of frontwoman Michelle Malley, set against a wall of guitars and underpinned by a weighty rhythm section. The raw power and emotion Malley puts into the chorus of Falling is nothing short of astonishing, especially given how demure she comes across when she gives her quiet thank yous in between songs. The band showcases their versatility when they bring out the colossal riffs of The Remains, but it’s when Malley ditches they guitar to leave everything on the stage for closer Wolves that everyone in Bixler is wholly and unconditionally enamoured with these bright young souls.

Rating: 9/10