01	Blindfold						14:25
	02	Bring 'Em						07:14
	03	Sleepwalker Sun						07:53
	04	Dead Flowers						08:13
	05	Russian Roulette						08:03
	06	Jalen's Eyes						04:43
	07	Nocturnal						09:54

YEAR: 2005

Sleepwalker Sun:

Giana Arau'jo: Vocals
Luiz Alvim: Keys, vocals, additional guitars, lyrics
Francisco Falcon: Bass, acoustic guitars
Rodrigo Martinho: Drums
Leandro Leg Furtado: Guitars (tracks 2, 4, 5 & 7)
Fabio Montserrat: Additional guitars and solos (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 & 7)
Alex Martinho: Lead and rhythm guitars (track 3)
Ricardo Marins: Lead and rhythm guitars (track 1)
Marcus Viana: Violins (tracks 1 & 6)
Andre' Mello: Keyboard solo (track 7)
Fabio Guerrero: Vocals (tracks 1 & 5)
Ricardo Aguiar: Backing vocals: track 7)
Gustavo Paiva: Lyrics (tracks 3, 5 & 7)
Marcos Eichler: Lyrics (tracks 2 & 4)
Fla'vio Machado: Lyrics (track 1)

recorded and edited by Rodrigo Martinho & Luiz Alvim on Eclipse Estu'dio, Nitero'i/RJ

Mixed by Alexandre Rabac,o on Fabrika Estu'dio, Petro'polis/RJ
Mastered by Luiz Tornaghi, Rio de Janeiro/RJ

Produced by Luiz Alvim & Rodrigo Martinho
Executive porducer - Gustavo Paiva & Luiz Alvim

SLEEPWALKER SUN - lyrics [ coments by Luis Alvim ]

Blindfold
(music: Alvim; lyrics: Alvim, Machado)

What is hidden behind the curtain of delusion
Even within pure hearts
Unveil the unsuspected, the secret desires
What is hidden behind faithfulness and innocence
Maybe shadow
Look through this fragile covering
A silent roar echoes within
With eyes wide shut
Insanity can come up to scene
Remembering at night
The burning desire
The flame that never died
That blinds and wakes a web of lies
Just a gentle deflect
From our constant stream
And our cravings are revealed
Cause no dream is just a dream
In the shady city, he is like a disgarnished spot
With hatred, fast diversion
can make him forget confession
A whore, a bed, betrayal, the scene is set and done
A journey into desire has begun
If we are confined by morality,
desire can show us reality
A stranger, an ideal,
Perfection has converged
And the eyes are petrified
By all the fill that it provides
Submit to temptation
covered by an unruly fire
Waiting for the right word to
unleash yourself to life
With an eerie feeling, orgy takes place, mystery remains
Mysterious songs evoked, it’s the dance of lust
When the mask falls down, emerges the unknown
In the hands of night heralds, life is for a thread
If we are confined by morality,
desire can show us reality
Password: Fidelio
A funny way to say
You are allowed to betray
A costume to live a fantasy,
A mask for not to be seen
With eyes wide shut
Insanity can come up to scene
Guided by instinct, driven without wheels
Everything’s spinning round and round
As in a delirium of a dream, he denies to accept his way
But nothing more must be explained, as evidences say
If we are confined by morality,
desire can show us reality
Password: Fidelio
A funny way to say
You are allowed to betray
A costume to live a fantasy,
A mask for not to be seen
With eyes wide shut
Insanity can come up to scene
Sometimes, we can’t avoid reality
But living in a dream may relieve it
In the name of our sanity, questions should silence
then we should remain with eyes wide shut


credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keyboards, vocals, lyrics
Francisco Falcon: bass, intro clean guitar
Rodrigo Martinho: drums
Ricardo Marins: guitars
Marcus Viana: violin
Fla'vio Machado: lyrics


Notes:

I wrote the lyrics for this song based in a poem by Fla'vio Machado, based on “Eyes Wide Shut”. All guitars by Ricardo Marins, except intro clean guitar, by Francisco Falcon.


Bring’em
(music Alvim, Furtado; lyrics: Eichler)

As a prism that distills frequencies
That in conjunction become one
The regulation of light
And regulation of flow
Straighten what might have once randomly spun
Bring them
Parallel dimensions
Bring them
Uncorporeal tensions
Tear them
Into shapeless lenses
Hurl them
Into artificial trances
On the verge of random responses
The links are weakened in the chains
The former strictness of space
And the usual course of time
Are rearranged into kaleydoscopical chaos
Bring them
Parallel dimensions
Bring them
Uncorporeal tensions
Tear them
Into shapeless lenses
Hurl them
Into artificial trances
Three dimensions to express all the vectors
Only colors to provide textured spaces
No more cycles to uphold fixed conventions
No more angles that elude dissension
Shapes erupt from tired light prospectors
Randomly in each direction it faces
Liquid bonds can’t provide enough tension
To avoid final crumbling of dimensions
Three dimensions to express all the vectors
Only colors to provide textured spaces
No more cycles to uphold fixed conventions
No more angles that elude dissension
Bring them
Parallel dimensions
Bring them
Uncorporeal tensions
Tear them
Into shapeless lenses
Hurl them
As a prism that distills frequencies
That in conjunction become one
The regulation of light
And regulation of flow
Straighten what might have once randomly spun

credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keyboards, vocals
Francisco Falcon: bass, acoustic guitars
Rodrigo Martinho: drums
Leandro Leg Furtado: guitars
Fabio Montserrat: guitars
Marcos Eichler: lyrics

Notes:

Marcos wrote the lyrics, the same since Revealing Web era.
Guitar solos by Fabio Montserrat




Sleepwalker Sun
(music Alvim, Falcon; lyrics: Alvim, Paiva)

Champing my lips
As the astronauts touches
Dali’s mustache with a glove
Someone admiring the mirror
Would it be some Ford model?
Or would it be Narcissus?
Inside an ice cube
The biting goes on
Recreate the creation
Become a paragon
I follow the ancient road
of future dreaminess
That is a path
where I find myself floored
“I was a happy kind
But what to do with happiness
when pain is a river without ford?”
Chewing my tongue
As the carriage goes with the herd that
roamed through the night
The bat is the only mammal that flies
I take back what I said
Whales too can fly through the air
Inside a circle of gas
Fire can slash
Meditation from Thais
A mosaic of flesh
I follow the ancient road
of future dreaminess
That is a path
where I find myself floored
“I was a happy kind
But what to do with happiness…”
When I can’t find my sleepwalker sun
They have amputated my teeth
They have pulled out my Iris
Cut the air with your fingers
and castrate the word with your eyes
They have amputated my teeth
and drained my cries
I follow the ancient road
of future dreaminess
That is a path
where I find myself floored
“I was a happy kind
But what to do with happiness…”
When I can’t find my sleepwalker sun
They have amputated my teeth
They have pulled out my Iris
Cut the air with your fingers
and castrate the word with your eyes
They have amputated my teeth
and drained my cries
They have amputated my teeth
They have crushed my eyes
They have pulled out my guts
They have drained my cries
They have amputated my teeth
They have ground my lung
They have mutilated my spine
They have splintered my tongue
They have amputated ME
credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keys, vocals, lyrics
Francisco Falcon: bass
Rodrigo Martinho: drums
Alex Martinho: guitars
Fabio Montserrat: additional guitars
Gustavo Paiva: lyrics

Notes:

I wrote the lyrics for this song with Gustavo Paiva, based in his poem,
as I did for Nocturnal and Russian Roulette. All guitars by Alex Martinho


Dead Flowers
(music: Alvim, Furtado; lyrics: Eichler)

There are words I could not find
Or have somehow lost their meaning
In the pages now left behind
senseless words keep just spinning
There is much that still could be said
There are words that still float around us
But the tears we refuse to shed
Are a curse… curse…
I am not quite sure I can open this drawer
I am not sure I can smell the dead flowers
much to recover and this might make me cower
It might make me uncover if what's mine is still ours
I am trapped by the songs of sirens
Enthralled by their silent screams
Reaction led by pure chance
That fits in unheard of schemes
Under a different disguise
Old mistakes stop to chat
Support I used to despise
Decision I now regret
Please turn off the brightest lights
After the turn of the cards
I will wait for deeper insights
At least for small thought shards
Please turn off the searing lights
After the turn of the tide
To the laws your hand writes
I'll undoubtedly abide
Greet the ghosts but do not heed the words they say
Wait for sleep and do not mind their wails or sighs
Do not trust them when they say they will not stay
When tomorrow comes you'll understand but now
I am not quite sure I can open this drawer
I am not sure I can smell the dead flowers
much to recover and this might make me cower
It might make me uncover if what's mine is still ours
There are words I could not find
Or have somehow lost their meaning
In the pages now left behind
Senseless words keep just spinning
Through the night
Greet the ghosts but do not heed the words they say
Wait for sleep and do not mind their wails or sighs
Do not trust them when they say they will not stay
When tomorrow comes you'll understand but now
I am not quite sure I can open this drawer
I am not sure I can smell the dead flowers
much to recover and this might make me cower
It might make me uncover if what's mine is still ours
This time
There were words I could not say
This time now
This time
There were prayers I could not pray
This time now
I am not quite sure I can open this drawer
I am not sure I can smell the dead flowers
much to recover and this might make me cower
It might make me uncover if what's mine is still ours
credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keyboards, vocals
Francisco Falcon: bass, acoustic guitars
Rodrigo Martinho: drums
Leandro Leg Furtado: guitars
Fabio Montserrat: guitars
Marcos Eichler: lyrics

Notes:

Marcos wrote the lyrics, the same since Revealing Web era.
Guitar solo by Leandro Leg Furtado

Russian Roulette
(music: Alvim, Furtado; lyrics: Alvim, Paiva)

Nighttime brings silence
but also brings obscurity
The decease brings absence
but also brings tranquility
Where the hell is my reasoning?
Where’s the God they teach me to love?
Where’s everything I’ve lost?
Please, make me forget all above
The sanctuary disappeared.
Angels, they had silenced.
The horizon is falling down,
All the orchids have already died
The eyes had closed
the desert had revived.
Though you can never understand
This is my pain, my final line
I’m still catching bones
Without breath or life
This russian roulette, I simply don’t mind
Does somebody laugh at me over a dead cloud?
“Ring the bells, call the hangman”, the neck shouts
Bring the poison, then I’ll show you the scars
Throw me to the sharks, and I’ll pride you
Pull out my liver and give it for some drunk,
disqualified as I am
But leave me in peace, forget me,
love me now and then
Words and roses don’t mean nothing anymore,
as nothing else does
I’m still catching bones
Without breath or life
This russian roulette, I simply don’t mind
Does somebody laugh at me over a dead cloud?
“Ring the bells, call the hangman”, the neck shouts
Ring the bells, bring the rope, I’m set and done
The calm of your eyes blinds me
Burning clouds fading the sun
Your solitude behind me
I’ll send you tears from this night
Cause my words are all said in vain
Just recall our breath is finite
When the horizon no longer remains
Maybe life is just some smiling
Maybe life is just some crying
Cause the horizon no longer remains
credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keyboards, vocals, acoustic guitars, lyrics
Francisco Falcon: bass
Rodrigo Martinho: drums
Leandro Leg Furtado: guitars
Fabio Montserrat: guitars
Fabio Guerrero: vocals
Gustavo Paiva: lyrics

Notes:

I wrote the lyrics for this song with Gustavo Paiva, based in his poem, as I did for Nocturnal and Sleepwalker Sun. Two first guitar solos by Fabio Montserrat key/guitar solo by Leandro Leg Furtado and myself. Fabio Guerrero makes a short, but expressive appearance during the aggressive male vocal part.

Jalen’s Eyes
(music: Alvim; lyrics: Alvim)

Shapeless forms
A blur from reality
Clear the sight
To avoid being blind
Senses soothed
Covering confusion
Untie them all
Make an illusion
All should be cast aside
Turn all out and start again
See through Jalen’s Eyes
Shadows and clouds aren’t all the same
Discover the purity
Realize the beauty
See through Jalen’s Eyes

credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keys, lyrics
Marcus Viana: violin



Nocturnal
(music: Alvim, Furtado; lyrics: Alvim, Paiva)

In a flash of mild lucidity
I remember I’ve forgotten all the traces
Traces that are mislaid
in the deep of our own hearts
Abandoned in a wharf of mutual infliction
Between the tender lights,
the rain is falling right here where I lie
Under the cruelty of a
slow silence, fading away
Covering the blind encounter
as embraces slay
All is desert, filled with hollow
I’m slowly going away
Without conscience, I see myself
Staring at you forever in this play
Through myself, a turmoil of void
Through my veins, runs splintered flesh
With no clearness,
I stare at you but cannot reach
Without memory,
remains the eternal dance of broken links
Through myself, a labyrinth of madness
Through my veins, runs sincere blood
With no clearness,
we observe the passion emptying itself
Without memory,
we’re contemplating our lethargic love
I equilibrate myself
in the unseeable thread of distant sanity
And touch in vain the perpetual void of wind
Transmute the rational logics of time fractions
Into an endless intermission of submerse memories
I throw off the vanities before opaque eyes
I observe my allegories spreading out
Burns the static dance of thought

credits:

Giana Arau'jo: vocals
Luiz Alvim: keyboards, vocals, additional guitars, lyrics
Francisco Falcon: bass, acoustic guitars
Rodrigo Martinho: drums
Leandro Furtado: guitars
Fabio Montserrat: guitars
Andre' Mello: key solo
Ricardo Aguiar: vocals
Gustavo Paiva: lyrics

Notes:

I wrote the lyrics for this song with Gustavo Paiva, based in his poem, as I did for Russian Roulette and Sleepwalker Sun. Guitar solos by Fabio Montserrat . Andre Mello’s contributed not only at the solo after “broken links”, but also at the details throughout “under the cruelty”, with me. Ricardo Aguiar recorded all backings until “forever in this play”





METAL SPHERE (Sweden) - 9/10 - http://www.metal-sphere.net/

Sometimes an album leaves me with the feeling that I must scream about it from the mountain tops, since it probably won’t get the attention it deserves. Well, this is one of those albums and since the mountain tops feel a bit inaccessible to me, I’ll do the next best thing, i.e. post a review on the net.

Sleepwalker Sun is a Brazilian band, formed around the remains of Revealing Web (of whom I’ve heard nothing). Luiz Alvim didn’t want the songs written for Revealing Web to go to waste and with the result at hand I’m glad he persisted. This album does however feel more like a project than a regular band effort. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, but this time the “too many cooks”-problem certainly is sidestepped. The music balances between progressive rock and metal, and the musical influences are numerous. There are plenty of Dream Theater and Rush references during instrumental parts, but fans of the prog rock genre and bands like Pink Floyd, Marillion, The Flower Kings, Spock’s Beard, will also feel right at home with this.

Sleepwalker Sun differs from the bands mentioned above as it’s headed by a female vocalist. Giana Arau'jo has a great voice both in the middle and high register. When the higher register is employed the result has a Nightwish feeling to it, but in the middle register she has a whining rock voice, and it’s not surprising to find Janis Joplin amongst her influences. Arau'jo gives an overall strong performance but she’s still one of the reasons this album doesn’t climb above the 9 mark. A perfect album needs perfect vocals and Arau'jo isn’t there yet. And there are some vocal melodies that also could have been better. The title track is an example of this.

And while on the subject of flaws, the modernistic lyrics feel more weird than good. There are different people involved in writing lyrics for different songs and the attempts are interesting, but most of the time linguistically suffering. Marcos Eichler (involved only with lyrics) is most successful with his lyrics about a sense of loss for the track Dead Flowers.

Musically however, this album is close to perfection. There are 7 songs and they all feel special to me. Actually, in my opinion you only need to listen to the (14 minutes long) first track of the album to understand that you’re getting your money’s worth. Mercus Viana, on loan from Sagrado Corac,a~o da Terra, dominates this track. With impeccable feeling and excellent production his violin adds a feeling of esoteric excitement to Blindfold. Arau'jo mainly uses her beautiful, solemn vocals during the verses, and she’s aided by Fabio Guerrero (from 2112, a Rush cover band) for the more powerful chorus. After a tranquil opening, a heavy guitar leads the track into some intense Dream Theater parts, just to calm down again with Alvim’s piano supporting the violin and vocals. The music then walks up and down the intensity scale with a short break in the middle. Rodrigo Martinho on drums claims the spotlight right before the break with some nice percussive finesse, and then a violin solo from Viana, together with expressive bass guitar from Francisco Falcon, gets things going again. Falcon gets more funky as Ricardo Marins replaces the violin with lead guitar. Falcon also gets to end the song with a Pink Floyd style guitar solo, again with amazing bass guitar support from Falcon and strong piano playing from Alvim.

Alvim, Falcon and Martinho impressed me greatly throughout the album. It’s not always the most advanced moves you’ll ever hear, but there’s a thought behind everything and that’s always more important. Alvim piles up great piano parts and keyboard solos, Falcon shifts effortlessly between melodic melodies and heavy pounding (listen to his bulldozer bass guitar on the title track) and Martinho often excels on parts where the other instruments are toned down. The band doesn’t seem to have a regular guitarist, but since there are four guitarists involved on this album, there is no lack of memorable guitar parts.

The rest of the tracks are between 7 and 10 minutes long, besides the melancholic and beautiful Jalen’s Eyes (yet again Viana gives a killer performance on violin) which is just under 5 minutes. I’m not going to describe the rest of the tracks, but the intense Russian Roulette deserves a special mentioning as the band feels extremely inspired on this one.

This album is a journey, and it’s a trip I recommend wholeheartedly. Brazil is becoming more and more interesting musically and it’s nice to see how musicians with different backgrounds and musical preferences can come together and create eclectic music as inspired as Sleepwalker Sun. It bodes well for the future.

PROG ARCHIVES (Canada) - 4/5 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=62640

This is an interesting Brasilian musical project featuring violin player Marcus Viana from SAGRADO and Andre Mello from TEMPUS FUGIT. I had heard many positive stories about this CD and was very curious to hear it finally! Well, from the very first moment I was struck by their sound, this is very good progrock and deserves more attention!

This eponymous debut CD contains seven alternating and dynamic compositions (between 4 and 15 minutes): from dreamy or compelling to bombastic and propulsive with often a great tension between the majestic violin and heavy electric guitar. The music delivers many shifting moods and accelarations, most of the time fluent and bombastic and loaded with great guitar work (fiery and biting soli and heavy riffs) and a huge portion of sumptuous keyboards. The female singer Giana Araujo does a good job but I prefer her singing in the more mellow parts. My highlights are the exciting opener Blindfold (great contrast between the classical violin - and electric guitar sound), Russian Roulette (wonderful Mellotron waves), the mellow Jalen’s Eyes (beautiful classical violin and piano) and the dynamic, a bit Rush-inspired Nocturnal (great bombastic sound and strong soli on guitar and keyboards).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

ROADIE CREW - 8/10

This is the debut album from Sleepwalker Sun and a great surprise for brazilian progressive rock scene. The band goes on 70’s and 80’s bands vein, and we can tell the influences of Yes, ELP and Dream Theater, among others.

The best thing is that all the instrumental parts are followed by versatile vocalist Giana Arau'jo, that has a voice that reminds me of, at some parts, Anneke Van Giersbergen from The Gathering. The album opens with the epic Blindfold, with more than 14 minutes of creativity and musical journey, with guest appearance by violinist Marcus Viana, who contributes with Shaaman at several works.

Also in Jalen’s Eyes, the violin parts from Marcus Viana are very present. Bring’em shows a heavier side of the band, with highlights for guitar riffs and also the acoustic parts. The keyboard arrangements are also very good, with mellotron, hammond and synthesizers. The beginning of track Sleepwalker Sun shows it clearly. One highlight of the album is Dead Flowers, with its melancholic atmosphere and excellent piano sound.

An excellent debut with musicality high above other albums.