Some bands enter the scene with a whisper, DEATHSLEEP showed up with a scream of emotion, technicality, and soul-wrenching vulnerability. Their debut EP Irish Goodbye isn’t just a four-track dive into post-hardcore, it's a personal excavation, layered with pain, healing, and catharsis.
Formed in Bend, Oregon, DEATHSLEEP is a powerful trio featuring Ben Rosett (Strawberry Girls), Gareth Lastinger (formerly of Life Alive), and Dillon Marra, each bringing a distinct yet deeply complementary skillset to the project. What began as artistic admiration within the tight-knit Oregon scene has bloomed into a full-bodied, emotionally raw band poised to make serious waves.
With Irish Goodbye, DEATHSLEEP has crafted a sound that’s equal parts blistering and beautiful. The opening notes of “Lamentations” set the tone: clean, shimmering guitars give way to explosive vocal deliveries from Gareth Lastinger, whose voice oscillates between haunting clarity and guttural release. There's a palpable pain here, but also purpose.
The true power of Irish Goodbye lies in its backstory. Gareth Lastinger’s return to music after a six-year hiatus prompted by the devastating loss of his sister and other close family members gives these songs a lived-in, gut-punched weight. This isn’t artifice or aesthetic, it’s mourning, reimagined as melody.
Rosett, dealing with personal betrayals of his own, threads the project with technical brilliance and emotional rawness. Every riff, breakdown, and build-up feels deeply considered, like it’s trying to say something words alone can’t.
The EP was recorded at Spirit Vision Recording Studios in Bend, Oregon, a space that holds significance beyond its acoustic treatments. It’s Rosett’s creative sanctuary, where artists push boundaries and bend genres. For Irish Goodbye, it became a healing ground. Jade Lastinger (Gareth’s wife) described the sessions as “awe-inspiring,” noting the synergy between Rosett and Lastinger, often composing in real-time, letting intuition and emotion guide them. This organic approach bleeds into the music, giving the EP its unfiltered emotional resonance.
While they haven’t hit the stage yet, DEATHSLEEP is currently building their touring lineup and teasing a full-length record. If Irish Goodbye is any indication, their upcoming material will be heavier, deeper, and more unflinching than ever.
Irish Goodbye is not just an EP, it’s a testament. A testament to surviving grief, to turning trauma into truth, and to the cathartic power of sound. DEATHSLEEP has crafted something rare: music that feels intensely personal yet universally relatable. If you’ve ever felt lost, if you’ve ever had to say goodbye before you were ready, this record will meet you where you are.
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