Fifteen Minutes of Fame Music Entertainment

Originally Published on September 9th, 2025

About the Artist

When I write reviews, I like to fully understand the artist I am reviewing by going in and listening to the entire catalog of music prior to the release I am talking about. With The Sleeper Service, I can’t do that because this marks the beginning of a powerful rock band with a lot of potential.

The Sleeper Service are formed out of Moss, Norway. They are Torkil Riiser on drums, Fredrik Krat Svendsen on bass, Mats Magnem and Arni Theodor Gislason on guitars, and Kenneth Øvrid Holter, who is also known as Eth Eonel. Eth Eonel is an artist we are familiar with.

Read the full review of Eth Eonel’s Christmas EP Yuletide here

The Sleeper Service formed in October of 2023. A year later, they took to the studio for their first recording session and came out with what would become their debut, Canvas. In August of 2025, they released two singles ahead of their album release; Ember and Endgame. Then, on September 2nd, a third single was released, Hunter.

About the Album

Canvas is the upcoming debut release of Norway’s Independent Rock band, The Sleeper Service. The 7-song album runs at around 35 minutes. It features 3 singles; the previously mentioned Ember, Endgame, and Hunter. Canvas was independently recorded and is being released independently by The Sleeper Service.

About the Music

Canvas is hard-hitting, high energy, full sound from start to finish. If you’ve come looking for a rock ballad, you will not find one on this album. The Sleeper Service keep the tempo and the volume pretty much maxed out on every single one of these 7 tracks. Each song ranges anywhere from 4 minutes to 6 minutes in length.

Canvas opens with the single, Endgame. As the song begins, we hear a filtered guitar soloing a riff just before the full band comes in. The percussion controls the energy in the verses as Riiser gives us a few different looks in transitioning the sound. The bass and guitars doing a great job of locking into their respective roles and set the stage for a very captivating vocal performance by Holter. Upon the first listen of Canvas, I remembered that Eth Eonel either is or was a vocal teacher or a music teacher. I immediately remembered because the vocals are precise. They are crisp, the diction is really good, and he has an almost impossible range, hitting low notes that are in the low, second bass range, and turning right around and hitting higher tenor notes a verse later. The control on chromatic changes are also very crisp.

There have been three singles released on canvas, but I would go out on a limb and say that the most radio-friendly song on the album is Pandora. I am in love with the guitar performance in this song. Once again, Holter is perfect on the vocals. The transition to the chorus is really powerful with a fantastic progression to go it with it. It is just different enough to really catch the listeners attention. Bass and drums are pocket throughout this entire performance.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record here. I also want to say that every member of a band is just as important as the next. Having cohesiveness is the most important thing to display when musicians walk out on that stage. The Sleeper Service have every bit of it. What truly makes this band work so well are the profound vocals laid down by Holter. He is spectacular. With a band that has that much volume, the vocals have to be able to hang with the band. He does this without question. I am honestly reminded of Disturbed and David Draiman’s control over such a heavy-hitting band. Holter doesn’t have the grungy, raspy tone that Draiman often utilizes, but he does possess the full power to perform right with the band. It’s a marvel to hear.

Final Thoughts

If a band wants to take notes on how they want a debut record to sound, they should look at Canvas. With the volatility that is the music industry in 2025, catching the audience in the first few seconds is paramount. If a listener starts Canvas at the beginning, if they listen to a random track, or if they listen to their first release, Ember, which happens to be the last song on the album, The Sleeper Service provide listeners with that curb appeal with every single angle. As I noted, they don’t offer up a ballad or any kind of change of pace, so there’s not a lull period for a listener to lose attention or interest. Ballads obviously can be great, but are sometimes hard to get behind without a familiarity with the band or their music.

The Sleeper Service have got an excellent blueprint for a solid foundation starting out in their musical journey. It all starts with the record. As an objective third party listener, I don’t hear a single mistake in the production. I don’t hear a single place where I would touch a dial. The mix is spot on, it’s panned out to give a wide open sound and there is little by way of digital effects used or needed. They got the most important part of the recording process right, the performance.

Lastly, The Sleeper Service have more musicianship than many hard rock bands do these days. Their sound, by way of volume, is on the verge of a metal sound, though I wouldn’t entirely put them in that category. It’s mainly to do with the melodic drive of the guitarists and with the pristine vocal presence that just take over on every song. What this band has done works. I think the true test for them will be to step onto a stage and do this live in front of an audience. In speaking with Holder, that might be what’s next for them. As this release is now out in the world, they are hoping to jump into the music scene with both figurative feet.

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