Sometimes--and I'm sure you'll agree, dear reader--one just needs some rock n' roll that captures the spirit of the good ol' days. As one who (admittedly) wasn't alive during said days, I'm here to say that Cincinnati's Brass Owl offers a genre-melding approximation of the best parts. From classic rock, to acid jazz, grunge, to fun-lovin' improvisational jammery, Brian Tarter (vocals/guitar) and Lonnie Buckley (drums) deliver the goods. Brass Owl's debut will be hitting the street on April 10th, so you've still got some time to daydream about the possible implications of the aforementioned confluence of sounds. It's damn good, but rather than tantalize further, we slumbering scribes offer up this interview to tide ye over. We'd like to thank Brian Tartar of Brass Owl for taking the time and energy to chat! As always, we're deeply honored that cool bands are willing to sit down and churn our such thoughtful answers. Read on!
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Interview by: Scribe Nathaniel
Our very own Scribe Nathaniel--the Sleeping Village's resident lover of all things abrasive and chaotic--was lucky enough to chat with the one and only Jon "Eva05" Chang. Known for his vocal chops in such groups as Gridlink, Discordance Axis, Hayaino Daisuke, and No One Knows What The Dead Think, among others, Mr. Chang has left a significant mark on the evolution of grindcore and affiliated scenes. If the spirit of grind permits the notion of legends, you're pretty much lookin' at one. Needless to say, we slumbering scribes were quite excited by the prospect of this interview, and offer our collective thanks for A. making stellar music and B. willingly engaging in Scribe Nathaniel's interrogation. Let's get to it, shall we? Without further ado: Wraith's excellent Absolute Power officially hits the streets today, and...and I'm not sure what to say about it that hasn't already been said. Thus, in a stunning display of self-plagiarism, please let me remind you that: "Absolute Power is--besides a successful sophomore release--a killer slab of bombastic, aggressive, and otherwise heartfelt heavy metal. It's a certified headbanger, and remains one of the most fun releases I've had the pleasure of reviewing this year." Needless to say, this particular Villager was quite excited to chat with the thrashers in question. Our eternal thanks to Wraith for A. being the ass-kickers they are, and B. willingly subjecting themselves to our interrogation. Let's get to it, shall we? We groggy-eyed scribes never did get around to writing a review for Bright Curse's latest, the undeniably impressive Time of the Healer. But if you take that to imply we didn't think it was a damn fine collection o’ tunes, you're dead wrong. Drinking deep from the well of 70's psychedelic and prog rock, Bright Curse nonetheless feels fresh--avoiding, gracefully, the stagnant waters in which so many of their peers flounder. Weaving intriguing instrumentation with a decidedly blues-ridden ambiance, Time of the Healer marks a strong step forward, and another feather in Ripple's cap. Needless to say, we were tickled pink to chat with the outfit in question. Big thanks to Romain of Bright Curse for taking the time! Alright, dear readers. This is it. So sorry we had to be the bearer of bad news... ...but in the end, will our vague affiliation with the harbinger of humanity's collective devastation even matter? I think not, and I hope you've ready to face the otherworldly visage of your impending demise. Advent Varic plays a unique brand of progressive blackened stoner metal, and Parts I and II of their Tumulus saga are both incredibly solid track in their own right, but, more importantly, Captain Graves and Co. are here to annihilate. We slumbering Villagers would like to thank the Captain for taking the time to speak with us and answer our questions. And for better or worse, we wish him all the best. Much like the horn'd horse blazoned on their assorted artwork, Spokane's Merlock constitute an intriguing beast. As we said back then, these guys peddle "a kind of caustic, trippy, and rough-around-the-edges stoner doom, and it lights a little fire in my heavy (metal) heart." Melding psychedelia with a distinctly hard-rockin' attitude, they impressed us Villagers with their 2018 demo EP, and we've been itching for more since our initial exposure. Luckily, as ye shall soon read, a debut full-length is in the works.
We'd like to thank Merlock for taking the time and energy to chat! As always, we're deeply honored that cool bands are willing to sit down and churn our such thoughtful answers. Read on! Blyh vigorously burst onto the black metal scene with 2018's stellar Transparent to the World, and sophomoric effort Awake to Emptiness only serves to reaffirm the notion that this outfit is something special indeed. Balancing the visceral evocation of bleakness and despair with progressive and sophisticated songcraft, Awake is one of my personal favorite black metal offerings of the year, and shall be receiving a review within these unhallowed halls soon enough. In the meantime, however, we are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to ask some questions of Murul, Blyh's vocalist and instrumentalist. Read on: Today, we're honored to have the chance to speak with Billy Konkel, guitarist and vocalist for HOT RAM, Atlanta's finest power trio. Their 2018 release, Where Light Goes To Die, remains one of the greatest recommendations the illustrious Fuzzy Cracklins has passed on from his swamp. Beyond that, we recommended it ourselves in our 4/20 deluge o' reviews: "HOT RAM fire on all cylinders with marked consistency...this mix of high energy riffage, pounding drums, and bass with ‘tude on one hand, and psychedelic meanderings on the other, is pretty damn potent." Still holds true. In what I can only imagine is the spirit of HOT RAM, we Sleepy Villagers are gonna git ourselves outside on this fine Saturday, enjoy some sun, some bbq, and some beers, if luck has it. We hope you're able to do the same, dear reader! In the meantime, enjoy this interview. What more to say about the maniacal Soul Grinder? Firstly, I'd recommend giving our review of their latest treatise, entitled The Prophecy of Blight, a healthy gander. Then I'd recommend throwing said album on for a glorious spin (or three.) That should pretty much tell you all you need to know. Soul Grinder are swiftly on their way to becoming the technicolor corpsepaint'd face of heavy metal in the modern era. Let's leave it at that.
On to the gratitude! We Villagers were honored to have had the opportunity to speak with the voice of Soul Grinder herself, the one and only April "Prilzor" Dimmick. As always, we appreciate the thoughtful answers, and April, as ye shall soon witness, provides said answers in spades. Special shout-out to that MASSIVE list of bands to check out. There's some goddamn gems in there. And so, without further ado: Given a certain embarrassment of riches, the current doomscape is a difficult environment in which to make your mark. Thus, the vibrant energy of Denver's own earthdiver immediately caught this particular Villager's (generally flighty) attention. Their debut EP, entitled Leave Something Witchy, remains a favorite 2019 discovery, and received a review here during our 4/20 deluge of reviews. At risk of self-plagerism, here's an excerpt of said review: "The entire 3-track is delightfully raw, rough-edged, and nearly feral in its execution--like if Pan, the God of the wild things, decided to throw away the pan pipes and start a garage band...This thing grinds and bounces around with a deliciously organic bent, keeping the low end moving forward with an egregiously thunderous confidence." There's no question: these guys are the real deal. And so, needless to say, this inksplattered scribe was quite honored that Eric of earthdiver was willing to provide such in-depth answers to prying questions. Read on! And when you've completed this opus, head over to earthdiver's bandcamp and give 'em a well-deserved listen. |
Welcome!We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry. What are ye
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