Sleeping Village Reviews
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!

BREATHS - The Elders (Track/Music Video Premiere)

8/3/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
Alright. At this stage, we should just change our name from Sleeping Village Reviews to, I dunno, the Breaths Premiere Access Channel.
Indeed, eagle-eyed readers will undoubtedly remember our coverage of this one-man dynamo's output in the past: we premiered not one but two tracks from Breaths' stunning debut. Both "Lined In Silver" and "The Forgotten Ones" were exceedingly worthy of a lil' love from our scriberly staff, and today's track in question is no exception. Indeed, it may be one of my favorite Breaths efforts to date, and, given how fuckin' good Lined In Silver is across its mighty breadth, that's saying something. And to top it off, this banger comes with a sweet video to boot.

Can it get any better? No, sayeth this slumbering scribe. Anyways: as always, we're honored and privileged to share Jason's killer work. Check out "The Elders" below, and, as always, we'll catch ye on the other side. Enjoy!


Read More
1 Comment

FOREVER AUTUMN - Amoung The Roots (Track Premiere)

7/6/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
An underrated aspect of the EP format--consistently beloved and well respected 'round these parts--is the opportunity to focus on the elements of one's craft that doesn't always fit in the formal confines of an album proper. As such, a shorter release is a form of expression that often feels more loose and more exploratory. In the case of Forever Autumn's forthcoming 3-track, Hail The Forest Dark, the intrinsic informality of the release allows, in the words of Autumn Ni Dubhghail, the space for a "temporary departure" from the band's traditional work--namely, an amalgamation of acoustic doom/blackened folk. 

Needless to say: as someone who enjoys witnessing these little tangents in an artist's overall catalog, I'm a sucker for releases that don't feel the need to overload the audience with an abundance. I'm also a sucker for premièring cool music, and "Amoung the Roots," today's track in question, certainly fits, well, both bills.

​Without further ado, give it a listen below. As always, we'll meet ye on the other side!


Read More
0 Comments

RAT KING - Capsizer (Track Premiere)

6/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
The doom I am drawn to, more often than not, doesn't seek to drown the listener in a sludgy bath of muck and murk. While that approach has a place, I typically gravitate towards the more dynamic stuff--the stuff that pairs doom and gloom with a flair for exploration. Earth-shattering riffs are all well and good, but if they are balanced out with some high-flying vocals, unexpected interludes, and a tendency for borderline-hypnotic meandering, the band in question will likely catch my eyes and ears. 

In other words, a certain penchant for dynamic composition and aesthetics is a quality that this particular Villager seeks out when it comes to music to premiere. In this regard, Rat King's forthcoming Omen knocks it out of the park. This crew balances a heftier aggression a la Electric Wizard or Conan with harsh growls and ethereal cleans that ultimately serve to maintain a high level of intrigue. "Capsizer," the single which we are pleased to present here today, demonstrates this strength in juxtaposition quite handily.

​But! Before we scare ye away with our ceaseless blathering, however, we'll just point you in the direction of the damn track. Check it out below, and, as always, we'll catch you on the other side of the fold. 


Read More
0 Comments

MORDIAN - January Moon (Track Premiere)

6/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Given the intensity of the summer weather here at the Sleeping Village as of late--tornados, blistering heat, and monsoon-like thunderstorms--a little reminder of winter's chill feels pretty refreshing. Enter, then, the appropriately entitled "January Moon," the forthcoming standalone single from Chicago's own alt-gothic Mordian.

​This track--and the Mordian catalog as a whole, which includes 2019's Romance In Disguise EP--is a little gothic, a little alternative, and a whole lot ethereal. Balancing seemingly disparate elements with grace and precision, Mordian allows quieter moments ample room the breathe, while still delivering the oomph we metalheads crave.

Without further ado: give "January Moon," a listen below! As always, we'll meet ye on the other side.


Read More
0 Comments

RISE TO THE SKY - Per Aspera Ad Astra (Album Announcement & Track Premiere)

6/11/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Look, if you're tired of us talking about Rise To The Sky, you're gonna be disappointed with this one. Apologies, but so it goes. We can't help gabbing about the good stuff. It's a curse, really.

In any case, as ye may recall, this Chilean one-man project recently put out Let Me Drown With You, an album so nice we talked about it twice. Said album came out, like...four months ago. Needless to say, it feels remarkably early to share good word of a new effort from this talented (and evidently prolific) individual, but here we are, album announcement clasped in white-knuckled grasp. So, hear ye: Per Aspera Ad Astra will be released Sept. 3rd, 2021, via GS Productions. Color us excited.

Given the success and acclaim garnered by this year's earlier effort, we slumbering scribes are frankly pretty psyched to observe the heights to which Rise To The Sky will climb by benefit of this (stellar!) forthcoming release. But, lest we scare you away with excess chatter, we're very happy to present here today the lead single and title track. Give it a listen below, and, as always, we'll meet ye on the other side!


Read More
0 Comments

RICK MASSIE - 13 (Track Premiere)

6/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
There are, alas, few constants in life, but here's one worth acknowledging: the inevitable high quality of an inbound Rick Massie track. We've covered this eclectic one-man Yukonian force o' nature a couple of times in the past--if the name rings a bell, you may have seen our premieres of his massive debut album Eclipse, or perhaps the Halloween-themed "The Dance (of the Dead and Alive.)" As we swiftly approach the third premiere, then, it's worth taking a second to mention that regardless of what Rick delivers, we slumbering scribes are excited to talk about it. Today's track in question is certainly no different--indeed, on "13," Massie leans heavily into the gothic and doomy foundation upon which our township was originally construed and constructed. If you've liked his prior work, you'll enjoy what this track has to offer; if you're a total newcomer to the Rick Massie fold, this serves as a solid introduction. Win/win, in opinion of this this humble amanuensis.

Without further ado, dear reader, we are very pleased to present "13." Pull up a chair 'round the fire, pull off yer boots, kick up yer feet, and get comfortable. As always, we'll catch ye on the other side!


Read More
0 Comments

LOOT THE BODY - "White Plume Mountain" from Hex Volume 1 (Music Video Premiere)

6/4/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
As many of your dear readers will undoubtedly agree, fantastical escapism is a potent elixir with a massively significant appeal. The opportunity to leave behind the doldrums and anxieties of the cursed real world, even if ever so briefly, is an opportunity worth taking every damn time. A little adventure is more often than not the balm to sooth our burnout, and, as such, we scribes spend a lot of time imagining worlds and characters that exist outside the stringent lines of reality. Call us nerds if you want. Hell, we welcome it. We wear the label proudly.

The same rings true, I can only imagine, for L.A.'s own Loot The Body. Overtly inspired by the dungeon-crawlin' world of, well, Dungeons and Dragons, this one-man adventuring party writes rockin' tunes about the various flora, fauna, and fantastical tribulations of the franchise in question. His latest 6-track EP, the appropriately entitled Hex Volume 1, is a little more hefty and riff-centric than prior work, but no less enjoyable. Indeed, for metalheads like us, this foray into a slightly more aggressive sonic arena goes down reeeeal smooth.

​Introductions out of the way, we're very pleased to present here today the music video for opening track "White Plume Mountain." Check it out below, and, as always, we'll catch ye on the other side!


Read More
0 Comments

VANTA - Feel Alive (Track Premiere)

5/31/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
While music appreciation--and, by extension, music reviewing--are an entirely subjective affair, I'm paradoxically of the mind that some bands are deserving of a big break from a purely objective standpoint. Budapest's Vanta are such a band. 

A couple years back we wrote about their massive track "True Enemy," stating that "like a mossy sasquatch stomping around whilst strapped into mechanical armor, Vanta is seemingly bent on wanton destruction. Your eardrums (and spinal column, no doubt) stand little chance against this churning distortion and brobdingnagian swagger...these guys rip, tear, and obliterate their way through the doom/sludge umbrella, leaving little behind but shreds and twisted metal." And that, all in reference to a single track and a single almighty riff. Imagine our excitement by the prospect of a whole damn album of this stuff. Time, methinks, for a big break.

Needless to say, we’re pleased and honored to present Feel Alive, the lead single from Vanta’s forthcoming album Kelvin Zero. Give it a listen below! Crank it up, and, as always, we’ll catch ye on the other side.


Read More
0 Comments

CANYON - Static (EP Premiere)

5/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
I'm a child of the 90's, but predictably didn't learn to appreciate its bounty of music until a decade after the fact. In any case, this scribe's angsty teenage years were filled to the brim with, y'know, appropriately angsty music. From Soundgarden, to Mudhoney, to RHCP, to Silver Chair, to Tool, to Our Lady Peace, and far beyond, my formative days were crammed with rockin' riffs and the gritty melancholic tirades of the era. Given a heartfelt love for that grunge-infected generation of rock, I was exceptionally excited by the opportunity to premiere Static, the debut EP from Melbourne's very talented Canyon. 

On paper, this power trio plays a blend o' alt metal, stoner rock, and prog. In practice, that description certainly feels accurate, but their tunes are notably imbued with a grungy flair. Or, y'know, the dour equivalent of flair. Back in Oct. of last year, when we reviewed Insane, this EP's lead single, we stated that if felt "caught in the amber of 90's headbang fodder," while simultaneously displaying a high level of maturity. I'm please to report that the entire EP follows suit...but you hardly have to take my word for it. Give Static a listen in full below. We'll catch ye on the other side of the y2k divide.


Read More
0 Comments

MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS - Into the Hollow (Album Premiere)

5/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you've been traipsing around the underground metal blog-o-sphere these past few months, you have more than likely run into Mothman and the Thunderbirds. Y'know, wielder of an unforgettable moniker and equally unforgettable tunes. This popularity, I hasten to add, wasn't simply birthed into existence by benefit of  ​Alex Parkinson's industry connections as a fellow metal reviewer. As anyone who has heard any of the advance singles will undoubtedly attest, his debut album Into The Hollow stands strong on its own two (three? seven? undeterminable?) legs (wings? assorted appendages?)

​A sludge/stoner project for the purpose of succinct PR, Mothman and the Thunderbirds is, in reality, a very difficult beast to define. Into The Hollow does feature a whole lot of the sasquatchian heft and aggression that one might expect from conspiracy-and-cryptid-themed sludge--take, as a prime example, "Hollow Earth," which seemingly pays homage to Mastodon's "Circle of Cysquatch." However, merely singling out a single song does absolutely nothing to prepare you, a fact that you can, in fact, independently verify in very short order. Eclectic ain't the half of it.

Anyways. More on that later. More pressing matters are at hand. We slumbering scribes are happy, honored, and otherwise Very Fuckin' Pleased to present said album in its entirety, prior to release this coming Friday. Give it a listen below! Provided you're still standing, we'll meet ye on the other side.


Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous

    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
    ​ 
    looking for?

    All
    Acoustic
    Acoustic Metal
    Album Announcement
    Album Premiere
    Alternative Metal
    Alternative Rock
    Alt Metal
    Alt Rock
    Alt-rock
    Ambient
    Americana
    Ancient Hand
    Art Rock
    Atmospheric
    Avant Garde
    Baroque
    Blackened Death
    Blackened Doom
    Blackened Thrash
    Blackgaze
    Black Metal
    Black Sabbath
    Brutal Death Metal
    Caveman
    Concept Album
    Cover Track
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Folk
    Death Doom
    Deathgrind
    Death Metal
    Death Metal Cover
    Desert Rock
    Doom
    Doomgaze
    Doom Metal
    Dreampop
    Drone
    Dungeon Synth
    Electronic
    EP Premiere
    Experimental
    Fantasy
    Folk
    Fuzz Rock
    Garage Rock
    Goregrind
    Gothic
    Grind
    Grindcore
    Groove Metal
    Grunge
    Halloween
    Hardcore
    Hard Rock
    Harsh
    Heavy Metal
    Heavy Psych
    Heavy Rock
    Hip Hop
    Indie Rock
    Industrial
    Instrumental
    Melodeath
    Melodic Death Metal
    Metal Core
    Metal Review
    Metal Reviews
    Modern Metal
    Music Video
    New Music
    New Wave
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    NWOBHM
    Osdm
    Poetry
    Pop
    Post-hardcore
    Post Metal
    Post-metal
    Post-rock
    Power Metal
    Prog
    Prog Metal
    Progressive Death Metal
    Progressive Metal
    Progressive Sludge
    Prog Rock
    Psychedelic
    Punk
    Punk Rock
    Raw
    Raw Death Metal
    Rock
    Rock N Roll
    Shoegaze
    Singer-songwriter
    Slam
    Sleaze Rock
    Sludge
    Stoner
    Stoner Doom
    Stoner Metal
    Stoner Rock
    Synth
    Synthwave
    Tech Death
    The Administrator
    Thrash
    Track Premiere
    Trad Metal
    Trance
    Video Premiere
    Visualizer

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!