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.
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 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! 
I like surprises. Today's surprise comes in the form of a lil' three track EP from a Swedish father-son duo who utilize emotion and interconnectedness as a catalyst for their composition. With vague genre markers and little more than a mission statement to guide my ears, I was utterly uncertain what Trumbiten had cooked up on the (appropriately entitled) Emotions. As luck would have it, hitting play was cause for celebration: Tommy Arngren (the father) and Adam (the son) certainly have the goods.
Existing in the nebulous zone between hard rock, prog rock, thrash, and traditional metal, these guys made the smart move of enlisting the aid of multiple session vocalists, utilizing a global community of musicians to create slightly outside the bounds of standard industry practice. Without further blathering, we slumbering scribes are pleased to present Emotions in its entirety below. As always, we'll see you on the other side. In the meantime: enjoy!  When it comes to the music lurking in our humble halls, we Villagers have been happy, as of late, to abide in the presence of doom and gloom. But all things must change, and today's change comes in the form of...an alt-rock ballad? Not our typical fare, but upon receiving this track some time back, I was quite taken with its deceptively confident approach and (equally deceptive) replayability.
Said track--"Dragon Of The West"--comes to us courtesy of one Underking, a versatile outfit that, by virtue of seemingly disparate influences, is actually a little hard to describe in a quick sound-bite. Their early stuff is more classically "metal," but this track delves deep into the mellow waters of the emotive rock ballad--promo material mentions both Meat Loaf and Judas Priest's softer side, which certainly applies, albeit with a significant orchestral bent. As if that wasn't enough, this thing is inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender. And, like, it has a wicked cool visualizer. Sign me up. Rather than scaring you all away with excessive explanation, how about you just give it a listen for yourself? Check out the subtly mighty "Dragon Of The West" below, and, once you've had your fill, I'll meet you on the other side. |
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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