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.
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 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! 
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!  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. 
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.  HOT RAM. If you know 'em, you undoubtedly love 'em...'cuz frankly, what's not to love? This crew from Atlanta exists in an arena where big riffs, big fuzz, big groove, and a hard rocking attitude are pretty much par for the course. Back in 2019 we reviewed their killer album Where Light Goes To Die--an album that (prophetically) remains in constant rotation to this day, due to a strong tendency to provide intriguing songwriting in a genre that is regrettably bogged down by repetition. Indeed, as I stated back then: "As much as I love the genre, we all know the truth of the matter: in the hazy confines of stoner rock, sophistication and brevity aren't always the qualities most sought. HOT RAM throw that stereotype in the woodchipper, delivering six massive (yet varied) bangers."
Needless to say, this particular slumbering scribe is very pleased to present the first single from HOT RAM's forthcoming follow-up. The album in question, Electric Medicine, will undoubtedly receive a little more attention around these parts upon its release on May 21st, but for the meantime, we highly recommend checking out the excellent "Grave of Arch Stanton" below! As always, we'll see you on the other side! 
As a haggard ink-splattered scribe here at ye olde Sleeping Village, it is an expectation, of sorts, that I possess the vocabulary to describe the music I am discussing. Punchy adjectives can go a long way in describing the aural form in written form, and, as such, I always try to deliver in that department. However, in the case of today's subject, more specific descriptors aren't the first to spring to mind. I'm left with monolithic terms instead--words, for example, like "big" and "sad" and "dark." That, in and of itself, should provide some indication as to the character of the track in question. The music speaks for itself.
But! Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, check out below "Thread of Hope" by New York-based one-man band Drift Into Black. As always, we'll meet ye on the other side!  Always desperate for some entertainment of the visual persuasion, we here at the Sleeping Village constructed ourselves, a few years back, a venue of sorts--a public performance space designed to house the raunchiest productions around. As with most venues, our humble playhouse has seen very little traffic as of late, and so when our friends at the venerable Metal Assault Records offered the opportunity to feature something new and entertaining, our slumbering populace practically leapt at the chance.
Push aside the cobwebs and vines, dear reader. Kick away the decaying ravens and piles of loam; the show is about to begin. Today, for your viewing pleasure, the Sleeping Village is pleased to present the (deeply avant-garde) music video for "Narci," the title track from (deep breath) anonymous international synth doom collective Circle of Sigh's forthcoming second full-length album. It is a weird and wonderful track, and an impressive video to boot. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I wholeheartedly recommend you watch for yourself. As always, we'll meet ye on the other side!  Here's a rare occurrence 'round these parts: a music video premiere. And a 22 minute video at that! We don't just clean the cobwebs out of our decrepit theatre for anyone, however, so rest assured knowing that the spectacle before ye is well worth your while.
The track and video in question forms the entirety of Side B of Live Improvisations Vol. 1, the forthcoming, well, improvisational release from French anonymous genre-bending and convention-eschewing collective Non Serviam, out May 1st on the (always stellar) Trepanation Recordings. If you're already familiar with Non Serviam's prior work, "Improvisation 2. Take 1. Ce Qui Dure" doesn't stray too far from what you may be expecting. The whole affair is wrapped up in a distantly baroque swaddle, but the telltale hints of post-metal by way of doom by way of industrial by way of avant-garde are as present and impactful as always. The video itself features a series of seemingly disassociated locations and events--not a narrative per se, so much as juxtapositions that mirror the overall spirit and emotion of the particular moment. But! Before I scare you away with my ramblings, we slumbering scribes highly recommend that you fire up "Improvisation 2. Take 1. Ce Qui Dure" post-haste. As always, we'll meet you on the other side. 
In the experience of this dutifully somber scribe, somberness alone does not quality death doom make. While the genre in question clearly relies on emotional heft, staying power is all too oft nonexistent when the sheer weight of sadness is all a track has going for it. But in the case of Rise to the Sky, one-man atmospheric death doom outfit from Santiago, Chile, emotionally one-dimensional songwriting and a lack of lasting impact are most certainly not of concern.
Case in point: "Liebestod." This lead single from the (excellent) forthcoming Let Me Drown With You delivers the depressed and downtrodden air one might expect alongside a funereal aura...but also carries itself with a subtly triumphant air. It's a killer track, and before I scare you away with more talk, please do yourself a favor and check it out below. As always, we'll see 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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