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!
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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. 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! If you aren't familiar with a certain tendency of Zimbabwean one-man outfit Nuclear Winter to drop unexpected cover tracks, now is an excellent time to familiarize yerself. Last year, we were pleased to premiere two such covers--first, a rendition of Haddaway's immortal "What Is Love," and second, a bombastic ode to Toto's beyond-immortal "Africa." While obviously a little goofy given the implicit nature of a metal band covering beloved/hated 80's tunes, we nonetheless found these singles quite refreshing and entertaining. As such, we slumbering peasantry jumped at the chance to premiere a third Nuclear Winter cover. This time around, things get a little grimy: Mötley Crüe are the topic o' conversation. The World's (self-reported) Most Notorious Rock Band aren't in the house per se, but Nuclear Winter do a fine job at depicting their outrageous general persona. Without further ado: welcome, dear readers, to the, erm, wild side. Check out "Wild Side" below! While we Villagers have, alas, never had the good fortune of encountering a Tyrannosaurus Rex (or similar 'saurus) in the imposing flesh, today's offering provides the closest sonic equivalent the musical 'verse could possibly spawn. Enter Titanosaur, a one-man band from Hudson, NY. Over the course of a couple of albums, this guy practically exudes destructive coolness in a fashion only befitting the titular 30,000lb behemoth. Titanosaur, in other words, possesses some notable swagger and a fearsome bite. Titanosaur plays a self-reported "dash of Monster Magnet, pinch of Red Fang, large dose of Motorhead, and some Ramones for good taste, all poured over a bed of Black Sabbath." While such a wide bibliography of legendary acts all-to-oft feels like wishful thinking, I'm happy to report that all of these influences have made a clear mark on today's artist (and track!) From the whiskey-n-cigarette vocals, to the thundering drums, to the simple-yet-monolithic riffage, there's a clear stoner/desert rock grit on display, swaddled in a punky 'tude and doomy heft. But! Lest I give it all away here, I wholeheartedly recommended checking out "Deceiver" below. As always, we'll meet ya on the other side!
Alright, picture this. It’s another friday night at your prototypical dive--you know the scene. 80’s wood paneling, scabby pool table, cardboard coasters. Cigarette butts litter the bathroom floors. Bad lighting. Cheap beer and urinal cakes. Two or three dead soldiers on the table already, with room for more. The band moves in, sets up, and launches into a boisterous set. It should be a normal night.
But it isn’t, because the band is Brandy and the Butcher. You don’t know ‘em now, but you’ll know 'em soon. By the first few notes, they have your attention. By the chorus, everyone stares in bewilderment. By the time the first song rolls to an end, accompanied by raucous applause, everyone in the damn room has swiftly come to the same conclusion: this is, by far, the best entertainment this bar has ever seen. Practically leaps and bounds beyond the typical rocker mold. This is exactly how quality rock 'n' roll should make you feel. In a word: invigorated. To draw you back to the here and now, we slumbering Villagers are honored to premiere Dick Circus, the latest effort from these talented South Carolinians. Fire it up below, and we'll meet ye, as always, on the other side!
We slumbering peasantry tend to grumble and complain about the back-breaking labor involved in this review-writin' trade, but this profession isn't marked solely by a surplus of sweat and tears. When encountering hordes of new music and bands on a daily basis, there are many moments of pure and unbridled excitement--and nothing is more invigorating than a brand new band that positively reeks of potential. Such is the case with today's (one man!) crew in question: Philadelphia's Mothman and the Thunderbirds. The sheer fact alone that this single track has garnered a bevy of reviews from our neighboring blogs and publications should be indication of the promise, and we haven't even got to the damn music yet.
To review such a track is exciting, but to premiere one is a genuine honor. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, give "Nomad" a listen below! We'll meet ye on the other side.
Y'know what I find so endlessly endearing and intriguing about Connecticut's own Turkey Vulture? Despite a lack of released tunes in the grand scheme--indeed, the tracks herein account for, like, half of their discography--this duo consistently brings startlingly fresh ideas. Every track to their name is a new take, an exciting conglomerate of seemingly non-adjacent influences.
In other words: if invention is a product, Turkey Vulture produce it with an admirable fervor. Mixing olde-timey Americana with aggressively studded punk, morose grunge, and sludgey hard rock shouldn't, frankly, work as well as they make it. We’ve reviewed both their debut EP and a followup single, so if three reviews ain’t good enough reason to check ‘em out, I’m not sure how to help ye out of your particular predicament. Intro aside: let's get to tunes, shall we? We're honored to present here today--in full!--a premiere of Time To Pay, Turkey Vulture's latest (and greatest) EP. That's right. Four banging tracks, fresh off the press. Eat ‘em up while they’re still hot. It's damn good, but don't just take my word for it! What, dear reader, makes a song--or an album, or an artist for that matter--quintessentially metal? That's obviously a question so broad as to be belligerently provocative, so let me just assert my two cents and get on with it: (italicized) metal is epitomized by chunky riffs, hefty atmosphere, a certain adherence to heartfelt aggression, and a devil-may-care attitude. Sure, the vast majority of music falling under the assorted subgenres will divert from this basic formula, but the existence of those factors can mean only one thing: metal is present. Time to break out the headbang. New York's very own DemonScar are quintessentially metal, and their latest single--"MDCXCII," which we are honored to premiere here today--is a perfect exemplar of their Motorhead-by-way-of-Sabbath-by-way-of-Corrosion of Conformity aesthetic. In regards to the track in question, DemonScar state: “our new song has got a lot of those classic doom, stoner, and witchy vibes. Groove along with DemonScar as we journey back to Salem, 1692.” It's a tempting invitation, and I hope you take 'em up on the offer. Have yerselves a listen below:
I obviously don't know about the particulars of your, well, particular locale, but this afternoon at Ye Olde Sleeping Village, feels like the first real summer day of the year. The sun is out. It's hot, and bright, and sweaty as hell. As such, because I enjoy aesthetic uniformity (perhaps a tad too much,) a soundtrack to fit said atmosphere would do nicely.
Enter Veins of Mosquito, a Floridian instrumental outfit that boasts a self-described sound ranging from "psychedelic to hard rock to grunge." These guys have put out several albums over the past few years, and have a new one on the way--arriving, in fact, tomorrow, May 25th. Immediately preceding said release is the excellent "Celebration," the track leering before ye now. For those unfamiliar with their earlier output, "Celebration" (and, one can only presume, Hemogoblin as a whole,) has a significantly crisper feel--still grungy, still damp, but a little cleaner cut 'round the edges. It's a great track, and before drive you away with incessant chatter, I highly recommend you give it a listen below! |
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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