FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - April 2nd, 2021: SPECIAL BANDCAMP DAY EDITION

On (most!) Fridays, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s rusted palisade, stuffed to the brim with musical sustenance. Today is the day we must offload this week's new and noteworthy music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be listening to today at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

As today is Bandcamp Friday--the day in which our belov'd Bandcamp waives their share of the cut, resulting in artists making a lil' more cash than usual, we're shaking it up a bit! Instead of our typical four mini-reviews, here's a a bunch of cool stuff released today that we recommend you check out (and purchase, if yer so inclined!)

​On the docket for today, April 2nd, 2021:
Sea of Snakes, LORD, Pale Ale, Bog Wizard, Reduce Right, Non Serviam, The Sun and the Mirror, Everson Poe, Diplomats, and Hidden Mothers.
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Sea of Snakes - World on Fire
(Metal Assault Records)

On their debut EP,​LA's Sea of Snakes play a rough 'n' rowdy brand o' heavy metal--essentially the grungy and gritty lovechild of CoC and
​Motörhead. If you like abrasive riffs and abrasive-er vocals, bend yer ear in the direction of World on Fire​. It's a certified headbanger.

​Grab it here!

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LORD - Undercovers Vol​.​1
(Independently Released) 

Aussie power and/or traditional metal outfit LORD deliver Undercovers Vol​.​1, which is, as ye might expect, a covers album. While remaining faithful, their execution is as sharp as always. From The Police to Symphony X to Bon Jovi to Anthrax to A-ha, everyone's gonna find something to enjoy lurking herein. Find it here!

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Pale Ale - "(Witch)Craft Brew
(Independently Released) ​

​The illustrious AS (of RRAAO) has a new project, which is the first bit of good news. The second bit of good news is that Pale Ale is stoner-except-it's-beer-not-weed-doom. In other words, it's sludgy, and it's hoppy. I dunno about you, but that combo quenches my thirst quite well indeed. Check out the excellent "(Witch​)​Craft Brew" here!

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Bog Wizard - 12" Slipmat
​(Merch)

This one isn't music...but rather a piece of super unique merch courtesy of Bog Wizard​. Our favorite slangers of thick riffs and natural crits have cooked up a super cool slipmat utilizing the absolutely stunning graphic from their debut album, From the Mire. It ain't vinyl, y'know, per se, but it's certainly the next best thing. Nab it here!

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Reduce Right - Cold
(Independently Released)
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​London's own 
​Reduce Right plays alternative metal broken down to base elements: forceful vocals, pounding riffs, and consistently chant-able choruses. 

Today marks the release of "Cold," a track that starts off gentle, but ends with the fury and angst we've come to expect. Grab it here!

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Non Serviam - Assorted Merch
​(Merch)
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More merch! Avant-garde collective Non Serviam, who we have discussed before, just unloaded a ton of new merch options, from CDs to apparel to gold vinyl. This is a banner year for this genre-mashing crew, and now is a great time to jump on the bandwagon. Pick up somethin' from Non Serviam here!

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The Sun and the Mirror - Dissolution to Salt and Bone (Brucia Records)

The Voiceless Apparition had this to say regarding The Sun and the Mirror's Dissolution to Salt and Bone:  "This is a band you need to check out. This is a band you need to follow. Big things are ahead for them and I look forward to seeing where their journey brings them next." In other words: recommended. Find'em on bandcamp here!

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Diplomats - Sooner 
(Independently Released) ​

​After a long week, I am predictably in the mood for something a little softer. Thus: time for a little alt rock! Diplomats play music that sounds, in their words, like the "the sad parts of Soundgarden"--which is, frankly, an accurate estimation. Introspective and blissed-out is the name of the game. This EP will be dropped in June, but the delicately melancholic title track, "Sooner," is out now. Nab that pre-order here!

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Everson Poe - Grief
(Trepanation Recordings)

​I briefly reviewed Everson Poe's stellar Grief here, but it is most certainly worth another moment of endorsement. This is the type of album that utterly consumes you by benefit of narrative and sheer emotive heft. It's desperately sad, and possesses a sincerely tangible weight. Bottom line: I highly recommend you pick this one up. Get it here!

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Hidden Mothers - Remixed
(Independently Released)
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​Another pre-order! This one is a series of remixes of post-black metal outfit Hidden Mothers, who dropped their truly excellent self-titled EP back in 2020. I love the idea of remixes in a genre that receives remixes...well, almost never. As if that weren't intriguing enough, this is a charity release: all sales will go to mental health charity Flourish. Check out the NYOP pre-order and available Owen Claxton remix here!

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