 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.
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 As indicated by the general scope of our output this week, the name of the game as of late is brevity. Nobody has the time nor energy to stick through an arduous slog, and thus, we're embracing music that is over practically as soon as it begins. Case in point: today's band--and 48 second music video--in question.
Xeno Ooze, for those regrettably unfamiliar, are a sci-fi lovin' and death-grindin' unit out of Arizona. Their 2019 debut effort, the excellent Parasligm, was quite well received amongst the metal blog-o-sphere, and while I never did get around to penning a writeup myself, their brand of frenetically slam-imbued grind/powerviolence/crust left one hell of an impact. This was (and is) music for violent incidents in the cosmos, for obliteration at the hand of extraterrestrials. In other words: sign us up. Parasligm routinely receives airtime 'round these parts, and so when news of their followup effort breached our Village inbox, I was more than happy to do my part. We're honored to present here today the (animated!) music video for "Swillbirth," a standout track on their forthcoming Slimewave EP. Without further ado, cast yer earholes and eyeballs below.  Disillusioned as I am, this particular scribe simply won't consider a day complete unless it involves a good ol' depressive existential spiral. This routine harrowing glimpse into the bleakness of my future and the future of my future children requires, of course, an apt soundtrack, and I'm quite certain a sizable contingent of our readership would consider death doom a poor choice. In any case: the yard-long stare is engaged and the tears are primed to flow, so let's tuck in, shall we? Today, we are pleased to premiere a bangin' single from The Encompassing Nothing, the debut EP of Arizona's foreboding one-man Thorn. Comprised solely of the guitarist from sci-fi grindcore oufit Xeno Ooze (a band we love 'round these parts) and GLITTERBOMB (a harsh noise project with which we were shamefully unfamiliar,) a little extremity is to be expected, albeit in a significantly more cavernous end of the musical spectrum. Thorn plays a hearty conglomerate of bituminous doom and paleolithic death--not the most original take, sure, but certainly a high-quality paragon of the style. It's low, slow, somber, menacing, and coated in a dank grotto patina--or, in lieu of adjectives, just imagine the sonic representation of the album artwork before ye. Without further ado, check out "Fields Of Blight" below!  These days, it's a dangerous business--as a wise scribe once wrote--going out your door. For obvious reasons, it has been quite some time since we highfalutin peasants put on the ol' adventuring boots, packed our rucksacks, and headed out for the high road, a thirst for new scenery and unexpected encounters our only true motivation. As such, I'm particularly excited as of late to feature music that evokes a sense of fantastical adventure. Enter (the accurately moniker'd) Celtic Metal Dude--not a band, but a man who endeavors to create acoustic and folk covers of folk and metal. Said covers are accompanied by some of the most gloriously bombastic music videos I've had the pleasure of witnessing as of late. Much assorted headgear, swords, beer, barechestedness, tattoos, and general emotive enthusiasm await. Y'know, the usual folky metal shenanigan stuff. For reference, please see Exhibit A: 
Beyond the visual aesthetic, of course, is the music, which is frankly some of the most engaging of its ilk. Today's song in question is a joyous little ditty with exactly the dosage of uplifting vim and vigor that I suspect we all need right about now. It's got a woodsy charm, an infectious sense of jubilance, and a self-awareness that only the best of drinking songs possess. There's a delicious lushness to this track, from the lightfooted percussion, to the flute solo, to the gang vocals, which practically ooze camaraderie. I don't know how many more ways I can say that this is a helluva fun track, so there you have it. This is a helluva fun track, and I hope you enjoy as much as we slumbering villagers did. If this all sounds like your definition of a damn good time, check out the video for "High Adventure" below! This track, released today, is an original, but we'll let the Celtic Metal Dude speak on that in detail below. In the meantime:  While we Villagefolk are all-too-oft content to snooze whilst wrapped in the suffocating embrace of music's more extreme edges, a little diversification in the genre department can go a long way. I, for one, am a big fan of the murky and ill-defined worlds of dark ambient and experimental electronic--particularly when the artist in question plays with expectations in a, well, unexpected fashion.
Enter Emerson Sinclair--classically trained, but since described as "quietly metal as fuck,"--who combines seemingly incompatible elements of dark synth, rock, baroque, electronic, and traditional liturgical. Just the level of experimentation we needed to wake us from slumber. Needless to say, this combination of sounds and influences is a melding that is better witnessed than clumsily described. As such, we're happy and honored to premiere here today the music video for Emerson Sinclair "Singularity." This arresting track is the second single from the forthcoming Never Without The Pentagram, a split collaboration between the genre-melding artist featured here today, and cello-based black metal ensemble Hvile I Kaos. Without further ado: check out the video below! We'll meet you on the other side.  You know what death metal, as an institution, needs more of? Saxophone. Don't get me wrong: I don't think every death metal band should have three or four saxophones. In most cases, just one really talented saxophonist would do just fine. Obviously being a tad facetious, but I am firmly of the mind that a little exploration and innovation in the brassy department can only stand to benefit death metal as it continues to grow outside the mold established (and stoically defended) by the tenets of OSDM. Imagine my pleasure at discovering that Dystopia A.D., today's tech-by-way-of-prog death metal duo in question, subscribes to this notion as well. Yes, dear readers: saxophone does indeed make a delightful appearance in the (excellent) track we're premiering here today.
For your viewing pleasure, the Sleeping Village is pleased to present the music video for "Plaguebringers," ripped, still-beating, from the chest of Rise of the Merciless, Dystopia A.D.'s forthcoming sophomoric album. It's a killer track and a well-constructed DIY-style video, and, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I wholeheartedly recommend you watch for yourself: |
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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