 Written by: The Administrator
The words "wince and frisson" in combination immediately evoke a very specific physical reaction, simultaneously positive and negative and ultimately overstimulating in combination. What musical stimuli, I couldn't help but wonder, drives one to such a powerful physiological and somatic response? A level of curiosity this heightened doesn't often apply in the context of a band yet to release any music, but an intriguing moniker (and a Steve Wiener* association) are promo pit cheat codes. Needless to say, I was very excited when Wince and Frisson's debut disso-black/death single hit the inbox, and that excitement has only festered and grown over the course of many listens. "Kärrhäxan" is a stellar first foray, a sharply conceived and intensely executed statement of intent. It very much succeeds at the presumed intended goal of a debut single.
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Written by: The Administrator
On one level, I feel like my work here is already done, simply by benefit of typing the band name in the header. It kinda sells itself, no? With a band name like that--so visceral! so evocative!--what use is my humble endorsement? On another level, however, I like this album, and when I like an album, I like to write about it. And so here I am, bloated wordcount in tow. We slumbering scribes are excited to premiere today, in its entirety, Blood & Oil. This is the sophomore LP from Simon Bryant's "filthy" and "punishing" sludge metal/noise rock/crust punk/etc. project, and serves as the follow-up to Blunt Knife Castration's 2025 debut Live Fast Die Slow. And yes, the mere phrase "blunt knife castration" is enough to describe exactly what Blunt Knife Castration is all about. Sonically, thematically, and perhaps spiritually, the band is as grim and bloody and dark as you are likely imagining. This is gnarly stuff; sludgy and bituminous, filthy and snarling. Less-than-surgical and surprisingly experimental. Noisy and chaotic. Dark and often deliberately uncomfortable. If music can be described as ugly, Blood & Oil may very well be the poster child. Complimentary, of course. As a body of work, it ups the ante on noisy weirdness, and ultimately paints a pretty dark picture. Before I get too far ahead of myself, I must encourage you to give Blood & Oil a listen below! As always, we'll meet you on the other side.  Written by: Blackie Skulless
If your brain works anything like mine, your first instincts upon discovering this Spanish quintet would be Halloween III and a nod to KISS (going by Wicked Lester before 1973). Jokes aside, Wicked Leather is still pretty obvious with their schtick, and if the naming doesn’t give it away, the album art will. Spooky traditional metal deep in the occult themes with a somewhat safe formula delivered cleanly is an easy way to sum them up. Season Of The Witch is the outfit’s debut record, packing this into a digestible thirty-eight minutes. Don’t let the safe descriptor fool you though, because there’s an outlier amidst this. Vocalist Yami has a technique that I’d absolutely call an acquired taste and that I’ll at least call unique. It could be described as a hum-snarl that goes overboard on the nasal sensation, one that even after several listens is admittedly tough to get behind at times. Still, her voice weirdly matches the vibe, as musically this is a warmer take on the traditional style that prioritizes melody over meanness. To top this off, most of the songs take on a minor key, degrading the leads into something that feels equally welcoming and sinister, like the devil tricking you into his lair. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Five years ago, the U.S. heavy metal outfit Fortress launched a competent and somewhat promising debut full-length that otherwise seemed like another one of the many. This isn’t atypical for the traditional genre, as the safe style knows risks can either help or hurt a new band. Re-branding as Fili Bibiano’s Fortress in 2026 seems to have brought new flavors with it. Though the roots of what once was are still the same, the branches boast sweeter and more unique fruits this time around on the sophomore, titled Death Is Your Master. Switching out vocalists seems to be one of the first steps for two reasons. For one, Juan Aguila has a range that matches the stronger foundation that has amped up significantly since the first time around. Longer, drawn-out wails that maintain a cleaner aura still manage heavier nods without feeling threatening, and that’s about as balanced as a NWOTHM singer can get. Further, though this may be a psychological thought on my subconscious, changing a lineup like this after only one full-length prior seems to emphasize greater the role that the lead guitars play in this project as a whole. 
Written by: The Administrator
If you've been reading reviews here at ye olde Sleeping Village for a while now, you may remember (B)Easton Lane, who contributed some fantastic writeups back in our prolific '20-'21 era. He has continued reviewing on Instagram under the moniker LaneListens, and we had for all intents and purposes fallen out of touch...until last October, that is, when a very interesting promo email landed in the inbox. As it turns out, Easton is a guitarist and vocalist as well as a reviewer, and his intriguingly entitled band Trash Compactor has released a self-titled debut EP. While I initially and incorrectly assumed it was slam or brutal death metal band due exclusively to the name, the world of Trash Compactor is a little more extensive. Thematically, the band presents a story wherein we discover a wormhole to a (supposedly) barren wasteland located in another time. This portal serves as a convenient Disposal Pipeline for humanity's waste. I wholeheartedly enjoy the premise of an entire band being based on a singular sci-fi world from the moniker down. From a worldbuilding perspective, Trash Compactor have created an environment rich with narrative potential. And as cool as their unique world is, the music itself is certainly nothing to scoff at. 
Written by: The Administrator
My personal familiarity with LáGoon goes way back to the genesis of ye olde Sleeping Village. Back when we were reviewing music exclusively over on Instagram, the Portland-based project was dropping, at a very rapid clip, some excellent scuzzy 'n' fuzzy proto skater punk by way of garage-doom-stoner-psych-rock. They were raw and gritty and loose in a way that felt intrinsically fun above all else, exuding a punky ethos that thumbed its nose at the pastiche of polish for the sake of polish. And every new release was better than the last. While (I believe) we only every reviewed 2020's Father of Death in these less-than hallowed halls, I've followed their career pretty consistently over the years. As such, it felt somewhat providential that LáGoon's PR should reach out asking if I was interesting in premiering a track--a track that, I quickly discovered, I had actually heard in primordial form back in 2018. "Kill The Messenger," today's song in question, appeared on an EP that has since been removed from streaming. I immediately recalled that "Kill The Messenger" was my favorite from said EP, and was pleased to see (and hear) that it has been reworked, reimaged, and otherwise been brought up to the current LáGoon standard. We're pleased to present "Kill The Messenger" below a day before its official release on Feb. 18th. Give it a listen below! As always, we'll meet you on the far side of the fold. 
Written by: The Administrator
In the past, I (lovingly) equated listening to Disgustingest, Colorado's premiere brutal slamming deathgore band, to the experience of "enduring a fecal sludge aerobics class while the instructor simultaneously pummels you with cinder blocks." The short and lavatorial Purging Suppuration, released in June of 2025, was a very strong instruction to Kendrick Lemke's brand of gross-out brutality, and despite all of the seemingly negative words I used to describe it, I anxiously awaited more. Luckily, the wait was relatively short-lived. Disgustingest's second EP Coagulating Putrescence will be released February 20th via Paper Wings Records, and the morbidly curious good taste havers amongst ye can check out the single "Digital Cyst" now. Must like the debut EP, Coagulating Putrescence is as brisk as it is gross. 5 tracks, 11 minutes. I'm also pleased to announce that this sophomore Disgustingest outing may very well be more disgusting-est than the first, which, in and of itself, is quite an accomplishment. That said, it feels oddly more refined, with clear care apparent in the songwriting. It's not entirely overwhelming in its titular putrescence; a surprising variety of engaging moments abound. The occasional ambient elements are a nice touch. There's a potent head-nodding groove that permeates, and the closing track "Fragments of the Self" sheds a little of the slamming brevity in favor of some slightly longer form and--dare I say?--progressive composition. Coagulating Putrescence is a gnarly banger across the board, a prime demonstration of the efficacy of snappy and well-constructed brutality. This is exactly the kind of follow-up release I was hoping for from this project, and while brutal slamming deathgore doesn't exactly attract a sizable audience by any metric, I hope this EP turns some heads. |
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