Written by: Blackie Skulless
Some bands have a long history of EPs and demos that bring them to a full-length, others seem to hit the ground running immediately. Finnish doom metallers Bell Of Mimir fall in the latter category, with nothing on record before the year of our lord 2025, and only singles to lead up to the thunderous Nocturne. Brought to me by a most trusted doom metal source, they work within the traditional realm, avoiding any tacky fuzz or over the top stonerisms, sticking close to roots that err on the hinges of being epic. However, it may just be easier to say it’s a little louder in execution and a little sadder in vibe. Despite having such a huge sound, Bell Of Mimir manages to keep things rather compact, staying within the framework of only six tracks on the longer side, but only one (barely) crossing the seven minute mark. The cloudy delivery works as a gradient of gloom, built on crawling riffs that rumble on slower melodies, absent of any sharp edges helped by the ever present bass. This can come off as overwhelming at times, but the howling cleanliness of the vocals that exude layers of hopelessness manage to sound as if it’s being welcomed, or even conjured. Yes, it’s admittedly one-sided across the board, but the brief runtime I’ve mentioned makes that digestible.
0 Comments
Written by: The Administrator  A music video premiere is a fairly infrequent affair at ye olde Sleeping Village, but not quite infrequent enough to consider "rare." Perhaps "uncommon" would be a better measure. In any case, it's been a while since we ran one of these, and the theater required significant sprucing up before we felt comfortable allowing you fine folks inside. With the cobwebs and dust bunnies banished, then, the show is ready to begin. We'll dim the lights. Make yourself comfortable.
Today's feature presentation comes to us from Dublin, Ireland's Fós. The forthcoming Níl mo chroí in aon rud, out Jan. 27th, demonstrates a haunting blend of traditional Irish folk singing with the sheer droning heft of doom and sludge. It's a fusion that feels as natural as it is engaging, and "Bádaí na Scadán" serves as a perfect showcase of Fós's uniquely eerie and captivating aesthetic. Give "Bádaí na Scadán" a listen (and a watch!) below, and we'll meet you on the other side. 
Written by: The Administrator
I'm unsure what role a "Wind Doula" plays in the grand scheme of meteorological phenomenon, but as a track title, the term undeniably oozes a certain Fuzznautian vibe. This latest single from our favorite one-man instrumental soundscapist is, like all of Emilio Rizzo's work, a breath of fresh air. If you're a devout reader of the Sleeping Village--and/or currently living within the walls of our drafty scriptorium--you likely recognize the name. But for the unfamiliar, Fuzznaut writes comforting and immersive music that should feel minimalistic but is often unexpectedly engrossing. Bridging the (often inscrutable) gap between fuzzy doom, shoegaze, atmospheric post-rock, and drone, Emilio's work is always a welcome additional to my listening rotation. The past few weeks, this latest track accompanies me pretty much every morning as I am waking up, preparing body and mind for the day. Much like "Spacerock" made an impact back in May of this year, "Wind Doula" has become an almost ritualistic addition to my day. "Wind Doula" is immediately identifiable as a product of Fuzznaut. The common components are all there, and while this track does feel a tad fuzzier and incorporates a lil' reverb-laden percussive stomp at the beginning, nothing really breaks the formula. This track feels like the soundtrack that plays whilst trudging alone across a desolate windswept plain, dust devils dancing lazily in the hazy distance. It is lonely and elegant and organic, and breathes in a weathered way. The track oozes a languid sense of meandering--it documents a journey with distinct forward motion, but the destination feels irrelevant. It's a relaxing listen, and "Wind Doula" honestly feels a little short at 4:20. Indeed, if this thing were an hour long, I'd gladly partake. Fuzznaut - Wind Doula was released Sept. 6th, 2024. Find it here! On the very occasional Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling gates, stuffed to the brim with sustenance. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some choice cuts from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be--and have been--listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! On the docket for today, April 12th, 2024 Necrot, Corvus Corone, Heavy Temple, and Exist
In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Here's a mini-review of a doooomy album.
Written by: The Administrator
After a week of genre-hopping, it's high time for us slumbering scribes to return to our roots. That's right, folks: we're firing up some doom. More specifically, some long-form riff-centric darkly occult doom, courtesy of Italian doom mountaineers Cancervo. III is, well, their third outing, and I'm firmly of the opinion that it is their best work yet. With one organ-heavy intro followed by four thick tracks, this album is built on a solid bedrock of droning monolithic riffs and a notably dragged-from-the-crypt vocal style. The whole affair feels ritualistic and borderline hypnotic--some of these tracks could be twice as long and I'd happily sink into their ample presence. Cancervo's approach is antiqued, albeit in a way that feels more referential to traditional doom and less like mere imitation. They've certainly cranked up the spooky factor, for one. III is coated in a thick patina of mildew and dried blood. No bones about it: this album is impressively dark and unequivocally evil. Listening transports you to a candlelit catacomb, strapped to a sacrificial slab surrounded by hooded cultists. Or perhaps a moonlit forest, tied to a funeral pyre. A real witches-at-black-masses atmosphere. As it were. In terms of favorite tracks, "Sacrilegious Mass" and "Burn Your Child" are stone-cold bangers, and serve as near-perfect representations of the style. While each track herein is very solid in an individual light, the album does feel increasingly formulaic over the runtime. After each track's respective intro, the vocals are largely used to deliver mantra-like repetitions of a key phrase, and by the fourth track a little deviation would be nice to hear. That said, nothing here is worth skipping, and the notably short runtime was a smart move. For fans of old-school doom, I absolutely recommend checking this one out. Cancervo - III was released March 29th, 20244 via Electric Valley Records. Find it here! 
Written by: The Administrator
Another year, another batch of outstanding EPs! I personally have a strong affinity for releases of the short, concise, and otherwise succinct persuasion, and so my weekly listening is often informed by what new EPs have dropped. The following includes those that made a significant impact and stuck around in my rotation. This list--although perhaps a term such as "loose collection" or "heap" would be a better choice--has not been trimmed or edited to meet a specific quantity. I just kept adding stuff until I hit 23 entries, which felt like an appropriate number, and so here we are. Like last year's extravaganza, this list features a bunch of different genres but is not sorted by genre. My year is defined by eclectic listening habits, and while my albums lists will be divided into hip hop and metal for sake of reading convenience, no such editorial courtesy is reflected here. And lastly, this is utterly unranked. If something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended. Without further ado, let's dive in! 
Written by: The Administrator
Okay. In order to set the stage, please excuse some heavy self-plagerization. In discussing "Haunting Mantra," Fuzznaut's excellent standalone single from the long-ago year of 2020, I wrote that guitarist and composer Emilio Rizzo's work is "self-contained enough to provide certain boundaries, yet breathable enough to allow for a steadfast sense of relaxation, creating a lush environment without feeling overly complex or indulgent." On this latest project, the 26 minute Apophenia, Rizzo presents similar ideas in format that feels even more meditative, yet tinged with the emotional weight of seemingly omnipresent melancholy. Before we get too far into the fray: this is a strong album, a crystal-clear encapsulation of the trademark Fuzznaut approach and aesthetic. While your mileage will absolutely vary depending on your willingness to sink into the embrace of atmospheric instrumental music, I highly recommend trying Apophenia on for size. 
Written by: The Administrator
This particular scribe tends to wallow in the oppressive confines of tar-thick riffage, but the occasional jaunt through more spacious environs certainly has its perks. Enter The Holy Water EP, the swiftly forthcoming release (June 15th) from the ever-talented genre-spanning Witnesses. At times an expression of sparse ambiance, at others a more traditional doom project, Greg Schwan and friends consistently deliver music with an expansive scope and a cinematic flair. While the deliberate separation remains, this latest three-track manages to combine multiple aspects of the bifurcated Witnesses formula into a single entity. This is doom at its most open, its most atmospheric, and arguably its most emotive. |
WELCOME!We provide thoughtful reviews of the music that wakes us from slumber. Archives
April 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed