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Written by: The Administrator
Welcome to Sleeping Village Micro-Reviews: Volume I! The following is a collection of very short reviews written in reaction to individual tracks submitted by a delightfully eclectic assortment of artists. The only thing the musicians featured herein all have in common? They responded to our following twitter prompt: "If you reply to this tweet within the next uhhhh 60 minutes with a link to one of your songs, I'll check it out and write a lil' micro review." And so here we are. Thank you to everyone who submitted tunes, I had a lot of fun doing this and will certainly be sending out a similar prompt again in the future. To everyone reading, I hope you find something lurking below that appeals to your tastes. Please note: we had a few submissions come in after the deadline--they will not appear here, but I will collect them all in a forthcoming Volume of Sleeping Village Micro-Reviews. If you are responsible for one of those submissions, fear not and stay tuned! Enough of my blathering. Without further ado: 
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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 the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of a rockin' and rollin' track.  Written by: The Administrator Back in the throes of lockdown, we slumbering scribes ran an interview with Holy Death Trio, a (then) new act with only several singles to their name. A few years later, I come to the realization that in the slew of new music I completely missed the promo cycle of their debut LP, 2021's appropriately monikered Introducing..., which featured those early singles, and, in sum, turned out pretty damn well. In any case, I was excited to see a new track from the Holy Death Trio camp hit the ol' inbox, as a little vintage rock 'n' roll can go a long way in the heat of the summer. "Death Rider" is a short lil' tune but it does not disappoint. Riding in with the dusty air of a tune destined to land on a well-used cassette, "Death Rider" moves at foot-tapping trot. It feels delightfully vintage--the channels are just wonky enough, and the vocals carry a raw and rough undertone. There's little complexity in the composition, but the guitar truly shines, with an extensive and borderline jubilant solo carrying the majority of the back half. Perhaps most importantly, the track doesn't feel overworked nor overbaked. Sitting at a tight 2:28 runtime, there's no fat to be trimmed. It's a wonderfully unpolished affair, and feels nostalgic without falling too far down the emulation road. Most importantly, it's a damn fun listen. I'm excited to see Holy Death Trio continue down this road. If you're a fall of the old school rock 'n' roll sound and ethos, this one is definitely worth a listen. Check it out below! Holy Death Trio - "Death Rider" was released August 8th, 2023. 
Written by: Big Adz
Back in Autumn of 2017, I had a bad day: I was working in a crappy, soul-crushingly dull role that I desperately wanted to get out of for the sake of my own mental well-being, and had just finished up yet another day of this drudgery. Sullen and verging on despondent, I walked out of the building that housed me during said soul crushing, onto the street and hit play on the commute home playlist I had put together during my lunch time reprieve. The first track was a recommendation from a friend, a song called "Kiss of Death" by a band called Mutoid Man. Within a minute of that fateful finger twitch upon my phone, the weight of the capitalistic fuckery I had just endured lifted from my shoulders like an ascendant non-denominational messiah and my face lit up in the way that one’s does when they’ve just heard the first bit of music from their soon-to-be new favourite band.  Written by: Sabrina TVBand
Today The Runaways, the first all-female rock band, are highly respected. Widely acknowledged as the progenitors of the riot grrrl movement, and known for being Joan Jett and Lita Ford’s first band, The Runaways stand tall in the annals of music history. But in the 70's they were, at best, a cult favorite. The second Runaways album, 1977’s Queens of Noise, is their strongest release. In its time it only reached #172 on the Billboard 200, but it’s plain to see that contemporary audiences didn’t recognize greatness when it was right in front of them. Every Runaways album has at least two or three solid cuts, but I don’t think it’s possible to make a compelling argument that Queens of Noise isn’t the best one, even if it doesn’t have "Cherry Bomb." This is by far their most consistent and enjoyable collection of songs.  Written by: Sabrina TVBand
It’s about time I put my cards on the table; I’m not a big fan of Bruce Dickinson. I have an appreciation for many Dickinson Iron Maiden songs, but like Klaus Meine I find that Dickinson has a voice that becomes grating after a few minutes. He also has an aggressive and very British nerdy goofball energy. I realize I’m mostly alone in having this opinion, but I stand by it. The Di’Anno years of Iron Maiden have been overshadowed by the subsequent Dickinson years in a big way, but Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut is still one of their stronger albums. Di’Anno is known for being a more limited vocalist than Dickinson, but within that limited range I find his voice to be a lot more enjoyable.  Written by: Sabrina TVBand
In 1984, guitarists who could play fast were rarities. Not just “fast,” but “very fast.” Eddie Van Halen, largely because of his tapping and legato chops, was one of the fastest guitarists in his day. Al Di Meola was also pretty fast, although he didn’t make it sound easy. The fastest picker, indisputably, was Yngwie Malmsteen. Rising Force was not Yngwie’s first album; he’d first appeared on Steeler’s self titled debut in 1983, and subsequently on No Parole from Rock ‘n’ Roll by Alcatrazz. Those were the albums that introduced him to a wide audience, and let the world know how fast guitar could be played. But Yngwie’s solo debut, Rising Force, would be his first album as unquestioned artistic leader; it’s where he showed the guitar world that he was more than just a fast hired gun. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Man do I love situations where a band doesn’t impress me at first, and then completely changes my perspective after another helping. Salt Lake City’s heavy metal quartet Blood Star didn’t offer a lot in the beginning. They only put out a few singles for a few years, but on this, the Year of our Lord 2023, they’ve come forth with a full-length, fully selling me. Unlike a few other traditional outfits that have sung me away this year, the band’s debut First Sighting is completely to the point, causing a love at first sighting…er, love at first sight; or sound, rather. What I’m saying is that this is very accessible! Playing it safe, Blood Star is very true to the classic roots of heavy riffing. The band holds loads of melody with anthemic choruses and a decent variance of tempo. Their vocalist boasts a powerful front, honing in on a clean approach that has loads of oomph, thus pairing nicely with tunes on the faster side. Not only is this very evident on “No One Wins,” but the short bass solo tacked onto the end of the lead’s bright presence is pristine! As a matter of fact, “bright” is a pretty good word to describe all of this, considering how nicely every instrument comes through. Even the speed metal backbone of album closer “Wait To Die” couldn’t even escape this, so you know consistency is not an issue. 
Written by: The Administrator
It's been quite some time since today's project in question was released, but god-tier stoner riffs are always gonna get the time of day 'round these parts. Moreover, when they are this damn enjoyable, you can bet your ass they'll be stuck in rotation for a good long while. When it comes to god-tier stoner riffs, the subtly monikered ROBOT DEATH MONKEY have decidedly got the goods, delivering a cheekily flippant EP with rough 'n' tumble component parts aplenty. Intergalactic Party Powder is chock full o' groove, a crude sense of humor, an apparent love for the swagger of Orange Goblin's catalog, and a healthy dose of Neil Fallon's phlegm nasty sneer. The riffs are big. The attitude is off the charts. Let's party. 
Written by: The Administrator
In lieu of a lengthy intro, let me just state that Toronto's own Tumble have absolutely knocked it out of the park with this debut two track EP. Bringing proto-metal groove and a vivacious energy to the retro hard rock aesthetic, this three piece makes a strong opening statement with Lady Cadaver. Side A is catchy and frenetic in a fashion that is instantly gripping. The central riff is an absolute doozy. The vocals fit the mood and vintage vibe like a glove, dusty yet not without a subtle bite. There's a delightful sense of momentum. With all that said, the track's arguable strongest suit is the unexpected drum solo that slots neatly into the back half, providing an exciting and dramatic moment in the midst of a song that, for all intents and purposes, was already quite exciting and dramatic. When the riff comes back, reinvigorated, one can't help but smile.
In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we're gonna actually publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of a rockin' single that I simply can't stop listening to.
Written by: The Administrator
When I find myself spending a little too much time in the doom and the gloom, a bangin' rock 'n' roll song serves as the inevitable cure. "Six Years" is the only track Moonlust currently has on tap, and goddamn, it handily qualifies as a hard-rockin' barnburner. This thing is addictive, plain and simple. In an exceedingly brisk 2 minutes and 8 seconds, Moonlust delivers exactly what I crave in a single. Driving central riff? Check. Foot-stomping momentum? Check. Engaging vocals, delivered with the kind of emotive fullthroatedness that practically demands audience participation? Check. A no-nonsense solo that feels complimentary and not a mere accessory? Check. A speedy runtime that leaves me desperately wanting more? Check. Check, check, check. Fully and completely. When I say I have listened to this song a total of 15 times in the past few days, I am not exaggerating. I am glued to that damn repeat button, and that, frankly, is a very good problem to have. "Six Years" has hooks and charisma in spades, and I can only hope that this standalone single exists as a harbinger of more to come. Give it a listen below! Moonlust - Six Years was released Jan. 6th, 2023. |
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