Written by: Blackie Skulless
Please excuse this long, rambling intro, as we’re working in territory that I’ve been an expert in for a while, and witnessed all of its nuances in real time. Swedish masterminds Ghost have evolved from a freezing but straightforward brand of traditional metallers into pop-rock icons, especially with 2022’s Impera bringing them more commercial breakthroughs than ever before. Sticking to the theme of dropping a full-length roughly every three years, they’ve come back and done what feels like a part-two for the first time ever. The first four records had their own identities subtracted from the style choice, strictly based on vibes. Opus Eponymous was a tried and true depiction of Satan taking over the world, while Infestissumam was our campy classic horror flick. Meliora brought forth an absence of light and hope, where Prequelle was a glamorous dark-romance around the end of humanity. After this, Tobias and Co. would craft an album chock-full of dissimilar, albeit enjoyable tunes in Impera; 2025’s Skeletá does exactly the same thing.
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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 short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Without further ado: a new single from the one-man act that released one of my favorite albums of 2021.
Written by: The Administrator
Four long years ago, I reviewed Underking's fantastic At Hell's Gate, wherein I offered nothing but sympathy and condolences for those who weren't enthralled with Maxwell Jeffries' penchant for catchy-as-hell songwriting. Said album was one of my favorites of 2021, and I return to it quite often when looking for some nerdy (complimentary) heavy metal excellence. Needless to say, this slumbering scribe has been primed and ready for some fresh music from Underking. Four long years later, Underking is back without missing a step. Indeed, new single "The Isle of Crooked Stone" feels like an unearthed gem from a begone era--it sounds like it could sit comfortably in the midst of the At Hell's Gate tracklist. For the unfamiliar, Underking sits at the feel-good crossroads of heavy metal, power metal, and hard rock. The riffs are engaging, the choruses triumphant, and the vibes immaculate. Thematically, the lyrics tend to focus overtly on a fantastical or sci-fi property, with previous tracks honing in on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so on. Every track is imbued with a clear love for the material that inspired it. Nothing feels gimmicky. Keeping with the brand, "The Isle of Crooked Stone" is an homage to Critical Role’s second campaign. This track is notably anthemic across the board. It is bright and uplifting. It builds and swells with a certain exultance, with Jeffries' excellent and often powerful vocals feeling as confident as ever. I'm a particular fan of the chorus, which ranks among the most catchy and singalongable in the catalogue. And, as with many Underking tracks, "The Isle of Crooked Stone" is short and sweet, wisely ending before I want it to. As a result, the track leaves in its wake a palpable desire to run it back. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Underking is vastly underrated. I'm a big fan of this track, and am inordinately excited to hear whatever else is forthcoming from the Underking camp. Underking - "Isle of Crooked Stone" was released March 14th, 2025. Find it here, and listen below! 
Written by: The Administrator
A premiere for Spectrum, the debut album from Am I In Trouble? Hosted at Sleeping Village Reviews?! No need, dear reader, to feign shock; this was always inevitable. Less a question of "if," and rather a question of "when?" I'm pleased to announce that the wait is over. The time is now. If the name Am I in Trouble? doesn't ring a bell, I recommend checking out our fairly extensive catalog of coverage. During the extensive buildup to the Jan. 3rd drop, we've covered three tracks available pre-release: check out writeups for Red, White, and Black. A common theme of said reviews is the clarity of Am I in Trouble's varied and vibrant songwriting in the pursuit of an aesthetic homage to 90's Scandinavian avant-garde black metal oddity. While the aforementioned songs are quite distinct from a sonic perspective, they share a common tendency to resist stagnation. The Am I in Trouble? playbook emphasizes constant motion and evolution, which allows for the dynamic juxtaposition of some remarkable extremes. Going from gentle to aggressive and back again is hardly a new trick in the world of metal, but multi-instrumentalist mastermind Steve Wiener wields a uniquely honed sense of unpredictability. This results in some incredibly flexible songcraft. With that said, a distinct and uncanny cohesion pervades. We get more in-depth below, but lest we lose sight of the plot, we slumbering scribes are excited to premiere (in full!) the excellent Spectrum a few days prior to release. Give it a well-deserved listen! We'll meet you, as always, on the other side.  Written by: The Administrator Another killer single from Howdytoons dropped last Friday, and as I surf through their impressive catalog, I wonder whomst among us didn't have a dinosaur era. Did any of us actually escape a period wherein dinosaurs--aesthetically, conceptually, historically--were simply the coolest thing imaginable? For me, this phase peaked in elementary school, and for a solid 4-5 years, I was an expert. I would have been the first to um akshully my current self, explaining that today's titular quetzalcoatlus was not, in fact, a dinosaur, but rather a pterosaur. Big difference. Years later, I'm admittedly less knowledgeable about dinosaurs and their ilk, but that's not to say I won't get hyped when the occasion permits. Which leads us to today's track in question. "Quetzalcoatlus" is the latest single from a band perhaps most well known for their family-friendly music videos on YouTube. Covering evergreen topics like dinosaurs and mythological creatures, and with over a millions subscribers, they are not exactly a small fish in the the large pool of educational media. Certainly a little different than the typical Sleeping Village fare, but I have a perennial appreciation for the sheer quality of their craft. And this latest track is one of their strongest to date, in my opinion. Featuring vocals by Rody Walker of Protest the Hero, as well as drums from Marco Minnemann, there's a lot of talent on display. Discard your misconceptions about about so-called kid's music and take a moment to appreciate how intensely riffy and hard-rockin' "Quetzalcoatlus" actually is. Instrumentally, this thing is notably meaty coming from a band with cartoony cover artwork. The track genuinely rocks--there's an engaging momentum and a refrain that is incredibly hooky. The vocals lend a certain pedigree, particularly as they approach harsh territory at the tail end, but the kinetic songwriting itself sucks you in. And the lyrics are just fun. "Quetzalcoatlus" is intrinsically a song that kids and families can enjoy--indeed, Howdytoons have written a high-quality banger that I look forward to sharing with my nephew next time he breaks out the plastic dinos. However, "Quetzalcoatlus" is also an unironically engaging listen for me. An adult. Unlike so many others in this particular made-for-kids lane, Howdytoons songs don't feel dumbed down. As such, I can and will listen to a track like "Quetzalcoatlus" for the sheer joy of it. They've carved out quite a niche for themselves. No small feat. Check out "Quetzalcoatlus" below! Howdytoons can be found:
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Curated and Written by: Dead Karma
In a (continuing) attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're having a band take over the blog every few weeks to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. Our most recent playlist came courtesy of Chicago's own Black Sites, and now Dead Karma are here to pick up the reins. Hard rock newcomers Dead Karma are on the precipice of their debut release--the 4-track The Space Camero will be released August 23rd. Featuring groovy, strutting riffs, and vocal melodies that walk the line between tough and tender, the EP revives a classic, punchy hard rock sound that pulls vintage rock stylings into 2024. Hit that preorder and check out the streaming title track on bandcamp!
Dead Karma members each selected songs to represent their own influences. Whether influential to us as musicians in general or specific songs/albums/artists that we feel have influenced us with Dead Karma, these are the songs we chose to share.
 Written by: The Administrator
Given an interest in both cryptids and excellent music, I am a proud Mothman and the Thunderbirds fanboy. Ever since hearing and subsequently reviewing the crisply remastered version of "Simpson = Real Footage," one of my favorite tracks from 2021's debut Into the Hollow, I've been dying for news of a follow-up album. Into The Hollow presented a near-endlessly intriguing and eclectic weirdo blend of prog and sludge, but over time, Alex Parkinson has increasingly leaned into more infectiously poppy songwriting and production that feels lush and oh-so clean. The latter comes from Egor Lappo, who has polished away sludgy scuzz to exceptional results. The weirdness remains, however, and in the latest stage of evolution, the band labels their blend of "adventurous prog, thrilling hard rock, and dreamy psychedelia" as "dream metal." I'll be damned if that isn't a damn fine descriptor. Which brings us, conveniently enough, to today's premiere. Mothman and the Thunderbirds will be releasing the intensely enjoyable Portal Hopper on July 12th. We're honored to present here the lead single and album opener "Ruby Skies." Check it out below via the bombastic lyric video, and, as always, we'll await your arrival on the other side! DR. COLOSSUS feat. Chris Penney - Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me - Alice Cooper cover (Mini-Review)4/6/2024
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 cover track worth checking out.
Written by: The Administrator
If you're unfamiliar with Australia's wonky and wonderful Dr. Colossus, here's an elevator pitch: stoner rock overtly inspired by The Simpsons. Their excellent 2021 album I'm a Stupid Moron With an Ugly Face and A Big Butt and my Butt Smells and I Like to Kiss My Own Butt easily made my list of favorite albums of that year, and standout track "Pickabar" in particular remains in constant rotation. I love Dr. Colossus' riffcraft and hooky songwriting, I love their goofy commitment to homage, and, it should also be noted, I love the source of inspiration to a degree that everyone around me may very well consider obnoxious. In short, Dr. Colossus are a band seemingly built for my particular set of interests, and I thus follow their movements with great interest. Their latest single, "Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me," is a cover of a largely underappreciated Alice Cooper track that, in and of itself, is a Simpsons reference. Originally appearing on the Japanese edition of Brutal Planet, and then the limited special edition of Dragontown, it's not exactly a well-distributed classic. It is, however, a fun lil' banger with a simple driving riff, a catchy chorus, and some classically Cooper sing-along lines. Dr. Colossus present a faithful recreation with very little deviation, down to the nice solo towards the rear. This adherence to source material certainly isn't a bad thing--the original track is a solid rock tune and funny as hell, chock full o' the kind of batshit lyrical content that only Alice Cooper can realistically get away with. The reference to Bart in his spooky clown bed aside, this is inherently silly stuff. Night is rhymed with...night. There is mention of the titular clown's "big old floppy shoes." And the second verse contains the following, managing to wrap Ronald MacDonald into the whole affair: "And if you think this isn't real / I'll show you wounds that never heal / to them I'm just a happy meal." To me, this is poetry. This was a smart track to cover, and the result is a highly enjoyable listen. The cover doesn't add new material to the tune, but it reinvigorates and gives it a well-deserved resurrection. While I am excited for a new Dr. Colossus album, these random standalones over the past few years have been pretty damn enjoyable. 'Nuff said! Check out "Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me" below.  Written by: The Administrator
Two editions of ON THE HORIZON within the span of a few months, let alone the same damn calendar year, is unheard of. Unprecedented, even. In any case, here we horizongazers are once more, getting hyped to sink our teeth into a yet-to-be-released album. Listening to the available single on near-obsessive repeat. Awaiting that promo with bated breath. As of today, March 27th, there is currently one single available from GREENLEAF's forthcoming The Head & The Habit, and I have enjoyed it, erm, quite substantially. Which is to say I am responsible for at least 10? 15? of the views on the music video hosted on Magnetic Eye Record's youtube. It's a bangin' lead single, and the video is a helluva fun ride to boot. "Breathe, Breathe Out" does exactly what a lead single should do: build ample anticipation.
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: 
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. |
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