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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, here's a cool post-sludge/doom single.
Written by: The Administrator
Sometimes, dear readers, the promo pit delivers. Whilst searching to satiate a craving for darkly menacing music, I randomly listened to this new single from Poland's Optical Sun...and loved it so much I immediately took their debut album for a few spins. Optical Sun play a murky brand of post-sludge interspersed with notably intense vocals and the liberal application of samples from old Polish movies. In service of oppressive doom and gloom, they also utilize a double-bass technique. As such, "Mój Bóg nie Umarł" is ominous and delightfully hefty, a clear result of that extra emphasis in the bass department. The film samples, for which I admittedly lack any frame of reference, sound very well incorporated, and overall add another layer of intensity. Promo indicates that the band borrows excerpts from the film Diabeł directed by Andrzej Zulawski, from the TV series Przyłbice i Kaptury, directed by Marek Piestrak, and Zbigniew Jerzyna's radio drama Gasnące kolory. There's one part where the speaker sounds on verge of hyperventilation--no clue what they are saying, but it sounds like a less-than-comfortable situation, to be sure. The lurching laughter is creepy too. Samples aside, the vocals are sludgy and throaty and raw in a way that really tickles my fancy--the chanting on the back end, for example, is super forceful and cuts through the instrumentation with an eerie edge. "Mój Bóg nie Umarł" serves as the first single from Optical Sun's forthcoming sophomore album. The track does end very abruptly, which makes me wonder if the album flows from track to track in a seamless fashion. Time will tell! As far as typical rollouts go, it's pretty damn early--Diabeł is scheduled for release on Sept. 11th, so can only assume we'll see more singles drop between now and then. I'll be keeping an eye/ear out. Listen to "Mój Bóg nie Umarł" below and find it on Bandcamp here!
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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 no expert, but I'm fairly certain it is impossible to look at this album cover and imagine it attached to anything other than some comically distorted and trippy psychedelia. Y'know, the good stuff. Terra is the debut album from Acid Arno, a self-described "loud trio" out of Berlin, and the three track contained within do not disappoint when it comes to rich fuzz and expansive acidic leads. I'm in love with this poetic and extremely apt description lifted from their promo material: Terra combines "layers of bowing deep fuzzes, lysergic delays supported by stone primal percussiveness set down in a dilated dark-trip composition." If that isn't enough, their bandcamp description states that they are "grounded to space." And yeah. I couldn't agree more. All of this is exceedingly accurate. Well said. 
Written by: The Administrator
At this stage in the game, a new Through Mists album spawning forth every few months feels like one of life's true constants. Moreover, there's a certain joy I derive from observing a fresh batch of Through Mists tracks careen into the promo pit, and the fact that it happens three to four times a year is truly a gift. If the band name sounds familiar, there's a good chance you saw something here. This will be a record-breaking fifth premiere that we slumbering scribes have written for this prolific one-man proggy death/black/sludge juggernaut over the past few years. If nothing else, I hope that our own extensive Through Mists catalog serves as an indication that I'm personally a big fan of what he does. Anyways! Let's cut to the chase and head hellward, shall we? This latest forthcoming album, appropriately entitled Hellscape, will be released on Dec. 6th. It may very well be the most abrasive entry in the Through Mists discography to date, and we are honored to premiere here the title track. Give it a listen below! As always, we'll catch you on the other side. 
Written by: The Administrator
Here at ye olde Sleeping Village, we like to talk about Negative Bliss. Of the four tracks contained within the cathartic confines of their forthcoming debut EP, I've publicly discussed three: "The Good Life" was premiered, "Sun Stain"reviewed, and "The Lighthouse" got a little micro-review over on Twitter. If it's not apparent that I thoroughly enjoy what these genre-blending dads are doing, hopefully this writeup serve as yet another nail in the coffin that represents my desire to have Negative Bliss heard by as many people as possible. For the unfamiliar, Negative Bliss sit somewhere at the moody dynamic intersection of post-metal, hardcore, doom, and sludge. The sonic spectrum is quite expansive, and thus it is almost more useful to talk about the band in terms of their sheer emotional weight. This is profoundly emotive stuff, basking in gloomy somber grief, hazy melancholy, coiled frustration, and the eventual calm that dwells at the heart of acceptance. Everything Hurts and I'm Dying is thematically centered around the assorted coping mechanisms one develops to deal with life's inevitable traumas, be it grief, loss, entropy, or disillusionment. Hell, the title alone should serve as clear indication that we're openly dealing with some real-life shit here. Negative Bliss have carved themselves a corner that feels profoundly relatable. There's a certain comfort that comes from witnessing others dealing with the same old bullshit. Hearing these guys find a creative outlet through which to process trauma provides me with a vicarious sense of fulfillment. We slumbering scribes are honored to premiere Everything Hurts and I'm Dying here today, a couple of days prior to the Nov. 1st release date! But before I scare you away with ceaseless blathering, please check out the Ampwall embed below. We'll meet you on the other side! 
Written by: The Administrator
When I crave some fuzzy riffage that embodies the laborious act of clambering through a swamp in pea-soup fog, I turn to Green Hog Band. These fellas have been putting in the work for a few years now, routinely dropping fresh batches of fuzzy 'n' scuzzy motorcycle-revving stoner doom. This latest, Fuzz Realm, was released back in June of this year and subsequently sat in the ol' promo pile for far too long. But better late than never, says I. Let's dive straight into this tarpit. Even before hitting play, I already felt exceptionally familiar with the contents of Fuzz Realm. That's a strong indication that Green Hog Band have built themselves a cohesive identity. This is dirty stuff. Every thick riff is coated in a greasy patina of motor oil and cigar ash. Meanwhile, the clean-yet-demonic vocals--delivered in both Russian and English--have been chained to a Harley and dragged across gravel for, I dunno, a lifetime and a half? In terms of elements that feel a little fresh in the Green Hog Band playbook, a distinct occult influence peers through the cracks in terms of samples and general spooky ambience. Put it all together, and the formula speaks for itself. The Fuzz Realm aesthetic is dark, menacing, and, in case I have not been clear, heavy as ever-living hell. While everything here feels like it would fit comfortably on any stoner metal playlist of your choosing, closer "Phantom" is perhaps my favorite track, as it balances softer passages with throat-crushing guitar dropping in to remind the audience who is boss. I also love "Nightmare Creatures" for that simple and endlessly earwormy riff. The aforementioned vocals add a little unique flair and flavor, but at the end of the day, these eight tracks--along with the Green Hog Band catalog in general--are built upon and sustained by that sweet, sweet heft and fuzz. The riffs and songs don't necessarily stick in my head after the album is done, but they really don't need to. They make their impact in the moment, and that, I would argue, is significantly more important. Green Hog Band - Fuzz Realm was released June 20th, 2024 via The Swamp Records. Find it here! 
Written by: The Administrator
Thrash-infused sludge with a bombastic pep in its step? Dragged-through-the-muck production and tasty gang vocals to boot? We're dealing with an oddly specific category here, but you can count me all the way in. Please. Please count me all the way in. I need this. Earthblood are a new-ish quartet out of Finland, and the inflammatory Witchburner is their second EP. I was impressed by their debut outing released last September, but this sophomore effort feels like a significant step up both in terms of songwriting chops and production value. With only 3 tracks filling the 17+ minute runtime, the songs are quite girthy, incorporating both a slow-burning sludgy stomp and a thrashy drive to be the most cathartic band in the playlist. Earthblood are confrontational and dirty, seeming to take a certain glee in forcibly forging their own path by way of rowdy riffage and gravel-gargling roars. In a word, Witchburner is energetic to a near-jubilant degree. There's a vigorous bounce and groove at play--check out the hellishly fun "Sons of Heavy Pain" or the exciting chorus on the title track as prime examples. When things do slow down--take the mighty closer "Swamp Hammer," for example--the lumbering pace serves to build anticipation for the burly violence that inevitably returns. If I do have any minor criticism of this EP, it is that said closer does run a tad long. But that doesn't negatively impact the overall takeaway: music like this makes me want to light my beard on fire and smash a bunch of shit with sledgehammer. Y'know, for fun. 
Written by: The Administrator
In the spirit of today's band in question, let's keep this intro short, shall we? Officers Down is a lean and mean two-track release from Revered and Reviled Above All Others, a historically lung-crushing doomviolence band. Over the past few years, I have personally found their intense and unique combination of suffocating brevity and overt fuck-the-police messaging to be quite alluring. If you're unfamiliar with (the henceforth abbreviated) RRAAO, the title of this double single should tell you all you need to know. If, however, you're approaching this review with a degree of familiarity, please note that their latest is a little less crushing and a little more incendiary than prior releases. Of course, that's all quite subjective--this is still an exceptionally sludgy experience. Both tracks feature a muscular tone that can only be compared to the sensation of snorkeling in concrete. The percussion is a little more industrially militant, giving "Buried Evidence" in particular an invigorating presence. One could most certainly throw down to this song. One could, perhaps, sling a variety of blunt and/or flammable objects, if one were so inclined. The vocals represent another evolution in the direction of immediacy. On "Bones of Anthropocene" in particular, they are more outwardly shouty and less like the all-consuming swallowed howls you could find dominating SWINEVOID or Toppling the Rotten Pillar. As a result, the lyrics are a tad easier to decipher. Somehow the fury is more palpable. Of the two tracks here, I do prefer the aforementioned "Buried Evidence" for its more urgent motion. "Bones of Anthropocene" is a little more plodding and lacks a true climactic moment--the track ends fairly unexpectedly. It does act as a nice foil to the kinetic approach of Side A. All told, Officers Down is a very fine addition to the RRAAO body of work, and serves as a compelling teaser for whatever comes next. Check it out here! Revered and Reviled Above All Others - Officers Down was released June 22nd, 2024
Revered and Reviled Above All Others can be found:
Bandcamp 
Written by: The Administrator
After spending a long day trudging through a world that seems fully intent on chewing me up and spitting me out, the first thing I want to do is listen to a band that seems fully intent on chewing me up and spitting me out. No, literally, the very first thing. I get in my car, crank that angry spiteful music, and enjoy life for a little while. Enter Kingston-upon-Hull's Mastiff. Prime candidate for a wholeheartedly cathartic commute. Deprecipice, the band's fourth full length, marks a shift into more overt hardcore waters, allowing the grind, sludge, and deathier elements of their prior work to take more of a back seat. That's not to say, of course, that those qualities have dissipated--more that they have been more fully and organically incorporated into a (somehow) meaner and harder Mastiff sound. We can churn out descriptors all damn day. Deprecipice is seething, ugly, belligerent, harrowing, punishing, relentless, crushing, bleak, vengeful. There's an implicit curiosity that arises from the band's uniquely gnarly intimidation factor: just what level of violence are Mastiff actually capable of? They can howl and roar and batter the flimsy wooden fence in Beast-esque fashion, but what happens when they actually get their hands on you? There's tension in the implication. This is a massive album, rage-fueled and roiling, and as good as their discography is thusfar, I consider it to be far and away their best work to date.
The Sleeping Village has been around for a few years now, and during that time, a lot of reviews have unceremoniously disappeared into the dark confines of our archives, destined to never see the light of the front page again. Music appreciation, however, is a timeless affair, and in that spirit, here is a review retrieved from the deep dark depths.
Written by: The Administrator (originally published July 6th, 2019)
Sometimes a band has a almost-but-not-quite grand debut, the kind of album that bears the weight of rookie flaws, but speaks of something larger to come. And then, sometimes, said band delivers tenfold on their next outing, absolutely shattering notions of sophomore slump. And sometimes the groggy-eyed scribe who said he'd review the album in a timely manner spends two months mulling over how best to put his enamorment into words. And that lands us here, with Wolf Blood’s II spinning for what seems the umpteenth time. Wolf Blood is one of those bands who revel in throwing a bevy of ideas at the wall and hoping they stick. Unlike most who engage in such reckless activity, these folks are really damn good at making sure it all stays up there. It’s purely original stuff, and in this business, that's a significant and rare quality. |
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