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!
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Written by: The Administrator
I love Fuzznaut. I love Fuzznaut in the same way I love a warm quilt or the alluring drone of a rainstorm over a tin roof. Fuzznaut tends to ooze comfort, writing the kind of music that effortlessly epitomizes calmness in aural form. This new single--"Spacerock," dropping this Friday, May 3rd--continues an increasingly trademark trend. Although undoubtedly spaced out and cosmic in scope, there's nothing here that recalls the chilling vastness and isolation of space. This track, like unto everything else Fuzznaut has released to date, is warm and lush and oh-so immersive. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's usher in today's track in question. We're honored and pleased to present the stellar "Spacerock" below. Give it a well-deserved listen. We'll meet ye, as always, on the other side!
Written by: The Administrator
Prepare yourself, dear reader, for some stoner doom. Some lumbering stoner doom. Some lumbering mammothian stoner doom. Some lumbering mammothian psychedelic stoner doom. Some lumbering mammothian psychedelic groove-laden fuzzy megafaunic stoner doom. Some... Anyways, that's what we're dealing with here. Acid Mammoth are back for a fourth round in the ol' riff arena, Supersonic Megafauna Collision as their champion. If you're familiar with this crew's past work, you know the score. Acid Mammoth are, in my book, one of the premiere stoner doom bands active today. They are consistent, colorful, and make music that doesn't get bogged down in its own aura and atmosphere. The riffs are repetitive yet groovy and classically hooky, and the songwriting is intriguing enough to leave room for a little psych meandering without losing the thread too entirely. While I personally enjoy the vocal tone and find it to contrast nicely with the fuzzed out heft, I can see the vocals being a sticking point for some--they embrace a whining reediness. I've seen complaints that the album doesn't provide enough variation, and while the general scope of the album is pretty well established by the second track, we're not exactly here for innovation. If you're inclined to be bored by long-form psychedelic doom, this won't change your mind on the genre, particularly as the album approaches the tail end. But! Supersonic Megafauna Collision isn't about innovation--it is about the charming and quality reproduction of a formula that has been proven to work exceptionally well. I consider this the band's best work yet. If you're on the hunt for that good ol' lumbering mammothian psychedelic groove-laden fuzzy megafaunic stoner doom, Acid Mammoth will do nicely. Acid Mammoth - Supersonic Megafauna Collision was released April 5th, 2024 via Heavy Psych Sounds. Find it here! 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.
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
What, dear reader, is more classically and quintessentially Sleeping Village Reviews behavior than dropping a review for an album that came out more than 12 months ago? I mean, come on. This is embarrassing. We slumbering scribes are notoriously--and demonstrably--bad at finishing stuff we started, but instead of letting this half-completed writeup die in the drafts, I thought it would be worthwhile to revisit and finally complete. Needless to say, I apologize to Bog Monkey for the extreme tardiness. This album is very good and merited a more prompt review. In any case, better late than never, I suppose. So. Bog Monkey. A fuzzed out and swampy doom/sludge/stoner trio out of Atlanta. They released their debut album back in early March of 2023, and I consider it to be one of the better exemplars of the genre released last year. It also features one of my favorite album covers of 2023--purple swamp, simian skeletons, and ooze is an aesthetic holy trifecta as far as this scribe is concerned--but that's another story. The music itself is pretty damn addicting, and notably feels quite unique in a world where a new stoner doom band seemingly pops up on a daily basis. Bog Monkey's homegrown concoction utilizes a little hardcore attitude and a lot of garage-esque grit. They almost seem to be a noisy homegrown rock band disguised as a doom outfit, and as a result their songwriting relies more on hard rockin' fun than a more straightforward or predictable stoner vibe. ON THE HORIZON: Madame Frankenstein - The Eyes Of The Mountain Are Mine (Brazilian Stoner Doom)1/3/2024
Written by: The Administrator
Given our newfound sense of productivity here at our humble slumbering township, it is high time, methinks, to bring back a frequently forgotten Sleeping Village feature. That's right, dear reader. It's time once more for On The Horizon. Not a review per se, nor an album announcement, but rather a third secret thing that lurks awkwardly betwixt the two. Today, we gaze towards what appears to be the second full length from Brazilian stoned doomsters Madame Frankenstein. I heard (and quite enjoyed) their debut album released last year, which served as a collection of loose singles and EPs dropped throughout 2023. The bluntly entitled Doom brought a familiar fuzzy approach alongside some thin and filtered vocals that served well to exemplify the detached psychedelic vibe. The general aesthetic presented in their cover artwork across the album and singles was quite nice as well. Doom demonstrated some notable promise in a subgenre that has no shortage of fresh blood, but regrettably seemed to have missed the press circuit--I was a little surprised to see so few folks in the stoner doom scene talking about Madame Frankenstein. In any case, February of this year will see the release of a new six track project entitled The Eyes Of The Mountain Are Mine. I'm hopeful for a little more deserved fanfare this time around.
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!
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, we discuss a redux of a very fine track from a very fine band.
Written by: The Administrator Gosh. I love when a band issues a remixed and revitalized redux of an older track, and I particularly love when this very same scenario occurs with a track that I love from a band that, indeed, I love. Mothman and The Thunderbirds is a project that this particular scribe has enjoyed greatly from inception, and I'm firmly of the mind that everything under the Mothman moniker is exceptionally well done. 2021's debut Into The Hollow embraced a willingness to explore, and everything since--the (objectively perfect) cover of "96 Quite Bitter Beings," the dynamic split with World Eaters, the trippier "Gazer" EP*--continue the trend of good music that doesn't feel particularly confined by anything other than the quality of that which came before. So, then. Into this equation enters a redux of, arguably, one of my favorite tracks from Into The Hollow, featuring the remixing and remastering chops of Egor Lappo. "The Simpsons = Real Hollow" is an anomaly in the midst of the original tracklist, as guest vocals are provided by Kirby, wife of project leader Alex Parkinson. Promo material calls said vocal performance "soaring" and "sardonic," both apt descriptors. I would add "youthful"--not unrefined or adolescent, but rather filled to the brim with the kind of jubilant enthusiasm that feels almost impossible to contain. The original featured excellent vocals, and the redux'd version truly allows Kirby's voice to shine, contrasting wonderfully with Alex's bellowed backing interjections while sitting nicely in the mix. The chorus is catchy as fuck. Otherwise, the new version feels crisp and clean across the board. Alex's new bassline pummels with significantly more oomph. The track's rockin' central riff carries itself with the same familiar momentum--an urgency that doesn't quite let up, lending the whole track an energetic edge. This is the mix/master that the track deserves, and another testament to the quality of Lappo's work. As mentioned in our review of "96 Quite Bitter Beings," this outsourced production adds a notable level of polish. It sounds great. 'Nuff said. Mothman and The Thunderbirds - "The Simpsons = Real Footage (2023 Redux) was released Sept. 22nd, 2023, and can be found here. You can also listen below! How convenient is that?
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. |
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