Written by: The Administrator
As time goes on, our posting here at ye olde Sleeping Village is increasingly determined and defined by whim. Promo procedure has fallen out of fashion 'round these parts. We operate primarily on meandering vibes and a disinterest--perhaps even a disrespect--for deadlines. However, for today's Very Important Announcement, exceptions must be made, which explains why we went through the trouble of dragging our town crier out of semi-retirement. No one issues a proclamation quite like the town crier. Anyways! Enough blathering. We slumbering scribes are pleased to announce that Wince and Frisson's debut album, entitled Tumult, will be released on Sept. 4th. The pre-order is active now, and, for any denizens of Bandcamp, today would be an excellent day to pick it up. At this stage, it is (hopefully!) clear that I have only the highest level of recommendation for Wince and Frisson. I've had the privilege of (consistently, obsessively) listening to this forthcoming album for several weeks now, and am happy to report that it is as utterly astounding as the singles indicate. Tumult is cacophonous and exceptionally well-executed. There's a real brilliance in the ability to refine, and Wince and Frisson writes songs that are exactly as long as they need to be. Of the seven tracks here, every single one is a genuine standout, not least because they all strive to represent sonic chaos incarnate. The debut album, says the band, is "a virulent cocktail of extreme metal genres. Seven tracks, all blackened and swathed in dissonance. It gets to the point immediately and offers no rest to the listener until its conclusion. All the while, guitarist, bassist, and vocalist Triumvir Kaleido maniacally spews warped interpretations of his experiences with religious and psychological abuse, and struggles with mental health." Completing the duo, Steve Wiener provides drum programming, additional vocals, and the assorted production/mixing/mastering duties. The first two singles, "Kärrhäxan" and "Liftoach Pandemonium," reviewed and premiered here respectively, serve as a fantastic appetizer. And, if for some reason you require additional convincing, we are very pleased to premiere here today a third single, entitled "Hypnagogic Haunt." It serves as Tumult's sixth track, and it is, as you might expect, an absolute bruiser. Check it out below! We'll meet you on the other side.
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Written by: The Administrator
As far afield as my many odd music-listening proclivities may take me, the warm embrace of the low 'n' slow will always feel like home. Be it tied to the various stoner subgenres, or heavy psych, or doom proper, I will always enjoy being lovingly enveloped in fuzzy riffage. Add in a lil' desert grit or some rockin' gusto and we've officially got a stew going. Needless to say, Slow Goats tagline--"gamy riffs cut from the flank of the Pacific Northwest"--indicates that their stuff is most definitely up my particular alley. I first encountered Slow Goat via No Clean Singing's premiere of the excellent "Love Like Water," the first single from the forthcoming debut album Where the Wisest Fear to Tread. It's a very impressive track, and I was excited to jump on the opportunity to premiere the album's second single. "Under the Glass" is equally strong, and, as a good outro should, it effectively sums up the general vibe Slow Goat present on Where the Wisest Fear to Tread. Enough intro. Nothing left to do but listen. In that spirit, I highly recommend that you throw on some headphones, sit back, and relax! Enjoy "Under the Glass" below! We'll be waiting, as always, on the other side. 
Written by: The Administrator
Eons ago, back in the primordial days (2019), my friend and collaborator Ancient Hand started a generally uncategorizable ambient/noise/experimental project called Empty Joy. I premiered "Drowned," the band's mighty and uncomfortable debut single, and, as a recent trawl through the ol' archives revealed, I evidently interviewed them as well. Said interview ends on a predictive note: Ancient Hand states that "the debut Empty Joy album, It has occurred to me that I am suffering, will be out late summer, 2020." A mere six years later, I'm excited to premiere "I don't sleep well anymore," Empty Joy's second single for the very same project, now revised into a shorter five-track EP. Time is weird. Life happens. So it goes. Which is, in a meta sense, entirely the point. Indeed, the release schedule is quite fitting. As I conceptualize it, the project is, both literally and musically, about the process of growing up and easing into the routine of adulthood. A loss of youthful innocence, perhaps. Thematically, it is fitting that its creation and eventual release span a sizable chunk of the member's respective early adulthood. The forthcoming release of It has occurred to me that I am suffering feels significantly more poignant than if the band dropped it in late summer 2020 as intended. Anyways! Let's get to the music, shall we? Give "I don't sleep well anymore" and the subsequent "Drowned" a listen below! As always, we'll meet you on the other side.  Written by: The Administrator
It feels special to become aware of a band upon the release of their first single. This is especially so when said single (along with the total audio/visual package of the accompanying music video) is so blatantly intriguing. So exciting. So fresh. Wince and Frisson's chaotic and disquieting KÄRRHÄXAN was, arguably, the perfect first single. The listening/watching experience set the tone for an album rollout extremely well. After writing about said track, I have found myself revisiting the music video quite frequently to extract more of that delightful electrical feeling I had upon initial exposure. But! After witnessing a debut, it feels even special-er to be invited to premiere a band's second track (plus music video). Which brings us to today's track (plus music video) in question. The ritualistically entitled Liftoach Pandemonium is embedded below, available for your listening pleasure/intrigue/discomfort several days before official release. As always, we'll be waiting on the other side of the fold, long-winded analysis and words of recommendation presented proudly. Check it out! 
Written by: The Administrator
My personal familiarity with LáGoon goes way back to the genesis of ye olde Sleeping Village. Back when we were reviewing music exclusively over on Instagram, the Portland-based project was dropping, at a very rapid clip, some excellent scuzzy 'n' fuzzy proto skater punk by way of garage-doom-stoner-psych-rock. They were raw and gritty and loose in a way that felt intrinsically fun above all else, exuding a punky ethos that thumbed its nose at the pastiche of polish for the sake of polish. And every new release was better than the last. While (I believe) we only every reviewed 2020's Father of Death in these less-than hallowed halls, I've followed their career pretty consistently over the years. As such, it felt somewhat providential that LáGoon's PR should reach out asking if I was interesting in premiering a track--a track that, I quickly discovered, I had actually heard in primordial form back in 2018. "Kill The Messenger," today's song in question, appeared on an EP that has since been removed from streaming. I immediately recalled that "Kill The Messenger" was my favorite from said EP, and was pleased to see (and hear) that it has been reworked, reimaged, and otherwise been brought up to the current LáGoon standard. We're pleased to present "Kill The Messenger" below a day before its official release on Feb. 18th. Give it a listen below! As always, we'll meet you on the far side of the fold.  Written by: The Administrator We slumbering scribes were out of the premiere game for a minute there. But alas! Good Boy PR has revived us from our beauty sleep with a series of slumber-shattering projects that deserve the ol' premiere treatment. The genre-stew cacophony of Old Deer was the jumpstart we needed, evidently; this week will see not one but two premieres, the first of which comes from Slôdder, Sweden's own self-reported "rabid and misanthropic" slingers of sludge. Today's track/music video in question, "Brat Salad," serves as the third single for Slôdder's forthcoming album Narcissist, which drops November 26th. It's the followup to 2023's “A Mind Designed To Destroy Beautiful Things,” and I can comfortably say that it is inordinately heavy. Indeed, a brief scan of the FFO's indicates that Slôdder represents music that is profoundly hefty, loud, and uncompromising. EyeHateGod, Iron Monkey, Fistula, Weedeater, Brainoil, Anti Cimex, and Discharge are all referenced. I hardly need to tell you that this lineup--and I mean this in the most complimentary sense--makes for a migraine-inducing roster. Slôdder likewise exudes heaviness. At this point in their career, they are no strangers to music that crushes and bludgeons with a grim and dissatisfied determination. Getting to the point: "Brat Salad" makes a strong argument for their commitment to the craft. We are honored to premiere the track and video here today. Give it a listen (and a watch!) below. As always, we'll meet you on the other side! "Brat Salad" is perhaps best enjoyed with the volume set somewhere between "dull roar" and "skull-splitting." There's a true physicality baked into the music, with Slôdder's low end indulging in a beastly tone that feels like it could cause genuine and long-lasting bodily harm if encountered in a live setting. This is ribcage-splintering, lung-crushing, artery-bursting stuff. For all its implicit groove, the bass is weaponized and impactful. And, in leaning into the most aggressive side of sludge pedigree, "Brat Salad" is laced with considerable hardcore vitriol. The anguished vocals could strip paint. There's a whole lot of caustic and incendiary energy here. The urgency of the vocals pairs nicely with the more traditionally plodding presence of the doomy instrumentation. If you enjoy this track, I recommend checking out the prior two singles--"opener "Buzzmonkey" is brief and fairly blistering, and "peacock syndrome" takes a similarly powerful drive while extending it into a longer form composition. And lest it be forgot: the music video! The fragmented greysclae imagery suits the sonics quite well, and the generally morose footage of driving down a featureless road that encompasses the first half is uncomfortably medetative. The back half introduces some remarkable lo-def imagery: the band performing, faces, unfurling hands, guns, violence, riot police. It is stark and monochromatic and effective. It now occurs to me that I've overcomplicated this writeup significantly. I could have simply said that "Brat Salad" is heavy as fuck at left it at that. So: "Brat Salad" is heavy as fuck. Check it out, and keep an eye (and ear) out for Narcissist on November 26th. Slôdder - Narcissist will be released November 26, 2025 via Shit County Records. Find it here. 
Written by: The Administrator
It's been a while since we hosted a good ol' track premiere 'round these parts. Why not, then, throw hazard to the wind and mark our re-entry into the premiere arena with something profoundly squeamish? This is one for the misanthropes. Let's get into it. in this house of mourning--masterminded by one B.I. formerly of Mountain God--will be self-releasing Enlèvement on August 8. "Altar," the bleak, despondent, and otherwise unsettling single appearing here today, is a lengthy account of a bad person doing bad things involving the titular altar. Genre-wise, in this house of mourning exists in a nebulous sonic place that I can best describe as "the edges of extremity." This track and the album writ large often work at the plodding pace of funeral doom, yet incorporates cacophonous shrieks, death-doom roars, noisy atmosphere, and tinges of blackened miasma. The whole package is wrapped in grimy horror aesthetics. This is some pretty lo-fi stuff, with deliberate care taken to construct an environment that is far from polished or modern. It's malevolent, and seething, and grim, and more than a little uncomfortable. More blathering below, but this is a long track so I recommend firing it up earlier rather than later. Give Altar a listen via the conveniently located embed. As always, we'll meet you on the other side.  Written by: The Administrator
When approaching a new track from (the alluringly monikered) The Biscuit Merchant, you can be certain about one thing: the delineations between subgenres are gonna get murky. Where, you may wonder, does death begin and thrash end? How many progressive tendencies can you cram into a track before it becomes clearly identifiable as prog metal? How many vocal stylings can one vocalist muster? Much to consider. The Biscuit Merchant's discography at large--encompassed within a multi-album megaproject that will eventually involve an album for every letter of the alphabet--makes for an intriguing listen. While I must admit that I'm not familiar with the entirely oeuvre, I have been a big fan of what I've heard. The Biscuit Merchant has a knack for balancing engaging groove with the kind of naturally flexible songwriting that allows unexpected inclusions to feel firmly grounded rather than mere gimmicks. I particularly enjoy the vocals, which are quite diverse, ranging from squelchy growls to snarling cleans and back again with an underhyped grace. We're excited to premiere here today a forthcoming single from The Biscuit Merchant's forthcoming new album. The track is called "Victorious." The album is called Tempora, and will be released in May of this year. Give "Victorious" a listen below, and, as always, we'll meet ye on the other side! 
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.  Cover artwork for "White"
Written by: The Administrator
This year, I made the acquaintance of one Steve Wiener. An enthusiastic metal twitter hypeman and a fantastic musician to boot, Steve has a real knack for making music that matches my specific interests to a frankly uncanny degree. I've previously reviewed tracks from his doom/post-metal/etc. band Negative Bliss here and here, and more recently spent some quality time with Steve's new solo outfit. This project--the alluringly monikered Am I in Trouble?--is the subject of today's conversation. In my writeup of the notably excellent "Red," I said that Am I in Trouble? "reeked of potential." We are on the brink of witnessing that potential realized. On that note, I am tickled pink to officially announce the forthcoming debut album from Am I in Trouble? Entitled Spectrum, this colorful 31 minute 7 track project is a love letter to "the eclecticism and experimentation displayed in the early-to-mid 2000s avantgarde black metal explosion." Intentionally utilizing a broad sonic palette and boasting a bevy of guest collaborators, Spectrum will release Jan. 3rd of 2025. In describing the project, Steve explicitly highlights the artists that serve as inspiration: "Spectrum is deeply influenced by the works of bands such Borknagar, Solefald, Code, Vintersorg, Arcturus, Dødheimsgard, and Thy Catafalque." That said, an encyclopedic knowledge of this particular era and sound is not required--I, for one, am certainly no expert. Am I in Trouble? has created a sonic playground that allows for a wide range of expression, and from what I have heard of the album, this flexibility is a great strength. If any of this sounds interesting, a pre-order opens today exclusively over on the freshly launched Ampwall, a very cool platform that we slumbering scribes shall be discussing in greater depth in good time. This is a prime opportunity to both check out a spiffy new platform and nab a pre-order for an album that will inevitably set a high bar very early next year. But that's not all! Along with this announcement comes--as with all quality announcements--an absolutely bangin' single. "White," presented below, is an incredible track that marries progressive tendencies with a sun-bathed warmth. Give it a listen! As always, we'll be waiting on the other side. |
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