Written by: The Administrator
Welcome back, dear readers, to another track premiere! Pull up a chair, take off your boots. Get comfortable. Forget your worries. Stay a while. If the name Negative Bliss sounds familiar, it may be because we slumbering scribes refuse to shut up about them. Indeed, we're doing everything in our power to make sure you know what's up at all times. I reviewed their debut single a few weeks back, and now, after firmly establishing myself as a fanboy, we're honored to premiere their second single ahead of its release this Friday, March 29th. Entitled "The Good Life," this track demonstrates the band's right-out-of-the-gate willingness to show a different side, a different sound. As they are so new on the scene, a formal introduction feels in order. According to the band: "Negative Bliss formed when Jon--a drummer who had not played music in many years--put out an open call to find musicians and find a way back into music. A father of two small children, he hoped to find people with a similar passion for heavy music, a desire for camaraderie, and a shared understanding of middle-aged parenthood. He succeeded, and Negative Bliss was born. Formed in January 2023, the members of Negative Bliss quickly became close friends, and a tightly knit musical unit." And here we are. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Give "The Good Life" a listen below, and, as always, we'll meet you on the other side!
0 Comments
Written by: The Administrator Here's a rare (but hopefully welcome) occurrence 'round these parts: a music video premiere! For our old-school readers who are perhaps a little skeptical of this more newfangled technology, consider this. It's kind of like a standard track premiere, but your eyeballs get a little piece of the action as well. Today's artist in question is the one-person Fire at the Plantation House. This progressive death metal project explicitly tackles conversations surrounding injustice and revolt, and the realities of contributing to efforts to resist systems of oppression while existing in a position of privilege. Make no mistake: this is overtly and unabashedly political stuff. Thematic content aside, the music itself is engaging and genuinely progressive, very willing to reject convention in favor of the truly unexpected. But please don't take this as mere promotional hyperbole--just glance at the band bio and you'll see mentions of death metal, bluegrass, neo-soul, and sacred choir alongside promises of memorable melodies and mosh-inducing riffs. But enough preliminary blathering--let's cut to the chase, shall we? We're honored to present the endearingly homegrown video for title track and album opener "Southampton Insurrection." Check it out below! As always, we'll meet you on the other side.
Written by: The Administrator
Greetings, dear (beloved, neglected) readers! It has admittedly been a few months, but we slumbering scribes have finally returned to our drafty scriptorium, largely thanks to today's artist in question. I've been a fan of Mae Shults' Everson Poe for a few years now, and the promise of a new album following fast on the heels of March's excellent servant was enough to draw me back into the fray. And so here we are, expansive track premiere primed and ready. Let's get into it, shall we? Everson Poe has never shied away from the long form, but with the forthcoming The Tower (Nov. 23rd via Trepanation Recordings) Mae embraces wholeheartedly the, um, even longer form. Here, she delivers two tracks that each run north of 25 minutes. As a result, both sides lean heavily into the kind of slow and elongated build that implicitly rewards in-depth listening sessions. The track we are premiering here today, "i. upright," serves as Side A, and clocks in at a trim 26 minutes and 50 seconds. If you're not already thinking about Everson Poe in terms of epic narrative, now is the time to start doing so. In the typical track premiere here at ye olde Sleeping Village, this is the part where I mention something about checking out, post-haste, the track conveniently located below the fold. However, given both the substantial length and the emotive weight of today's offering, I'll alter that recommendation. Rather than biting off more than you can realistically chew at this moment in time, I definitely recommend hitting play at a time that affords you the space and ability to actively listen and enjoy in full. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Please stretch and hydrate accordingly. Disclaimer aside: more below!
Written by: The Administrator
The holiday season fast approaches here at Ye Olde Sleeping Village, and, a such, our slumbering and ink-splattered populace has begrudgingly begun to prepare for the inevitable. A healthy stock of young evergreens have been sacrificed. Stockings have been hung by the chimneys in, erm, a haphazard and disorderly fashion. Our resident confectioner has nailed down a recipe for sugar plums, which we have elected to feed to the numerous resident mice. And, with the arrival of one Rick Massie, our soundtrack is set. Let the festivities begin. Rick Massie has made quite the habit of releasing holiday-themed singles--the more observant members of our dear readership might remember a premiere of the Halloween inspired "The Dance (of the Dead and Alive)," and those of you who follow Rick's output in general may recall his cover of "We Three Kings" that dropped around this time last year. The tradition continues with a new reimagined version of a well known Christmas tune: today's premiere in question is a cover of the classic "O Come, All Ye Faithful." Give it a listen below, and, as always, we'll catch ye on the other side!
Written by: The Administrator
We make a deliberate attempt to keep things from getting too stagnant 'round these parts. However, every once in a while, we slumbering scribes are hit with something utterly outside the confines of expectation: take today's premiere as a prime example. Through Mists' "Awaken the Sleeping Village" is a track that heavily features our moniker, and, beyond that, was inspired by a prompt we randomly tweeted. This is new. This is unexpected. Most importantly, this is cool as hell. I'm honored to be running this premiere here today. The prompt in question? On July 3rd, I cast the following into the void: "Death metal song where the solo starts a third of the way through and then just keeps fuckin' going until the song ends." Through Mists immediately responded "Challenge accepted." And here we are, challenge met with great aplomb. Check out "Awaken The Sleeping Village Below, and, as always, we'll meet ye on the other side!
Written by: The Administrator
I must admit: I feel like a bit of a tease when it comes to premiering this particular track. Listening to a single song in isolation from By Torchlight's forthcoming A Night To Remember is a little like ripping a random chapter out of a mystery novel and attempting to piece together the narrative without a true beginning or end. However, a lil' intrigue goes a long way, and in the case of "A Dangerous Game," today's track in question, I hope yer investigative acumen is primed and ready to fire. A Night To Remember is, in the artist's words, a thrilling tale of betrayal and murder. The narrative follows the trials (and trails) of private detective Stephen North, who catches the scent of one murderous Mr. White. Hijinks ensue. "A Dangerous Game" is the fourth track, and, as ye shall soon hear, details the a mourder most foul. Listen below! As always, we'll be lurking on the other side. Written by: The Administrator Drone: a severely underappreciated entity 'round these parts. There's something arresting and alluring about the promise of a sustained sound stretching forevermore into the abyss. But, despite the implicit draw, I seldom find myself submerged in the genre. One reliable exception to the trend is the work of Depression Quilt (which, as an aside, is in the running for my favorite band name of all time.) Depression Quilt notably mixes the dronier elements with a dark ambient vibe and flair for atmosphere, resulting in a sonic blend that handily avoids the doldrums of the component parts. It is a conglomerate that provides interesting soundscapes without demanding too much from the listener. 2021's excellent [OVERLAPPING WHISPERS] spent a lot of time in rotation due to a unique ability to calm me down at a point in time when calm was an incredibly scarce resource. Needless to say, I was excited to hear that Depression Quilt was set to release a new album--and on the fantastic Trepanation Recordings, no less. And then when sirshannon asked for a track/music video premiere, I could hardly pass up the opportunity. And so here we are. Check out "The Walking Cure" from the forthcoming [INDISTINCT CLATTER CONTINUES] below! As always, we'll meet ye on the other side.
This year, in an attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we're trying something new and novel around these parts. Namely, we're gonna actually publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. In that spirit, here's a mini-review of a single that captures a certain rage.
Written by: The Administrator
Much like, y'know, anyone reading this, I'm consumed by persistent overboiling rage. Such rage necessitates an appropriate soundtrack, and here I am, hitting repeat on Helena Ford's "A Song of Independence" for the fourth time today. This is flag-burning music of the highest and most overt order--an explosive harsh noise catharsis with corresponding conflagration. This 10-minute-and-change track has a strong foundation in the classic power electronic stalwarts. Roaring static and undulating waves of squealing and/or jittering feedback. A torrential white noise. Thrumming bass that sounds like the unholy lovechild of a hovering helicopter and the purr of a malfunctioning mechanized feline. Screaming electronic death knells. An unflinching wall of distortion. A tantalizingly nauseating environ. The noise is consistently overwhelming across the breadth, but the track truly hits a profoundly forceful peak as the vocals enter the fray. The delivery is so gloriously harsh, like unto the last monologue of a drowning artificial intelligence. While brief in the grand scheme of "A Song of Independence" as a whole, the vocals serve as a center point from which the remainder of the track is grounded. I'll be the first to admit that harsh noise, power electronics, and experimental electronic music in general is not my bread and butter. As such, I have few points of comparison, and so any description mustered here is based entirely upon the listening experience itself. Hopefully that is a useful frame. In any case, if you're in the mood for an overwhelming and thoroughly enraged soundscape, "A Song of Independence" will undoubtedly serve you very well. In additional, all proceeds will go to anarchist mutual aid funds, so you really can't go wrong. Check it out below, andpurchase via bandcamp! Helena Ford - A Song of Independence was released July 4th, 2022
Helena Ford can be found:
Bandcamp
Written by: The Administrator
Long before our eventual love for the brutality and extremity of the far reaches of the metalverse, we slumbering scribes were infatuated with the more primordial stuff. A certain affinity for the fuzz-laden riff-centric rock of olde abounds, and so when the opportunity arose to premiere a track from Brooklyn's Grandpa Jack, we leapt at the chance. This power trio is dropping a new album--entitled Grits--on July 29th via Lost Moon Records. Today's song in question, the stellar "Once Bitten," serves as the debut single. It's a killer track, as ye shall soon witness, and certainly whets my appetite for the remainder of the album's bounty. But! Before my self-indulgent chatter inevitably scares you off: please check out "Once Bitten" below! We'll meet ye on the other side.
Written by: The Administrator
Our council of shadowy and ink-splattered scribes have decreed the following: Wednesdays are for epic progressive opuses. Or at least...that's what this Wednesday is for. Next week may very well deliver something entirely different, but that's to be expected. We're a fickle crew, after all. In any case, today is for epic progressive opuses. Thankfully, Dallas' own Onward We March was kind enough to approach us with a track for premiere, and what a track it is: a 17-minute-and-change odyssey through the necromantic gates of Hades. "Nekromanteion" is a track that bears the weight of its breadth quite well, delivering both in terms of narrative intrigue and gloriously engaging composition. Without further ado, check out "Nekromanteion" below! Sink into its expansive environs. As always, we'll meet ye on the other side. |
WELCOME!We provide thoughtful reviews of music that wakes us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry. Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|