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!
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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. 
Written by: The Administrator
Sonic qualities aside, Titanosaur is not a moniker that conjures notions of elegance. The name imparts a certain sense of inevitable weight and destructive force. This we know. The hefty behemoth leaves footprints the size of small craters, and crushes cars in its maw like unto a nutcracker chowing down on a walnut. The music, then, must match the aesthetics of the beast. Rest assured, this one-man hard rock/metal outfit out of Hudson, NY, does just that. Drawing from the venerable likes of Monster Magnet, Red Fang, Motorhead, and Black Sabbath's more overtly rock oriented work, Titanosaur delivers crunchy riffs and gruff hooks with a no-nonsense air and a hard-edged bite. Back in February of this year,I briefly reviewed Titanosaur's excellent Absence of Universe, stating that, besides demonstrating the band's best work to date, the album illustrated a unique "wry self awareness, notably pounding riffage, and thick application of late cretaceous groove." Off the back of that release, we've got some new tunes incoming. I love a band on a roll, and Titanosaur is currently cruising. But enough rambling! We're pleased to present here today "Eater of Death" and its accompanying B-Side "The Time is Now." Hit play on the ol' embed below, sit back, and enjoy! As always, we'll be there to meet ye on the other side. 
Written by: The Administrator
If you, dear reader, have A. frequented our humble halls with some regularity, and B., have a remarkably keen memory, you may recall prior coverage/adoration of one Rick Massie. Over the past few years, this one-man outfit from the wilds of the Yukon consistently presents a healthy blend of rock, prog, and metal, whether in the form of an ode to Halloween, a foreboding single, or across the breadth of an expansive album. Each Rick Massie moment features a very different sonic and aesthetic backdrop, but the intentionality and sheer quality remains consistent. For further proof, look no further than today's track in question, a largely faithful cover of the mighty Opeth's "The Moor." It officially comes out on May 20th, but until then, you can listen to your heart's content at ye olde Sleeping Village. Check it out below! As always, we'll meet ye on the other side. 
Written by: Chuck
“How did we get here” is the question I often asked myself when listening to The Human Exemplar, the superb third release from Massachusetts’s post/progressive band Warm. It’s not that I suddenly lost my grip on reality, rather, the band was just extremely adept at transitioning seamlessly through multiple complimentary styles in a way that allowed me to drift along without questioning the conviction of their direction. Indeed, the appeal was that throughout the entire album each stylistic reference felt deeply authentic. From the heavy grunge syrup, the stoner riffs, the long progressive instrumental sections, the “post” feel to it, and even the occasional Neurosis-worship, it all feels right and it all rings true. Throughout all of it, the band never strays too far in any one direction, or stays too long before confidently pulling the themes together and moving along. This all got me super stoked to be able to premier their track "Time & Blood" off their new album The Phos Nimitta. Listen below! |
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