 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!
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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.  Written by: The Administrator
Given an interest in both cryptids and excellent music, I am a proud Mothman and the Thunderbirds fanboy. Ever since hearing and subsequently reviewing the crisply remastered version of "Simpson = Real Footage," one of my favorite tracks from 2021's debut Into the Hollow, I've been dying for news of a follow-up album. Into The Hollow presented a near-endlessly intriguing and eclectic weirdo blend of prog and sludge, but over time, Alex Parkinson has increasingly leaned into more infectiously poppy songwriting and production that feels lush and oh-so clean. The latter comes from Egor Lappo, who has polished away sludgy scuzz to exceptional results. The weirdness remains, however, and in the latest stage of evolution, the band labels their blend of "adventurous prog, thrilling hard rock, and dreamy psychedelia" as "dream metal." I'll be damned if that isn't a damn fine descriptor. Which brings us, conveniently enough, to today's premiere. Mothman and the Thunderbirds will be releasing the intensely enjoyable Portal Hopper on July 12th. We're honored to present here the lead single and album opener "Ruby Skies." Check it out below via the bombastic lyric video, and, as always, we'll await your arrival on the other side! 
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
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!  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! |
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