Written by: Blackie Skulless
Considering how much I loved the debut album by Indianapolis’s very own Vexing Hex, you can imagine my excitement upon hearing they’ve finally cooked up a follow up. Haunt was very much a spooky doom metal-meets-psychedelic/classic rock outing that often finds itself compared to the likes of Ghost. Now we get Solve Et Coagula hitting the surface several years later. The same stylistic grounding is very much present, but I’m glad to say it’s also derivative. Mainly, the slower, doom-cladded riffing is a little more relaxed here in exchange for more blatant rock ‘n roll numbers that have a poppy front. Layers upon layers of synth and effect make themselves even more known, without compromising the tight riffs the band has long since built itself on. Moreover, the bass is more present than ever, enforcing an aggressive bottom as well as playing an important role in the rhythm itself. The outcome is quite literally a mix of songs that almost feel metal oriented, and straight up radio tunes.
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Written by: The Administrator
Much has been said 'round these parts about the prolificity of Through Mists, so much so that I'm using the word "prolificity." I won't belabor that particular point. In short, one never needs to wait long for the one-man extreme metal band to drop another release, and this latest, Branches, follows up April's Prolific EP, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Needless to say, we're excited to premiere Branches here today prior to its official release tomorrow, July 12th. Branches consists of five tracks built on the shoulders of Through Mists' trademark blend of blistering and progressive death/black/sludge metal. While instantly recognizable from a sonic perspective, this latest outing notably leans into more melodic and technical flourishes, lending a sense of individuality from track to track. This is a quality that only continues to blossom across the discography at large, and at this stage in the game, I feel like the balance struck results in some of the most engaging and interesting Through Mists tracks to date. As always, we slumbering scribes invite ye to listen below! We'll be waiting on the other side of the virtual fold.
Curated and Written by: Black Sites
In a (continuing) attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're having a band take over the blog each Wednesday to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. Last week's playlist came courtesy of Patrick from Disconnected Souls, and now Black Sites is here to pick up the reins. Chicago-based trio Black Sites fuse together aspects of old school metal and 80's thrash with progressive and melodic styles, drawing inspiration from--as you shall see--bands such as Voivod, Black Sabbath, and King's X. The band will release their fourth full length The Promised Land? on September 6th, 2024. Without further ado:
In the playlist below, I attempt to list 10 bands/songs that were influential at various points in my musical life. This is no easy task, but I hope you enjoy the result. These tracks are in no particular order.
Curated and Written by: Patrick of Disconnected Souls
In a (continuing) attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're having a band take over the blog each Wednesday to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. Last week's playlist came courtesy of Sofia Frasz from Exiled Hope, but now is time for the change of guard. Patrick from Disconnected Souls is taking over. An eclectic and cinematic ensemble, Disconnected Souls emerged in 2018 out of a desire to incorporate and blend the three great pillars of music: electronic, classical, and metal. The quintet based out of Chester, England, striving to create a distinctive sound that draws upon the depths of metal, while playing with tones and textures. Each member brings a diverse range of musical interests to the table and the resulting sound encompasses a wide variety of instrumental and vocal styles. Their debut conceptional album, Fragments of Consciousness, was released Jan. 19th of this year. Once you've checked out the writeup below, check out Disconnected Souls over on their official website. Without further ado, I'll let Patrick take over!
For this playlist, I (Patrick) have collated a sampling of some of the most influential tracks/albums on my writing process with Disconnected Souls and other projects. These tracks and their associate artists are but a part of the DNA that makes a Disconnected Souls song.
 Written by: The Administrator Despite a proclamation that 2024 would be the year I review whatever I want, audience expectations be damned, our coverage of hip hop here at the Sleeping Village has been lagging behind my actual listening habits to a pretty significant degree. Here's an attempt to remedy that! Atlanta's up-and-coming BabyDrill released this single on Friday, June 21st, and it's been on solid rotation all weekend. Worth talking about, methinks. I enjoyed ScoreGod, BabyDrill's album released back in February of this year, but admittedly haven't listened to with any regularity since the first few days post-release. With a limited beat variation and a lack of features on the back half, I did find his forceful monotone delivery to get a little repetitive. That said, several tracks were certified bangers. In the context of singles, his flow is fun and engaging. In any case, ScoreGod clearly demonstrated a lot of promise, and this is an overly expository way to say that I was excited to hear this latest track, "Dracula," outside of the context of a larger project. And this is quite possibly my favorite song from him yet. "Dracula" leans into the darker side of the current ATL trap aesthetic, and BabyDrill's delivery is urgent and hard-hitting, yet juuuuust effortless enough to indicate a certain air of confidence. His flow works quite well over the spooky beat, which is focused and polished. Bottom line? While the track doesn't really embody a particularly impactful experimental/horror vibe and is far from a sonic outlier in the current meta, "Dracula" is a pretty damn listenable track that bodes very well for future projects. BabyDrill - Dracula was released June 19th, 2024. BabyDrill can be found:
The Sleeping Village has been around for a few years now, and during that time, a lot of reviews have unceremoniously disappeared into the dark confines of our archives, destined to never see the light of the front page again. Music appreciation, however, is a timeless affair, and in that spirit, here is a review retrieved from the deep dark depths.
Written by: The Administrator (originally published June 15th, 2019)
Given the convoluted intros that have become a bit of a calling card ‘round these parts, we wizened scribes find ourselves in a bit of a situation here. Here's the rub: Entrenched is an outfit about which I know astonishingly little. No niceties regarding city of origin, or band members, or associated acts. In this sense, unless you’ve seen the gloriously indicative album artwork for their sophomore effort Endless Occupation, the music really must speak for itself. And to be honest, it doesn't speak so much as roar vivaciously. Entrenched play, for all intents and purposes, a speed and thrash-oriented brand of death a la Demolition Hammer or Morbid Saint. They wear the visceral war-torn trappings of Sodom--take the track titles, which range from the obvious ("Meatshield") to the goofy ("Goreamedic") to the exclamatory ("Terrorize the Insurgency")--and conduct themselves with the juggernaut bombast of Malevolent Rapture-era Legion of the Damned. Imagine if Merciless lost their more overtly frantic edges, and gained instead a Vader-esque sense of (moderate) composure. But yet, these comparisons are imperfect, and despite existing in a fairly well-occupied space, Entrenched are seemingly their own bloody beast, taking the bits that work, but never feeling derivative to a consequential degree. Needless to say, if you want thrashy riffs and endless bullet-belted aggression, Endless Occupation will scratch that itch with...well, take your pick of rusty implement. Rake. Machete. Lawnmower.
Welcome to another edition of DEMO(LITION) DERBY, a relatively new column dedicated solely to demos. Bolstering our underground cred since 2024! If you like reading about demos, check out our previous reviewhere!
Written by: The Administrator
If you've read our previous entries in the (obnoxiously entitled) DEMO(LITION DERBY series, you're undoubtably familiar with the toil and trouble endured by the Sleeping Village's own Pit Herder. Upon receiving permission to injudiciously trawl the depths of our inbox for demo tapes, said manager of the promo pit uncovered a veritable bounty of quality specimens. Which sure is convenient, 'cuz I personally love listening to and writing about demos. Today's catch comes from the goregrindy Cerebral Tumour, a band about which I know effectively nothing. To add to the air of mystery, the demo is the only listing under Stench Trench Productions, who appear to have released nothing else. According to the bandcamp description, Demo 1 technically contains 6 tracks proper alongside an intro and outro, but you'll also note that when you stream, the entire 10 minute and 30 second runtime is contained within a single track listed under "Cerebral Tumour - Demo I." That said, the track breaks are obvious, and with the short run time you won't be skipping around anyways. In any case, this whole experience reeks of unorthodox upload approach, and one that certainly bolsters the grimy ethos of inaccessibility, After the atmospheric, staticky, and borderline gothic intro, Cerebral Tumour get right into it with some massive and notably putrid riffage. This is dank and dark, plunged from the subterranean depths. The tone is loose and earthy and cavernous, firmly rejecting any sheen or polish. Nasty stuff, no doubt, and the general thrust of the tracks lends an aggression that plays well against the fetid sonic environment. Lest they be forgot, the vocals serve inordinately well to contribute to the existing aesthetic. Set deeply in the mix, these grinding gurgles and phlegmy roars feel truly primordial. If you're a connoisseur of gross and grindy fare, I don't suspect that you'll find Demo I revelatory or revolutionary by any stretch. But that's okay! More than okay, I'd argue. This is some dirty and disgusting music, plain and simple. If that's your thing, I highly recommend putting on a snorkel and wading in. I do hope that any releases past the demo don't lose the dense atmosphere and menacing tone--if they can keep this sound intact, Cerebral Tumour will be one to watch.
Cerebral Tumour - Demo I was released June 1st, 2024 via Stench Trench Productions. Find it here!
Cerebral Tumour can be found:
Bandcamp 
Written by: The Adminstrator
It's been a while since we've published a mini-review 'round these parts. But today, as I exist in the dull yet painful aftermath of some fairly intrusive dental surgery, I'm ready to listen to the same song on repeat until I miraculously spawn a writeup that encompasses all my thoughts and feelings. That, dear reader, is how this process works. Anyways! On to Ainor's delightful "City Lights," today's track in question. If you're unfamiliar, Ainor is a bit of a musical anomaly and enigma, with projects seemingly spanning the musical spectrum. With "City Lights," a single released on June 2nd, we're treated to an overtly alt-rockin' aesthetic, the likes of which I am personally very fond. Upon hearing a rough mix of "City Lights," my initial reaction was, and I quote: "Really enjoyable! Very nostalgic vibe without feeling antiquated." Completed mix in hand, and some time and multiple listens later, I can confirm that this assessment has held up quite well. In some respects, the track recalls the early 2000's alternative radio rock of my childhood in the best of ways. It's the kind of song I would hunt down and subsequently transfer to my 512Mb Transcend T.Sonic 310 MP3 Player (in red, obviously). The vocals across the first half are emotive and just a tad cloudy, soaring yet tinged with a nice angsty patina. The chorus is catchy, a really singalong. The midsection, however, feels like a more grown-up take on the genre's implicit sense of youth, with some nice drum presence and a whispered and dramatic build into some comparatively raspy and aggressive vocals that sit beneath the choruses' triumphant return. It makes for a pretty damn energetic and climatic moment. For a four minute track, this thing breezes by, with the runtime broken into engaging segments in a fairly seamless fashion. Highly listenable stuff. While I'm a fan of the Ainor ethos in general, should we get more stuff of this ilk, I'll be first in line to check it out! Ainor - City Lights was released June 2nd. Find it here!
Ainor can be found:
Bandcamp
Curated and Written by: Sofia Frasz of Exiled Hope
In a (continuing) attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're trying something new here at Ye Olde Sleeping Village. Thus, on Wednesdays, a band will be taking over the blog to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. Last week wekicked off the series with Cruce Signatus, and for week two, the reins have been handed over to multi-instrumentalist Sofia Frasz of Exiled Hope. Musically inspired by the symphonic likes of Avantasia, Nightwish, Kamelot, and Cradle of Filth, every Exiled Hope single sits within the framework of a shared world, resulting in a catalogue that can be viewed as a dark fantasy metal opera. The latest single, "Blood of the Ancients," is available now, and serves as a harbinger for the forthcoming Exiled Hope album, Apocrypha, out later this year. Once you've checked out the writeup below, check out Exiled Hope over on Linktree andSpotify. Without further ado, I'll let Sofia take over!
Curated and Written by: David Frazer of Cruce Signatus
In an attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're trying something new here at Ye Olde Sleeping Village. Each Wednesday henceforth, a band will be taking over the blog to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. First up is Cruce Signatus, a new project from Milwaukee based multi-instrumentalist David Frazer, who you might previously know from (the excellent!) Pillaging Villagers. Blending heavy metal, cinematic compositions, and synthwave, the self-titled Cruce Signatus debut was released on June 7th, and can be found here! Without further ado, I'll let David take over. Enjoy!
In this list below, I tried to choose songs from albums that were highly influential on my creative process for Cruce Signatus, listed in descending order of influence. There were many albums that were influential for me, but these represent the top 10.
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