The London-based progressive rockers Sleeping Mountain have dropped an epic new single, “Break Me Down,” that should be welcomed by fans of Seventies-inspired psych and modern stoner rock. They tell me they’re “highly influenced by the grooves and psychedelia from the early days of heavy music and fuse it with modern melodies to shape their own sound.”
“Break Me Down” was released on Bandcamp on February 24, and Sleeping Mountain’s self-titled debut is coming soon, according to the band. The band consists of Aitor Mendez (Guitar, Keyboards), Nando Thommessen (Guitar), Dhairya Anand (Vocals), David Saunders (bass), and Alexis Humanes (drums.) The single and EP were recorded at Monolith Studio in London but was mixed and mastered at Lizard Records by bandmember Aitor.
The live session of the track was released last summer, clocking in at more than 11 minutes and featuring some powerful vocals and intricate guitar work. I enjoyed the song’s bluesy elements along with the killer prog riffs. I also thought the sound quality and production of the single released recently was damn good and super clean.
Based on the band’s name, I wondered if it was a reference to Sleep’s classic album, Holy Mountain. “Break Me Down” doesn’t exactly sound like a Sleep song, though it has some similarities, but Sleeping Mountain considers themselves a stoner act, so I’m guessing the reference isn’t lost on them. It’s good to pay homage to our musical ancestors, right?
Update: Aitor from the band tells me the name Sleeping Mountain is in reference to the Teide volcano where he and Nando are from. It is where the ashes of Aitor’s father are resting. The volcano is still active but is “sleeping” and waiting to explode whenever it thinks it is time to do so.
Sleeping Mountain says they’ve spent the past two years working meticulously on “Break Me Down,” and they still get goosebumps playing the song live. It’s the power of music! The band told me they’re going to release two more singles in the next two months before heading to the studio to record their album. Check out this excellent new track from the London-based stoners, and keep your eyes peeled for their self-titled debut coming out soon.
Support Sleeping Mountain by checking out their Bandcamp and website or find them on social media (Instagram, Facebook).
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