Fuzz-drenched Australian trio Sleeping Giant will release their new single, Fortress, on Oct. 30 through Copper Feast Records. It’s the quick-turnaround answer to the Bendigo/Melbourne outfit’s 2019 self-titled debut (review here) and intended as a bridge between that release and their next full-length, and indeed it presents a shift in approach. “Fortress,” the song itself, runs just under five minutes long, but that’s plenty of time for guitarist/vocalist Steven Hammer, bassist James Wright and drummer Pali Emond to established a thickened, full sound that runs denser and murkier than anything the LP had on offer. Certainly the elements that comprise it are there: dudes have riffs, tone, fuzz, groove, hook, some harsher shouts for good measure — all that we-wrote-a-song stuff. But what’s really intriguing about “Fortress” is the atmosphere it creates.

Emond did the cover art for the Fortress single — and for sure that’s a video game I want to play — but notice that beneath the stalactites of the cavern in the image is a smoky, humid swamp and of course the lingering sense of doom as the broken-horn, open-mouthed monster skull welcomes you to the titular fortress. It doesn’t look like a place in which you’d want to hang around for side-quests. However, it does expertly convey the spirit of what “Fortress” brings to Sleeping Giant‘s sound, which is precisely that doomed aspect. Where Sleeping Giant integrated influences from the likes of Lowrider and Kyuss, the clearest line one might draw from “Fortress” is to the rolling lurch of Windhand. This can be heard in Hammer‘s vocal melody as well as the immersion he conjures in doubling — or tripling, since he’s also playing guitar — as recording engineer, handling mixing and mastering too.

He did some amount of recording on the self-titled as well, but as that record was pieced together over a longer period of time and multiple sessions, “Fortress” not only feels like a progression in aesthetic, but one of cohesion. Hammer‘s guitar, Wright‘s bass and Emond‘s drums flow together with an in-the-same-room feel — mind you, whether they were actually in the same room or not, I have no idea; probably not given quarantine and so on — and the song pulls you deeper into its swirling, possibly toxic haze because of that. Like the shouts that emerge later on, these were things hinted at on the LP, especially in the later reaches of the “Visions” trilogy that capped, but come through more focused, more complete, and even more intentional on the single. For something that sounds so foreboding, it bodes awfully well.

“Fortress” will see issue as part of a split 7″ single with labelmates Foot sometime soon via Copper Feast, and it’s my pleasure to host the premiere today. Find it below, accompanied by more details from the PR wire.

And enjoy:

https://soundcloud.com/copper-feast-records/fortress/s-aqCFvKXwH7u

Sleeping Giant are back – and they’re back heavier and harder than we’ve seen them before with this absolute behemoth of a track crawling out of the abyss and into your earholes on October 30th.

Following the successful release of their eponymous debut in 2019, rehearsals and progress on the anticipated follow-up record was halted as a result of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Undeterred, the band have been able to write and record a brand new track from lockdown to give fans a glimpse of what’s to come next year.

Having been inspired to move in a heavier direction after recording the epic fan favourite ‘Visions’ trilogy, new single ‘Fortress’ has been a feature of their live set ever since the debut record came out and lyrically represents how cancerous cells can debilitate and make you a shadow of your former healthy self. Though the lyrics were written well before COVID, they still bear a strong relevance to the current climate.

This standalone single intended as a bridge between albums was written, recorded, mixed and mastered by frontman/guitarist Steve Hammer and is Sleeping Giant’s first foray into the world of home recording.

Drummer Pali Emond has meticulously slaved away to perfectly depict the visual aesthetic of ‘Fortress’ on the cover art, as well as producing a brand new t-shirt design which will be available for pre-order alongside the track, ahead of its 30th October release date.

What’s more, Copper Feast Records will be releasing ‘Fortress’ as a 7″ split single before the end of the year alongside label mates Foot on limited edition coloured vinyl which also features a brand new track from Paul Holden & co.

Sleeping Giant is:
Steve Hammer – Guitar/Vocals
James Wright – Bass
Pali Emond – Drums

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Tags: Australia, Bendigo, Copper Feast Records, Fortress, Sleeping Giant, Sleeping Giant Fortress

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2020 at 4:23 am and is filed under audiObelisk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.