SLEEPING VILLAGE - Holy Water

Release date April 3/20 (Bandcamp)

Attention all old-school Black Sabbath fanatics, you are hereby ordered to check out the sophomore EP from New Jersey's Sleeping Village. Holy Water drinks deep from the same stream from which the Birmingham bashers imbibed on their beyond-classic third to sixth album run (Master of Reality to Sabotage of course!). The leaden guitar tone, the riffs, the memorable songs ... it'll take you back to the 70s heydays.

Kudos to the whole band for providing us with such top notch material, but an extra nod has to be given to bassist Tim Gray whose blubbering work fills in gaps like the Geezer of old. Rick Dal Cortivo's guitar tone ain't too shabby either, nailing that unique Iommi tone dead on. Seriously, put on some quality headphones and let yourself be transported back in time. Bloody brilliant.

Hard pressed to select highlights from this five-track, twenty-seven minute release, but the Volume 4-inspired "Dust Everywhere" and the monumental "The Siren's Song" warrant special attention.

(8.5)