Sleeping Mountain – Self Titled

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · July 14, 2025

Sometimes when I hear a certain band for the first time, everything just connects with their music and the particular state of mind that I’m in. Sleeping Mountain is a stoner prog rock band from northern London and they have made a huge impression on me. The power trio from the UK are absolutely fantastic! They consist of Aitor Mendez on guitar, keyboards and vocals, David Saunders on bass, and Alexis Humanes on drums and vocals. They have a wonderful blend of heavy stoner doom, hard driven blues, NWOBHM, progressive, and heavy psych. The band have a couple of EPs and singles available but this debut Self Titled album is an absolute banger! Released on June 14th 2025 on Lizard Records, it would have made my top ten list of the second quarter, had I heard it in time. The record is forty two minutes long and contains nine tracks total.

“Humans” begins the record with a hi-hat tempo rhythm that produces a very thick, fuzzy and prominent groove-laden bass line. The guitars cycle in with accents of leads, to the thunderous drums. The scorching and bluesy guitar leads display until they crush all together into the head bobbing rhythm. Sleeping Mountain makes a solid statement with this riff-tastic instrumental lead off track. The rhythmic pounding and infectious leads will perk up anyone, and they incorporate that Karma To Burn vibe in the music, which is fantastic! Spoken samples appear with forty seconds remaining which gives the it another dimension also. The next song called “Walls Of Shadows” fades in with clean guitar, keys, and an angelic voice. The lush female vocals are awesome! It plays out with the mellow and then cranks into a heavy and crushing doom riff. Aitor Mendez’s vocals finally make their presence and they sound very good and fitting for the music. Depending on what the song demands, the vocals adapt perfectly and are aptly suited. Sleeping Mountain really flexes their musical talents with this one. The dynamic transition between heavy and light is smooth and flawless. After a few listens to this album, you’ll start to realize how powerful and awesome this band is. The vocals have an old school traditional doom vibe but not too extreme in any way. The band breaks off in the middle of the song and really jams up a storm. The progressive interplay with jazz and heavy metal is genius and interesting to hear. Musically speaking, these three guys are on top of their game.

The third track really delivers a heavy blues element, big time. “Wildfire” is a catchy blues rock classic full of groove and melody. The track listing on this album is exceptional also. The songs develop into one another and build upon the creativity of the band. “In The Land Of Burning Witches” is another cool song. The flowing rhythms and bombastic drumming are superb and tight. I like how different all of these songs sound yet all coalesce together. The fifth track called “Alibi” has a more melodic touch overall but still cranks out the distortion. It’s a slower track but has a beautiful sound to it. Around the 3:40 mark, the band kick into such an amazing stoner doom riff, that’s just righteous. The vocals remind me of Rozzy from Curse The Sun on this one. “The Door” continues on the path of doom with elaborate passages of blues and psychedelia mixed in. The music has a bouncy prog essence throughout and really draws you right into it.

Sleeping Mountain continues on their path of greatness with the next track, “Tennessee Walking Horse”. The laidback bluesy and desert rock essence is felt with this bulldozing riff machine. “Alkelarre” battles in the riffs and metal grooves like the others. Another strong component to this album is that it sounds perfectly mixed and balanced. Each instrument has a powerful presence and the musicianship executed is strikingly obvious. There’s definitely a strong heavy metal crunch to their sound and they express that nicely with the closer, “Medusa”. The heavy fuzz riffing and magnificent progressive jamming is addictive. Towards the end, they explore a rocking and harmonious rhythm, akin to Iron Maiden meets King Crimson. It sounds excellent and a great way to conclude such an amazing and exceptional debut album.

The nine tracks contained on Sleeping Mountain’s Self Titled album are all top level songs. There is absolutely no filler music or notes found on this recording. This is absolutely a band to watch out for because they just offered us a debut album of the year contender. Such an amazing audio enjoyment!