“Awake the Dreamer,” the gorgeous new video from Atlantan trio Volume IV, is more than just a pretty face. Sure, it’s always nice to look at beautiful trees, and pretty girls, pretty girls underneath beautiful trees and plenty of stuff much more sinister which I’ll leave for you to discover. But what draws us to Volume IV is their willingness to step a bit outside the confines of what you might normally expect from a group of stoner/sludge/whatever beardos and longhairs. The acoustic intro of “Awake the Dreamer” references Opeth (or even Iron Maiden), while the main melodies that carry the song (not to mention the video’s over-the-top theatrics!) have a certain playfulness to them that indicates these guys approach their craft with just the right amount of levity, and they’re certainly not concerned with brutalizing anyone either.

Long in the Tooth is out now; snag it here on CD or MP3.