Written by: The Administrator
Welcome back to AMPWALL Roundup, our (unfortunately infrequent) column dedicated to shining a little light on the music we slumbering scribes find whilst trawling through the explore page over on Ampwall. It's been a little while since we checked in, but rest assured: Ampwall is still cool. They have also updated the embed display since the last Roundup, which is exciting and much appreciated. As far as introductory fluff goes, I've written myself into a bit of a corner here at this stage in the game, so let me quote the intro from Volume II: "If you don't know what this whole Ampwall thing is all about, please take a quick gander at Volume I, where we get a little more in-depth regarding the many virtues of the new platform/marketplace/community. We here at ye olde Sleeping Village are big advocates for the integration of additional resources into the independent artist's promo toolkit. To that end, having more music-purchasing people become aware of Ampwall's existence will only help it grow as a viable option moving forward." Let's get to the music, shall we? Below are 6 (more!) bands I recommend checking out!
0 Comments
Written by: The Administrator
As documented here and anywhere else I spill my unsolicited opinions about music: I love a split. I love the complexity of interaction, I love shared environments, I love the spirit of collaboration, I love how they represent mutual beneficiality in such clear and concise form. I love the interplay and inherent differences between styles and personalities that become apparent when viewed not in isolation, but rather in community. Splits are special and all-too-oft underappreciated, and no one shall convince me otherwise. And while nothing in the world of underground black metal feels particularly inevitable, a split project between Kentucky's Wolven Daughter and Scotland's Order of the Wolf feels like a natural meeting of minds. Both lupine monikered solo acts can be identified by a shared outspoken leftism and antifascism, but sonically, this split is an exercise in aesthetic contrast. As a result, both shine brightly in their own lanes--neither steps on what the other is accomplishing, and the three tracks from each band give good insight into their respective sounds. The overall listening experience feels textured and full. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
The Norwegian extreme metal act Nithe took formation a few years ago, but never saw themselves with label representation until their third outing appearing on Caligari Records, my favorite tape slingers. Their catalog already consists of a demo and an EP, making Funeral Death their third outing. The truth is, I think all three of them could have been labeled either or. The band is rather tough to label other than somewhere within the black and death realm, perhaps with a thrashy attitude. Much of this is due to the fact that the coarse and mean production with such attitude in presentation somewhat dances all over the place, but those very things help keep it together. Consisting of four songs, we start on a blistering note with “Chains Of The Abyss,” loaded with blast beats and harsh shrieks before breaking into a punkier stomp. “Primordial Ooze (Mother Of Woe)” follows up with a thrash driven approach, not only sneaking some clear leads into the main riffage, but even allowing some gang chants in the chorus. It’s rather unorthodox amidst the ugly and unforgiving atmosphere, especially with the tremolos worked in, but I can’t complain (especially with that slow bass bridge connecting everything). 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Some bands have a long history of EPs and demos that bring them to a full-length, others seem to hit the ground running immediately. Finnish doom metallers Bell Of Mimir fall in the latter category, with nothing on record before the year of our lord 2025, and only singles to lead up to the thunderous Nocturne. Brought to me by a most trusted doom metal source, they work within the traditional realm, avoiding any tacky fuzz or over the top stonerisms, sticking close to roots that err on the hinges of being epic. However, it may just be easier to say it’s a little louder in execution and a little sadder in vibe. Despite having such a huge sound, Bell Of Mimir manages to keep things rather compact, staying within the framework of only six tracks on the longer side, but only one (barely) crossing the seven minute mark. The cloudy delivery works as a gradient of gloom, built on crawling riffs that rumble on slower melodies, absent of any sharp edges helped by the ever present bass. This can come off as overwhelming at times, but the howling cleanliness of the vocals that exude layers of hopelessness manage to sound as if it’s being welcomed, or even conjured. Yes, it’s admittedly one-sided across the board, but the brief runtime I’ve mentioned makes that digestible. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
It’s been a heavy year for death metal so far, with no shortage in strong contenders for a favorite. We may only be just touching the halfway point of 2025, but Canada’s Grave Infestation is looking like they could take that torch pretty early on. The British Columbian outfit has been around since 2018, crafting a horrendous and loose brand of death metal under a loud atmosphere. The latest release, Carnage Gathers, is no exception, being the one that truly gathered my attention. Redundant as it seems to describe death metal as “loud,” I say this because every role in the makeup has such a mighty presence, rumbling its otherwise tight structures into loosening its fasteners. Rough and rocky rhythms that echo off one another backed by ferocious drum blasts create a cavernous strike that rarely uses it in the doom/death sense, but prefers to stick to breakneck-speeds. If that isn’t enough, the vocals erupt in a howling-meets-growling way that cakes on another layer of atmosphere, rendering a feeling of suffocating in a coal mine. The only time this really lets up is when a screeching guitar lead takes the forefront, feeling like a proverbial cry for help under a relentless avalanche that one can’t escape, due to the wall of sound the thick riffs create with the drumming. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
We love when I can stumble on something that crosses off two interests in one, that being extreme metal and China. Though I’ve been through my share of heavy metal that’s been cooked up in the Sinosphere, Shenyang’s Acherozu strikes a chord like none I’ve yet encountered. Having been around for over a decade, they have few releases to their name, but the latest, 2019’s 萬劫之海 / Vendetta Ocean is what sold me on them. Mythology under a black/thrash scope is the name of the game, and I’m here to play. For starters, it’s almost uncanny how clean things come off despite the nasty style and the intimidating artwork. Typically I shy away from that, but thankfully it’s not overdone, and it instead helps the best parts stand out. Acherozu has a keen ear for melody at just the right spots in an otherwise dark and desolate setting, typically with lead guitars working in a side lick that rides parallel with the vocals. Similarly, those come through comprehensively because of the mix, coating a throaty snarl of ancient Chinese poetics beside mean but steady riffage. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Oh man! Talk about a record that catches your attention from the logo alone, if not the album artwork as a whole. Considering that it’s the side-project of the ax-master in Worm, and that it claims influences ranging from Greek black metal to traditional heavy metal, it could have been anybody’s guess as to how this is going to sound. Zeicrydeus is a Canadian project that only has one full-length record with no demo history, just dropping last month. Titled La Grande Heresie, it somehow manages to literally sound like all of those things at the same time. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Zeicrydeus utilizes the tactic of running with many moving parts in motion at once. If you peel back all of the layers, you find that the gist is a foundation of dirty but ultimately very melodic traditional metal riffing that mixes in blackened ingredients, namely blast beats and the occasional tremolo, topped with harsh black/death growls that also somehow swing the tiniest dash of melody. If that’s not enough, all of the instruments seem to take turns in the forefront, with bass solos being a regular occurrence, and explosive drum-fills engulf the entire gradient from time to time. Occasionally, synths might combine with one thing or the other to emphasize the atmospheric element, complete with dramatic shifts in tone under longer song runtimes. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Two years ago, Sweden’s Century somewhat blew me away as they managed to craft a brand of traditional metal revival that felt like it had energy unlike any other. This year, they’ve gone and followed that up with a sophomore release. Titled Sign Of The Storm, it first comes off as another serving of more of the same, using the old trick of not needing to fix what’s broken. Sometimes this works, sometimes it shows signs of expiration sooner rather than later. Under closer examination, it would seem that the second album actually avoids this anyway (I blame myself for not paying enough attention on first listen). The debut held its ground in not needing to boast speed metal chops, grit, or heavy intensity to sell itself, whereas I think it’s rather evident that the ante is upped in that regard now. Vocally, it feels like the stage is shared more with the lead guitars, however that isn’t a flaw, and the frontman still flexes some incredible range. To add to this, there’s an obvious nod to darker subject matter in a lot of the lyrics, cementing Century’s ever-so-slight step towards something a little meaner. 
Written by: The Administrator
Here's an established fact: I like WARPSTORMER. Back in 2022, their debut EP Here Comes Hell made quite a mark--as I said back then, said EP "unleashes riffs with the confidence of a seasoned act and the haste of a band excited to parade their entire arsenal in a single 20 minutes span." Needless to say, the promise of a full length was exciting. Their self-titled debut LP came out last November, and, in classic fashion, it's taken me a very long time to actually write about it. Apologies for tardiness, etc. etc. WARPSTORMER plays a potent blend of stoner doom and thrash, a combination that feels simultaneously vigorous and sludgy. While the doomier stoner elements do frequently take center stage--the thrash is often more apparent in the roaring bombast than shredding speed per se--this album is notably forceful. WARPSTORMER feel like the bastard lovechild of High on Fire, The Sword, five gallons of diesel, and some high-octane guzzoline. And, while big punishing riffs often lead the charge, there are enough progressive and (dare I say?) cosmically inclined psych moments to lend the songwriting an expansive quality. With the exception of some very nice cleans that shine in the back half, the vocal delivery, which is raspy and striking in equal measure, fondly reminds me of the punchiness of Black Royal. While never unhinged, very little here feels overly restrained. WARPSTORMER is a powerful band, and isn't afraid to show it. 
Written by: The Administrator
When we slumbering scribes dip our hands cautiously into the churning murk of the promo pit, the chances of encountering something completely new (or even marginally inventive) are quite slim. Indeed, the vast majority of what we listen to represents a certain well-founded adherence to convention. That's not a bad thing--there's a reason OSDM revivalism has enjoyed a series of banner years. And besides, there's an obvious limit to the number of viable combinations of sounds and aesthetics. Genre stew can get a tad unlistenable without a healthy dose of intention and some impeccable execution. Anyways. Encountering a specimen lurking in the promo pit that can be qualified as "wholly unique" is exciting, to say the least. It was fresh on the ears. And this is why Buzzard's debut album Doom Folk was such a welcome presence in my listening rotation. Doom Folk was--and still is--truly a gem. Representing a rough 'n' raw amalgamation of Americana, folk, and doom, the component parts were familiar, but the end result felt gloriously innovative. While clearly informed by a variety of influences, Buzzard gave voice to the dour common ground lurking between the social commentary and narrative acumen of Bob Dylan, the powerful heft of Sabbath, the weirdness of Lovecraft, and the homey eeriness of a small-town ghost story. Doom Folk felt like the grizzled men who played swampy folk at the campfire after the barn dances of my youth had found inspiration in the gloomy gravitas of the pioneers of metal. And beyond mere originality, Buzzard was riddled with the kind of clarity of songcraft that repeatedly raised the question: how in the absolute fuck had these songs not already been written? |
WELCOME!We provide thoughtful reviews of the music that wakes us from slumber. Archives
April 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed