Sleeping Village Reviews
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: April 16th, 2020

4/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so!
On the docket for today, April 16th, 2020:
At the Altar of the Horned God, FOES, REPTILIUM, and Funeral Leech

Picture
At the Altar of the Horned God - ​Through Doors of Moonlight (I, Voidhanger Records)

Ye olde I, Voidhanger specializes in delivering music that pushes boundaries and toes lines of obscurity and invention. In that regard, At the Altar of the Horned God certainly delivers: this album is a blackened avant-garde paganistic ode to the natural order. While the majority of the ritualistic soundscape blankets the listener with an odd meditative sensuality, a sharp vicious rage frequently shows teeth. Equal parts spiritual and menacing, Through Doors of Moonlight feels like a genuine journey--although it’s yet to be determined whether said journey leads into enlightenment...or through madness. Let me get back to you on that one; I’ve only listened to this horn’d beast once. Highly recommended for those of you who like a brand of black metal as experimental as it is organic.

Find 'em on bandcamp here!

Picture
FOES - American Violence
(Glacier Recordings)

Metallic hardcore? Not my typical genre o’ choice. But sometimes you just need an ass-kicking soundtrack, and so here we are, latest EP from OR’s hardest hardcore outfit  clutched in white-knuckled grasp. In short? These guys rip it up with elbow elbow-throwing zeal, laying down a potent mix of punishing deathy riffage and gritty hardcore swagger. Muted chugs throw down alongside breakneck percussion and the most furious vocal delivery of the week.
 FOES are not here to make friends, and, in the process, will likely end up gaining themselves some fans instead--after all, if there was ever a time to be fuckin’ furious, this is surely it.
American Violence succeeds because it wears its vitriolic intent on its ragged and punk-patch ridden sleeves. Check this one out.

Find 'em on bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: April 10th, 2020

4/10/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so!
On the docket for today, April 10th, 2020:
Like Rats, CURSE, Benighted, and the Women of Doom compilation

Picture
Like Rats - Death Monolith
​(Hibernation Release)


Desperate times call for death metal. This, I’m fairly sure, was written as gospel at some point in the past 30-odd years. In any case, Chicago death outfit Like Rats are here to crush, mush, and otherwise pulverize this release day with their hardcore-tinged brand of OSDM. Offering up a hearty stew of Immolation riffage and Morbid Angel ‘tude, the groove is predictably strong with these guys, with every single track herein delivering an opportunity or two for a behemothian fit of headbanging.

​If you’re in the mood for death without a jangly assortment of bells and whistles, I highly recommend you give
Death Monolith a shot during your release day shenanigans.
​

Find 'em on bandcamp here!

Picture
CURSE - The Awakening..and the Old
​
(Redefining Darkness Records)


We’ve got two offerings from the consistently amazing Redefining Darkness Records today--the first being this tasty blackened thrash EP from Sweden’s CURSE. Those of ye who know me very well will know that I have a fondness for the black(ened thrash) arts, and these five tracks are no exception to the rule--although I will say that the general approach in a tad slower than genre convention might dictate. As a result, we’re presented with a surprisingly atmospheric assault, with the trashier elements feeling particularly visceral when they do unsheathe their claws. It’s as if the lovechild of Urgehal and early Watain were left to rot for a decade or two before being abruptly awoken. In other words: good stuff. ​

Find 'em on bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

VILLAGE CRYPT: Novembers Doom - Of Sculpted Ivy and Stone Flowers

4/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Here at the Sleeping Village, we keep our most revered albums in....a very special place. Their time may have gone, but they are certainly not forgotten. Today's pick: another one of  The Voiceless Apparition's all-time favorites. Read on! ​

Picture
Written by: The Voiceless Apparition

​
Hello everyone. Here is part II of my retrospective review series. Today I'm going to be reviewing the second studio album from Chicago dark metal pioneers Novembers Doom. Entitled Of Sculpted Ivy and Stone Flowers, this album was released on May 25th, 1999. This album marks a huge shift in the band's sound compared to their debut album, as they almost completely shed their death/doom bruteness (not entirely) and went instead for a more melancholy and melodic gothic metal sound. 

The album begins on a melancholic note, as "With Rue and Fire" is a hauntingly painful song. Drowning in despair and regret, this song pulls at your heartstrings. With such heartbreaking lyrics like: "In some sick way, I enjoy my pain/It always seems to indulge me," you can't help but feel for vocalist Paul Kuhr as he belts out growls with such agony and conviction. "The Jealous Sun" picks up the pace a little bit, albeit with dynamic and mood shifts. I really liked the choice of layering the growls and clean vocals together in the first verse, it gives it more of an epic feeling to it. Major praise needs to be given to guitarist Eric Burnley as his choice of chords and melodies is fantastic. Towards the 4:00 mark we segue into a beautiful section of gorgeous clean guitars and the amazing vocals of Cathy Jo Hejna. ​


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: April 3rd, 2020

4/3/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so!
On the docket for today, April 3rd, 2020:
SKAM, Weed Demon, AARA, and Lucifer Star Machine 

Picture
SKAM - The Sound of Disease (Redefining Darkness Records)

“Anger” isn’t an unfamiliar term to us connoisseurs of the loud and heavy, nor to the bands who dwell in genres defined by explosive emotion. On Sounds of a Disease, Sweden’s own SKAM have found a way to hone anger into a purely belligerent form of explosive catharsis. Utilizing a potent blend of grindy death with d-beat punk ‘tude, this is a soundtrack to exorcise personal demons. Like unto chaos incarnate, the ridiculously swift-footed riffage skitters over powerful blasts and unhinged animalistic diatribes. When people talk about music as therapy, I don’t anticipate this being the first album on their mind--but for me, this short-n-visceral journey has been a lifesaver in recent days.

​$1 on Bandcamp, to boot!

Picture
Weed Demon - Crater Maker (Electric Valley Records)

When it came to naming their sophomoric album, these guys genuinely couldn’t get more accurate than “crater maker.” How so? Part of what allows Weed Demon to stand apart from the horde is a distinct emphasis on sheer heft. The most essential aspect of Weed Demon’s sound is the sheer crushing heaviness on display. Everything is massive, impactful, and oppressive by design. This latest effort, notably, aggressively toes that line between stoner-drenched doom and sludge, but also brings in some bluesy acoustics to even things out. Despite these occasional moments of levity, Crater Maker is dark, warm, fuzzy as hell--an embrace from slow-moving subterranean magma. If you love big riffs: definitely worth yer while. 

Get it on Bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: March 27th, 2020

3/27/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so!
On the docket for today, March 27th, 2020:
Wake, Chrome Ghost, Lord Buffalo, and Unholy Desecration

Picture
Lord Buffalo - Tohu Wa Bohu (Blues Funeral Recordings)

Anyone who follows my personal taste knows that I'm a sucker for Blues Funeral's offerings, and this is no different--albeit a stark turn in genre direction. Rather than peddling thunderous riffage, Tohu Wa Bohu successfully harnesses the landscape of the west, alongside a deep tradition of folk and Americana. Lord Buffalo inject their sophomoric effort with a dark, gothic, and otherwise moody energy, like unto, perhaps, a ghost town at dawn. Psychedelic blues tramp over windswept plains. Tohu Wa Bohu is equal parts morbid and comforting--that perfect place lurking, inexplicably, between comfort and unease. In a word? Haunting. Skeletal. Gorgeous. Recommended. 

​Find it on Bandcamp here. 

Picture
Unholy Desecration - Unholy Horde (Confused Records)

You know what we all need in times like these? Yeah, that's right: blacken'd death metal.  Bloodthirsty Texans Unholy Desecration get down and dirty, providing the goods in spades. Riddled with technical flourishes and melodic undercurrents, Unholy Horde primarily exudes that which we seek--namely, a ripping good time. Everything here is designed, it seems, to paint a picture of hell, from the beastial and militaristic effects, to the pure larynx-shredding enacted in the pursuit of deliciously torturous vocals. While I do wish the guitar tone was a little fuller to fully maximize the brutality of the riffage these guys lay down, I’m nonetheless quite happy to let this one keep on spinning. 

​Find it on Bandcamp here. 


Read More
0 Comments

ON THE HORIZON: Weed Demon - Crater Maker

2/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Welcome to ON THE HORIZON, our relentlessly infrequent feature wherein we discuss upcoming albums that have caught our sleep-encrusted eyes. Always on the lookout for the next best thing to wake us from slumber.

Picture
As mentioned in a recent review, we enjoy seeing bands that we reviewed in the Sleeping Village's primordial instagram-bound days releasing new music. One such group is Weed Demon, whose Astrological Passages made for a damn fine listening experience back in 2018. Since then, said album has, on occasion, wormed its way into rotation--and in the massive ocean of stoner doom, wherein bands need to fight hard to stay afloat amidst their contemporaries, maintaining  interest is no small feat.

Thus, imagine our excitement upon receiving promo for Weed Demon's sophomoric effort, forthcoming from Electric Valley Records on April 3rd. Spoiler: first impressions are proving very promising.


Read More
0 Comments

ON THE HORIZON: Yatra - Blood Of The Night

1/14/2020

0 Comments

 
Welcome to ON THE HORIZON, our relentlessly infrequent feature wherein we discuss upcoming albums that have caught our sleep-encrusted eyes. Always on the lookout for the next best thing to wake us from slumber.

Picture
After reviewing last year’s excellent Death Ritual, I wasn’t expecting to see Yatra’s name sprout from the manure-ridden promo pit in such short order. But here we are, with the promise of their forthcoming sophomoric attempt on the ol’ horizon. 

Simply put, Yatra’s prior treatise in doom was quite impressive. To quote my overly loquacious self, Death Ritual exudes “a unique character, and for that, it shines in the stygian environs of its own creation...the riffs moves like tepid silt, while drums perform their duties with little flash or braggadocio. Notably, the guitar is oddly comforting--its caliginous persona is so well defined that it takes on a near-physical presence.”

​While I obviously enjoyed it in the moment, it is worth mention that this album has continued, months and months later, to pull me back into its fuzzy embrace. No small feat, given the quantity of doom we deal with.


Read More
0 Comments

SABBATH SUNDAY: A Born Again Retrospective

10/6/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
On this Sabbath Sunday, we comely inhabitants of the Sleeping Village have been dipping our toes in the dangerous waters of 80’s era Black Sabbath. As one does. In the grand scheme, the general sentiment is that if it ain't Ozzy or Dio, it ain't Sabbath. While I personally tend to agree, we are talking about Iommi, the Rifflord Most High, and as such, there are certainly some diamonds in the rough. Case in point: 1983's Born Again, the blackest of the black sabbathian sheep.

Is it fair to say I'm disappointed that Born Again was Ian Gillian's only foray with the boys? My rational is that this one-off album, despite repeatedly getting the short end of the stick--often deservedly so--actually demonstrates a lot of unactualized promise.


Read More
0 Comments

SABBATH SUNDAY: A Vol. 4 Retrospective

10/6/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Sleeping Village owes a substantial debt to Black Sabbath…& not just because we blatantly lifted our moniker from their plunder-worthy supply of deep cuts. According to one contemporary review, Sabbath peddled "discordant jams with bass and guitar reeling like velocitised speedfreaks all over each other's musical perimeters, yet never quite finding synch--just like Cream! ​But worse.” This critic was, obviously, misinformed. Because we love to give credit where credit is due, we dedicate every Sunday (give or take0 to recounting the history of their own discography, or to highlighting a lesser-known band carrying the mantle of Sabbathian legacy. Today, it's a case of the former, as we discuss one of Sabbath's most monumental albums. Welcome to Sabbath Sunday: A Vol. 4 Retrospective.


Read More
0 Comments

SLEEPING VILLAGE SAMPLER #1

12/16/2018

0 Comments

 
Look, we can be self-critical: our Sampler needs a bit of an overhaul. Gone are the days of four mini-reviews crammed into the shrewd confines of an Instagram post. These bands deserve more attention bestowed upon the fruits of their talent & labor. Thus, the revamp’d Sampler, doom edition.
Picture
​HERON - A Low Winter’s Sun

Heron’s mix of sludgy riffage, tortured vocals, and a post-metal approach to song structure on A Low Winter’s Sunmakes for a welcome addition to the snow and wind pounding our windows here at Sleeping Village. Less than innovative, perhaps, but this well-executed album has been on pretty constant rotation since April. Of particular note is Heron’s willingness to write music that consistently ebbs and flows--to this end, they utilize, at times, an acoustic flair with great aplomb. These moments add a dynamism to the thick ‘n’ doomy post-metal environ. Towards the end, Heron does seem to lean heavily on samples to drive the narrative, but as a whole, it makes for a nearly sublime listening
experience. Give it a whirl...or five.
​

​
​BAST - Nanoångström

Nanoångström’s aesthetic package is an intriguing affair. Possessing some of the best album artwork in the doom game, Bast’s latest is certainly pleasing on the eyes. More importantly, in the sonic department, the palette straddles black and doom without ever falling solidly on either side of that seemingly abrupt demarcation. To their credit, Bast is very effective at exploring the space between those boundaries. The riffs are sludgy and voluminous, the blackened vocals are richly emotive, and the drums, while at times distant, lay claim to a hollow expansiveness. When Bast’s formula clicks, it clicks on an intrinsically pleasing level. Given a horizonless, galaxy-spanning vision, some tracks do feel particularly long. That said, Nanoångström as a whole asserts itself with a delicious driving energy that consistently rears its head on standout moments--look to the title track and Far Horizons as prime examples. Bast brings a clear technical adeptness--a hefty late addition to 2018’s roster of genre-toeing doom. Highly recommended!

Heron and Bast can both be found on Bandcamp. ​
0 Comments
Forward>>

    Welcome!

    We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry.

    What are ye

    looking for?

    All
    Acoustic
    Alt Metal
    Alt Rock
    Ambient
    Ancienthand
    Ancient Hand
    Atmospheric Black Metal
    Avant Garde
    Band Bio
    Band Bios
    Bandcamp Day
    Band Help
    Blackened Death Metal
    Blackened Doom
    Blackened Thrash
    Black Metal
    Black Sabbath
    Brutal Death Metal
    Chaotic Black Metal
    Charity
    Classic Rock
    Compilation
    Concept Album
    Cover Songs
    Crossover Thrash
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Folk
    Dark Metal
    Deathcore
    Death Doom
    Deathgrind
    Death Metal
    Depressive Black Metal
    Devin Townsend Project
    DIY
    Doom
    Doom Metal
    Dungeon Synth
    Epic Doom
    Epic Metal
    Experimental
    Experimental Electronic
    Extreme Metal
    Fresh Meat Friday
    Goregrind
    Gothic
    Gothic Metal
    Grind
    Grindcore
    Groove Metal
    Hardcore
    Hardcore Punk
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Grinder
    Heavy Metal
    Heavy Psych
    Industrial
    Let Go
    Loveloth
    Melodic Black Metal
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Metallic Hardcore
    Metal Reviews
    Music Video
    New Music
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Nwobhm
    Old School Death Metal
    On The Horizon
    Open The Coffers!
    Osdm
    Pop
    Pop Punk
    Post Metal
    Post-metal
    Post Rock
    Post-rock
    Power Metal
    Press Kits
    Proceeds Donated
    Progressive Death Metal
    Progressive Metal
    Psych Rock
    Punk
    Rap Metal
    Redefining Darkness
    Refusing To Let Go
    Release Day Roundup
    Retrospective
    Review Miniseries
    Rock
    Sabbath Sunday
    Samples
    Science
    Shoegaze
    Slam
    Sleeping Village Presents
    Sleeping Village Sampler
    Sludge
    Sludge Metal
    Speed Metal
    Spotify Playlist
    Stoner
    Stoner Metal
    Stoner Rock
    Submission Guidelines
    Symphonic Metal
    Techdeath
    Technical Death Metal
    The Voiceless Apparition
    Thrash
    Tips And Tricks
    Trad Metal
    Village Crypt
    Volt Thrower
    Weird

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!