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On (regrettably infrequent) Fridays, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this week's new and noteworthy 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--and have been--listening to this week at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! As today is Bandcamp Friday, that sweet 15% cut will be directed back to artists. In other words: today is the day to support 'em! On the docket for today, Feb. 4th, 2020: Aisteach, Space Caravan, Everson Poe, & Non Serviam
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On (most) Fridays, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling 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--and have been--listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! On the docket for today, Oct. 9th, 2020: Coastlands, Yatra, Legendarium, Slow Draw & Dangerous Times for the Dead
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, June 12th, 2020: Behold... The Arctopus, Lord, Foetal Juice, DECONSECRATION
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! Note: there has been a veritable tsunami of high-quality releases today. This is but a fraction of the stuff you should check out. Reviews in forthcoming days will seek to fill the gaps! - Ed. On the docket for today, April 24th, 2020: Marmalade Knives, Total Fucking Destruction, Sölicitör, and Lord Fowl (and Firelink!)
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. On the today's docket is an album that landed pretty high on my AOTY list of 2018, and remains in near-constant rotation to this day. Hence:
I sing the praises of this album quite frequently, but, as today is its second birthday, I feel that a little more chit-chat on the matter is justified. Why? Judicator is my favorite power metal band. Full stop.
Taking the glorious bombast of the Blind Guardian (et. al.) Germanic power metal scene and combining it with subtle thrash sensibilities, Judicator perfectly balances monolithic vocal melodies with righteously aggressive riffs 'n' drums. 2018's The Last Emperor ended up at #6 on my year end list, and has continued to steal the spotlight since. Their entire discography is worthy of similar attention. Hooky yet complex tracks are the name of the game, and frankly, if you're mad at power metal because it epitomizes this formula, we can't really help ye out.  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.  In the early hours of dawn, a motley crew of marauders arrived unannounced at the Sleeping Village, swords and pillaging spirits raised high. After burning the church & slaughtering our swine, they demanded what they so desperately sought...our 5-star albums. “Give us your all-time favorites,” they roared, “so that we may judge your taste.” And so, to save our own lives, we complied, casting open the reliquary. Avert your eyes in the presence of perfection & cue the air raid siren: Ed the Head is up first.
Iron Maiden is one of the (very) few bands in my repertoire that has reached exalted perfection across the span of multiple albums. A Matter of Life and Death, their 14th album, is certainly the best of their efforts post-reunification. Recorded in-studio without mastering, this (and by “this,” I mean the pre-remaster edition) feels & sounds like the real deal. Blemishes are not plastered over, &, more importantly, Bruce’s voice is allowed the natural space to flow with an intimate dynamism. The choruses of tracks such as For the Greater Good of God display an energy and sincerity seldom found outside a live environment. The raw production plays directly into the hands of Maiden’s greatest assets, allowing flawless songwriting to shine. It’s like a found footage film--rough around the edges, but utterly immersive in an unadulterated way. The album fires off with Different World, which is perhaps the most traditional Maiden track found within. The first side is largely this category: fired-up runaway train guitar & bass, with the trademark vocals soaring. Track length, as Maiden has proven in the past (Book of Souls notwithstanding, who dropped the ball on that one?) is not necessarily an Achilles heel. Look to both These Colours Don’t Run & Brighter than a Thousand Suns, the former of which has a riff that earworms with the best of them, & the latter, which has it all--trademark galloping riffage, sweet melody, & a Dickenson chorus for the ages. Easily one of my favorite Maiden tracks period, and with a band whose discography oozes single after quality single, that’s no small compliment. Side B presents a slightly proggier approach, including highlights such as acoustically dependent closer The Legacy & the aforementioned For the Greater Good of God, with its refrain of godlike proportion. Again, individual song length, while significant, never appears an issue. The songwriting never allows for a stale moment, displaying a strong willingness when it comes to pushing a bridge or solo into a nontraditional direction. Representing a sum greater than its (already remarkable) parts, A Matter of Life and Death is a conceptually cohesive whole. Tackling topics surrounding war, death, and religiosity, every song feels as though it plays in integral part in a nonlinear yet thematically bound story. It is this unity that sets albums above and beyond. Maiden, in true legend fashion, do not falter in this regard. While an admittedly divisive album among the fanbase, A Matter of Life and Death bares the soul of this particular villager’s ideal metal album--not a mere collection of songs, but rather a complete experience. This is what near-perfection looks like, marauders. |
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
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