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

ON THE HORIZON: Domkraft - Seeds

2/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Welcome to ON THE HORIZON, our relentlessly infrequent feature wherein we discuss upcoming albums that have caught our sleep-encrusted eyes. Us Villagers are always on the lookout for the next best thing to wake us from slumber. On the docket today: the forthcoming full-length from Sleeping Village favorites Domkraft.

Picture
Written by: The Administrator

Look how easily we cast aside the tired present and gaze longingly into the future! I, for one, am getting mighty excited about the music that awaits just beyond the horizon, and Domkraft's forthcoming third effort is certainly the cause of some of said excitement.

Ah, Domkraft. Revel in their name. Back in the primordial days of this here blog, their stellar Flood found high ground on our 2018 Albums of the Year list, landing at a respectable #4 for that year. Presenting a remarkably well-executed blend of fuzz-worshiping doom and psychedelic wanderings, Flood remains one of my favorite doom records of the last five years. Their follow-up, Slow Fidelity​, somehow missed our rudimentary radar and thus missed year-end shenanigans, but it provides a similarly strong showing, leaning a little further than its predecessor into the ethereal realms. Needless to say, we were quite pleased to see evidence of a forthcoming third effort land heftily in the midst of our promo pit. Seeds will be released at the end of April, and the first single, "Dawn of Man," is available now for yer listening pleasure.


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY...erm, SATURDAY: July 4th, 2020

7/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday--in today's case, Saturday--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, July 4th, 2020: 
​Ancient Hand, Northern Crown
, Gramma Vedetta, and Pale Witch

Picture
Ancient Hand - Best regards,
​(Independent Release)

If you follow our shenanigans on Instagram, you may be aware of (unsubstantiated) rumors that I have accepted a sizeable bribe in exchange for this review. Let me dispel said rumor thusly: I love Ancient Hand's body of work, and Best regards, is his best work yet by a significant margin. Moving away from dungeon synth roots and into increasingly experimentally turbulent waters, this album is a wholly heartfelt exploration of pain, anger, and inevitable catharsis. Sonically, Ancient Hand embraces a palette of heft and aggression, moving into the arenas of dark(er), ambient, boom-bappy hip-hop beats, industrial noise, and EDM. It's a dynamic approach, and one that oozes emotive results--from the hard-hitting "metacognition" and "ORAL," to the reflective Interludes I & II, the intent is clear--but yet remains a joy to experience. 


Find it at bandcamp here (for NYOP!)

Picture
Northern Crown – In A Pallid Shadow
(Independent Release)

This album, I am pleased to report, has been quite the grower. Occupying a strange space between, the respective mid-eras of Candlemass and Kansas, In A Pallid Shadow takes the traditional epic doom template and amps it up with a significant prog-rock extravagance. One wouldn’t think that the flair of the former former would benefit from, well, the flair of the latter, but here, Northern Crown have found a delicate balance that works remarkably well. Besides the tasteful application of the standard Hammond fare, the vocals are powerful and emotive, and the songwriting, while certainly not trim or restrained, feels meaningful and well-considered throughout the (pleasingly short) breadth. All told, this is an excellent album—almost certainly a candidate for many a doom-laden year end list.

Find it at bandcamp here!
​



Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: June 19th, 2020 (feat. Carrion Vael, Insatanity, Mothers of the Land, and Underer)

6/18/2020

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, June 19th, 2020:
Carrion Vael, Mothers of the Land,  Underer, and Insatanity (and a bonus charity compilation!)

Picture
​Carrion Vael - God Killer
(Horror Pain Gore Death)


God Killer can get it. Which is to say: this here album fucks. 
Carrion Vael 
have concocted an expertly crafted blend of death metal motifs, ranging from technical shredding, to pounding riffage, to the melodic leanings of Swedeath's finest. This is like the bastard child of like, Slugdge and At The Gates, with a healthy dose of brutality thrown in for good measure. Rather than overpowering proceedings, the tech elements are  incredibly well balanced with the heft of traditional death. Headbanging and air guitar-ing is inevitable--and if that ain't a mark of death metal worth perusing, I dunno what is. 

Calling it now: Carrion Vael is responsible for the tech-death metal album of the year. God Killer is an absolute stunner.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

Picture
Mothers of the Land - Hunting Grounds
(Stonefree Records)

There's something so immensely satisfying about an album where the artwork reflects and mimics the beauty dwelling within. In the case of Hunting Grounds, our heavy psych instrumentalists in question have constructed a truly gorgeous package. Lush melody, organically psychedelic meandering, and vibrant NWOBHM momentum all serve to invite relaxation while maintaining sharp interest in the absence of vocals. Indeed, Hunting Grounds succeeds remarkably well at constructing a world of intrigue--this is an album for people who don't think they like instrumental albums. It's a difficult trick to pull off, to say the least. Beyond that, the guitar tone is beauty incarnate. I'm comfortable considering this a masterpiece, and will revisit it for some quite some time.

Find it on bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: April 24th, 2020

4/24/2020

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!

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!)

Picture
Marmalade Knives  - Amnesia 
(Electric Valley Records)

​In a week with a particularly hard-hitting release that has absorbed much of my time (read: Ulcerate​,) something with a laid-back vibe has been necessary to maintain a certain balance. To this end, Marmalade Knives succeed enormously. On their debut, these Santa Cruzian purveyors of proggy psychedelia unleash an instrumental exploration of astral planes. In other words: this is music with which to relax to. Rather than grabbing your attention outright--with the exception of the driving "Xayante"--this album exists as a calming expedition through equally ethereal and funky waters. Notably, these guys demonstrate very strong technical and compositional proficiency. I'm excited to see how they expand their progressive tendencies!

Find 'em on bandcamp here!

Picture
Total Fucking Destruction - ...to be alive at the end of the world​ (Translation Loss Records)

​You wouldn't think that a band with a name such as Total Fucking Destruction could possibly deal in subtlety. Sure, avant-garde isn't new to these guys, but this is a new level: ...to be alive at the end of the world is a delightfully nuanced, experimental, and well-balanced piece. While grind elements are still hanging around, serving as an anchor of sorts, a deliberately atmospheric and melancholic vibe asserts a certain dominance over the project as a whole. As such, typical grind brevity/aggression is well-represented in the meat of this TFD sandwich, but the title opener and 11-minute closer add a level of bleak flair that borders on indie-rock angst. A slow-burn vision of the apocalypse, if e'er the was. More like Total Fucking Destruction of expectations, am I right?

Find 'em 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

    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!