Behold... The Arctopus -​ Hapeleptic Overtrove​
(Willowtip / P2)

Time to ruffle some feathers.  BTA do 
​have an endearing shtick, but at this stage in the game, I think we need to address the fact that their brand of progressive metal results in albums that are more a collection of ideas, and less a collection of tracks. Indeed, as fellow Villager Izzy recently argued, this album sounds more like segments from a rehearsal than an album proper. Sure, the hyper-technicality is impressive--it's instrumentally all over the place in the best of ways, something truly to behold--but I fail to see how this album succeeds as an album. If you're here to witness the workshop-esque qualities of BAT, this could very well indeed be the best representation of their baffling sound. All told, I do buy the statement that  Hapeleptic Overtrove​ is at the forefront of prog wackery. I don't however, believe that Behold... The Arctopus are necessarily pushing metal in a new direction.

Find it on bandcamp here!

Pile of Priests - Pile of Priests​ 
(Extreme Metal Music)

That band name, right? That album artwork, right?! This looks like an absolute riot, and, thankfully, it sounds like one too. Pile of Priests play a gloriously theatrical brand of (alternately) thrashy and proggy death metal, with ample room for narrative. To their credit, these elements never conflict of clash--indeed, the narrative elements and progressive leanings, which might feel campy in lesser hands, lend the entire affair an oddly addicting charm. It takes guts to inject grunty riff-driven death metal with a soaring epic flair, but this self-titled beast handles the challenges...well, handily.

​Pile of Priests is, in sum, a fun and competent conglomerate of independent elements that make death metal enjoyable. This particular scribe shall certainly be listening in weeks (and months) to come.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

Molder - Vanished Cadavers
(Rotted Life Records*)

Speakin' of death metal, it's time for one of the underground's hottest acts in OSDM entertain-ment. If you've been following us for a while, you'll know that we Villagers are big fans of Molder's cadaver-licking style of death metal barbarity. As such,  the release of the stellar Vanished Cadavers is a cause for much joy and celebration. This is everything I had hoped--big riffs, meaty production, vicious vocal onslaught, and a generally. This album, notably, employs a slightly thrashier edge than what we've seen before, as well as a clearer approach to rapid-fire composition. Fans of Autopsy rejoice. While it ain't fresh, Molder represents the concentrated form of everything we underground and old school death metal fans love about the genre trappings. They are, undoubtedly, going places. (*Also seeing release on Goatthrone  and Headsplit.)

Find it on bandcamp here!

KEVERRA - Keverra
​​(Seeing Red Records)

Aggressive and sludge-ridden doom is the name of the game for these South Californian purveyors of sonic filth. That said, this self-titled debut notably doesn't seek to crush the listener into obliteration. There's a delicious post-metal subtle at play here--a balance between monolithic heft and gentle dynamism. Take, as a prime example, lead single "Bathsheba," which weaves winding introspective  passages in the midst of sasquatchian riffage. I'm getting a vague Fugazi-meets-Lord Mantis vibe from this album--which, frankly, isn't something I ever knew I needed. But here we are, Keverra offered to the masses in white-knuckled grasp. Needless to say, Keverra have crafted a real winner--highly recommended for any fan of sludgy and emotive music. Another feather in Seeing Red Records' increasingly voluptuous cap.

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

Yarrow - We Made What God Could Not
(Self-Released)

What is it, exactly, that can God not make? Riffs of this sheer magnitude, evidently. Yarrow
plays a funereal brand of deathy doom--low, slow, and mind-numbingly heavy. It's like if Spectral Voice lost all hope for living and trip a premature trip down to Hell. Music of aggressive ilk is all-too-oft labeled as "soundtracks to a nightmare," but We Made What God Could Not genuinely feels like just that--the ponderous and plodding playlist constructed specifically for one's voyage down the Styx. It's depressive, angry, and carries itself with an indomitable weight. That's not to say it's all dirge, however. Take the back end of intro track "活け造り" and the subsequent lead-in on "Old Sha​dows," which indicate a more frenetic tone. A churning and cauldron-bubbling quality. All told, I'm quite impressed. Check this one out!

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

We're long overdue for a new spotify playlist here at the Sleeping Village. What better way to get back into the groove than with a collection of absolute bruisers? None, says I. In the bloody arena of underground labels, the mighty Redefining Darkness Records is my favorite, bar none. 2019 was a particularly stellar year for Redefining Darkness...as evidenced by this sampling, we can only hope. One track from each 2019 release is featured herein, in reverse chronological order.

If you're new to Redefining Darkness, I highly, highly recommended you check 'em out, whether via this playlist or some alternate means. No other label is as consistent in their roster, and in this spirit, they've got three future releases I'm excited for: between the forthcoming Helleborous, Sentient Horror, and Skullcrush releases, we're undoubtedly in for a good time.