FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: April 24th, 2020

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!)

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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!

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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!

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Sölicitör - Spectral Devastation​ 
(Gates of Hell Records) 

Missing some egregious umlauts in your metal consumption as of late? Sölicitör have ye covered. As risk of misguided propheticism, this heavy/speed metal onslaught may just be the most overtly metal thing any metal band will have metaled this year--a classic case of well-executed convention. Galloping leads? Check. Blazing solos? Check. Raise-the-roof choruses? Check. Delicate balance of energetic bangers and anthemic journeys? Check. Gritty production that recalls the primordial days of thrash? Check. Sölicitör practically defines the soul of speed metal, effectively recalling the pent-up energy of the time whilst approaching songwriting with the wisdom of those who have studied long and hard the evolution of the genre. Needless to say: if you're in the mood for a high-octane good time, this is most certainly it.

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

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Lord Fowl  - Glorious Babylon
​(Small Stone Recordings)

Maintaining the old-school theme established by the last, let's move on to Lord Fowl's latest (seemingly effortless) display of retro rock mimicry. This album has the likes of Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heap, Grand Funk Railroad, Rainbow, and early Maiden written all over it, admittedly bringing little new to the 70's rock table, but certainly delivering an established sound with grace and style. For the most hard-rockin', I recommend "Red Cloud," but the album's greatest moments come in the form of its multiple somber balladic numbers. Indeed, the only misstep here is the unrefined Bowie-esque attempt on "Space Jockey."

Lord Fowl make me nostalgic for a time when I wasn't actually alive--namely, a time when rock was the undisputed musical preference of the cool kids. As such: this is retro rock with heart.

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

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BONUS TRACK RELEASE!

Firelink - Where Demons Bore (New Single)

I'd say that this track is a return to form, but realistically, given their only output until today was a debut album that hit our Albums of the Year list in the face, it's safe to say that in their short timeline Firelink have never strayed from excellence. Instead, then, I'll simply argue that Where Demons Bore is the best track this melodic black metal duo has created thusfar. This is a culmination of what Firelink do best: an energetic-yet-melodic application of epic storytelling. This track is a genuine joy to consume, and an exceedingly promising teaser for their forthcoming sophomoric attempt, due this June. 

​Check out the lyric video here:

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