FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - July 17th, 2020

Every Friday, 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, July 17th, 2020:
Väki, Eremit, Entry, and deathnoisefrequency

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Väki - Kuolleen Maan Omaksi ​
(Redefining Darkness Records)

The illustrious Redefining Darkness deals pretty exclusively in gritty and grimy death metal, so (on the rare occasion) when they dip their toes into blackened waters, you know the album/artist in question is exceedingly worthwhile. This is certainly the case for the Finnish Väki, who present a delicious brand of chaos-ridden black metal that recalls The Great Old Ones in its telltale complex frenzy. There's a distinct focus on oppressive atmosphere throughout, with little attention given to pleasing melodic or earwormy hooks--despite an admitted penchant for muscular riffage amidst the fray. This album is equally explosive and introspective, and every listen reveals an additional layer of complexity. A must for those in search of quality chaotic black metal...but perhaps not an album intended to entice newcomers into the darkness.

Find it on bandcamp here!

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Eremit - Desert of Ghouls ​
(Transcending Obscurity)

Eremit--Germany's heaviest doom duo
--are swiftly becoming masters in their own right when it comes to delivering crushing-yet-atmospheric-sludge. Desert of Ghouls ​is a beast unto itself--easily their most ambitious and technically adept accomplishment yet. The behemothian bass tone is utterly sasquatchian. The drums are forceful and present. The compositions are dynamic and dexterous, at times reaching a near-hypnotic cadence. Sludge lives and dies by an ability to maintain interest, and here, Eremit's songwriting abilities clearly enhance the two tracks beyond the sum of their sonic parts. If you're looking to sample...I recommedn you just listen to the whole damn thing. "Beheading The Innumerous" is plodding and pummeling, whereas "City of Râsh-il-nûm" is more progressive and exploratory. Both are, I humbly submit, essential listening.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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 Entry - Detriment
(Southern Lord)

We don't see a lot of hardcore punk in the midst of Fresh Meat Friday offerings. As such, entries such as Entry tend to stick out. In true blistering hardcore fashion, Detriment clocks in around 15 minutes, with the majority of tracks sliding beneath that 2 minute mark. Between this respect for classic brevity and a certain sonic explosivity, this strongly recalls the day of yore. That said, Entry most certainly bring enough to the table to stand on their own two feet--most notably a willingness to play with tempo in a light-footed and otherwise dynamic fashion. Some tracks herein--take "Demons" and "Your Best Interest" as prime examples--are quite willing to lean into the sludge-ridden end of the spectrum. These moments make the rapid-fire passages that much more invigorating. All told? This is a very impressive debut, as forward-thinking as it is quintessentially angry.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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deathnoisefrequency - Horrid Dirge​
(Independently Released)
​
This experimental Saudi Arabian outfit  marches to their own noisy beat--so much so that I'm not entirely sure how to categorize this two-track EP. Doom? Death? Noise rock? Jazz? Pure unadulterated sonic chaos? Ultimately, all of the above apply in near-equal measure. This is a morose-yet-invigorating platter; a gleeful exploration of sounds and elements that seldom belong. That said, nothing feels shoehorned for the sake of inclusion--rather, these compositions are fluid and natural, whether meandering through a hallucinatory passage, or pummeling the listener with feedback-laden riffs and the howl of distant....trumpets? Yeah, it's weird stuff--but weird in the best of ways. Horrid Dirge​ practically encourages one to embrace discomfort. I've been continually drawn back in to this EP, and am waiting impatiently for deathnoisefrequency's next installment.

​Find it on bandcamp here! 

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