FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: May 1st, 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: today, May 1st, Bandcamp is waiving their revenue share for all sales. That means if you buy any of these releases (or any other albums/merch items you've had your eye on) before midnight PDT, the artists will directly benefit directly. In short: buy music today!

On the docket for today, May 1st, 2020:
 KEVERRA, Yarrow, Tombstoner, and Icon of Evil (and Vredensdal!)

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!

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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!

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Tombstoner - Descent to Madness 
​(Redefining Darkness Records)

This week, no new release has garnered so much attention in my little corner of the Village's drafty scriptorium. This boisterous five-track EP is a genuinely fresh-faced blend of OSDM power, thrashy invigoration, and hardcore attitude wrapped into a single slammin' package. In other words: this is death metal with a dangerous swagger. It's a potent blend, to be sure, and if this is where these guys are starting their journey, I'm considerably excited to see where their next release takes 'em. This is pure catharsis, plain and simple--makes me weep, frankly, for the days in which one could let it all out in the gym. In the meantime, I'll throw Descent to Madness on (for the umpteenth time) and power-clean the house (for the umpteenth time.)

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

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Icon of Evil - Icon of Evil 
(Selfmadegod Records)

​Now this is the down 'n' dirty meat 'n' potatoes modern death metal I've been looking for. Two tracks. Maximum aggression. Don't let the cover artwork fool you: this is a polished and refined affair. Opener "Ojcze Wasz" verges on thrash in it's balls-to-the-wall energet approach, while the standout (and sole Side B  representative) "Urojony Bóg"  carries itself with a triumphant mid-tempo flair. This track in particular delivers a meaty groove. While Icon of Evil certainly aren't delivering any hot new fresh takes on modern death metal, this EP is a strong showing with two energetic and easily repeatable tracks. If you're in a headbanging mood, give this one a spin (or three).

​Find 'em on bandcamp here!

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BONUS TRACK RELEASE!

Vredensdal - Echo of Evil (New Single!)

Vredensdal's sophomoric effort--followup to 2019's excellent Fealty of Diabolism, reviewed by us here--is on its way. In the meantime, this paragon of NWOUSBM has whet our palate with two singles, the second of which dropped literally minutes ago. "Echo of Evil," as ye might surmise by the overtly goat'd cover artwork, is heavily inspired by classic Bathory. Needless to say, this track is a blistering affair, with furious riffage and a decidedly classic bent. It's got an appropriately old-skool black 'n' roll approach--a nice contrast to the previously released "Living By Torch." A video created by Nobody (of Vide and Some Dead Bodies infamy) will be released shortly. 

Check it out here! (and consider purchasing! Now would be a great day to do so.)

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