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

AFTERBIRTH - Four Dimensional Flesh (Review)

6/7/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
To be frank, I approached Four Dimensional Flesh with immense trepidation. Brutal death metal and/or slam aren’t exactly locales I find myself frequenting with any kind of regularity--if I pass through, it’s usually a lone track in the midst of an otherwise innocuous playlist. While the dedication to slammin’ riffs and woodpecker-on-a-hot-tin-roof percussive fills are certainly attractive bedfellows, the trademark drainpipe gutturals and resonance chamber bree-brees really ain’t this scribes cup o’ vox.

And yet here we are, plumbing the gurgling pipes with a grim sense of glee. Why? Because
Afterbirth, much like Wormhole, strives to make slam interesting. 
And it is this quality that remains Four Dimensional Flesh’s greatest strength amongst strengths.


Read More
1 Comment

LUCIFER'S HAMMER - The Trip

8/31/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
Written by: Blackie Skulless

I actually discovered the Chilean heavy metallers Lucifer’s Hammer a few years ago when Time Is Death was the latest release, and when first looking back, I remembered not caring for it and forgetting about it. What a fool I was! This year when The Trip dropped, not only did I find it to be wonderful, but something seemed oddly familiar. I quickly remembered, dug up the old albums, and found that not only was I extremely wrong prior, but they’d still evolved since then. Of the three full-lengths, this is the album where I believe Lucifer’s Hammer truly realized their potential.

Throwing back to the heavy/power types of the early ‘80s, this is a very refreshing dish of old news brought to its best new heights. The secret probably lies a bit in the brevity of seven tracks barely crossing the half-hour mark, which means that they’re all rid of any extra topping and unnecessary embellishment. No, this is built primarily on memorable and clean riffs that don’t feel any need for aggression, with the sharpest moments lying within the higher falsettos. Oddly enough, outside of those, the vocals are actually pretty tame, coming in cleanly but swiftly at an octave that compares well with the warmer guitar tones.


Read More
1 Comment

EPOCH OF CHIRALITY - Nucleosynthesis (Review)

7/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: Lord Hsrah

We've all been hearing of people going to space these past few days, with Jeff Bezos being the latest to do so. And while some of us may start to wonder whether or not space is the final frontier here, Epoch of Chirality prepares for launch with their debut album Nucleosynthesis, where space is just the beginning and what lies ahead is a mystery best known to the unknown. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, lift off!

Epoch of Chirality is a one man sci-fi metal project started by England-based musician Richard How, and Nucleosynthesis is their first full-length album that follows their 2020 EP Dawn of Chirality. The album, dubbed as "sci-fi metal," has 9 instrumental songs in total, all of which, quite obviously, draw heavily from sci-fi soundscapes. Nucleosynthesis starts off pretty slow, and in general, the build up to the actual beefy material of every song takes quite a while too. There's plenty usage of synth and other electronic instruments to help create those soundscapes like they were straight out of the 80's. A lot of it is shared by modern synthwave acts, and what they do. Quite frankly speaking, at times it does feel like a nice space-synth album, albeit heavier in all tones and textures.


Read More
0 Comments

OVERKILL - Horrorscope (Retrospective Review)

7/13/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: Blackie Skulless

Imagine trying to follow up perfection; you really can’t. But you can bring forth something nearly as incredible, especially when it still blows minds thirty years after its release. Overkill had hit their peak complexity in songwriting in 1989 (regardless of how you feel about the songs themselves), and really had to come up with something mind-blowing on Horrorscope. While that may be tough in the eyes of some, they could at least offer something different, and with that I open by saying that the guitar tones alone here are what likely led to what we ended up with on The Killing Kind.


Except the thrash metal angle was still in full control, and the attitude was amped up a step from before. Though the guitars may feel a bit warmer than before, that allows them to cut with a smoother sweep due to how sharp they are. The fact that there’s such a clear space between the notes while still holding the speeds that were present on Feel The Fire is impressive beyond belief. The way they tie it all together with little licks, such as the backing ring in opener “Coma” kicks some serious ass, and this song is also a fantastic example of how they cram so much density into such warm speed-riffing. 


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY:  July 9th, 2021 Feat. Lunar Cult, Green Hog Band, Dialith, & White Crone

7/9/2021

0 Comments

 
On (regrettably infrequent!) Fridays, 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 week's new and noteworthy 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 have been listening to this week at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

​On the docket for today, July 9th, 2021:
Lunar Cult, Green Hog Band, Dialith, & White Crone

Picture
Lunar Cult - Into Unknow Darkness
(Independently Released)


Over the past year, the UK's Lunar Cult has been delivering a highly respectable catalog of electronic tunage that sits pretty firmly in one of two camps: dungeon synth or chiptune. The former was prominent in February's excellent Death Cannot Contain You, an album that I loved as much now as I did then. In this latest effort, the two styles are married pretty damn seamlessly, resulting in what can only be described as an evolution that feels inevitable, albeit wholly unique. The bright sun and gothic chambers of the synth remains an undercurrent, while even brighter bleeps and beeps serve to add even more layers of melodic interest and intrigue. The atmosphere and sheer sense of drama throughout is beyond palpable.

Frankly? I'm not sure how Lunar Cult hasn't yet been drowned in commissions to create video game soundtracks. It's all here, video game producer people!

​Find it on bandcamp here!

Picture
Green Hog Band - Devil's Luck
(The Swamp Records)

Speaking of notable prolificism: 
Green Hog Band has been puttin' in the work since their inception a year ago, dropping a healthy spree of EPs, splits, and albums proper in that time. I borrowed a track for our Caravan of Doom, and since, their brand of fuzzy 'n' scuzzy motorcycle-revving stoner doom has only grown in appeal and proficiency. The vocals (in Russian!) carry themselves with a gravelly gravitas, and the sheer thicc-ness of the fuzz is something to marvel out. Devil's luck features both a killer groove and a flair for a smoke-laden psychedelia that sits comfortably within the swampy ambiance--see "Luck of The Devil" for a prime example of the classic Green Hog Band package. While not breaking genre boundaries or reinventing their own particular formula, these boys have dropped another solid slab that will inevitably be receiving some additional airtime here at the Village during those many moments when we require a little doom and gloom.

Find it on bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

LÁSTIMA - Maldición De Sangre (Review)

7/8/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: The Administrator

​
There's nothing quite like an unexpected surprise plucked from the depths of our promo pit. Retrieving a random press kit from the heap and subsequently finding something weird and wonderful will never grow old, and indeed remains one of my personal primary motivations for writing here at ye olde Sleeping Village. Philadelphia's own Lástima recently dropped their forthcoming two-track EP in the ol' inbox, and, needless to say, it made for an exciting encounter.

Lástima play blackgaze through an overtly emo lens--a sub-subgenre that reflects the nature of the band's moniker with a delightful accuracy. Referring to a sense of pity or hurt, or "to be said in order to show compassion for someone in pain," lástima seemingly describes a range and intensity of emotion that feels both potent and familiar. The music itself reflects this multifaceted term quite stirringly, and that, in and of itself, is a victory in the realm of overtly emotionally driven music. Without further ado: let's dive in!


Read More
0 Comments

DREAM TRÖLL - Realm of the Tormentor (Review)

7/7/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: The Administrator

At risk of showing all my cards before the review even begins: Dream Tröll​ are one of my very favorite bands, and have been for a couple o' years now. Time, methinks, to gush accordingly.

I first heard Realm of the Tormentor a few weeks ago, and for the entire stretch of time between then and now, every single track contained within has been firmly lodged in my skull. This level of sheer likeability and competence inevitably raises the question: is
Dream Tröll​  capable of putting out a less-than stellar release? Thusfar, I pleased to offer a resounding "no." Despite a rotating cast of vocalists that nearly recalls the drummer woes of umlauted brethren Spın̈al Tap, the consistency in quality they have demonstrated since 2018's The Witch's Curse is simply incredible--and 2017's The Knight of Rebellion, while less refined, is no snoozer either. Literally every single track they have released is a certified banger, a non-skipper, a prime exemplar of traditional metal prowess in the modern era. These guys claim to keep the spirit of old-school metal alive by "making the OLD sound NEW again"...and y'know what? Not a single lie hath been detected.


Read More
0 Comments

CRYPTA - Echoes Of The Soul (Review)

7/3/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: MetalFederation (Alex)

For an album review writer moving up in the world from Instagram captions, what could be better than the debut LP from a newly formed band? I, Alex (@metalfederation on Instagram), and death metal crew Crypta are here for a mutual debut! The four-piece international group from Brazil and the Netherlands delivered Echoes of the Soul on June 11th via Napalm Records. Boasting a supergroup lineup of big names, Crypta aim to make a strong first impression with a tracklist of pummeling death metal that clocks in at just 42 minutes. Will they silence any irrelevant debates about what the perfect run time for an album is? I’m as excited as you are to find out.

(But if you’re wondering, 42 minutes is pretty close to perfect and I apologize to the consequently offended prog nerds.)


Read More
0 Comments

10,000 Years - II (Review)

6/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: Shane Thirteen

I started this review like so many others: Scorched Green in a glass piece. As per usual I have spent a few days listening to the work I am to dive into. The very first time I gave this album a spin I knew I was going to dig it. II by 10,000 Years is spacey, sludgy, and fuzzy. Just how I like it.

You see, I don't do the technical approach to reviewing. Some do, and that is great. Breaking down the album song by song and giving opinion on the technical nature of the band. I give two shits about that. I approach all reviews as if I were a fresh faced young music fan who was just handed an album by a buddy to check out. I want to explore new music with the same gusto I had when I got into records back when I was about 14. The absolute emotion of the things is what turned me on. Albeit, my tastes have changed. But I still approach music as if I have only just begun.


Read More
0 Comments

GORE DIMENSION - Ethereal Realm (Review)

6/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by: Tom

Swimming in the depths of the underworld, there lives a band named Gore Dimension. These Turkish lads only come up for air in order to dispense their brutal death metal upon the legions of fans, fans that will only accept the heaviest, goriest, and nastiest musical offerings set in front of them. With this April's release of Ethereal Realm, those fans got just what they were asking for. 

Gore Dimension has a great name, bringing to mind a dimension where the grotesque is normal, as its inhabitants live in a Purge-like state of homicide, where blood and gore are the only rules and everybody loses. Besides the unholy brutality on Ethereal Realm, we will also find samples from one of the most recognizable films, the cult classic, Heavy Metal! This was one of my favorite films, and having those Loc-Nar samples in here really added to my enjoyment of this album. But let's dig in a bit, shall we?​



Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous

    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
    2020
    420
    Acoustic
    Adam Paris
    Albums Of The Decade
    Albums Of The Year
    Alex Bringer Of Payne
    Alternative
    Alternative Metal
    Alternative Rock
    Alt Metal
    Alt Rock
    Ambient
    Ambient Metal
    Americana
    Ancient Hand
    Ancienthand
    Anti-imperialist
    AOR
    Aoty
    Apocalypse
    Art Rock
    Arzou
    Atmoblack
    Atmospheric
    Atmospheric Black Metal
    Atmospheric Doom
    Avant Garde
    Avant-garde
    Avant Garde Black Metal
    Avant Garde Death Metal
    Ballad
    Band Merch
    Bane Ov Silence
    Baroque Metal
    Beaston Lane
    Beatdown
    Bestial
    Best Of The Year 2018
    Blackened
    Blackened Crust
    Blackened Death
    Blackened Deathcore
    Blackened Death Metal
    Blackened Doom
    Blackened Grind
    Blackened Metal
    Blackened Punk
    Blackened Sludge
    Blackened Thrash
    Blackgaze
    Blackie Skulless
    Black Metal
    Black N Roll
    Black Thrash
    Blastbeasts
    Blastbeats
    Blood Metal
    Blues
    Blues Metal
    Blues Rock
    Breakcore
    Breakdown
    British Metal
    Brutal
    Brutal Death Metal
    Cantina
    Captain's Chronicles
    Captains Chronicles
    Capt Graves
    Carlos
    Cavern Death Metal
    Chaotic Death Metal
    Chaotic Hardcore
    Chaotic Metal
    Chinese Metal
    Chiptune
    Christian Metal
    Classic Albums
    Classical Crossover
    Classic Doom
    Classic Metal
    Classic Rock
    Comic
    Community Favorites
    Compilation
    Continuous Thunder
    Core
    Cosmic
    Cosmic Death Metal
    Country
    Cover Songs
    Crossover
    Crossover Thrash
    Crust
    Crust Punk
    Cyberpunk
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Metal
    Dark Pop
    Dark Rock
    D-beat
    Dbeat
    Deathcore
    Death Doom
    Death-doom
    Deathgrind
    Death Metal
    Death Thrash
    Debut Album
    Demo
    Depressive Black Metal
    Desert Rock
    Digital Hardcore
    Disco
    Dissonant
    Dissonant Black Metal
    Djent
    Doom
    Doom Death
    Doomgaze
    Doom Metal
    Doom Punk
    Doomviolence
    Double Review
    Dream Pop
    Dreampop
    Drone
    Dsbm
    Dungeons And Dragons
    Dungeon Synth
    Dungeon Synth Sunday
    Ecological
    Editorial
    Edm
    Electronic
    Electronic Rock
    Emo
    EP
    Epic Doom
    Epic Heavy Metal
    Epic Metal
    EP's
    Experimental
    Experimental Black Metal
    Experimental Electronic
    Extreme Metal
    Fantasy
    Favorite Music
    Finnish Metal
    Florida Death
    Folk
    Folk Black Metal
    Folk Metal
    Folk Rock
    Free Jazz
    Fresh Meat Friday
    Funeral Doom
    Fuzz
    Garage Rock
    German Heavy Metal
    Glam Metal
    Glam Rock
    Gore
    Goregrind
    Goth
    Gothic
    Gothic Metal
    Goth Metal
    Goth Rock
    Grind
    Grindcore
    Groove Metal
    Grunge
    Guest Post
    Guest Review
    Hair Metal
    Hallucinatory Black Death Metal
    Hardcore
    Hardcore Doom
    Hardcore Punk
    Hardcore Sludge
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Grinder
    Heavy Metal
    Heavy Psych
    Heavy Rock
    Hip Hip
    Hip Hop
    Horror
    Hxc
    Icelandic
    Immigrant Core
    Immigrind
    Indie
    Indie Rock
    Indonesia
    Industrial
    Industrial Metal
    Industrial Rock
    Instrumental
    Italian Metal
    Izzy
    Japanese Metal
    Jazz
    Legends
    Lichtmensch
    Lord Hsrah
    Lovecraft
    Loveloth
    Lunar Fanatic
    Mathcore
    Mathgrind
    Math Rock
    Melodeath
    Melodic Black Metal
    Melodic Death Metal
    Melodic Doom
    Melodic Metal
    Memorial
    Merch
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Metalhead World
    Metallic Hardcore
    METAL MENAGERIE
    Metal Reivews
    Metal Reviews
    Metalreviews
    Mid Year List
    Mid-year List
    Miscellaneous
    Modern Rock
    Murder Metal
    Music Review
    Music Video
    Mystic
    Negative Reviews
    Neofolk
    Nerdy
    New Age
    New Music
    Nintendocore
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Nu Metal
    NWOBHM
    NWOTHM
    Occult
    Occult Rock
    Old School Death Metal
    OSDM
    Ozzy Osbourne
    Pagan Metal
    Peasantrys Picks
    Pirate Metal
    Pop
    Pop Metal
    Pop Punk
    Pop Rock
    Portal
    Post-black
    Post Black Metal
    Post-black Metal
    Post-classical
    Post Doom
    Post-doom
    Post-genre
    Post Hardcore
    Post-hardcore
    Post Metal
    Post-metal
    Post Punk
    Post-punk
    Post Rock
    Post-rock
    Post Sludge
    Post-sludge
    Power Electronics
    Power Metal
    Powerviolence
    Prehistoric
    Preorder
    Prog Metal
    Progressive Black Metal
    Progressive Death Metal
    Progressive Metal
    Progressive Rock
    Prog Rock
    Psychedelic
    Psych Rock
    Punk
    Punk Rock
    Raw Black Metal
    Raw Sludge
    Record Label
    Reese
    Reissue
    Relaxing
    Release Day Roundup
    Remix
    Re-recording
    Retro Rock
    Retrospective Review
    Review Off
    Review Redux
    Reviews
    Riffs
    Rock
    Rock N Roll
    Roots Rock
    Sabbath
    Sabbath Sunday
    Sadboi
    Saxophone
    Sci Fi
    Sci-fi
    Scorpi
    Screamo
    Shane Thirteen
    Shoegaze
    Short Reviews
    Singer-songwriter
    Ska
    Skramz
    Slam
    Sleeping Village Records
    Sleeping Village Sampler
    Slipknot
    Sludge
    Sludge Metal
    Soliloquist
    Solo Act
    Sound Design
    Soundtrack
    South America
    Southern Rock
    Space
    Space Rock
    Speed Metal
    Split
    Star Wars
    Statement Of Intent
    Stenchcore
    Stoner
    Stoner Doom
    Stoner Metal
    Stoner Rock
    Story Review
    Stream
    Surf Rock
    Swedeath
    Swedish Death Metal
    Symphonic Metal
    Synth
    Synth Metal
    Synthpop
    Synthwave
    Talesofdeception
    Tech Death
    Techdeath
    Technical Death Metal
    Texas
    The Administrator
    The Dungeon Awaits
    The Voiceless Apparation
    The Voiceless Apparition
    Thevoicelessapparition
    The Voiceless Appartition
    Thrash
    Thrashcore
    Thrash Metal
    Threefoldtreatise
    Tom
    Torture Doom
    Track-premiere
    Track Review
    Track Reviews
    Trad Doom
    Traditional Doom
    Traditional Metal
    Trad Metal
    Tribute Album
    True Doom
    Trve Doom
    Underground
    Usbm
    Vaporwave
    Vattghern
    Visual Review
    Volt Thrower
    War Metal
    Weird
    Zombie

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!