Written by: Continuous Thunder
I’m pulling something from the deep recesses of left field for you today. But when you’ve listened to as much music as I have, left field can provide welcome, refreshing, if sometimes puzzling breaks from the norm. (There’s a reason music critics praise experimental music so highly.) The harsh sounds of heavy metal’s more extreme sub-genres make them excellent sonic palettes for experimental artists. The best artists will recognize the similarities in different styles of music and bring them together, or they will contrast two very different genres that otherwise would never mix. The latter can be found in Fire-Toolz, who juxtaposes the clean, hazy, and nostalgic sounds of vaporwave with the harsh and oppressive sounds of black metal, noise, and other extreme genres.
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 Written by: Izzy
Let’s address the elephant in the room. This album sounds a lot like Deftones, but let’s make an important distinction in Loathe’s music. While Deftones are certainly capable of being aggressive, both on their new and old material, Loathe’s blending of metalcore’s raw energy and ferocity works beautifully to contrast the softer sections and make them feel especially intense, this interplay between tones elevates the listening experience of the entire album to new heights. Rather than creating cascading landscapes where these sounds weave together as Deftones would, Loathe are more interested in forging roads with sharp twists and turns through both beauty and musical invective. The one-two of the vicious "Broken Vision Rhythm" attack, and the otherworldly slow-dance of "Two Way Mirror," provides a perfect example of this knack for hairpin changes of tone and sonic scenery; a trick the album doesn’t use once, but pulls again later with the hauntingly beautiful "Is It Really You?" transitioning into the most hideously relentless, breakneck song on the entire album, "Gored." Despite the sudden transformation, everything on display here is crafted so tastefully that these shifts feel very natural and flow into one another gracefully. 
Written by: Ancient Hand
Aggression and forthrightness are the key components of Code Orange’s attitude. After the release of their incredibly well-received album Forever, the band maintained a certain level of aloofness and, well, fuck-you-ness. While some perceive this attitude as cocky and narcisistic, this attitude truly stems from the group’s hardcore/punk roots. The band’s DIY nature still exists to this day-- despite their Grammy nomination and signing to Roadrunner, the band still packages and ships their own merch. This fierce devotion to their craft also translates into a ferocious protection over their artistic direction. After the worldwide success of Forever, it may have been anticipated that the band would lighten their sound and move forward in a “Bleeding in the Blur” style where Reba Meyers would sing the band into top-rock-chart stardom. However, the band’s first record in three years, Underneath, does anything but.  Written by: Loveloth (parodically)
Lo! Greetings, insignificant mortals. It is I, Loveloth, your omniscient and gloriously betentacled Overlord. [brief pause, as to allow the audience of thousands to gasp in awe] In all my infinite wisdom, I have decided this day to abandon my Gazebo in order to rectify a terrible mistake--namely, the travesty that was the Sleeping Village Year End List. If you missed it, worry not: it was an embarrassing miscalculation, nothing more. Thus, I am here to provide the Village's loyal readership with the One Trve AoTY List. Behold!  Remember Creatrix? I sure as hell do. It wasn’t too long ago that The Last Martyr shook the walls of ye olde Sleeping Village with their stupendous debut EP. While we’ve been slumbering, they, evidently, have been putting in the work: this Aussie outfit seemingly cranks out high-quality singles with the aptitude and piston-like precision of a well-oiled machine. It feels strange to refer to such newcomers as “markedly consistent,” but here we are, appraising a band with, like, six songs to their name as if they were genre mainstays. And all after a significant lineup change, no less. Every foray into the studio inevitably results in another solid track showcasing the band's assorted strengths in equal measure, and with their latest, The Last Martyr predictably utilized the formula to great success once more.
 Written by: Izzy
Despite often on first glance appearing as a metalhead, probably because I’m oft wearing my Slayer or Gojira tshirts, I actually consider myself much more of a hardcore kid at heart. I never cared for classic punk, and my dad raised me on Dio and Black Sabbath so it was natural I grew up mostly in the metal scene, but as I got older and learned about more genres adjacent and outside of metal, when I finally dove into hardcore something about the music and community just grabbed me and I’ve felt so at home there ever since. Don’t get me wrong, metalheads are great people (usually), but the hardcore community was so accepting, progressive minded, filled with activists looking for a change, it felt like where I belonged, much more than any metal community I had been a part of. So, in the span of a couple years I went from a diehard metalhead to a straight-edge core kid, I guess you could call me…Transgenre. Okay okay I just really wanted to make that joke. I’ll actually start the review now.  Finding excellence in unexpected places is one of the greatest joys in the (otherwise sordid) life of a music-reviewing scribe. While I haven’t been terrible vocal on this forum regarding personal opinions on melodic metalcore/post-hardcore, here’s a primer: I don’t explore those particular bogs frequently, as the vast majority seems to exist in a nebulous state of commercial creative regurgitation. And I don’t like bile on my boots.
But, on infrequent yet glorious occasion, a band like The Last Martyr takes elements of an established sound, add their own spin, and elevate said genre out of the murk. At risk of spoiling the rest of this damn review, let’s just say that Creatrix, the stellar debut EP before ye, succeeds enormously in this regard. 
Cloistered high in the Sleeping Village’s Ivory Tower, amidst the industry of scratching quills and churning parchment, this particular scribe enjoys a moment of reflection, now and again. Without getting preachy, today’s topic is an unfortunate trap that I find myself falling into: I pigeonhole certain genres (and, by extension, bands) as intellectual, operating in contrast to those who are driven by emotion. As a thought process that unconsciously promotes a high-over-low-brow mentality, it’s particularly dangerous when this becomes a system for ranking the quality of music. The takeaway? There are multiple factors that define a band’s sound and approach, and if you approach new music assuming otherwise, you miss out. Case in point: Bather. With a bio that refers to Thomas Hobbes’ civility-be-damned exposé of humanity’s ugly underbelly, William Etty’s Musidora: The Bather 'At the Doubtful Breeze Alarmed, and the poet James Thompson’s Summer, it’s apparent that this Columbus, Ohio quintet approaches art from a decidedly well-read standpoint.
But does that mean their sound itself is stuffy and esoteric? Not in the slightest. Sonically, Bather recalls the good ol’ early days of ‘core, before everything was brought down by uninspired breakdowns and drenched in sappy lyricism. Y’know, neutered. They eschew the jubilantly punk oriented sound of the earliest acts--i.e. Agnostic Front--but 90’s frontrunners such as like Indecision’s Unorthodox, Integrity’s System Overload, or perhaps Hatebreed’s Under the Knife get you in a similar arena of hardcore spite and sasquatchian riffage. Promo material rightly compares Bather’s furious sound to Destroy the Machines, the debut album from metalcore tough guys Earth Crisis. Aggressive, dense, misanthropic. Throw in a healthy dose of death-tinged sludge for good measure. Influences aside, Bather are undeniable bruisers. Drums are clobbered into submission, and the guitar is...weaponized, for lack of a better word. Whether chugging or thrumming, this tone is walloped around like a bat wrapped in barbed wire. The riffs themselves, while mighty, exist largely as a staging ground for muscular vocals, which act as the debut’s hooven glue. Like a wasp-stung muskox, this guy grunts and yelps with vivacious intensity. He alternates between styles of delivery with a certain abandon that, while seeming wild, is undoubtedly calculated. This expressive range lends Bather a dynamism that is frankly stunning for such a belligerent brand of ‘core. Look the the chorus on “All Dark Rooms,” or to the moments between chugs on “Birds,” where the vocals are particularly repugnant (and this, of course, in the best sense of the word). Thick, brooding, swathed in sweat. Even the more straightforward delivery on “The Path” utilizes a burly knuckle-dragging swagger, which is, in time, counteracted by a higher pitched tone. It’s both brutal and nuanced. A hard balance to hit. 
As a result, nothing here feels stale. Take, for example, the aformentioned “All Dark Rooms,” which adjusts the tempo and general atmosphere, bringing the aggression from a boil to a menacing simmer. Similarly, closing track “Leaves Like Bones” changes the pace to a near-dirge at points, which is a well-played distraction from the fury of prior tracks. The latter may have succeeded more so as a mid-album interlude of sorts, as a punchier conclusion may have left the audience with a fresher welt. An exceedingly minor complaint, however, because in reality, reaching the end is essentially an open invitation to smash the repeat.
It's grimy, but beyond that, the whole affair is tinged with the miasma of sin. By tapping into the aggression, tension, and brutality of a short life sans society, Bather have done the near-impossible: they’ve crafted a metalcore album that holds appeal for academic riff-addicts. Honestly, when’s the last time you’ve been able to say that about ‘core? This debut is an impressive feat. Highly recommended. Bather’s self-titled debut will be released April 12th, 2019 from Appalachian Noise Records.  Speaking generally, I'm the only villager 'round these parts with a particular (read: desperate) affinity for the lower 'n' slower end of the sub-genre spectrum. Something that is a. decidedly not doomy, and b. accessible by design doesn't, then, necessarily fit in my wheelhouse. Describing themselves simply as "an American metal band," the vision of Gods Shall Burn is "to breathe new life into a dying scene." You know what that means, folks: it's 'core time. You know how long it's been since I've reliably listened to the chug-leaden strains of metalcore? I'm not necessarily the most experienced in these testosterone waters. A little out of the ordinary, but hey, sometimes you just need a goddamn breakdown. Thus: "Reborn." The breakdown on single "Reborn" itself, lest ye be misled, is actually handled quite impressively. Rather than devolving into generic chugs without actually preparing a structure to actually, well, break down, Gods Shall Burn hit with an absolute ripper. Simple yet engaging grooves lead the charge, but the true star here is the interplay between harsh and cleans. In terms of the latter, think the fresh-faced energy of mid-era Of Mice & Men, without the obnoxious filters. These are offset nicely by the growls, which remain surprisingly massive, carrying a substantial heft and displaying tangible grit. As with the genre in general, the low end feels limited in terms of sheer impact, but to Mr. Mammola's credit, the drums carry themselves with a hollow forward-facing weight. All told? Well played. "Reborn" has been the most repeated track on my gym playlist for, like, a month. Does Gods Shall Burn represent a metalcore renaissance? Doubtful, but I'm genuinely looking forward to some quality time spent with their debut EP, Life After Last, which will hit sometime soon. In the meantime, listen to "Reborn" below. Written by: Ancient Hand Ranging from the most extreme to the most ethereal, a wide range of genres are represented--and appreciated--here at the Sleeping Village. In that adventurous spirit, here are Ancient Hand's top 20 albums of 2018.  20. THOSE POOR BASTARDS - Inhuman Nature Those Poor Bastards follow up their 2016 album, Sing it Ugly, with Inhuman Nature—an album that I was very excited about. Their previous album had some songs that I loved, but I found it to be one of the band’s weaker overall due to its overly grating production and repetitive sounds. My favorite album from the group is Satan is Watching, which features the band embracing more dark and sinister sounds. Luckily, just as much variation on that album was utilized by the band on this new release. This new album from the duo was announced with the single “Snake-Tongued Deceiver,” which features production that places the album in the time period that it aims to emulate. The rest of the album fell in line with this single; the production is fun and allows for bouncy rhythms, which are usually brought about through the incredibly fun synth work. The vocals have an interesting inflection that brings a melancholic mood to the bouncy music. Overall, I had a ton of fun with this album. Favorite Tracks: Heap Bad Medicine, Snake Tongued Deceiver, Blow Wind  19. RIVERS OF NIHIL - Where Owls Know My Name An interesting blend of jazz instrumentation and death metal. I don’t think either aspect of the album is the best in its respective genre, but I do think that the blend offers a ton of interesting material to enjoy. Catchy guitar riffs, fast-paced drumming, atmospheric instrumentation placed with the brutal vocals makes for one of the year’s most headbang-inducing albums! Favorite Tracks: Terrestria III: Wither, The Silent Life, Where Owls Know My Name  18. ZEAL & ARDOR - Stranger Fruit After my review of their debut album, Devil is Fine, Zeal & Ardor essentially did exactly what I wanted from them on their follow-up; the electronic elements took a backseat and left room for the chilling mix of blues and black metal. The haunting atmosphere of this album alone makes it one of the year’s most engaging releases, and pairing that atmosphere with the impressive instrumentation gives you one hell of a terrifying, catchy album. Favorite Tracks: Intro, We Can’t Be Found, Stranger Fruit  17. UADA - Cult of a Dying Sun Uada followed up my favorite album of 2016 with an incredibly punishing, yet slightly bloated, sophomore album. I really wanted to love this album, and I was happy when it lived up to my expectations. I still feel that the run time is a little too long for the lack of variation, but the material on the album is very much worthwhile, nonetheless. Favorite Tracks: The Purging Fire, Cult of a Dying Sun, Mirrors  16. IDLES - Joy As An Act of Resistance Positive and bouncy, this punk album is filled with fist-pumping anthems that will get stuck in your head for days. Favorite Tracks: Television, Danny Nedelko, Colossus  15. ARCHITECTS - Holy Hell Architects return from losing an integral member of their band to cancer with an incredibly moving metalcore record. The pained screams from frontman Sam Carter nearly make the entire release for me. The use of strings throughout the album elevate it to heights so epic that all you can feel is the emotion put into the music. While it may not be the most technically proficient album of the year, it is one of the heaviest when it comes to emotional weight. Favorite Tracks: Royal Beggars, Holy Hell, The Seventh Circle  14. IMMORTAL - Northern Chaos Gods Immortal returns with one of the best albums of their career. This release is filled with incredible riffs and drumming. The vocals are amazing, and the epic atmosphere puts the last 15 years of their discography to shame. Similar to Uada, I felt that this release was maybe one song too long, but otherwise, I just wish more albums could successfully achieve the atmosphere this album does. Favorite Tracks: Mighty Ravendark, Northern Chaos Gods, Gates to Blashyrkh  13. BEARTOOTH - Disease Beartooth started off strong. Their debut EP was some of the most scathing and brutal metalcore I had heard when it dropped. Their debut album introduced more melody, and their sophomore album made me doubt that they could ever recapture the same magic. I seriously lost a lot of hope after their 2014 album, Aggressive. That is, until I started hearing the singles from Disease. This album is an experiment in metalcore. Elements from punk, classic rock, and emo find their places in the tracklist. A varied listen, and with most of the experimentation playing off so successfully, this album is one of the year’s best—and potentially the band’s best release ever. Favorite Tracks: Greatness or Death, Afterall, Clever  12. BROCKHAMPTON - iridescence BROCKHAMPTON have all eyes on them. Their careers are at the point where they can either propel themselves even more into the realm of hip-hop’s bests, or they can lose it all. After last year’s releases and the controversy surrounding one of their members, a lot rode on this album. Luckily, their new album, iridescence, sees the bands at potentially their most cohesive. All the members seem to be on the page, and the frustration with their current states of life shine through in a multitude of sounds—from chaotic to beautiful. It is definitely a step in the right direction, and I look forward to seeing what else they can achieve. Favorite Tracks: San Marcos, J'ouvert, Tonya  11. NOW, NOW - Saved Now, Now released one of my favorite albums of all time in 2012 with Threads. I have been waiting nearly 6 years for their follow-up, and during that wait, the group’s sound changed drastically. Now only a two-piece, Now, Now have created Saved, a synth-pop album that relies more on the vocal melodies of Cacie than the drumming of Bradley. Luckily, Cacie delivers. Cuts like AZ and MJ show her as a strong and capable frontwoman. Not every track lands the same way these do, but when the duo is able to achieve the sound they’re going for, it is clear this change in their sound works to take their musical prowess in a direction with tons of possibilities. Hopefully, we don’t have another six-year wait ahead of us. Favorite Tracks: MJ, AZ, P0wder  10. MOUNT EERIE - Now Only Mount Eerie followed up one of 2017’s best albums with an equally crushing and emotional musical journey. This time around, the songs make use of more typical music motifs, but the result is just as difficult to listen to. I sincerely hope things get better for Phil and his family. Favorite Tracks: Earth, Crow, Pt. 2, Distortion  9. HORRENDOUS - Idol Horrendous continue to put out impressive music. Idol is an incredibly interesting and engaging listen that grabs your attention and refuses to let go until it the entire album is done. The interesting and catchy riffs, the howling vocals, and the punishing drumming all culminate into an oddly melodic yet brutal album; oxymoronic as it may seem, this album deserves to be heard. Favorite Tracks: Soothsayer, Divine Anhedonia, Obolus  8. PANOPTICON - The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness I & II Panopticon tried something incredibly interesting on this release: separating the folk elements from the black metal elements into two separate albums, culminating into one epic release. I was worried about this release feeling way too long, but I was shocked to find a release of this length so engaging. The black metal album features some awesome riffs, but the folk album sees Panopticon in a new and fascinating light. The alternation between fast folk music and slower cuts keeps the second album at the forefront of your attention even after it ends. Favorite Tracks: The Moss Beneath The Snow, (Cowering) At The Foot Of The Mountain, Blåtimen, Sheep in Wolves Clothing  7. MGMT - Little Dark Age MGMT released my favorite (spoiler alert) pop album of the year. The incredibly proficient synth work that culminates in a strange, dark album with catchy vocal leads and great guitar works makes for a listen that is fun, haunting, and introspective. Cuts like the title track, “Tslmap,” and “She Works Out Too Much” are just some of the best the duo has to offer, and don’t forget the David Bowie worship on “When You’re Small.” If you haven’t heard this album, you need to. Favorite Tracks: Little Dark Age, Tslamp, When You’re Small  6. PORTAL - Ion Ion is crushing. Ion is punishing. Ion is a tumble into an oppressive abyss that doesn’t let up even beyond its runtime. The chilling vocals and distorted guitars are paired with cacophonous drums and dark atmospheric passages that dizzy you unlike anything you have heard this year. In a word, this album is revolutionary. I only wish all death metal could be this good. Favorite Tracks: Esp Ion Age, Olde Guarde, Husk  5. KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Kids See Ghosts Kanye West and Kid Cudi joined forces to create my favorite hip-hop album of the year. The sounds on this album range from vibrant and beautiful atmosphere to rock to punishing and aggressive rap. I love the wide array of sounds in such a short and concise album. Favorite Tracks: Feel the Love, 4th Dimension, Cudi Montage  4. MESARTHIM - The Density Parameter Mesarthim is one of my favorite current black metal projects. Their unique blend of synth and black metal into a dancy and trance-inducing project is nothing short of fascinating. Their new release saw the project embrace more of the dance rhythms that are present in their music. A bold decision that paid off; this album is a work of art. Favorite Tracks: Recombination, Ω, Collapse  3. UNDEROATH - Erase Me Underoath, my favorite band of all time, dropped their return album—their first in 8 years and their first with Aaron behind the kit in 10 years. While some cuts on the album don’t reach the same heights that they reached in the past, there are some incredible cuts on this album that showcase the ferocity and drive that the band showed off in their mid-2000s releases. Even the most melodic cuts are something to behold, with “I Gave Up” being an Underoath that we have never heard, and I am excited to hear more from. It is really when Underoath tries to walk the line between these two sounds, things slip up. Luckily, there are very few cuts on this album where it seems they’re trying to do that. Favorite Tracks: No Frame, In Motion, I Gave Up  2. BLACK TONGUE - Nadir Nadir is the most crushing release of 2018. From the pounding instrumentals that take influence from deathcore, doom metal, black metal, and harsh noise to the lyrics that drag you to the area between “life and death and time,” Black Tongue make you see your innermost demons on this release, and there is no solace to be found at the end of the album. Favorite Tracks: The Eternal Return to Ruin, Parting Soliloquy, Crippled Before the Dwelling Place of God  1. SILENT PLANET - When the End Began When the End Began is this year’s best album. The entire package is perfect. The lyrics are moving and show an incredible amount of awareness in our current, messed-up world, and the storyline that is used to explore the different apocalypses that we may face is fascinating. Silent Planet have outdone every release of theirs. They have crafted an album that I believe is truly perfect. Favorite Tracks: All of them, but Lower Empire is my favorite song of the year Thank you so much for reading my top 20 albums of 2018! For my top 6 releases (and a few more), you can head over to my Instagram, @TheAncientHand, to read my more in-depth reviews.
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We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry!
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