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UNDERKING - At Hell's Gate (Review)

4/1/2021

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Tomorrow, April 2nd, we'll be publishing an interview with Maxwell Jeffries of Underking. Stay tuned!  - Ed. 

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Written by: The Administrator

Please understand, dear reader, that when I say that At Hell’s Gate is my favorite album o’ the year thusfar, I’m not being dramatic for the sake of it. In March, my proposed review schedule was utterly strangled by this damn thing--garroted and left in the spring mud. Rather than checking out new stuff, or catching up on older stuff, I have found myself, time and time again, hitting repeat on Underking.

As such, enjoying this album was never in question; it was an inevitability. I’ve written pretty extensively about
Underking in the past few months, and have immensely enjoyed--publicly and privately--the three pre-release singles. As such, the ultimate conclusion here isn’t exactly a secret: in this scribe's humble estimation, At Hell’s Gate is a stellar album, and Underking is an underrated talent who--if there is any justice in this world--will be turning many a headbanging head in very short order.

​
Underking--the moniker of the very talented Maxwell Jeffries--plays a stupidly infectious blend of traditional heavy metal, thrash, alternative metal, and NWOBHM, all encased in a decidedly modern sheen. Across the varied breadth of At Hell’s Gate, Jeffries sounds like he’s paying homage to a veritable horde of influences, while simultaneously delivers a fresh-faced take on the side of metal that revels in jubilant hooks, catchy choruses, and enthusiastic groove. Underking arrives at hell’s gate with glee-inducing energy and a penchant for catchy-as-hell songwriting, and if that ain’t enough to wet yer whistle, I can offer nothing but sympathy and condolences.


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FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - March 12th, 2021, Feat.  Underking, Rise To The Sky, Necropanther, and WitchTit

3/12/2021

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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’ll be--and have been--listening to this week at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

Note: All of today's releases are independently released, which is a direction we're increasingly trying to move with this column. Show 'em some support!

​On the docket for today, March 12th, 2021:
 Underking, Rise To The Sky, Necropanther, and WitchTit

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Underking - Red Sun Rises (Single)

Look, if you're sick of me talking about the majesty that is one-man act Underking, you're just gonna have to get over it. His forthcoming album At Hell's Gate is already one of my most-listened-to albums o' the year, and the track before ye is one of many reasons why. "Red Sun Rises" presents some 
really nicely paced trad metal, accompanied by the same killer vocals we've come to expect. In classic Underking fashion, this one is inspired by Théoden's speech at Pelennor fields. In other words, it is practically imbued with that sweet, sweet Rohirrim gallop. Bottom line: if you enjoy deep of heavy metal as a general rule, you owe it to yerself to check out this absolute banger of a track. 

Find it on bandcamp here!

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Rise To The Sky - Let Me Drown With You

I mentioned this over on the ol' Twitter last night, but it bears repeating. 
Back in January, when we premiered a track from this beast of an album, I was pretty impressed. But after weeks of listening, I can comfortably say that this is one of the best death-doom albums I've heard in a very long time. It's moody, and dense, and emotional, and remarkably intense. I spent last night sitting in the back yard doing the 1000-yard stare with this album cranked to 11, and the experience predictably delivered the perfect blend of thoughtful melancholy and subtle glimmer of triumph that this album is founded upon. Rise To The Sky is the real deal. Let there be no doubt of that.

​Find it on bandcamp here!


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GRAVE DISGRACE - Rest In Peace (Review)

9/11/2020

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Written by: The Administrator 

The brand of doom exemplified by Russia's own Grave Disgrace is monolithic, plain and simple. The original prototype. The standard by which all are judged. In other words...this stuff is pretty blatantly cast from the Black Sabbath mold. It's dark and menacing in the sense of being produced in a time where a mere mention of the occult is enough to send tingles down the spine. It's gothic and ominous in a delightfully indulgent fashion--like unto watching a Vincent Price film during a thunderstorm, the rich atmosphere is oh-so comforting. This is traditional doom in it's purest sense, and while a lot of Sabbath or Candlemass knockoffs inevitably exist out there, I seldom encounter a band that nails the proto stuff so accurately and adequately.


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POEMA ARCANVS - Stardust Solitude (Review)

8/20/2020

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Written by: Lord Hsrah

This year has brought us doom metal in bunches and numbers so far, and there's much more to come. Different people feel things in different ways, and this impacts their way of translating it into art--music, more specifically. We associate doom metal with a variety of feelings and emotions, which are invoked by the myriad of different forms they are offered by different bands. But with Poema Arcanvs, it's a different ball game altogether, as they bring forth a slamming, crushing and heavy slab of doom that's an abstraction of its own. Ladies and gents, I present to you: Stardust Solitude!

Long standing flagbearers of Chilean doom metal, Poema Arcanvs (pronounced 'arcanus') have acquired a legendary status over the years, having churned out impressive albums, one after the other since their inception in the early 90s. Their sixth offering, Stardust Solitude, is the next in line to be branded with the Poema Arcanvs stamp, and let me tell you, it's an absolute juggernaut! Drawing inspiration from the early works of the famous Peaceville Three (that's My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost for those who don't know) among others, and blending in their own style to create a monstrous fusion of exquisite doom, Stardust Solitude is tailor-made to be this sonic powerhouse whose sole purpose is to beat down on your ears as your brain ejaculates litres of serotonin and adrenaline in your body!


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