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

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

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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!

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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!

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Dialith - Atrophy
(Independently Released)

Firstly, a PSA: if ye missed Dialith's utterly fantastic debut album, 2019's Extinction Six, I highly recommend giving it a listen. On Atrophy, a 4-track EP, these symphonic power metallers illustrate clearly why they are increasingly a force to be reckoned with. In a space that is littered with saccharine sappiness and more cheese than one can safely consume, Dialith manage to ground the high-flying vocals in appropriately meaty riffage and the kind of songwriting that consistently employs a sense of forward momentum. Most notably, a striking characteristic is the ability to avoid an unfortunate trope: power metal that is essentially constructed on a pop framework. While the choruses are undeniably catchy, they aren't the singular element that holds the Dialith approach together.

Despite the EP's title, absolutely nothing here is languid, and Dialith hath experienced no wilting nor decay. Despite an intrinsic vibrancy, nothing sits and basks in its own lush presence. If you're in the mood for something symphonic on this fine Friday, give Atrophy a moment of yer time.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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White Crone - Stargazer (Rainbow cover)
(Independently Released)
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I'm not sure if there's an existing maxim regarding the considerable talent one must possess in order to emulate the one and only Ronnie James Dio...but there probably should be. In any case, White Crone's Lisa Mann has the chops. This fairly faithful (albeit slightly lengthier) cover of Rainbow's iconic "Stargazer" carries itself with confidence and absolutely nails it in the execution department. If yer rockin' it with that combo, you can't exactly go wrong. Mann's voice is powerful as ever, recalling that crisp-yet-dramatic Dio quality. The vocals are simply stellar, doing a mighty track the justice it deserves. Vinny Appice sits at the kit, lending a little more credence that, if we're being honest, is hardly required. 

I'm strongly of the mind that while his later work was undeniably a little more polished, Dio's Rainbow era represents some of his most energetic and exciting delivery. Few acts could provide a cover that captures the spirit of the OG, but White Crone delivers in spades. Recommended for anyone craving a revitalization of that timeless old-skool vibe.

​Find it on spotify here!

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