FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - March 26th, 2021, Feat. Breaths, Celestial Sanctuary, Dope Skum, and Seven Serpents

On (most!) Fridays, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s rusted palisade, stuffed to the brim with musical sustenance. Today is the day we must offload 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 listening to today at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

It isn't bandcamp Friday, but...
...that doesn't mean it isn't a great day to support musicians!

​On the docket for today, March 26th, 2021:
Breaths, Celestial Sanctuary, Dope Skum, and Seven Serpents

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Breaths - Lined In Silver
(Trepanation Recordings)

Having premiered 
not one but two tracks from this fantastic debut album, you can rest assured that it carries the (very official) Sleeping Village Seal of Approval. I won't delve too far into reiteration--I recommend reading said premieres for a more in-depth analysis--but in sum, Lined In Silver succeeds enormously at melding seemingly disparate genres in a  fashion that feels both innovative and sincere. Combining traits of post-metal/rock, doom, hardcore, prog, and blackgaze, this album is all over the map, but manages to find a common aesthetic that perfectly serves the storytelling.  Whether engaging in dreamy ambiance, immersive doomgaze, emotive abrasivity, angular aggression, or a general post-rock melancholy, Breaths maintains a wonderfully rare and pure sense of self. There's a tangible emotional weight on display here--the whole affair feels deeply personal. Lined In Silver is an album that rewards (and demands) multiple listens. Don't miss it.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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Celestial Sanctuary - Soul Diminished
(Redefining Darkness & Church Road)

​A confession: I personally have a really hard time writing about death metal. For whatever reason, my vocabulary simply won't warp to the sights and sounds that the genre typically offers. As such, my thoughts often feel stupidly rudimentary: "the riffs are riff-y, the death growls are death-y, and, by sheer benefit of engaging with this album, my head did much banging." Granted, in the case of an album such as Celestial Sanctuary's latest, that level of description/praise feels like it is enough. If you like death metal, you will absolutely enjoy Soul Diminished. It really is that simple.

That's not to say, however, that Celestial Sanctuary don't provide their own perspective. Among the OSDM are glimmers of more experimental fare--a flash of melody, a glimpse of lumbering doom. Notably, they possess the ability to hit hard while keeping light on their feet, and that alone is a quality worth watching. This crew is going places.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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Dope Skum - Tanasi 
​(Independently Released)

Generally speaking, I have a soft spot for debut releases from brand new bands. They reek of raw excitement and potential in a fashion that more polished work down the road generally fails to maintain. Tanasi, the first EP from Chattanooga's Dope Skum, fits the pattern to a tee. In five tracks, this duo offers up a tasty platter of southern-styled stoner riffs, ranging from overt sludge-laden riffage (see lead single "Feast of Snakes,") to a more relaxed heavy psych vibe of ("Chickamauga,") to punky stoner grit a la Iron Monkey. Given the variety of sounds on display, a true strength of Dope Skum is the ability to deliver a lo-fi aesthetic across a variety of sonic directions. As a result, nothing here feels overdone or overwrought.

Needless to say, I'm excited to hear what these guys cook up next, and hope they manage to keep at least a sliver of that tangible DIY aesthetic.

Find it on bandcamp here!

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Seven Serpents - Damned to Existence
​​(Independently Released)

​This name is a throwback for any readers with a stupidly in-depth knowledge of Sleeping Village coverage. Back in the day, we reviewed a bangin' single from West Palm Beach's Seven Serpents, and now they are back with a full damn album. Damned to Existence boasts similar qualities: an "egregiously thicc tone" and "roaring vocals." It's a formula that continues to serve them well, and here, the formula is updated with an increased focus on post-metal and post-hardcore angst. Seven Serpents play a brand of stoner doom/sludge that feels perpetually wrapped in barbed wire; even at its most lightfooted, their sound is intrinsically brutal by benefit of intimidation. Given the length, the aggression can get to be a little much, which means that the back half, which is significantly more contemplative in scope, does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of variety. It's a strong step forward, and well worth yer while.

Find it on bandcamp here!

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