AMPWALL Roundup: Volume II

Written by: The Administrator

Welcome back to AMPWALL Roundup, our new column dedicated to shining a little light on music that we slumbering scribes find whilst trawling through the explore page over on Ampwall. That "random tag" search feature has turned up some good stuff over the past week.

If you don't know what this whole Ampwall thing is all about, please take a quick gander at Volume I, where we get a little more in-depth regarding the many virtues of the new platform/marketplace/community. We here at ye olde Sleeping Village are big advocates for the integration of additional resources into the independent artist's promo toolkit. To that end, having more music-purchasing people become aware of Ampwall's existence will only help it grow as a viable option moving forward.

Anyways, let's get to the music! Below are 6 (more!) bands I highly recommend checking out.

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Tarnished Legends - Dominula (June 21st, 2024)

For how much dungeon synth I listen to in the quiet day-to-day moments of general existence, I don't really cover it that often 'round these parts. Missed opportunity, really. In any case, on Dominula, Tarnished Legends has created a listening experience that is enchanting on the surface yet notably intimidating beyond the veil. There's a deep-seated creepiness at play here--while listening to opener "Night in the Mistwood," I can visualize stumbling through the dark with a pair of eyes boring a hole in my back. "Bridge of Iniquity" is somber and menacing, the preamble to a villain's entrance, and "Dance of the Godskin Celebrants" in particular is genuinely unnerving. But it's not all foreboding gloom--as the audience surrogate uncovers new environs, the warm sun peaks through the clouds from time to time. This balance keeps a strong narrative and emotional tension burning throughout. One of the more compelling dungeon synth releases of 2024, in my opinion.
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One Eyed Ancestor - Binate (March 29th, 2024)

I have to confess that I did not entirely discover One Eyed Ancestor via Ampwall. I was aware of the name via Syrup Moose Records promo, and had given this debut album a cursory listen around the time of release before getting caught up in the flood of other new music. After seeing the name again, I decided to actually give Binate the dedicated time it deserves...and holy hell. The atmosphere is off the charts on this one. One Eyed Ancestor has fused atmospheric doom with industrial elements in a way that feels both instinctive and wholly unnatural. I love the interplay and implicit tension between the whispered vocals, droning fuzz, churning riffs, and relentlessly crashing percussion. The glitchy facets are exceptionally well integrated, and give the whole project a sense of cold doomed decay. The  composition is clever and engaging, with obvious attention given to the way in which the dynamic transition moments will impact the listener. Bottom line: Binate is simultaneously unsettling and incredibly immersive. This is a headphone album for sure. I highly recommend cranking the volume in the pitch black.

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NightWraith - Divergence (September 13th, 2024)

This album is weird as hell, and it is also fun as hell. That's a win in my book. Nominally melodic death metal, NightWraith embraces various hallmarks of distinct genres with a certain chaotic glee. At the heart of every track, there's a hard rockin' drive and a notable willingness to slather the aggressive underbelly with lovely melodies galore. 80's-esque synths and epic soloing meet thunderous drums, somber growls, and the kind of effortless prog-rock-but-make-it-heavy riffs that would honestly feel forced in the hands of many a progressive death metal band. The unhinged juxtapositions should feel ungainly, but instead lend the whole project a truly unique identity. We've all encountered melodic death metal that has a flair for the dramatic, but NightWraith take the showmanship a step further by injecting their tunes with an overt jubilance. This should all feel less than cohesive, but Divergence works so damn well. In sum, if you're looking for something in the melodeath space that feels original, NightWraith have you covered. This album's eccentricity admittedly takes a while to sink in, but once you're acclimated, it is truly a joy to behold.
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Retrofit - Left Unsaid (November 15th, 2024)

Taking a brief break from full projects for a moment: here is a single, and a debut at that. This trio out of Philadelphia plays "nostalgic post-post-grunge," which sounds both in theory and in practice like music to my angsty ears. "Left Unsaid" is aligned sonically on the more lightfooted side of the alt-rocky/grungy spectrum, initially opting for a sweet melancholy rather than anguished yowls and big noisy riffs. There's a very nice bassline that keeps Nick Boyer's forlorn and ethereal vocals grounded--without the low end providing the tethering, it almost feels like they would float away into the clouds. Things ramp up in the back half after the introduction of yearning leads, piling on the heft bit by bit until the weight finally breaks. I've been listening to this track a ton since release, and am very much looking forward to more from Retrofit.
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Ashen Pall - Chains of the Grindstone (November 25th, 2024)

This EP is still pre-release with one single currently up on Ampwall. However, I've had the pleasure of listening in full, as the band kindly (and serendipitously, I saw the email a few minutes after checking out the single) sent over promo. Ashen Pall plays a dark and dissonant alchemical concoction involving bits of doom, death, black metal, alongside a general apocalyptic miasma. This is oppressive and grim, full stop. "Eclipse," the track available for streaming, initially features a mournful lead and thick application of fuzzy pressure--the soundtrack to planetary descent through the upper atmosphere of a gas giant. And then the drums erupt in a moment of absolute fury, catapulting the track into a higher echelon of intensity. It's a daunting and powerful song, and I'm pleased to report that the remainder of the Chains of the Grindstone is similarly formidable. The EP description indicates that this is "for fans of the bleak and brutal," and I am most certainly inclined to agree. Keep an eye out for this one on November 25th, and hit that pre-order if you are so inclined!
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Chef Mike - Funhouse (January 24th, 2024)

​Let's close out Volume II with something completely different! The remarkably prolific Chef Mike makes beats for weirdos, and this beat tape exemplifies weirdness with a charming fluidity and a goofy sensibility. Instrumental hip hop lives and dies by an ability to consistently integrate ear-catching elements, and Chef Mike has evidently nailed a formula. Many tracks here incorporate an unexpected sound, and a general carnivalesque aesthetic rears its cartoonified head with a delightful frequency. The samples are erratic and pulled from a variety of sources. There's a lot here I enjoy, and the entire project is compulsively listenable. However, for a quick survey of the project's broad scope, I recommend the chilled-out "Hitemup," the romantic "Sundown Joint," the intense "Deliverance," the whimsical "Wise Guys," and the creepy "Jeepers." This latter track feels like the soundtrack to a boom bap carnival. Funhouse is but one of many releases Chef Mike has up on Ampwall; I'll definitely be checking out the others in short order! 

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Thank you for reading and checking out the above bands! Once again, I recommend checking out Ampwall here.