Written by: Blackie Skulless
Around the time I would have just begun discovering metal, Ohio thrashers Vindicator grew into their sound following the release of a full-length titled There Will Be Blood. Through the years of digging up underground thrash, I’d somehow overlooked them in the mix of the Municipal Waste and Violator types of the time. While having far more in common with the latter, this outfit’s first record pulls away the cleaner layers. The end result would be a stripped-down tongue-in-cheek thrash record with a teutonic inspired edge without feeling too extreme. From the get-go, you can tell that Vindicator knows how to run fast with an idea without taking themselves too seriously. The frontman going by “Marshall Law,” and song titles like “New Clear Assault” or “Thrash And Destroy” are a pretty good (v)indicator that they’re here for a good time. Simple, somewhat by-the-book song structures carry the majority of the disc, sticking with speed as the backbone for the thirty-minute runtime. A raspy snarl not unlike Mem V. Stein of earlier Exumer records coat the surface from end to end, blending nicely with the rusty but still sharp rhythms.
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Written by: Blackie Skulless
While Portland, Oregon’s Witch Vomit have been around for over a decade, picking up bigger attention in the latter half of that decade, it took a while for them to appeal to me. Their brand of death metal focuses on the old school style, sticking to the usual themes of death and gore under a raw and guttural veneer. Normally that jumps right out to me, but for some reason it took the more refined approach of 2021’s Abhorrent Rapture to hook me. From there, the latest Funeral Sanctum seems to have followed suit, striking quite a strong chord. As anticipated, much of this follows the same marshy riffing with a cleaner production that doesn’t feel inorganic. Heavy and chunky riffing backed by pummeling drums that tend to coat on an echo with the bass kicks add an extra layer of muck, making it so guitar solos never take too much precedence. In other words, they feel focused without being the star of the show. This allows the rhythms section a little more prominence, which just may be what captures my attention the most. Written by: The Administrator Given an interest in both cryptids and excellent music, I am a proud Mothman and the Thunderbirds fanboy. Ever since hearing and subsequently reviewing the crisply remastered version of "Simpson = Real Footage," one of my favorite tracks from 2021's debut Into the Hollow, I've been dying for news of a follow-up album. Into The Hollow presented a near-endlessly intriguing and eclectic weirdo blend of prog and sludge, but over time, Alex Parkinson has increasingly leaned into more infectiously poppy songwriting and production that feels lush and oh-so clean. The latter comes from Egor Lappo, who has polished away sludgy scuzz to exceptional results. The weirdness remains, however, and in the latest stage of evolution, the band labels their blend of "adventurous prog, thrilling hard rock, and dreamy psychedelia" as "dream metal." I'll be damned if that isn't a damn fine descriptor. Which brings us, conveniently enough, to today's premiere. Mothman and the Thunderbirds will be releasing the intensely enjoyable Portal Hopper on July 12th. We're honored to present here the lead single and album opener "Ruby Skies." Check it out below via the bombastic lyric video, and, as always, we'll await your arrival on the other side! Written by: Blackie Skulless Seeing that ol’ Bruce hasn’t put out a solo effort since 2005, and that the latest Iron Maiden record didn’t exactly blow me away, I was a little unsure of what to expect from The Mandrake Project. As time passes on and veteran musicians struggle to keep the capacity going, it often tends to fall into the “hit or miss” category. But, more often than not, more time between records will work to your advantage. Bruce Dickinson further solidified this idea, as his latest effort truly did blow me away. The Mandrake Project is a culmination of many things not too unordinary for the British frontman, meaning its magic doesn’t rest in anything new. Rather, this is an exceptional exercise of tactics that he had mastered between his own career and his several decades in Iron Maiden alike. Modern production values with deep distortion on the riffing works entirely to this album’s advantage, all the while sneaking in a hefty amount of raw emotion and beautiful story-telling. Writing a record that focuses on only one of these properly is impressive, let alone all of them.
Written by: The Administrator
I love Fuzznaut. I love Fuzznaut in the same way I love a warm quilt or the alluring drone of a rainstorm over a tin roof. Fuzznaut tends to ooze comfort, writing the kind of music that effortlessly epitomizes calmness in aural form. This new single--"Spacerock," dropping this Friday, May 3rd--continues an increasingly trademark trend. Although undoubtedly spaced out and cosmic in scope, there's nothing here that recalls the chilling vastness and isolation of space. This track, like unto everything else Fuzznaut has released to date, is warm and lush and oh-so immersive. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's usher in today's track in question. We're honored and pleased to present the stellar "Spacerock" below. Give it a well-deserved listen. We'll meet ye, as always, on the other side!
Written by: The Administrator
The promo email for NODINE's Amateur Land was unexpected but far from unwelcome. The artist behind black metal outfit Ainor switched gears and now makes rap/trap/experimental hip hop under a new moniker, released via Syrup Moose Records? In the world of artistic development, that's an exciting switchup. My interest? Considerably piqued. While the genre tags may imply a shiny polish, this isn't clean stuff from a production standpoint--it feels like the rap equivalent of a classically homegrown bedroom black metal project. That, my friends, is by no means a bad thing. Amateur Land feels homegrown in the best sense, providing an eclectic spread that feels tangible and human and raw. There's some trap, some borderline rage-fueled horrorcore, some minimalistic boom bap, and requisite let-me-get-a-braggadocious-one-in-real-quick freestyles. Every track brings something new to the formula, giving the whole affair a very exploratory feel, almost like NODINE is attempting to map complex terrain via the light of glowstick. In a world where artists are all-too-oft trapped in a trademark aesthetic, I find significant value in a deliberately eclectic collection of sights and sounds. It can make for a jarring listening experience, but consider: being jarred is good.
Written by: The Administrator
A quick stroll through the archives will indicate that we slumbering and ink-splattered scribes are no strangers to hosting a good ol' Through Mists premiere. Back in 2022 we dropped a couple if 'em back-to-back, writing about the both the overtly referential "Awaken The Sleeping Village" and the epic bird-centric concept album "Mindless Automations." Since then, Through Mists has proven prolific to an intimidating degree, releasing a frankly astounding six(!) albums in 2023. Of these, I was a particular fan of Starkiller, which embraced an aggressive yet proggy sonic palette and a distinctly mythical lyrical direction. Perhaps the best album from the project to date, in my opinion. Time moves on, and the Through Mists machine churns ever onward, albeit with a slightly longer timeframe separating the old and new material. And so here we are, with a new Through Mists release on the cusp of official droppage. The appropriately entitled Prolific--a four track EP--will be available tomorrow, April 25th. In the hours preceding, we are honored to host a premiere of the EP in full here in our less-than hallowed halls. Give it a listen below! As always, we'll meet ye on the other side to discuss.
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Leave it to Trevor to take me out of review retirement, huh. Year after year, I have found myself writing (at least) a review for Haunt annually. Anybody who has followed me knows how much I love everything from Mind Freeze and before, and how much I love different things about each following record without my mind needing to be blown. Well, I guess Dreamers is the one to break that trend, because boy do things actually take a turn here! Not to say that Haunt has stepped away from the heavy metal genre, but this is the most significant deviation from their classic core that we’ve gotten thus far. Rather than being another cut of stripped-down traditional metal with mildly varying toppings, this lifts up different layers to take the forefront. Strangely, the vocals and guitars swap taking a backseat despite still being a vital ingredient, depending on the track. The drum clashes pop harder than ever, and the synths feel like a tool to cast a mistier atmosphere rather than being another outlet for melody like on former records.
Written by: The Administrator
Those of you with an uncanny memory may recall that, towards the end of my recent review of Megafauna's eerie and excellent Venator, I made mention of a premiere. Here we are, folks. Venator will officially be released this Friday, April 19th, via Syrup Moose Records, but if you're unwilling to wait, we invite you to listen to it in full below. Of course, some preparation is called for If you're invested in full experience, I highly recommend hiking into the deepest darkest forest you can reasonably find. Walk until you find a dilapidated shack, or perhaps a large pile of bones that look suspiciously familiar. Set up camp. Wait for dark, and then wait for your flashlight battery to die. Make peace with the fact that there is almost certainly something in the woods, and i̵̲̾͑̏t̷̜̝̳̏ ̸̼͝i̴͉̥̲̗͋̊s̵̨̬̹͙͓͕̿̈̉̔̌͠ ̵̡̭̜̩͌̈́̽͛̌̚ͅͅw̶̧̹̮̯̌̈ą̴̹̼̮̼̖́̆̑͆̓͝t̵̨̨͇̺̂̇̇̅͆̋͜͠c̶̢̧̻̞̈́̓͝ḥ̶̢͐̉̄̓̓̋i̷̦͈̠̎̇̊͂̔͠n̵̼͛g̴̨̮͉̲̠͆. Check out Venator below, and, as always, we'll meet you on the other side. Much to the chagrin of pretty much everyone, I'm not done waxing poetic just yet. In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Here's a mini-review of the latest single from an artist that made my 2023 EP list. Written by: The Administrator It is time, dear readers, for something completely different. che's excellent Crueger made the cut for my list of favorite 2023 EP's, largely due to a sense of overblown excess that smothered the minimalism of his breakout "euphoria." Indeed, to quote my review, Crueger proudly displayed the "maximalism of horrorcore and rage with the arguably more maximalist maximalism of Chicago drill." Given this apparent dedication to generally weird and ominous vibes, I've quite enjoyed che's sound, especially his most recent output. The two singles released this year thusfar are a little more bright, a little less obfuscated and claustrophobic, yet still notably weird. He dropped the one-off "bae" back in February, which I enjoyed, but "Miley Cyrus," released March 27th, is truly excellent in my humble opinion. The production on "Miley Cyrus," courtesy of Prettifun, is comparatively crisp and clean with moments of thickly grounded bass, giving the whole affair a certain oomph. The production is sure-assured, layered enough to feel full yet never overwhelming che's presence. It's also a small thing, but I really enjoy the track's conclusion as the components fall apart in a fun sonic de-evolution. As for che, his flow is trippy and hypnotic; he glides over the beat in a way that feels more effortlessly than past efforts. This is the epitome of smooth delivery. What the fuck is he saying? Individual words and phrases are apparent, but when you string it all together, I have no clue what meaning the lyrics impart. Does that matter? Not at all. The uncertainty of what it all means is only exemplified by the video, which features a series of seemingly random bits of footage--some mundane, some unsettling. The whole thing appears to have been edited by someone swiftly fluctuating between paranoid insomnia and hallucinatory threshold consciousness. It's groggy and delirious and oddly intoxicating. Much like the song itself, I can't see many Sleeping Village regulars vibing with the experience per se, but I wholeheartedly encourage checking out weird underground shit on mere principle. This isn't a bad place to dive in. Overexplaining seems antithetical to the music itself, so I'll shut up and let you check it out below. che - Miley Cyrus was released March 27th, 2024 |
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