Written by: Blackie Skulless
It’s always a good time finding older extreme metal bands that were ahead of their time. In the era between the thrash revival bands and the prime-time of the genre’s popularity existed acts that bridge that gap, for better or for worse. Sweden’s Bewitched arose at an unfortunate time for their style, cranking out longer records during the boom of the CD with a decent following but overall flying under the radar. However, if there’s one of their records that really does it for me, it’s record number four, 2002’s Rise of the Antichrist. The early 2000s would lay the groundwork for thrash revival to take the world by storm, with the Toxic Holocaust and Municipal Waste types being pivotal in their respective styles. However, I’m of the firm belief that Bewitched added the slightest blackened tint onto an otherwise hardcore-flavored thrash burner over a decade before Power Trip would even break real ground. Much of this record sports minimal in regards to blast-beats, tremolos, or degraded production, yet their evil themes and crushing attitude makes it fit nicely right beside the likes of Bastardizer or Diabolic Night. Thus, it acts like a melting pot of styles that could have given way to all sorts of bands long before their time, but probably didn’t.
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Written by: Blackie Skulless
For over a decade now, the U.S. filth-slingers Act Of Impalement have been reeking up the honky-tonk streets of Nashville. While teetering on the doom side of the death metal spectrum, they’re seldom known for oozing into that rumbly-bumbly howling in their later efforts, at least to a large extent. This is to remain the case on the newest record to hit the scene. While I found the band to be serviceable before, it was 2025’s Profane Altar that truly sold me on them. Out of the gate, I may go as far as saying that the doomier aspects of the outfit are seldom now, opting for something that swings in chops more aligned with the hardcore camp. But fear not, because this doesn’t come close to falling into the dime-a-dozen pitfall not uncommon in many a Gatecreeper riff. No, this retains the grizzly and gross production, chunky and marshy riffs, with a burning buzz that simply takes a stompier angle in the rhythmic executions. “Sanguine Rites” comes to mind, being a fine example of the doomier influence rearing its ugly head, but the boiling center and explosive closing slams are enough to make Harm’s Way blush. Never mind the fact that the dark narratives and grimy tales in the lyrics bolster this to another step.
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. Without further ado:
Written by: The Administrator
In my humble opinion, Burner are on the precipice of being the Next Big Thing in heavy music. Their debut album, 2023's It All Returns to Nothing, was an absolute statement in sheer aggression, and almost certainly the hardest album of 2023. As I said in my favorites-of-the-year list, Burner deal in "vicious and pummeling stuff, and tap an endless well of ferocity. Hard as fuck." Burner are back with a new single, and I'm pleased to report that it could very well qualify as their hardest track to date. "City 17," which explicitly discusses the violence and cultural genocide enacted against the Uyghur people under the Chinese Communist Party, embodies a uniquely menacing aura. It's an intense listen. It's very good. Honestly, there's no shortage of words to describe how supremely heavy this track is. Indeed, any descriptor you might find lurking in the shadowy liminal space between death metal and hardcore feels perfectly appropriate, and perhaps even understated. "City 17" is crushing, volatile, ferocious, skull-shattering, unforgiving, blistering, brutal, pugnacious, surly. It stomps and bludgeons. The guitar tone is truly massive, and the vocals hit a perfect emotive balance between bestial and distinguishable. The track does pull back around the two minute mark, and while the break from sonic bombardment should feel like a reprieve, a constant sense of tension pervades. The inevitable climax casts a dark shadow, and when it arrives, it does so with remarkable violence. The mighty breakdown absolutely clobbers. It is the aural equivalent of blunt force trauma. Incredible stuff. Give it a listen below! I also recommend checking out the video here. Please note content warning for depictions of torture. Burner - "City 17" was released March 18, 2025 via Church Road Records. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
God do I ever love a good grower; take that as a double meaning if you must. Germany’s Victims Of Classwar drew me in not only because of the intriguing band name, but also the album artwork. Never mind the fact that black/thrash with a crust/hardcore edge tends to boast some of the nastiest music you’ll get ahold of, but it leaves even more room for interpretation than your regular black/thrash formula (one that I love dearly). This influence is definitely the lesser focus, but considering the band has been active for nearly fifteen years prior to their debut, you can be pretty certain that Invitation To A Funeral is full of long-time rage. Victims Of Classwar runs with a rather unorthodox presentation that admittedly took more than a listen to grow on me, however getting through that initial phase lets in one of the most interesting and meanest records I’ve heard this year. This isn’t necessarily to say that there aren’t plenty of bands that take this path, but the frontwoman’s vocal approach absolutely pummels you with discomfort and proverbial assault, being the most standout feat. A variation of fairly straightforward blackened shrieks to pain-stricken croaks and degraded howls offer a variety of unsettling feelings that reflect the very perturbing album art. Obviously, the rough production helps this feeling remain, but musically you can definitely tell that there’s a history of dabbling in the hardcore/crust realm.
Curated and Written by: Patrick of Disconnected Souls
In a (continuing) attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're having a band take over the blog each Wednesday to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. Last week's playlist came courtesy of Sofia Frasz from Exiled Hope, but now is time for the change of guard. Patrick from Disconnected Souls is taking over. An eclectic and cinematic ensemble, Disconnected Souls emerged in 2018 out of a desire to incorporate and blend the three great pillars of music: electronic, classical, and metal. The quintet based out of Chester, England, striving to create a distinctive sound that draws upon the depths of metal, while playing with tones and textures. Each member brings a diverse range of musical interests to the table and the resulting sound encompasses a wide variety of instrumental and vocal styles. Their debut conceptional album, Fragments of Consciousness, was released Jan. 19th of this year. Once you've checked out the writeup below, check out Disconnected Souls over on their official website. Without further ado, I'll let Patrick take over!
For this playlist, I (Patrick) have collated a sampling of some of the most influential tracks/albums on my writing process with Disconnected Souls and other projects. These tracks and their associate artists are but a part of the DNA that makes a Disconnected Souls song.
Welcome to the second edition of DEMO(LITION) DERBY, a relatively new column dedicated solely to demos. Bolstering our underground cred since 2024!
Written by: The Administrator
Upon receiving permission to injudiciously trawl the depths of the Sleeping Village's promo pit for demo tapes, our hardworking Pit Herder caught and subsequently presented a writhing haul. A legendary catch. Turns out there's a lot of 'em, folks. It seems like demos are all we're eating these days, and so here is a brief writeup of one of my recent favorites. tethered is a quartet out of London, and this very strong 5-track demo indicates that they are intent on hitting the ground running. Leaning into an overtly emotive DIY aesthetic, tethered state that they are attempting to "bridge the gap between some of the more introspective elements of mid 90's emo and the raw energy of hardcore." In this particular scribe's opinion, they have nailed the execution, and they inherent rough-around-the-edges demo quality only exemplifies their success. This is some vehement and impassioned stuff, particularly in the case of vocalist Rose's intense delivery. Her singing reminds me of an overexposed polaroid, bringing both a sense of nostalgia and a timeless overblown emotive rawness. Take, for example, the strained and vicious "shred." The refrain of "no more patience no more peace" feels like spite incarnate, and the following verse is vengeful in a way that feels both sharply targeted and extremely real. Rose's delivery is hurried, leaving very little room for breath between words, which in turn leads to some heart-palpitating urgency. This trend of energetic emotion is displayed through the demo, and the instrumentation often matches the forward thrust of the vocals. On this note, the drums are notably present across the short breadth, a leading factor in the overall forward momentum of the tracks. On opener "torches," for example, I initially found myself following the drums more than the guitar, which almost serves more texturally. That's not to discredit the riffage, however--I particularly enjoy the jarring guitar work on the spirited "motorhinder." All told, tethered have good reason to be proud of this demo. It is well-constructed, rough and raucous without feeling over the top, and feels exceptionally heartfelt. I'm looking forward to hearing more--should they release an official debut, I'll certainly be checking it out! tethered - demo was released digitally August 19th, 2023, and saw release on cassette via strictly no capital letters. Find it here! 
Written by: The Administrator
After spending a long day trudging through a world that seems fully intent on chewing me up and spitting me out, the first thing I want to do is listen to a band that seems fully intent on chewing me up and spitting me out. No, literally, the very first thing. I get in my car, crank that angry spiteful music, and enjoy life for a little while. Enter Kingston-upon-Hull's Mastiff. Prime candidate for a wholeheartedly cathartic commute. Deprecipice, the band's fourth full length, marks a shift into more overt hardcore waters, allowing the grind, sludge, and deathier elements of their prior work to take more of a back seat. That's not to say, of course, that those qualities have dissipated--more that they have been more fully and organically incorporated into a (somehow) meaner and harder Mastiff sound. We can churn out descriptors all damn day. Deprecipice is seething, ugly, belligerent, harrowing, punishing, relentless, crushing, bleak, vengeful. There's an implicit curiosity that arises from the band's uniquely gnarly intimidation factor: just what level of violence are Mastiff actually capable of? They can howl and roar and batter the flimsy wooden fence in Beast-esque fashion, but what happens when they actually get their hands on you? There's tension in the implication. This is a massive album, rage-fueled and roiling, and as good as their discography is thusfar, I consider it to be far and away their best work to date.
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 a new single from the one and only Cult Leader.
Written by: The Administrator
A Cult Leader drop is always cause for celebration 'round these parts. I was a massive fan of 2018's A Patient Man, and was quite pleased with 2022's Gather & Mourn split EP with END as well, particularly the braying and discordant "Ataraxis." I can only hope the release of this latest single, "Learn To Love It," is a harbinger of another album to come. The fact that it originates from the Gather & Mourn sessions may imply that it is a genuine standalone, but any case, I'll happily throw this single track on repeat. It's already done a serious number on my workout playlist. From the sheer ferocity to the thematic focus on catharsis and religious oppression, "Learn To Love It" is a classic Cult Leader track through and through. We're talking churning and crusty hardcore. Bestial and furious. The riffs are bludgeoning yet bleak. Anthony Lucero's howled roar is truly animalistic, verging on rabid. In the world of loud and raging music, he's one of my favorite vocalists by benefit of that mighty feral gravitas. At a succinct two minutes and fifteen seconds, "Learn To Love It" is a brisk affair. My favorite part of the track is the fake-out outro, which erupts magnificently after a false conclusion and second of silence. It is not as if the track is subtle up until that particular moment, but Cult Leader nevertheless drive home the point with an admirable and fearsome fury. Check out the single below, and find it on bandcamp here! Cult Leader - "Learn To Love It" was released March 29th, 2024 via Deathwish. 
Written by: The Administrator
Upon discussing the state of our abyssal promo pit with the Village's own Pit Herder, we came to realize that there are a great many unsung demo tapes swimming in the depths. They often go unnoticed, unfairly so. As we were ruminating, the Pit Herder recommended that we ink-splattered scribes create, and I quote: "a brand new column dedicated solely to demos that you will get excited about in the short term yet inevitably abandon in several month's time?" To which I responded, "splendid idea!" And so here we are, having dredged a variety of delightful and terrifying specimens from amongst the pit's weeds, discarded carcasses, and other assorted detritus. Today's catch: the 3-track demo from Singapore's End Of All, released digitally on February 24th of this year. Let's get into it, shall we? 
Written by: The Administrator
I am neither big and burly nor lean and mean, but yes, all the rumors are true. I have indeed been working out a lot lately. Thanks so much for noticing! Unironically though, I am really proud of the gains and the consistency I've made lately, and none of it would be remotely possible without the assistance of my favorite and most valued workout companion: muscular hardcore riffage. Real heavyweight breakdown-laden shit. It reeks of stale sweat. You know the stuff, even if you regularly make a habit of avoiding it. Anyways. Clocking in at a brisk 11 minutes and change, this 5 track EP is vicious and bloody. From the opening pummeling of "Dead On The Cross," it is very clear that Simulakra deal in outright savagery. Listening to Reincarnation is like unto being splattered to death by a berserker wielding a 20lb sledge. Reincarnation is a pulpy bloodbath littered with bone fragments. Reincarnation demands that the listener reacts by moving with an urgency and a disregard for discomfort, and from a purely practical perspective, that alone is a damn fine quality. |
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