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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Written by: The Administrator
In the course of reviewing music, I've increasingly tried to exercise a degree of thoughtfulness when comparing an artist to another artist. Namedropping for the sake of it is practice that often feels a little presumptuous, especially when specific influences are an unknown. Besides, if I'm resorting to comparing artists because there is nothing else to say, the review is probably... a little empty. As such, I try to keep direct comparisons A. positive, and B. firmly within the context of my own listening experience. If a guitar tone or an approach to songwriting fondly reminds me of something, and if that association benefits the overall review, it might merit mention. Of course, this whole philosophy opens up a bit when an artist specifically mentions influences. Am I in Trouble?, a new project from friend of the Sleeping Village and Negative Bliss guitarist/vocalist Steve Wiener, makes these inspirations public. In fact, here's a convenient playlist. If you are a nerd like myself, and interested in digesting music in the overt context of the creative elements that led to its creation, said playlist makes for a pretty damn enjoyable listening experience. Anyways! "On to "Red," today's track in question. 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 the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a doubleshot mini-review of two standalone singles.  Written by: The Administrator A few years back, I reviewed a thrashin' three track EP from a band named Corruption. I was suitably impressed, and have since returned to Dead Is The Soul when the thrash itch strikes. As such, when I finally--five months late--got around to a review request from a member of said band for an entirely different band influenced by the likes of Fear Factory and Sybreed, I gave the two attached singles a listen. Despite not exactly having a solid history with industrial or cyber metal, I found said singles to be were pretty damn enjoyable. "Electric Cuts," released on March 31st, utilizes a classic clean vs. harsh vocal vibe that provides a convenient contrast by benefit of its mere existence.  The track is built on a driving churn, which lends the verses an aggressive urgency. Things slow down significantly on the chorus, and then the driving riff returns with the same production line precision. While I typically avoid music with a blatantly inorganic aesthetic, the mechanized momentum on this track is quite nice and offers a headbangable bounce. "Synthetic Fields," the more recent of the singles and my favorite of the two, decidedly ups the ante on the cleans, bringing to mind the soaring ultra-polish of something like Skull Fist. It is sleek and manufactured, which serves fits to the general synthetic aesthetic pretty damn well. The chorus here is catchy and liable to run loops in my brain throughout the day. Much like the prior single, "Synthetic Fields" is overtly bouncy and thus quite fun. Bottom line? While I suspect Kaosware is a harder sell for the typical Sleeping Village readers and passers-by, I do recommend giving 'em a listen if you enjoy modern industrial metal with a cyber sheen. Kaosware - "Electric Cuts" was released March 31st, 2023. "Synthetic Fields" was released May 26th, 2023. Find Kaosware via linktree here!
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 the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of an aggressive and crushing and seething EP.
Written by: The Administrator
There are several trigger phrases existing in the world of music promo that activate a deep and primal need to drop everything and listen immediately. One such heretofore unknown phrase is the dangerous "FFO Napalm Death/Godflesh," which Noosed unsuspectingly dropped in a brief message in regards to their new EP. Consider this particular agent activated on an immediate basis. I don't even have time to allow the headphones to connect; you already know I'm playing this shit through the phone speaker. Let's fuckin' go. Noosed play an abrasive and intrinsically violent conglomerate of noise, grind, crust, and sludge. There's a massive presence to the low end that feels oppressive on the basis of mere proximity. The riffage grinds with the sheer heft of damp cement. The percussion stomps forward with a grim intensity, like unto cast-iron industrial revolution machinery gone rogue. The vocals are raw and belligerent, yet tinged with a nihilistic sense of despair that lends an overall nuance to the project. The use of vocal samples is also a huge strong suit when it comes to driving home the thematic overtones. Although brief and fairly blistering, OMEN bludgeons with a sense of somber nuance. It's not industrial and it's not sludge, but it does a damn good job at sitting uncomfortably somewhere betwixt the two. Of course, OMEN is far from polished. That's arguably the crux of the project's inherent charm. There's a tangible rawness and strain seeping from these four-tracks-plus-an-intro, and that undiluted emotive weight certainly strikes a chord. Not an easy listen per se, but one worth immersing yourself in. Noosed - OMEN was released may 5th, 2023. Find it here! 
In what must come as a bit of a shock, I enjoy (and indeed seek out) music that feels fresh, and unusual, and patently weird. Given this proclivity, a premiere request from Euphoriadic Studios hitting the inbox inevitably bodes well. I'm comfortable stating that today's artist in question offers a potent blend wholly unlike anything I've ever heard before, and that alone is enough to get the ol' heart a-pounding. Listening to a bat eating her wings by New Jersey's own short term memory loss is a jarring and electrifying experience. Needless to say, we are excited and honored to present said experience to our unexpecting readership.
But. Before I vomit forth a grotesque collection of adjectives and scare you all away, please give a bat eating her wings a well-deserved listen below. As always, we'll meet ye on the other side! 
Written by: The Administrator
Blackened industrial doom metal isn't a sonic environ this particular scribe frequents with regularity. Sometimes, however, one feels the urge to conquer the unknown and descend directly into the bowels of the underworld. And so here we are, amongst the brimstone and the inferno, with Son of Seth assuming the role of psychopomp as we meander ever downwards. While genre labels are easy to throw around, what Son of Seth actually sounds like is a remarkably ever-evolving affair across the 26 minutes constituting De Dor A Odio. Intro track "Tortured Sight" begins with some noise-ridden atmospherics, an ominous and cinematic soundscape that is pulled apart by the thunderous arrival of what I can only imagine as a behemothian kaiju. And then it’s off to the races as the tortured vox emerge from the fray. While carrying themselves with a certain blackened bite, the vocal delivery reminds me more of something dredged from the world of harsh noise--add some overt pitch modulation, and you've got a mechanical vibe akin to something from Marijuana Deathsquads. But make no mistake: this is a calculatedly spooky affair, heavy on the atmosphere and bituminous ambience. The industrial influences shine through, resulting in an organically mechanized soundscape that practically begs for accompanying HR Giger illustration.
This year, in an attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we're trying something new and novel around these parts. Namely, we're gonna actually publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. In that spirit, here's a mini-review of a debut EP that deserves a little attention. Without further ado:
Written by: The Administrator
Industrial metal seldom breaches our shoddy defenses here at the Sleeping Village. That's not, I must note, because we doesn't enjoy the genre, but rather because we very rarely see review requests from bands flying the industrial banner. A real damn shame. Melbourne's own Knife, however, proudly exude the grinding, percussive, mechanical, and pulsating 90's-era aggression of acts such as Nailbomb and the seemingly immortal GodFlesh. Notably, they infuse the five tracks contained within Wound's confines with a distinctly crusty vibe and highly emotive discernible-but-visceral harsh vocals. There's a tangible fury and sense of forward momentum across the breadth, and the instrumentation itself avoids stagnation by indulging in a bone-crunching breakdown from time to time. Look to "Sinners" as a prime example of both extremes. As such, Knife successfully avoid feeling dated...while simultaneously recalling a distinct aesthetic era of industrial music. If you're looking to sample, mighty closer "Warmonger" is my favorite individual track, but realistically, the whole thing is A. quite short and B. definitely worth yer while. Wound is a brief but intense intro to this duo's sound, and while it is unfortunately over swiftly, it serves as an excellent appetizer. |
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