Written by: Blackie Skulless
Seldom will you find me crossing paths with something tagged “melodic death metal” and have so many nice things to say, save for a few very specific bands, but the year of our lord 2023 managed to break this trend. Majesties are a U.S. band based in Minnesota that seemingly came out of nowhere, with no demos, singles, or anything to precede their first and only full-length. Yet, they managed to catch the attention of 20 Buck Spin, which is always a good sign. The lone record’s title is Vast Reaches Unclaimed, and it certainly did reach far to claim some atypical greatness. Wasting no time, Majesties jumps right to the punches, swiftly delivering its ten tracks in less than forty minutes with no unnecessary bells and whistles. The “melodic” descriptor often refers to a guitar tone and not actual melody, but I would argue that such a mold is broken here. Under harsh, borderline blackened shrieks lies a healthy blend of soothing leads and evident emotion, paired with harsh rhythms that don’t come off corny. Much of that is likely due to the noisy gradient, preventing any generic metalcore-isms, with constant trade-offs between tougher leads.
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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, here's a cool debut single.
Written by: The Administrator
At this stage in my so-called career as a scribe here at ye olde Sleeping Village, it is fairly well documented that I relish the opportunity to write about a band's debut single. Negative Bliss, Elsewhere, Slaughtersun, and Am I in Trouble? are a few recent-ish examples, and I'm sure that in all of these mini-reviews I touched on a similar point: it is exciting to witness first steps, and, later, it is exciting to witness potential realized. A band at the beginning of their career inevitably develops upon the ideas presented in their first outing, and going along for the ride from the onset feels like a privilege. Todays debut single in question, "Where Black Stars Beckon," comes from Munich's Dark Solstice. Playing a brand of self-described "dark metal," Dark Solstice possess an enjoyable flair for drama, blending melodic grandiosity with a brooding atmosphere. In terms of FFO's, press material cites the unholy trinity of Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, and Dark Funeral, which feels accurate. Alongside the implicit moodiness, there's a bombast leading the aggression. "Where Black Stars Beckon" is dark but not oppressively so, and there's certainly a sense that Dark Solstice could erupt into a spooky symphonic passage at any given moment. It sounds crisp and modern, and the interplay of the cleans against the more spiteful and angsty harsh vocals lends an element of tension and interest. Most importantly, "Where Black Stars Beckon" is highly listenable, filled with little moments that stick in the ol' brain with a barbed tenacity. The chorus is catchy, the central riff is a simple but engaging motif. At first blush I felt like the track ran a little long, but after many listens I've come to appreciate the solo that closes out the track--it isn't terribly flashy in the grand scheme, but adds some levity. All told: an impressive first showing. "Where Black Stars Beckon" serves as the final (and title) track of Dark Solstice's forthcoming debut EP, which will be released May 23rd, 2025. Give it a listen below and find the EP preorder here!
Dark Solstice's assorted links can be found here.
Cover art by M. Irvan Dionisi, deathcrow.archive
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. 
Written by: The Administrator
Greetings, dear reader! Before you read any further into this review, I implore you to hit play on "A Thousand Swords," the opening track on Legendarium's mighty new album. There's a handy embed located below for your convenience. Let it ride while you read! So. When one opens with a barn-burning riff of this caliber, the listener is inevitably left to wonder: was anything kept in reserve? Was the eternity of this album's guitar power unleashed in one glorious display of incendiary fury? What could possibly follow? In the case of For Eternal Glory, there's quite a few places left to venture. Nominally operating under the elusive "powerdeath" tag, Legendarium has built a unique aesthetic over the years that incorporates a variety of sights and sounds from a diverse palette of genres, ranging from melodic death, to power, to folk, to heavy metal. The primary influence of classic melodeath à la Ensiferum or At The Gates is readily apparent in the hefty riffcraft and the inclusion of gruff harsh vocals. There's a gallop at play, evoking the glory of NWOBHM without ever fully abandoning those death-ier influences. However, while undoubtably a guitar album, For Eternal Glory never feels caged in nor exclusively defined by the dominance of Laurence Kerbov's superb riffcraft. The album's overall aesthetic often leans into the epic atmosphere, fantastical environs, and general positivity championed by many a power metal band. Expansive keys and even a tin whistle inclusion courtesy of Jared Archon grace the album with a certain levity. And all the while, the punky bounce and vocal sneer that dominated earlier efforts permeates, injecting the whole affair with a foot-stomping momentum. 
Written by: The Administrator
Yes. I can confirm that the rumors are true. We inksplattered inhabitants of the Sleeping Village's drafty scriptorium are, indeed, a bunch of big nerds. If a band backs their conceptual premise and presence with a lil' academic garnish, my interest is piqued. Enter Sublation. Great music aside, this Philly duo--who are responsible for 2022's outstanding The Path to Beldam--has the distinction of making death metal that feels clever. While many bands that choose to explain the thematic undercurrents of their work often feel like they are overcompensating, the ideas that inform Sublation's work are truly thought-provoking. Beyond that, the conceptual structure feels integrated and essential to the music itself. It doesn't get much better than that. If you are one of the (glorious, godlike, exceptionally well-read) few who checked out my list o' favorite 2023 EPs, you're likely already aware of my overall thoughts on the appropriately entitled On The Advancement of Decay. In interest of leveling the playing field, here's my conclusion in advance: I really like this project. It is clever, it is unique, it presents a cohesive voice. The individual songs are highly enjoyable on their own merits. The lyrics are some of the best in the business. Above all, this release is immaculately crafted--it is more than apparent how much care went into the final product. FRESH MEAT FRIDAY: June 17th, 2022 Feat. Void Witch, Trocar, Valley of the Sun, and Inexorum6/17/2022
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance. Today is the day we must offload all this new 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--and have been--listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so!
This Friday, Bandcamp is holding their third annual Juneteenth fundraiser, where they donate 100% of their cut of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Win/win! On the docket for today, June 17th, 2022: Void Witch, Trocar, Valley of the Sun, and Inexorum
 Written by: The Voiceless Apparition
Hello everyone! Welcome to 2022. I feel like it's been a while since I've been here to provide you all an album review. I know that the 200 Stab Wounds album wasn't that long ago, but so much has happened since then. Thank you for sticking around with me, and with the Sleeping Village. We're kicking off the year with a new album from one of my favorite bands of all time, Amorphis, with their latest album Halo. Not much has changed in the Amorphis camp, with the exception of them leaving Nuclear Blast Records and signing with upstart label Atomic Fire Records. Now that we have that out of the way, let's dive in. First thing you'll notice with this album is that it is HEAVY. This possibly one of the heaviest albums in Amorphis' discography. They've dialed back on the symphonic elements and went for an outright progressive assault on their folk and melodic death metal sound. The songs are more concise than on previous album Queen of Time, but pack more into these 4-5 minute run times. "Northwards" begins on a typical Amorphis note with big double bass patterns and Tomi Joutsen's signature growls and epic clean vocals backed by grandiose choir vocals, and a tasty mellotron solo in the middle of the song. |
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