Written by: Blackie Skulless
Oh man! Talk about a record that catches your attention from the logo alone, if not the album artwork as a whole. Considering that it’s the side-project of the ax-master in Worm, and that it claims influences ranging from Greek black metal to traditional heavy metal, it could have been anybody’s guess as to how this is going to sound. Zeicrydeus is a Canadian project that only has one full-length record with no demo history, just dropping last month. Titled La Grande Heresie, it somehow manages to literally sound like all of those things at the same time. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Zeicrydeus utilizes the tactic of running with many moving parts in motion at once. If you peel back all of the layers, you find that the gist is a foundation of dirty but ultimately very melodic traditional metal riffing that mixes in blackened ingredients, namely blast beats and the occasional tremolo, topped with harsh black/death growls that also somehow swing the tiniest dash of melody. If that’s not enough, all of the instruments seem to take turns in the forefront, with bass solos being a regular occurrence, and explosive drum-fills engulf the entire gradient from time to time. Occasionally, synths might combine with one thing or the other to emphasize the atmospheric element, complete with dramatic shifts in tone under longer song runtimes.
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Written by: Blackie Skulless
Two years ago, Sweden’s Century somewhat blew me away as they managed to craft a brand of traditional metal revival that felt like it had energy unlike any other. This year, they’ve gone and followed that up with a sophomore release. Titled Sign Of The Storm, it first comes off as another serving of more of the same, using the old trick of not needing to fix what’s broken. Sometimes this works, sometimes it shows signs of expiration sooner rather than later. Under closer examination, it would seem that the second album actually avoids this anyway (I blame myself for not paying enough attention on first listen). The debut held its ground in not needing to boast speed metal chops, grit, or heavy intensity to sell itself, whereas I think it’s rather evident that the ante is upped in that regard now. Vocally, it feels like the stage is shared more with the lead guitars, however that isn’t a flaw, and the frontman still flexes some incredible range. To add to this, there’s an obvious nod to darker subject matter in a lot of the lyrics, cementing Century’s ever-so-slight step towards something a little meaner. 
Written by: The Administrator
Here's an established fact: I like WARPSTORMER. Back in 2022, their debut EP Here Comes Hell made quite a mark--as I said back then, said EP "unleashes riffs with the confidence of a seasoned act and the haste of a band excited to parade their entire arsenal in a single 20 minutes span." Needless to say, the promise of a full length was exciting. Their self-titled debut LP came out last November, and, in classic fashion, it's taken me a very long time to actually write about it. Apologies for tardiness, etc. etc. WARPSTORMER plays a potent blend of stoner doom and thrash, a combination that feels simultaneously vigorous and sludgy. While the doomier stoner elements do frequently take center stage--the thrash is often more apparent in the roaring bombast than shredding speed per se--this album is notably forceful. WARPSTORMER feel like the bastard lovechild of High on Fire, The Sword, five gallons of diesel, and some high-octane guzzoline. And, while big punishing riffs often lead the charge, there are enough progressive and (dare I say?) cosmically inclined psych moments to lend the songwriting an expansive quality. With the exception of some very nice cleans that shine in the back half, the vocal delivery, which is raspy and striking in equal measure, fondly reminds me of the punchiness of Black Royal. While never unhinged, very little here feels overly restrained. WARPSTORMER is a powerful band, and isn't afraid to show it. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Please excuse this long, rambling intro, as we’re working in territory that I’ve been an expert in for a while, and witnessed all of its nuances in real time. Swedish masterminds Ghost have evolved from a freezing but straightforward brand of traditional metallers into pop-rock icons, especially with 2022’s Impera bringing them more commercial breakthroughs than ever before. Sticking to the theme of dropping a full-length roughly every three years, they’ve come back and done what feels like a part-two for the first time ever. The first four records had their own identities subtracted from the style choice, strictly based on vibes. Opus Eponymous was a tried and true depiction of Satan taking over the world, while Infestissumam was our campy classic horror flick. Meliora brought forth an absence of light and hope, where Prequelle was a glamorous dark-romance around the end of humanity. After this, Tobias and Co. would craft an album chock-full of dissimilar, albeit enjoyable tunes in Impera; 2025’s Skeletá does exactly the same thing. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
The French black/thrashers Hexecutor have been around for a little while now, with over a decade of experience and several releases that include three full-lengths roughly every five years. It would take the third album hitting early this year before they’d catch my attention from the logo alone (a fitting one for a French outfit). Titled …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint, we’re treated to a somewhat jagged brand of the genre, dealing heavily in longer tracks. With an album title like that, I guess I could have anticipated this. So it should be no surprise that embellishment of a more chaotic approach is the name of the game. Strangely, the guitars tend to take a backseat to a unique and sporadic shrieking vocal style, equally overshadowed by loud and explosive drums, with the exception of when there’s a solo. Much of the rhythm sections are absolutely drowned in tremolo picking, all tied together with constant shifts in tone and tempo, ultimately trying to toe the progressive line. I wouldn’t say it really fits in that camp per se, however an obvious attempt at breaking some of the rules is present. At minimum, the dramatic shifts in what pops out the most gives the record some character. 
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.
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 post-sludge/doom single.
Written by: The Administrator
Sometimes, dear readers, the promo pit delivers. Whilst searching to satiate a craving for darkly menacing music, I randomly listened to this new single from Poland's Optical Sun...and loved it so much I immediately took their debut album for a few spins. Optical Sun play a murky brand of post-sludge interspersed with notably intense vocals and the liberal application of samples from old Polish movies. In service of oppressive doom and gloom, they also utilize a double-bass technique. As such, "Mój Bóg nie Umarł" is ominous and delightfully hefty, a clear result of that extra emphasis in the bass department. The film samples, for which I admittedly lack any frame of reference, sound very well incorporated, and overall add another layer of intensity. Promo indicates that the band borrows excerpts from the film Diabeł directed by Andrzej Zulawski, from the TV series Przyłbice i Kaptury, directed by Marek Piestrak, and Zbigniew Jerzyna's radio drama Gasnące kolory. There's one part where the speaker sounds on verge of hyperventilation--no clue what they are saying, but it sounds like a less-than-comfortable situation, to be sure. The lurching laughter is creepy too. Samples aside, the vocals are sludgy and throaty and raw in a way that really tickles my fancy--the chanting on the back end, for example, is super forceful and cuts through the instrumentation with an eerie edge. "Mój Bóg nie Umarł" serves as the first single from Optical Sun's forthcoming sophomore album. The track does end very abruptly, which makes me wonder if the album flows from track to track in a seamless fashion. Time will tell! As far as typical rollouts go, it's pretty damn early--Diabeł is scheduled for release on Sept. 11th, so can only assume we'll see more singles drop between now and then. I'll be keeping an eye/ear out. Listen to "Mój Bóg nie Umarł" below and find it on Bandcamp here! 
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, 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
A glorious thing happened about two minutes and 15 seconds into "Fuzzy Txitxu," the first track off the self-titled new album from Lisbon's Desert'Smoke. After lazily scanning the promo email, I had fully intended to let some instrumental stoner psychedelia run in the background as I worked through a hefty pile of admin tasks. And things did start off predictably, with a mellow intro establishing mellow ambience. But plans were thwarted as the track...erupted. There was absolutely nothing about those spaced-out leads squirming over that rip-roaring riff that qualified as background music. Desert'Smoke were proving unexpectedly engaging. Enthralling, even. As much as I tried to focus on the task at hand, the music made it impossible. And so I focused on the music instead. Rest in peace, productivity. Good riddance. |
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