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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 the latest from the prolific Ourobonic Plague.
Written by: The Administrator
The oeuvre of Ourobonic Plague is extensive and intimidating. While I have casually listened to (and enjoyed!) the project's two EPs released thusfar this year, I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the bandcamp back catalog, let alone the assorted supporting written documentation, videos and visuals, and so on. There is undeniably a lot going on, and we haven't yet even touched on the quality of the music itself. Needless to say, the Ourobonic Plague rabbit hole lurks enticingly. As someone who enjoys a deep dive, I find a certain excitement in that notion. In any case, today's track in question, "Blunderbuss," serves as the first single from the third EP in Ourobonic Plague's continuing G.A. series, which I believe will be released May 30th. "Blunderbuss" is described as a "a frantic scattershot hyper-garage meltdown," and is mesmerizing and jarring in equal measure. Long-form drone elements are absent--this is much more immediate. The track perpetually emphasizes its presence rather than fading into the background. While the stuttering and lurching percussion is forward, the focus soon shifts to a muffled klaxon that fondly reminds me of the echoing alarms in Half-Life 2--which, to be fair, many things fondly remind me of Half-Life 2. In any case, said klaxon evokes a sense of distant albeit omnipresent danger, surveillance, anxiety. Once all the elements are in play, it is quite immersive. On the surface, "Blunderbuss" feels like it should be danceable, but the restless lurching momentum is a bit of a tease. The track is watery yet skittery, and seems deliberately designed to keep the listener on edge. It doesn't feel entirely truthful to say that I enjoy the anxiety per se, but I do really like this track. Give "Blunderbuss" a listen via the Ampwall embed below! After you're done with that, I wholeheartedly recommend working your way backward through the Ourobonic Plague discography at large. I'll be doing that myself in short order.
Ourobonic Plague's assorted links can be found here.
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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 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!
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
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.
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: a new single from the one-man act that released one of my favorite albums of 2021.
Written by: The Administrator
Four long years ago, I reviewed Underking's fantastic At Hell's Gate, wherein I offered nothing but sympathy and condolences for those who weren't enthralled with Maxwell Jeffries' penchant for catchy-as-hell songwriting. Said album was one of my favorites of 2021, and I return to it quite often when looking for some nerdy (complimentary) heavy metal excellence. Needless to say, this slumbering scribe has been primed and ready for some fresh music from Underking. Four long years later, Underking is back without missing a step. Indeed, new single "The Isle of Crooked Stone" feels like an unearthed gem from a begone era--it sounds like it could sit comfortably in the midst of the At Hell's Gate tracklist. For the unfamiliar, Underking sits at the feel-good crossroads of heavy metal, power metal, and hard rock. The riffs are engaging, the choruses triumphant, and the vibes immaculate. Thematically, the lyrics tend to focus overtly on a fantastical or sci-fi property, with previous tracks honing in on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so on. Every track is imbued with a clear love for the material that inspired it. Nothing feels gimmicky. Keeping with the brand, "The Isle of Crooked Stone" is an homage to Critical Role’s second campaign. This track is notably anthemic across the board. It is bright and uplifting. It builds and swells with a certain exultance, with Jeffries' excellent and often powerful vocals feeling as confident as ever. I'm a particular fan of the chorus, which ranks among the most catchy and singalongable in the catalogue. And, as with many Underking tracks, "The Isle of Crooked Stone" is short and sweet, wisely ending before I want it to. As a result, the track leaves in its wake a palpable desire to run it back. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Underking is vastly underrated. I'm a big fan of this track, and am inordinately excited to hear whatever else is forthcoming from the Underking camp. Underking - "Isle of Crooked Stone" was released March 14th, 2025. Find it here, and listen below!
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: more Negative Bliss.
Written by: The Administrator
This mini-review is a real kill-two-birds-with-one-stone moment. Firstly, it allows me to continue individually reviewing every Negative Bliss track to date. Secondly, it allows me to publish a requisite month-late review, which is a condition of my continued non-employment at Sleeping Village Industries. I'd be remiss to pass this opportunity up, really. Self-indulgent review out of the way, let's talk about the music, shall we? This latest single from Negative Bliss, released on Valentine's Day, is a cover of The Cure's Lovesong, released on 1989's Disintegration. The cover art is a pretty accurate representation of the music itself--compared to other Negative Bliss output, which often attracts such words as "angsty" and "somber" and "sludgy," "Lovesong" is surprisingly comfortable and buoyant. There's a weightlessness here that feels a far cry from the tethered heft of something like "Sunless Forever" or "The Good Life." I'm a particular fan of the vocals, which are husky and vibrating with a deeply personal warmth. It almost feels like I'm eavesdropping on a private moment, perhaps moreso than with the original iteration of the track. The delivery is sincere without feeling sappy or saccharine. The outro does get a little more raw and rough, a nice contrast to the comforting tones that make up the bulk of the track, but if ever there was a Negative Bliss song built for lazily cloudgazing with a special someone, this is it. My relationship with "Lovesong" is admittedly impacted by the fact that I'm not really a fan of The Cure--I don't dislike them per se, they just frankly occupy little space in my mind. As such, I almost interpret this track as an entirely new creation wrought at the hands of Negative Bliss. The original track, as I remember it, is very plucky and percussion-forward, and I like how Negative Bliss have chosen to imbue the drums with a more languid vibe. It feels...elevated. All told, this is a highly listenable interpretation, and one that nails a superb depth and intensity of emotion. Give "Lovesong" a listen below, and please consider throwing down a dollar or two over on Ampwall or Bandcamp! All proceeds from this release will be donated to Trans Lifeline.
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 some black metal:
Written by: The Administrator
As demonstrated on more occasions than I care to admit, time moves a little differently here in the friendly confines of Ye Olde Sleeping Village. Which is to say: we are often very tardy. In the case of today's mini-review, I'm hitting publish a whole 7 days late, but better than late than never, amiright? In any case, here we are, primed and ready to discuss "Monarch," the latest single from Chicago black metal duo Nirensimt. "Monarch" kicks off in an atmospheric direction, but soon swings into significantly more visceral territory. Even in the more contemplative bits, there's a sense of movement and urgency waiting to flare up. Less "smoldering," more "combustible." I'm a particular fan of the vocals, which are sharply harsh and, during the forthright chorus, surprisingly distinguishable. While black metal often leaves the lyrical content a bit of a mystery, a level beneath the surface that requires further study, "Monarch" presents notable clarity, with the aforementioned chorus having a chanted quality that grounds the more atmospheric moments. I've previously stated that this song "rips," and after keeping it in heavy rotation for some time, I stand by that opinion. "It rips" feels like a cliche descriptor, and often is, but hear me out. "Monarch" clearly contains the elements that qualify a track for ripper status. It is energetic, and pointedly aggressive, and kinetic in a way that maintains attention without shoving it down the listener's throat. It feels expansive without feeling detached. Perhaps most importantly, I have an urge to listen to it again and again. It...rips. This is a stellar track, full stop. While I'm not sure if it serves as a harbinger of a forthcoming full project from Nirensimt, I'm a big fan of where this sound is headed--there's a sharpness and a refinement displayed on "Monarch" that bodes extremely well. Nirensimt - Monarch was released Jan. 16th, 2025. Find it 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 short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Without further ado:
Written by: The Administrator
I was lazily enjoying a seasonally appropriate cold snap here at the Sleeping Village. I was avoiding the icy trek out to the promo pit, electing instead to staying inside my warm hovel, listening to classic albums and reveling in nostalgia. I was comfortable in the knowledge that with every hour of inactivity, our humble music review site experiences the slow burn of algorithmic death. But! The self-imposed slumber would not last. Black/death metal (now) trio Ashenheart have dropped a new single. Rise and shine! "Empire of the Necromancers" serves as the first track of Ashenheart's forthcoming EP, Tales from Eternal Dusk, which releases April 18th on cassette via Fiadh Productions. This track feels like a genuine level up, and I say this as a big fan and champion of that which hath come before. While raw and sharp, the songwriting on Faded Gold often felt unhurried, content to let you live in the morose atmosphere. I liked that aesthetic quite a bit, but this new direction is notably menacing and powerful. A little more forthright and pointed. Amanda Kauffman's guitar is immediate, aggressive, and significantly heavier--her riffcraft here bestows this track, and presumably the EP at large, with a sinister weight and an intimidating presence that leans further into death(end) metal territory. The main riff is wicked, simultaneously jagged and blunt, like a medieval mace wrapped in barbed wire for good measure. Alex Loach's vocals are as mean as ever. I mean, positively caustic stuff. Alex has swiftly become one of my favorite vocalists in the throat-ripping-and-rending department, and from that first explosive shriek--"BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE"--it is clear he's only getting more confident. I do enjoy the additional vocal dimension here, with Steve Wiener adding deathy growls underneath, which act as a grounded foil to Alex's harsh delivery. And, speaking of Steve, his contributions--keys and synths, said backing vocals, acoustic guitar, and solo guitar--add a lot to the overall shape of the track. The keys in particular offset the sheer aggression of the guitar very nicely, and add an element of playfulness that keeps the ear on constant high alert. In sum, "Empire of the Necromancers" is a stellar track from a band that is only getting better. It indicates an exciting sonic direction, and I am interested to hear how the combined force of additional punch and additional backing elements will translate across the EP as a whole. Until the full thing drops, I highly recommend streaming "Empire of the Necromancers" and hitting that pre-order 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 short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Without further ado:
Written by: The Administrator
Given a useful but also obnoxious penchant for hyperactivity, I often crave music that is chaotic enough to drown out the dreadful din of my own brain. It's what draws me to extremity in music, regardless of genre, and when I stumbled upon something truly unhinged, I get excited. Enter Daniel Neel's latest EP, Descent. Brandishing a simultaneously djenty and orchestral brand of progressive metal, Daniel Neel revels in a variety of odd inclusions. Descent is an intense blend of djent, dramatic choral arrangements, gothic ambience, mechanical precision, and a veritable orchestra of electronic instrumentation. Unexpected time signatures? Check. Big chugging riffs? Check? Shuddering and shivering percussion? Check. Cheerful and/or mournful keys? Check. There's so much going on, and it's all happening so fast--it often feels like I've accidentally set my audio player to run at 1.5 speed. In other words, Descent successfully itches the part of my brain that refuses to shut up. It is maximalist to a remarkable degree. I can only imagine Daniel Neel as a mad musical scientist, pouring sonic elements into a comically large Erlenmeyer flask, screaming "More! More!" as the concoction bubbles and glows and overflows. While there is a good balance between the djent and the orchestration, I do feel like a few tracks run a little long for the ideas they present. "Tic," for example, starts with an awesomely frenetic riff that starts to feel stale after some time, and I wish the other elements--the vicious vocals, for example--were given more time in the limelight. But I also appreciate the irony in impressing my own impatience on an already hyperactive project, so take that with a grain of salt. Highlight tracks "Cosmic Waves" and "Harbinger ov the Void" present a tidier balance of component parts. Bottom line: if you're intrigued by chaos, give this one a listen! Daniel Neel - Descent was released Dec. 1st, 2025. Find it 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 short reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool shit. Without further ado:
Written by: The Administrator
I'm an established fan of redveil--his 2023 EP playing w/ fire was one of my favorites of that year. As such, I've been eagerly awaiting news of a new project from the redveil camp, and while 2024 didn't see a full project, he did drop a couple of singles, with this latest, "what3ver," materializing on the very last day of the year. This is an excellent track, both a display of redveil's skill as a rapper/producer, and highly re-listenable to boot. The hook is earwormy in a way that feels more subtle than immediate. The clean production is bright and crisp, almost glowing. Warm and immersive stuff, with the eventual piano adding a nice flourish. Meanwhile, his lyrics paint a short and sweet narrative of recognizable unrequited love. I love the second verse where he discusses his casket outfit in detail: "I can get it all dry-cleaned quick, I just need you to decide/Maybe I'll be satisfactory if I'm easy on your eyes." I feel like I saw more that a few reviews and articles comparing his cadence and lyrical approach on 2022's Learn 2 Swim to Earl Sweatshirt, which felt like a fair comparison for that project. Here, several years later, there's a similar focus on impactful word choice, but "what3ver" feels first and foremost like a redveil song. As a rapper, he has a distinct identity, which bodes well. I feel like in a few years we'll be saying that up-and-coming rappers take influence from redveil. Anyways, yeah. This is great. Fingers crossed that "what3ver" serves as the first salvo of an album cycle, or at least an indication that redveil is in the mood to release music. I'm hopeful that the fireworks on the outro signal the beginning of something anew. In any case, 2025 would be the perfect time for new redveil. redveil - "what3ver" was released Dec. 31st, 2025. Find it here and listen below! |
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