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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: 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!
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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: Blackie Skulless
Over the last couple of years, the North American heavy metal outfit Traveler has made a pretty strong impression in my endless hunger for traditional metal. While their debut was a solid start, it was the second record Termination Shock that fully sold me on the band. Naturally, I was really excited to see that a new one dropped earlier this year. Prequel To Madness admittedly took me a second to grasp onto, but as I’ve revisited over the months, it has grown on me significantly. The easiest explanation would be that prior to this, Traveler simply used a straightforward but hooky formula that was given more of an identity the second time around. For round three, I would argue that they’ve landed entirely on power metal territory, with flavors of the gritter U.S. style and the melodic, clean European style showing at times. This isn’t the first time that emphasis was placed on a heavier push, but man, do they ever unload the proverbial artillery here. Breakneck speeds, pummeling drums, and layers upon layers of guitar and bass combos leave no room for lightweight attacks. Even vocally, while higher falsettos and sharp shrieks aren’t foreign to the band, they move through this with more purpose than before.
Curated and Written by: Sofia Frasz of Exiled Hope
In a (continuing) attempt to give some cool bands a platform to talk about cool music, we're trying something new here at Ye Olde Sleeping Village. Thus, on Wednesdays, a band will be taking over the blog to share a curated playlist, along with some words about each song and why they picked it. Last week wekicked off the series with Cruce Signatus, and for week two, the reins have been handed over to multi-instrumentalist Sofia Frasz of Exiled Hope. Musically inspired by the symphonic likes of Avantasia, Nightwish, Kamelot, and Cradle of Filth, every Exiled Hope single sits within the framework of a shared world, resulting in a catalogue that can be viewed as a dark fantasy metal opera. The latest single, "Blood of the Ancients," is available now, and serves as a harbinger for the forthcoming Exiled Hope album, Apocrypha, out later this year. Once you've checked out the writeup below, check out Exiled Hope over on Linktree andSpotify. Without further ado, I'll let Sofia take over!
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 the debut single from a symphonic metal duo.
Written by: The Administrator
As of late, the ol' promo pit has been overflowing with debut singles from brand new bands. Luckily, writing about them has become a bit of a calling card 'round these parts. As established over the course of several recent mini-reviews--Negative Bliss and Slaughtersun, for those curious enough to dive into the archives--the birth of a band is a pretty exciting event. In the course of promo hunting, I'm often more motivated to check out something new and unknown than a press kit from an established act. Such curiosity has led me to "The Last Ember," a promising debut track from fresh-faced symphonic metal act Elsewhere. The band is a duo comprised of one Nikki and Nic, and the track's vocals come courtesy of a collaboration with Finnish-Canadian vocalist Elvann. While requisite piano and swelling hooks are present, Elsewhere's instrumentation seems more subtle in its bombast than many other paragons of the genre. There's a nice forward momentum punctuated by an engaging ebb and flow--the percussion fills space quite well, with short albeit catchy riffs and requisite orchestral grandiosity punctuating the track. Elsewhere keep things moving nicely, and as a result, the track flies by. Symphonic metal haters aren't going to be swayed, but appreciators of the style will appreciate the execution. On the vocal side, Elvann's presence is prominent and notably agile, switching flows multiple times across the breadth. The intro utilizes a sinister whispered delivery that immediately amps up the drama, but is promptly abandoned for more traditional symphonic cleans. While I do wish the more menacing vocals made a return later on, the initial switch provides a fun contrast. One particularly charming moment on the back half of the track introduces a sing-song chanted cadence that adds an almost childlike element. The attention given to distinct vocal deliveries is thoroughly alluring. Promo material indicates that "The Last Ember" is the "first of many singles to be released in 2024." I, for one, will be keeping an eye out for what comes next--I'm psyched to see how Elsewhere develop their sound and identity. More guest vocalists? More overt power metal braggadocio? Time will tell. In the meantime, give a listen below! Elsewhere - "The Last Ember" was released March 8th, 2024.  Written by: Blackie Skulless
Last year, the Italian traditional heavy metallers Konquest brought forth their debut album The Night Goes On. Channeling a pretty heavy amount of Iron Maiden worship, it was something decently strong, but nothing out of this world. When a young act that sticks to the basics closely hits the scene, it can go one of two ways. Either the band continues with that one trick and gets fine at best, or they take it a step further and make an identity for themselves. Time And Tyranny would see them doing the latter. So it should be obvious that the Iron Maiden influences are still worn on their sleeves, but with higher levels of originality. As a matter of fact, Konquest reflects the Paul Di’anno days more than anything, and that’s fully realized on this record. A far tighter production is added without overdoing it, the mix is at a point that literally everything can be showcased for proper digestion, and the energy is impactful even on the slower numbers. This is all pretty fantastic at its base, but if that were the only step forward, we could just about end things here with a “this is pretty damn good” and little else to say.
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. 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!
On the docket for today, June 10th, 2022: Yatra, Dust Prophet, Adamantis, and Pillärs
Written by: The Administrator
A good symphonic metal album appeals, by default, to fans of symphonic metal, but often has a hard time reaching beyond a fandom predisposed to enjoy the grandiose flair and bombast inherent to genre convention. Luckily, the demographic of people who can kick back and enjoy the likes of Epica or Nightwish is a sizable contingent...albeit not particularly well represented here at the Sleeping Village, both in terms of scriberly inhabitants and our noble readership. In any case, if you drink deep of epic and/or symphonic waters, you'll likely find something worth celebrating in Unfinished. At risk of showing my cards too early, I'm of the mind that the long-awaited debut from Chicago's Shield of Wings is an impressive feat indeed. Moreover, it serves as a very strong foot forward for a band with clear potential to rope in a sizable fanbase. Let's dive in. |
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