FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - Feb. 4th, 2022, Feat. Golgothan, Titanosaur, Iōhannēs, and Krystal Swords

On (occasional) Fridays, 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 week's new and noteworthy 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 listening to today at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

​On the docket for today, Feb. 4th, 2022: Golgothan, Titanosaur, Iōhannēs, and Krystal Swords

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Golgothan - Leech
(Lacerated Enemy Records)

If the promo utters the phrase "brutal death metal" and evokes the name of the almighty Aborted, there's an excellent chance I will enjoy what lurks inside. Case in point. This is a blaring and putrid affair, coated in gore and slime, yet gloriously boisterous in its presentation. The grooves are pythonian, the percussion is like unto a jackhammer, the belligerent attitude is present without feeling cringy, and the vocals are delightfully maniacal in their range. This is some seriously competent stuff--check out "Lard is My Shepard," "Gravy Train," or "Parent Organism" for particularly prime examples of what this crew can muster. I haven't heard many people hyping 'em up, which is an absolute shame--Leech is my go-to gym playlist these days, and I doubt it will leave rotation anytime soon. This is a killer album, and deserves a little time in the bandcamp day limelight.

Find it on bandcamp here!

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Titanosaur - Absence of Universe
(The Swamp Records)

Here's a fact: NY's one-man outfit Titanosaur keeps getting better and better. Absence of Universe is a culmination of potential, and here, a mighty formula hath been struck with stellar results. The Titanosaur approach overtly draws from the gruffly hard-rockin' appeal of Monster Magnet, Red Fang, and Motorhead, and yet this project delivers a sense of individuality through wry self awareness, notably pounding riffage, and thick application of late cretaceous groove. Axemanship aside, the rough 'n' ready vocals are a strong suit, and if you enjoy the gravelly aesthetic, there's a whole lot to love. Absence of Universe constitutes some really impressive stuff, delivering heft and earworms in equal measure. Titanosaur will inevitably gain some new fans off the back of the mighty beast. There's nothin' subtle about it, and that's what makes it so damn enjoyable.

Find it on bandcamp here!

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Krystal Swords​ - Alpha
(Independent)
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On every release day there is inevitably a non-metal release that catches our attention, and today, that honor goes to Alpha​, the stellar debut album from Krystal Swords. Lead single (and certified banger) "Neon and Starlight" made me a fan out of the gate, and followup "Disintegrator" only reinforced what is so special about this synth/electronica project. These tracks conjure a neon-lit cybernetic (post-singularity?) world that feels remarkably tangible. The sights and sounds are glamourous without feeling saccharine, and the general compositional approach is exceedingly immersive and layered.  Between the bright synths, high-flying vocals, and the pulsing drums, the moments where one's attention wanders are few and far between. There is undeniable intrigue around every corner. Krystal Swords excels at maintaining an upbeat bounce without losing an underlying sense of melancholy, and while I can't claim to be an expert in the field, this feels like top-tier stuff. I'm very excited to space out and spend some quality time with this album.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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Iōhannēs - I Tried, And It All Fell Apart
(Independent)

Here's  an oddly underrated quality in the world of extreme metal: discernable vocals. This excellent 4-track effort from Iōhannēs 
delivers notably in this department, presenting some gnarly vocals that don't require detective work to decode. As a result, every track herein feels particularly up-front in terms of its emotive character. It's a nice break from the gurgles and burps we're accustomed to from death metal that goes this damn hard.

Another notable quality of I Tried, And It All Fell Apart is the sheer gut-punch kineticism. The massive riffs are like unto meathooks, and the omnipresent sense of groove practically guarantees stank-face'd headbangs aplenty. If ye want breakdowns,  Iōhannēs has got 'em.  "Despondency" is my favorite of the four tracks, but, like, why not just listen to 'em all? This is a notably more dissonant and overtly brutal approach compared to previous Iōhannēs outings, but needless to say, I'm enjoying the new direction quite a bit.

​Find it on bandcamp here!

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