 Written by: Blackie Skulless
For all the hype that surrounded the latest Necrophobic release, I figured it was necessary to visit their albums that went beyond the first couple. Dawn Of The Damned dropped in October of last year, and this was a clear sign from the start that I’d been mistaken to sleep on the later material. For those unfamiliar, they’re a Swedish black/death metal band, widely looked at as pioneers of the style. Despite sticking to this since the early ‘90s, it certainly holds up. What’s important for a veteran band is to know how to gradually move forward with the style without overdoing it or going the opposite and isolating yourself. Necrophobic have found that nice medium in their latest. Atmosphere plays a big part in this record, casting ferociously fast drum blasts for an entire gradient of noise to get around. This acts as a sturdy barrier to go with the contradicting riffing, as it’s mostly done with tremolos and flattened basslines. All of it together creates a thick and saturated foundation that’s heavier than a train car.
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Written by: Izzy
Cut from the same cloth as many similar Obscura-worshipping avant-garde technical death metal outfits, Ad Nauseam got a fair bit of attention for their debut release, Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est, an album I personally enjoyed. It was filled with complex, angular and abrasive melodies mixed with a subtle sense for melody, but I felt it wasn’t as good as it could’ve been and was more indicative of where the band could go. Its not a new or original idea to make dissonant skronky tech metal inspired by classical compositions, and I felt Nihil Quam was held back by falling into many of the microgenres cliches, thereby not doing enough to really make themselves stand out amongst the crowd. 
Written by: The Voiceless Apparition
Chaos reigns within the heart of man. It always has. Ever since the dawn of time, humans have been at war with each other. For whatever reasons, I don't know. There is constant turmoil and savagery afoot, which brings us to our review. Swampbeast are a new band within the underground extreme metal scene. They blend a highly potent mixture of death metal, black metal, grindcore and a tinge of hardcore, satiating the beast within us all. On their debut album Swampbeast have a lot to prove. Do they deliver...or do they not? The first thing you'll notice about this album is the atmosphere. No, it's not atmosphere in the sense of calming and beautiful; quite the opposite. Opening track "Orcs Anvil" is a barrage of savage and unhinged vocals, buzzing and noisy guitars, and unrelenting blast beats. What an absolute face-fucking of a beginning song. Completely unrelenting all the way through. The album is split into two different styles. The main style being an absolutely chaotic and visceral attack of grinding blackened death metal, and the second being a hardcore-leaning death doom style.  Let it be know: Sleeping Village stalwart Izzy doesn't skimp when it comes to year end lists. As such, we'll be publishing, over the course of the next few days, a series of genre-specific Top 20 lists proudly bearing the Izzy stamp of approval. As "death" in and of itself tends to be a broad descriptor the assorted sub-genres existing under the umbrella have been labeled for yer convenience.
Says Izzy in regards to this list: "A summary of 2020's death metal to me is "everyone else liked it but I don't get it", very few of the years most popular releases clicked with me, so while I don't think any of my picks here are controversial, I think there is more underground-ish releases. Enjoy!"  Written by: The Voiceless Apparition
Here's an interesting question for you fine folks: think back to what you were doing 16 years ago. What were you doing? 16 years ago the underground enigma known as Anders Odden was releasing what was the "last" Cadaver album, Necrosis. But sadly, not a lot of people know who Cadaver is, and that's a damn shame. Cadaver are arguably the first death metal band to have ever come from Norway. They released two stellar albums in the early 1990's before abruptly disbanding in 1993. After reforming, changing their name twice, and releasing two more albums, Cadaver have returned with Edder and Bile. Anders Odden is the sole remaining original member (a lone wolf if you will), but this time around he is joined by one of the best drummers in all of extreme metal, and one of my personal drumming influences, Dirk fucking Verbeuren! So what has this 16 year hiatus done for Cadaver? Let's dive right in...  Written by: The Voiceless Apparition
Hello once again! The next album in Necrophagia's stellar discography is The Divine Art of Torture. (If you missed the first and second review in the series, be sure to check 'em out! - Ed). After the previous lineup broke up, Killjoy would recruit the help of guitarists and brothers Frediablo and Fug, former Immortal bassist Iscariah, drummer Tita Tani, and keyboardist extraordinaire and Sigh's genius mastermind Mirai Kawashima. This lineup would end up being the most active in the studio, releasing two albums and an EP all within the span of three or four years. But it all starts with this album. One thing that's noticeable from the get-go is that the new guitarist's styles are a little bit more refined. More melody, more technicality, but still keeping true with that Necrophagia sound. "Blaspheme the Body" starts the album out on a more brutal note with blackened sinister riffs, thrashy drums, and the voice of KIlljoy. "Upon Frayed Lips of Silence," however, is the first highlight on the album. This decrepit, groovy number instills that sense of catchiness for which Necrophagia was always known. This song is pure filth, the riffs ooze with decay. Though this isn't the most keyboard-centered Necrophagia release, this is the album that begins the process of adding more keyboards and synths to their sound. The subtle and spacey synths of Mirai Kawashima act as a juxtaposition to the rotting hymns of the band itself, which I give major praise to. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
I can almost always count on Blood Harvest to deliver some of the nastiest, filthiest, and most unlovable music that’s ever been unearthed. Nekus are a German act that cooks up horrific soundscapes that fit this description perfectly. Their debut album Death Nova Upon The Barren Harvest casts some striking imagery based from the black and death metal voids. The dirtiness of the former crossed with the filthiness of the latter is why this takes such monstrous form. There are only four tracks, none being overly long besides the ten-minute closer “Dagger Of The Corrupter,” so it’s actually a fairly swift listen. But truthfully, it all feels like one massive song. The common core of droning riffs that feel like a constant swarm of hornets clouding up small hints of comprehensive rhythm saturates every track with ungodly amounts of weight. If it weren’t for the rather steady drum patterns, you’d have a hard time finding the direction of where things are headed.  Written by: Bane Ov Silence
Unbowed is one of the best kept secrets in the music world today. For the uninitiated, Unbowed is a melodic death metal band from Ontario, Canada. The group incorporates elements of folk and black metal--it all comes together into an experience that every fan of extreme music should take the time to listen to. While I’m not usually a huge fan of melodic death metal, Unbowed's last album, Through Endless Tides, was my runner up for album of the decade. When I saw that Alex Snape, the guitarist and a founding member, was planning on releasing a solo EP under the guise of Ritual in Ruin, I jumped at the chance to review it. In short, Ritual in Ruin is the darker black metal version of Unbowed. All the songs still carry the triumphant and cinematic feel of Through Endless Tides, but the guitar tone and vocals give the songs a much darker atmosphere. It seems contradictory to make an album that is simultaneously triumphant yet also dark and sinister, yet here, it works very well.  In the primordial days of this here Sleeping Village, we reviewed a track from Perversión, the third EP from Chile's own Corspehammer. At heart, Corpsehammer plays fairly basic (if notably speedy) brand of black/death/thrash, but that doesn’t change the simple fact that this EP squirms its way into rotation at an alarming rate of frequency. They also have a debut full length out, which I shall be enjoying in short order. But: first things first.
“Reino – Sangre del Diablo” is a ominous and crashing affair, while follow-ups “Rito & Magia” and standout track "Sexo y Muerto" shift and grind their way into higher gear. I enjoy a deliberate build from standard fare into the wild and unhinged, and here, Corpsehammer deliver handily. The outro, like so many, feels largely unnecessary, but so it goes.  Despite all the insult-flinging in our direction, we Villagers just had to have Captain Graves (of Advent Varic) back for another review in typically pugilistic fashion. Today: Tartarus Horde's self-titled debut. Enjoy! - Ed.
_______________________________________________ I've been summoned to The Village once again. This time for some music out of my realm of normal listening. You know The Captain prefers a more depressive style. They sent me a weird device called a "tape," I've never seen anything like it. I searched far and wide at the stores to find a mundane object here on your planet to find a way for it to play. On Saturn 9, I usually just take whatever files I feel, maybe this was a smart move, or a way to prevent me from stealing their music. I bet this was this was the work of the Necrosexual, that Weak bastard. |
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We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry!
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