Sutekh Hexen/夢遊病者 (Sleepwalker) - Split 7"

Labels: Sentient Ruin Laboratories

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 17 May 2019

Tracklist:

1. Sutekh Hexen - ནག་པ་

2. 夢遊病者 (Sleepwalker) - 37.8227537-122.2505281

Today's been a gloomy and wet muggy day, so the perfect backdrop for this uncomfortable new split release from Californian black metal/noise duo Sutekh Hexen and their Japanese experimental brethren Sleepwalker. It features one song from each band and was release in May via Sentient Ruin Laboratories, housed it what is one of the nicest looking sleeves of any release all year. Limited to just 250 vinyl copies.

Sutekh Hexen’s ནག་པ་ is a piece truly befitting the band’s mystique. Their droning, industrially harsh black metal crawls through just over six minutes of playing time and in doing so, renders you incapable. A bit like sleep paralysis, it creeps up on you with feedback-laden guitar and ambience, while the screams that rest in the background are ghostly and distant but nonetheless torturous. Just like their previous split with Hissing, they explore the far reaches of the psyche where only darkness exists. The only small specks of light coming from the subtle melody that tries to escape.

夢遊病者 (Sleepwalker) contribute  37.8227537-122.2505281, which could be longitude/latitude coordinates (maybe). The song is an experimental one as alluded to in the opening paragraph of this review when describing the band. It’s roots are in black metal but you’re greeted with traditional instruments, jazz and twin-guitar riffs that morph into walls of sound at times. It all fits as one yet everything seems totally independent and 夢遊病者 seem to be on another plain entirely. 

This split is very for those who happily explorer the outer reaches of extreme music. Not quite deconstructed enough to be called anti-music, it’s left to the listener to truly interpret it. Boundaries are there to be pushed and this split does that and does it with grace and poise. 

You can stream and purchase the 7" both in physical and digital formats via Sentient Ruin Laboratories below:-

Sutekh Hexen - https://www.facebook.com/sutekhhexenofficial/

夢遊病者 (Sleepwalker) - https://vnkv.bandcamp.com

Sentient Ruin Laboratories - https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin/