They made their debut on MeteorCity with the Human Failures split with Spiritu in 2006 and released their full-length, Dwelling in Doubt, that same year. Follow-up offering, Desolation Will Destroy You was self-released in 2008 and now sees a pressing through MeteorCity. Right from the start, Village of Dead Roads was an odd fit for the imprint, and then-owner Jadd Shickler said at the time releasing their material was a foray into then-nascent realm of post-metal, partly inspired by his own affection for Isis and wanting to capture some of that feeling. Given the label?s many changes over the last couple years (including hands), Village of Dead Roads could be considered a consistency: they still stand out.

Dwelling in Doubt was dark and heavy, but not especially memorable or noteworthy for much other than that. On Desolation Will Destroy You, the band seeks to hone their style with more individualized parts, and the end result is not so much post-metal as it is post-sludge. That is, a lot of the posturing and pseudo-intellectualizing through music that has come up with post-metal under the misconception that bands like Neurosis are operating cerebrally rather than emotionally is absent here, much to the album?s benefit. What?s left is the aggression, the harsh tones and the encompassing feeling of the songs.

However, in keeping with my theory of post-metal — namely that the genre spawned in the wake of dudes hearing Neurosis? ?Stones from the Sky? on 2001?s A Sun that Never Sets and is little more than different acts? attempts at recreating that moment (prove me wrong, I dare you) — Village of Dead Roads have their own interpretation of that fabled progression on ?Halo Becomes a Noose,? albeit focused around the snare drum rather than the riff itself. And there is certainly a fitting amount of ambience to go along with the crushing parts, in that song and elsewhere, but the four-piece — down to a duo since this release — rarely let it dictate the atmosphere over the heavier elements, keeping opener ?Our Cold War? and more spaced out later cut ?Weight of Loss? oppressive in just the right doses.

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