Drowning the Light - A World Long Dead

1. Tears of a Dead God
2. The Haunted Ruins of a Vampyric Soul
3. Dark Whispers of Torment
4. Fate Forged in the Name of Satan
5. Mysteriius Anguis
6. Nostalgic Grief
7. A World Long Dead (Time Heals Nothing)

Best Black Metal cassette release from Australia so far this year. For real. I'm really digging this. "Haunted Ruins..." has one of the most emotionally wracked vocal performances I've heard on a BM record maybe ever, and takes My Bloody Valentine guitar melody and transfuses it's blood with Leviathan's. The band's Myspace page reveals that the lone member is Azgorh, and also hurts to look at. Please change the font color or remove that fucking picture. Anyway, this record kicks ass and beats out the rest of your poseur Black Metal collection.

Shiner:
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Stalaggh - Projekt Terror

Sonic Youth visit Gibby Haynes

Presented for your discriminating consideration are two files containing one and a half hours of Butthole Surfers vet Gibby Haynes' radio show circa 1994 on an Austin, TX "new rock alternative" station. His honored guests for the evening are Thurston, Lee and Steve of Sonic Youth doing promo for Lollapalooza. The broadcast here includes the Gibby picked tunes and Mr. Haynes talking over frustrated callers, acid-drenched insults flying right over their heads until he hangs up on them. SY plays along, antics ensue.

Novelty:
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Reverend Kriss Hades - The Wind Of Orion

1. Pyramids of War and the Destruction of Enemies
2. Black Mass Murder (Satanic Version)
3. Final Execution (Ouija Version)
4. Luciferion
5. Meditation of the Midnight Candle Practice
6. The Burial

If Michael Angelo Batio put his mind to Black Metal, way better drugs and Satanism, then decided to play Merzbow records on his guitar, it might sound something like this... Rev. Hades is/was the guitarist of Australian Black Metal demons Sadistik Exekution. "Meditation..." is absolutely near the top of my list of coolest things I've ever heard. If Black Metal had a Eddie Van Halen, RKH is it... yet this isn't a flashy wankfest of masturbatory soloing. There's plenty of atmosphere provided to flesh out the Reverend's nightmarish soundscapes.

Draconis:

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Psycho Realm - s/t

1. Psycho City Blocks
2. Showdown
3. The Big Payback
4. Premonitions
5. Interlude/Stone Garden/Interlude
6. Temporary Insanity
7. Doors Intro/Confessions of a Drug Addict
8. The Psycho Ward/Who Are You Interlude
9. Love Letters Intro/Love From the Sick Side
10. R.U. Experience/Outro
11. Psyclones
12. Lost Cities
13. La Conecta Pt. 1
14. La Conecta Pt. 2

Oh shit... how did I not pick up on this record sooner? This project completely flew under my radar. Psycho Realm isn't an offshoot of Cypress, contrary to semi-popular opinion... B-Real found the two brothers, Sick Jacken and Duke, so completely rad he joined up and put out this record. The beats aren't a far cry from Muggs' shit from the same era... these tracks are all produced by Jacken, some co-produced by B-Real. It's a wonder this didn't get more attention, because this disc is easily the best hip hop record of 1997.

Gotta thank Egypto for hipping me to this.

Battle:

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G.I. Joe PSA

Dictator - The Pain Sessions

1. Chorodia ton Daimonon
2. The Procession of the Black Fog
3. Emptiness
4. Apo Tis Eikones ton Arxaion Necron

Super awesome and dark one-man black metal from the island of Cyprus. I didn't know they had black metal there, but it looks like what they do have is totes wicked. Some of this borders on dark ambient type shit, and "The Procession of the Black Fog" is the big winner here. Way rockin' in that despair-filled suicidal basement black metal way. Think a doomier Xasthur and you're getting close.

If anybody has the 2005 EP Fog of Death, please let me know.

Best black metal record I've heard in a while.

Association:

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Pagan Heritage... maybe not so bad after all?

I have to say that "Orgy of the Satyrs" has been growing on me. There's a strangely hypnotic quality to the proceedings that makes me want to get prosthetic man-goat horns implanted and run around in the woods with nymphs and squirrels and shit.

I don't know if Pagan Heritage is NSBM (judging from the name, it could go either way), but I don't think this pirate-metal is going to convert any newcomers to the cause.

BTW, the rest of the album is Judas Iscariot/Burzum-style bedroom blackmetal, just like 90% of all BM. Extra points for the low fidelity.

Pagan Heritage - WHAT THE FUCK?

1. Orgy of the Satyrs

Wow.

Wow.

I just don't know what to say. This might be the worst possible example of Black Metal I've heard, and possibly ever made.

Imagine Immortal jamming with Zamfir and dancing around in your copy of the Dungeon Masters Guide.

On a boat.

And not in a good way.

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Onepersun's review: "It is like dropkick murphys on sizzurrp."

Oren Ambarchi - Grapes From the Estate

1. Corkscrew
2. Girl With the Silver Eyes
3. Remedios the Beauty
4. Stars Aligned, Web Spun

If only Mr. Ambarchi would release more works without outside collaborators. His work with Sunn O))), Johan Berthling and Keith Rowe have all been fascinating at worst, but his solo output is what truly shines. The minimal nature of his method often drown under or take a backseat to his collaborators. "Corkscrew" is a gorgeous drone of textures... working with an electric guitar, pedals and other electronics, Ambarchi creates luscious soundscapes to die for, and Grapes From the Estate is absolutely no exception.

Top notch.

Storage:
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Burzum - Aske

1. Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown
2. Ea, Lord of the Depths
3. Spell of Destruction
4. Channeling the Power of Souls Into a New God
5. War
6. The Crying Orc
7. Dominus Sathanas

Time for some black metal. Why not start with Burzum? The cover depicts a burned out Norweigan church (courtesy of Varg Vikernes), so you know this shit means business. Varg's got one of the most distinct and oft imitated voices in black metal, and it's in raw condition on Aske. It's hard to believe this came out in 1993, before the deluge of imitators had flooded cut-out bins and mailorders. This shit is raw-ass black metal... there's an overall sense of malaise and despair that comes through the entire EP, and especially in the vocals. Arguably the best Burzum release.

Party:
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The Breeders - Divine Hammer

1. Divine Hammer
2. Hoverin'
3. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
4. Do You Love Me Now Jr.?

My favorite of the Last Splash singles, since it's a treasure trove of neat non-album sides. "Divine Hammer" is a different, more crude version than found on Last Splash. The guitar solo evokes Shadowy Men On a Shadowy Planet for some reason, and "Hoverin'" later appeared in a different form on Pacer, the first and only record by Kim Deal's next band, the Amps. The version of "Do You Love Me Now" features Dinosaur Jr.'s cheif weirdo J. Mascis on vocal croaks.

Gloomtown:
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Catacombs - In the Depths of the R'lyeh

1. In the Depths of R'lyeh
2. Dead Dripping City
3. At the Edge of the Abyss
4. Where No Light Hath Shone (But For That of the Moon)
5. Fallen Into Shadow
6. Awakening of the World's Doom (reprise)

If Varg Vikernes and the dudes in Sunn O))) hung out in a dank basement with nothing but a giant neverending doobie and a wall of amps, and didn't sleep for a week, I don't think it would sound too far from this. Unholy marriage of black metal and funeral doom.

Chosen:
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Sunn O))) - La Mort Noir dans Esch/Alzette

1. Orthodox Caveman
2. Hallow Cave
3. Reptile Lux
4. Candlegoat - Bathori

Super limited tour only discs sold on Sunn O)))'s last big jaunt. It's a pity these weren't made more widely available, because the material here is potent stuff. Lots of Sunn satellites appear, such as Dylan Carlson of Earth, Malefic of Xasthur provides mean vocals, and there's some fucked up trombone shit on "Hallow Cave" courtesy of Steve Moore who's playing trombone for the current incarnation of Earth. Apparently there was some doom drama concerning Malefic and Sunn, resulting in both parties publicly acknowledging they aren't going to be working together anytime soon. Hope this is droney enough for you.


Treatment:
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YOB - Demo 2000

1. Silence
2. Revolution
3. Dogma

Northwest doomies' 2000 demo didn't disappoint. Unfortunately this band has parted ways, but they've left behind a trail of stoned-ass doom. Yob song lengths often pass the ten or even twenty minute mark, yet they always maintained a groove.

Great shit.

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Yuzo Koshiro - Streets of Rage II

1. Silence
2. Expander
3. Wave 131
4. Spin On the Bridge
5. Shiva Battle
6. Never Return Alive
7. Go Straight
8. Alien Power
9. The Amusement Park

Used to play this game at my boy Ed's house, in the basement, on his Sega Genesis. SOR2 was a Final Fight-style beat'em up button masher or the highest order. Maybe not the highest order, but it was fun as hell, and the music was way awesome for a Genesis game. Which is why I was so stoked when, ten years later in college, Edo found this soundtrack. Yeah, it's cheesy fun, but it's fuckin' great vid music to soundtrack the bashing in of the skulls of neon streetpunks.

Noreaga:
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OM - Live in San Francisco 8.15.2004

1. On the Mountain at Dawn
2. Kapila's Theme
3. Annapurna

Fuck a guitar. Fuck ADD. Attention spans are needed here, folks. The shortest tune here clocks in at just under twelve minutes. Bass and drums, all DOOM. OM listeners will know that this is the band performing Variations on a Theme in it's entirety. Those who didn't know that have just found out.

Vacation:
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Medicine - The Buried Life

1. The Pink
2. Babydoll
3. Slut
4. She Knows Everything
5. Something Goes Wrong
6. Never Click
7. Fried Awake
8. Beneath the Sands
9. Emmeline
10. I Hear
11. Live It Down
12. The Earth Is Soft and White

Not to say that this is a bad record (it's not even close), but I've never liked it as much as Shot Forth Self Living. Medicine repeats the opening track salvo of trebled-out fuzz guitar found in "One More" with "The Pink". There are a few low points to this record, and the highlights aren't quite as bright as SFSL. Still, acid-fried distortion baths are to be found on "Never Click" and "She Knows Everything". There are also two noise pieces, "Emmeline", sandwiched in the middle, and the closer "The Earth is Soft and White". Still pretty blissed.

Consider:
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Medicine - Shot Forth Self Living

1. One More
2. Aruca
3. Defective
4. A Short Happy Life
5. 5ive
6. Sweet Explosion
7. Queen of Tension
8. Miss Drugstore
9. Christmas Song

My Bloody Valentine wasn't the only band making luscious, dreamy noise-pop back in the early nineties. Medicine's great Shot Forth Self Living is a pretty solid record, quality consistent throughout. Kevin Shields-style walls of distortion and lotsa treble dominate the record, interweaving with the delicate harmonies and male/female vocals therein. My boy Steffen turned me on to Medicine about five years ago, but never picked up the records until about a year back. This is no Loveless, but it's damn close.

Lists:
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Cathedral - Endtyme

1. Cathedral Flames
2. Melancholy Emperor
3. Requiem for the Sun
4. Whores to Oblivion
5. Alchemist of Sorrows
6. Ultra Earth
7. Astral Queen
8. Sea Serpent
9. Templars Arise! (The Return)

Cathedral's sixth record, released in 2001, is hands down my favorite. The oppressively heavy intro "Cathedral Flames" is the slowest, heaviest thing they've ever done. Which is to say it's well... REALLY fucking slow and heavy. It, in essence, sets the tone for the entire record. Not since Forest of Equilibrium had Cathedral made anything so slow, down-tuned and depressed. The lyrical tone isn't as personal as Forest, but dark nonetheless. Lee Dorian's vocals are in fine tortured form here, giving us a good idea what's to come with VIIth Coming and Garden of Unearthly Delights (also a great goddamn record). "Ultra Earth" contains the greatest Sabbath riff Tony Iommi never came up with... Gaz Jennings is a riff monster and unloads a shitpile of molten lead. Fuckin' great.

Lavender:

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Smashing Pumpkins - Peel Sessions UK single

1. Siva
2. Girl Named Sandoz
3. Smiley

Once again, there's only one b-side here not released on Pisces Iscariot. "Smiley" is a decent down-tempo SP tune, no extended guitar wig-outs here. Probably wouldn't have been too out of place on Gish. Eh... "Girl Named Sandoz" is an Animals cover, and it rocks with piss and vinegar not found in the original (not to say the Animals version was completely toothless). "Siva" is not the Gish version, but it's damn close.

State:
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Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock UK single

1. Cherub Rock
2. Pissant
3. French Movie Theme

One of the better singles from Siamese Dream, the "Cherub Rock" single contains two b-sides, one of which is not available on another disc. "Pissant" was rereleased on Pisces Iscariot and "French Movie Theme" was left to languish in obscurity. Reasonably so. Total throw-away b-side material, but interesting for Pumpkins fans who haven't heard this single.

Finishing:
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Sarin - Nihilist

1. tektoniks
2. 6:66
3. Red Army
4. War of the Worlds

According to what I've read, there were only 80 copies of this sole release by the band on cassette produced, taking the Way Back Machine once again to 1996. Fanns of Sunn O)))/Khanate/Burning Witch/Aethenor/Thorr's Hammer will be pleased to know that the two members of Sarin were drone demigod Stephen O'Malley and fellow Burning Witch member, Edgy 59. This shit is straight up electronic noise. Bits are interesting, but it's definitely not the best release by any party involved. Fans of harsh noise ala Merzbow/Prurient/Giffoni may dig this.

Yo!
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Space Needle - Voyager

1. Eyes to the World
2. "Dreams"
3. Put It On the Glass
4. Beers In Heaven
5. Patrick Ewing
6. Starry Eyes
7. Before I Lose My Style
8. Scientific Mapp - Junkys Fingers - Callwood's Lament

Voyager is the 1996 record by spacerock/shoegaze/lofi indie band Space Needle. The tracks shift from genre to genre, yet retain the core Space Needle sound. Guided By Voices and '70's krautrock seem to be big inspirations here... not so much as direct influences, but as a hand guiding the Space Needle. "Beers In Heaven" is a dreamy GBV-like lo-fi swirling of chorused guitar. "Before I Lose My Style" reminds of a more upbeat Spacemen 3 in the garage. Cool album, wish this band got more recognition...

Steamer:

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