Minilogue - Animals

Minilogue are a Swedish Progressive House/Tech-House/Minimal Techno music project of Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson. The name is a portmanteau of minimal (the musical style) and dialogue, which refers to music as a form of communication.

Beside their music production as Minilogue, they are both involved in the projects Son Kite and Trimatic, and Sebastian has the soloprojects Kooler, Filur and Ooze.

Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson came from opposing backgrounds.

Sebastian was trained as a classical musician playing the organ, piano and the violin among other instruments. He even became involved in teaching them until his coming of age at 18 when he formed a band and began experimenting with the sounds in a more contemporary way.

Marcus lived on a diet of Kraftwerk and the Human League until realising his true calling in the techno parties of the 90s. Through promoting parties he moved on to become one of the bigger DJs in Southern Sweden. It was in a party where they met and decided to combine Sebastian’s musician’s perspective and knowledge with Marcus´ DJ skills and experience from the scene.

They got together in 1996 and after 10 years in the music business under successful guises such as Son Kite and Trimatic, Marcus & Sebastian are now Minilogue - an animalistic music concept without the boundaries of genres.

(from Last.fm)

I stumbled over this one at a minimal party here. This album was visualized by Minilogue and they called it "Animals - The Movie". So if you like the album, buy the DVD and then you can watch the visualizations. It's worth it, they're really great. Some samples to be seen on youtube, vimeo etc.. Enjoy it!

Minilogue - Animals

(Cocoon Recordings / 2008 / Minimal/Techhouse/Ambient / 184 kbp/s)

Tracklist

Dance CD:
01. Yesterday Bells 2:01
02. Cow, Crickets and Clay 7:09
03. Hitchhiker´s Choice 7:20
04. Loud 3:37
05. We All 6:56
06. 33000 Honeybees 8:36
07. Jamaica 9:58
08. View Of A Juggling Ball 3:10
09. Giant Hairy Super Monsters 7:19
10. Hypnotized 8:31
11. Animals 7:15
12. In A Distance 7:49

Ambient CD:
01. Old Water 5:23
02. Windows 4:08
03. City Lights 4:58
04. Six Arms And One Leg 5:54
05. Swamp OP 4:28
06. In The Shade Of The Sun 5:47
07. Stations I 4:26
08. Stations II 4:59
09. Stations III 3:51
10. Even The Wind Seemed In Deep Sleep 6:22
11. Europhonia 8:09
12. Feeling In Spring Beside The Dressing Table 7:42
13. Seconds (Colour & Sound) 6:44
14. Outro 2:15

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Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized is an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, United Kingdom by Jason Pierce, who often goes by the alias J. Spaceman, after the spectacular demise of the Spacemen 3 outfit. The membership of Spiritualized changes from album to album, with Pierce being the only constant factor.

The style of Spiritualized is perhaps best described as psychedelic rock, especially earlier albums like Lazer Guided Melodies and Pure Phase, which also incorporated elements of the shoegazing style made popular by influential 1991 album Loveless. The landmark Ladies And Gentlement We Are Floating In Space showed influences from African-American gospel and blues beginning to creep in, and wall of sound influences from Phil Spector and Brian Wilson began to predominate, which came to a head on Let It Come Down. Amazing Grace favoured a more stripped down sound with the gospel, blues, and soul influences heavier than ever.

(taken from last.fm)

[ Dedicated | 1997 | Shoegaze/Space Rock | VBR | 1:09:53 ]

Tracklist
1. Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - 3:40
2. Come Together - 4:40
3. I Think I'm In Love - 8:09
4. All Of My Thoughts - 4:36
5. Stay With Me - 5:08
6. Electricity - 3:46
7. Home Of The Brave - 2:22
8. The Individual - 4:15
9. Broken Heart - 6:38
10. No God Only Religion - 4:21
11. Cool Waves - 5:05
12. Cop Shoot Cop... - 17:13

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Ringo Deathstarr - Ringo Deathstarr

Ringo Deathstarr is a shoegaze quartet from Austin, TX. After a couple of years of releasing an EP and a few 7’’ records on various labels like SVC, Vinyl Junkie, and Custom Made Music, and touring Japan and the UK late last year, finally they are finishing that full length record as we speak, followed by more touring all over the place.

(taken from last.fm)

[ self-released | 2007 | Shoegaze | 320kbps | 13:47 ]

Tracklist
1. Swirly - 2:41
2. Starrsha - 2:08
3. Some Kind Of Sad - 2:05
4. Down On You - 3:17
5. Sweet Girl - 3:36

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LSD and the Search for God - LSD and the Search for God

LSD and the Search for God is a shoegaze/noise-rock band from San Francisco, California formed in 2006. They have released one self titled EP. The members of the band include Chris Fifield (guitar), Sophia Campbell (vocals), Caleb Rush (bass), Kevin Crouse (drums), and Andy Liszt (guitar/vocals).

(taken from last.fm)

[ Mind Expansion | 2008 | Psychedelic Shoegaze | 320kbps | 22:01 ]

Tracklist
1. This Time - 3:18
2. I Don't Care - 4:02
3. Backwards - 4:18
4. Starting Over - 5:04
5. Starshine - 5:19

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Melvins / ISIS - Split

Melvins are an American band formed in Montesano, Washington in 1982. In the early days of their career their dark, heavy, oppressively slow sound made them innovators of genres like sludge, grunge and doom metal. Melvins’ music is influenced by Flipper, Black Flag’s My War-era hardcore punk and Black Sabbath-style heavy metal, but their idiosyncratic approach, bizarre sense of humor, and experimentation make neat categorization difficult. Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (aka “King Buzzo”) and drummer Dale Crover are constant members while several bass guitarists have cycled through the group. Melvins usually performed as a trio until 2006 when two members of Big Business became permanent members of the band.

The band was named after a grocery clerk at the Thriftway in Montesano, Washington where Osborne was employed. Melvin was the most-hated fellow employee and the band felt it to be an appropriate name. Like SF noisenik predecessors Flipper, their love of slow tempos and sludgy sound were a strong influence on grunge music, especially Nirvana and many other bands from Seattle. Their protegés, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this sound.

(Read all here)

Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1997. They borrowed from and helped to evolve a sound pioneered by the likes of Neurosis and Godflesh, creating heavy music consisting primarily of lengthy songs that focus on repetition and evolution of structure and texture. As such, a great range of musical labels are used to describe their sound, including sludge metal and post-metal.

The band’s most recent album Wavering Radiant, was released on May 5, 2009.

Several sessions of experimentation in Boston, Massachusetts led friends Aaron Turner (guitar/vocals; also the owner of Hydra Head Records and its subsidiary, HH Noise Industries), Jeff Caxide (bass guitar), Chris Mereschuk (electronics/vocals) and Aaron Harris (drums) to form Isis in late 1997. As Turner states, “Isis formed as a result of the dissatisfaction with past bands of the founding members. None of us were happy with what we were doing musically at the time, two of us lived together, we had similar tastes and similar record collections.”[2] Isis released a demo and their first EP, Mosquito Control, in 1998, with this line-up. After an East Coast tour in the summer of 1998 where they were joined by Randy Larsen of Cable on guitar, Mereschuk left the band. Jay Randall (now of Agoraphobic Nosebleed) soon replaced him, working on Red Sea (1999). However, his stay would not last; this ultimately led to the addition of Bryant Clifford Meyer of The Gersch as well as former Cast Iron Hike guitarist Michael Gallagher in 1999.

(Read all here)

This is it. ISIS disbanded this year, just some weeks ago. On this split with the mighty Melvins we have the last track ever that has been recorded by ISIS. It's released now on this record. Bow down the last time for ISIS. Enjoy folks!

[ Melvins | ISIS | Hydra Head | 2010 | Sludge | CBR@320 ]

Tracklist

01. Melvins - Pig house (alt. version) (5:17)
02. Melvins - I'll finish you off (alt. version) (5:05)
03. ISIS - Way through woven branches (6:23)
04. ISIS - The pliable foe (7:53)

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24:38

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Harvestman / Minsk / US Christmas - Hawkwind Triad

With all of the amazing underground psychedelic/space rock bands to emerge in the last five years, a proper Hawkwind tribute album is about as overdue as a mainstream “indie” ban on Ivy League educated fag-pop albums. Hey, look at that, I think I just coined a new genre! Call me Simon Reynolds because I’m going to overuse the shit out of that phrase until its Wikipedia page (*snap* get on it, nerds!) credits me with its creation. A few years ago we got that awesome 7″ series with White Hills, Mugstar, Acid Mother’s Temple, Mudhoney, Kinski and Bardo Pond covering tracks for the Trensmat label, but that was a limited edition three-piece set you had to buy separately. Although I’ve never heard of these bands Harvestman and Minsk, I will gladly endure them for a slice of US Christmas. That band is up there with White Hills, Mugstar, Titan and Earthless as the creamiest of the Hawkwind torchbearers.

Fittingly, it is US Christmas that gets the new Hawkwind Triad album rolling with a stunning cover of “Master Of The Universe.” The overdriven guitar riffs are dead-on, sounding identical to those of the of space rock luminaries which inspired this project. Harvestman’s singer sounds a tad bit out of his league with his gravelly delivery. Musically it works, their take on “D Rider” sounds almost minimalist compared to Hawkwind’s original composition. Minsk definitely brings enough psychedelic effects and aggressive rhythms to impress. But it’s US Christmas that steals the show here. Listen to “Orgone Accumulator” and tell me the band couldn’t easily pull off an entire album of Hawkwind covers by themselves.

I’d say the tracks by US Christmas are the least re-imagined efforts on the album, but all three bands realize the importance of approaching a classic sound from a modern perspective. Minsk use their background as a self-described “psychedelic metal” act to add heaviness and a bit more complexity to what was considered at the time to be very progressive music. The best Harvestman contribution, “The Watcher” could just as easily be a cut on a fucked-up swamp blues compilation as it could a newly recorded Hawkwind cover. Maybe it’s related to my not being a huge Neurosis fan, but I found myself enjoying Harvestman the least of the triad. Sorry, Steve Von Till. I still adore Culper Ring!

It can be frustrating at times to describe the sounds of bands of this ilk without invoking the Hawkwind reference. Oftentimes I feel like I’m not giving bands enough credit if I say they’re reminiscent of one of the earliest space/psych bands on the planet. As an obsessive music fan and sometimes music writer I never want to sell a band short by simply comparing one group’s sound to those original trailblazers. I want to get the idea of a sound across to potential new listeners in a creative and unique way. Still, it helps to know that all of these bands are not ashamed of who most-inspired them. That Harvestman, Minsk and US Christmas (plus those Trensmat-recorded bands before them) are more than willing to pridefully record an album of Hawkwind material encapsulates the best possible course of action for bands that might draw easy comparisons: Show you adoration for those who came before you while putting forth something completely your own. My personal thanks to all three of these bands for offering up a fantastic record.

(Taken from here)

[ Neurot Recordings | 2010 | Ambient / Psych / Sludge / Stoner | VBR ]

Tracklist

01 U.S. Christmas - Master of the Universe (05:49)
02 Harvestman - D Rider (06:38)
03 Minsk - 7X7 (07:55)
04 Harvestman - Down Through the Night (03:42)
05 Minsk - Assault and Battery/The Golden Void (12:06)
06 U.S. Christmas - Psychedelic Warlords (06:20)
07 Minsk - Children of the Sun (04:36)
08 U.S. Christmas - Orgone Accumulator (06:51)
09 Harvestman - The Watcher (04:42)
10 U.S. Christmas - You Shouldn't Do That (11:24)
11 Harvestman - Magnu (08:43)

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01:18:51

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Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle Part II

There are two basic ways of listening to music: “fuck it, it’s good/bad”, and marinating. The latter is how a younger version of myself resolved to listen to all music forever, taking time and peeling back layer after layer of thoughtfully erected sound. I was a music snob. I still am to a degree, but I’ve since realized that life is short, I don’t always have time for marinating, and I can just trust my taste in the moment.

I suspect Blake Judd had a similar moment sometime around the making of his band’s Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1, which, for all the hemming and hawing about its relationship to black metal, is just a damn good collection of songs. (Ed. note: We don’t all agree. See here.) Here was a guy who grew up with heavy metal blinders on, started expanding his palette, and extended that to his band – successfully.

For the most part, that continues on Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. 2 (Century Media, 2010). The psychedelic element is still present, but things have evolved further with a four-on-the-floor dance feel in the rhythm section of certain songs. Synths are more prominent on this album, often as a lead instrument. That’s the big difference between this and Assassins: on most of these songs, the guitar is a texture, not the focus. Vocals come to the foreground as well (more on that later). There are hardly any riffs in sight.

And that’s totally fine with me. If people cringe about the murmurs of a “Wax Trax meets Darkthrone” vibe, they should crank “No Funeral” and “Blood Trance Fusion” and ask themselves if they still care. “Addicts” is another fantastically moody anthem whose chorus should be screamed by a roomful of people for full effect. Sanford Parker’s production is nothing short of stunning. The carefully layered guitars and synths come off clean but not overly-polished, a totally appropriate accommodation for the songwriting evolution. Ultimately, Blake Judd is shifting Nachtmystium from a black metal band to a big rock band with blackened roots. His heroes in Pink Floyd made a similar metamorphosis from art rock band to big rock band with artsy roots. The thing that carried them there? Songs with lyrics that put a lump in your throat.

Here’s where Addicts comes up short. Unfortunately, Judd isn’t a nuanced lyricist, and it shows with the de-emphasized guitar work. He delivers a loosely woven cautionary tale of drug abuse that could soundtrack an addict’s hitting bottom in any number of after-school specials. Perhaps it’s informed by actual experience, but it’s very outside-looking-in (I’m assuming), and it’s not convincing. “Fucked-up/strung-out” – you don’t say. I’m not saying it’s insincere; it’s just heavy-handed and doesn’t match the quality of the music. I’m surprised more reviews of Addicts aren’t evaluating its theme. It is such an explicit aspect of the record, from the cover art to the clear and present vocals. Kudos to Judd all the same for not hiding behind lyrical ambiguities.

Addicts‘ merits more than outweigh these concerns. This is a significant album for Nachtmystium, and the surrounding fanfare does factor into my assessment. You can hear the responsibility they’ve placed into making this release their moment. They were striving for a marinating listen, and they came close, but those heights require something more. For now, I say fuck it, it’s good.

(Taken from here)

FNT release of this album, maybe one of the better ones in 2010. I know, we're late with this one, but hey, I bet some of you guys don't got it yet. Enjoy!

[ Myspace | Century Media | 2010 | Black Metal | VBR]

Tracklist

1. Cry For Help (01:33)
2. High On Hate (03:36)
3. Nightfall (03:21)
4. No Funeral (05:39)
5. Then Fires (05:44)
6. Addicts (04:24)
7. The End Is Eternal (07:03)
8. Blood Trance Fusion (03:30)
9. Ruined Life Continuum (04:41)
10. Every Last Drop (08:30)

---

48:01

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Urfaust - Einsiedler

The Einsiedler EP from Urfaust displays the latest refinements the Dutch duo have made to their unique approach to black metal. While the two songs on Einsiedler are very similar to the band’s work on recent releases like last year’s Drei Rituale jenseits des Kosmos, Urfaust’s style seems to be less and less identifiable with black metal, instead moving toward more of an abstract, ambient-based approach. Fortunately, this evolution serves to broaden rather than dull the impact of the band’s music.

The two tracks on Einsiedler are rather curiously named for the two members of the band. The lengthier ‘IX: der Einsiedler’ is very much in the vein of the tracks on Drei Rituale…. Guitars and keyboards provide a dense background, while Willem’s typical bizarre wailings give the song a haunting, melancholic atmosphere.

The second track ‘Verderber’ is a bit of a departure, in that it is driven by a very basic, stripped-down, repeated guitar motif, which is supplemented by Willem’s usual unintelligible shrieking. Both tracks are simple yet effective, and while this EP sounds on the whole calmer and less disturbed than Urfaust’s last EP, I found the music to be no less enjoyable.

There’s not much else to say except that Urfaust fans will not be disappointed by this release, and while it’s perhaps not a great starting point for someone who hasn’t heard the band before, it’s definitely one of their most ‘accessible’ releases.

(Taken from here)

Latest EP from Urfaust released in 2009. This release is including scans of the booklet, cover and back in high quality. Enjoy!

[ Myspace | Van23 Records | 2009 | Black Metal | CBR@320 ]

Tracklist

01. IX - Der Einsiedler (12:07)

02. Verderber (06:50)

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18:57

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Sunn O))) - The Grimmrobe Demos

The Grimmrobe Demos is Sunn O)))'s first recorded album, and is the most direct representation of their self-proclaimed Earth-worship. It was originally limited to 500 copies by Hydra Head Records, but in 2005 Southern Lord Records reissued it on CD and vinyl with a bonus live track, An early rehearsal track titled "Bremerton" was included on the vinyl release.

The album's third track was named after frontman Dylan Carlson of Earth, the band that inspired this album, and the genesis of the band.

The booklet of the second version of the album contains a long passage of apocalyptic writing by Seldon Hunt, written in Melbourne, during October 2004.

On August 8, 2008, Sunn O))) announced that they would do a mini-tour consisting of four concerts to commemorate the 10th anniversary for this album's release

(Taken from Wikipedia)

The first recorded album from Sunn O))), we missed this one when we have been uploading the discography. If you don't have it yet, get it! This is the 2005 re-release on Southern Lord. Enjoy!

[ Myspace | Southern Lord | 2005 | Drone | CBR@320 ]

Tracklist

01. Black Wedding (19:16)

02. Defeating - Earths' Gravity (14:58)

03. Dylan Carlson (21:32)

04. Grimm & Bear it (16:40)

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01:12:27

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Ion Dissonance - Cursed

Ion Dissonance are a mathcore band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that were formerly known for their chaotically fast-paced and extremely aggressive style but changed to a more heavy, groove based style with the release of their 2007 album Minus The Herd.

Antoine Lussier and Sebastien Chaput formed Ion Dissonance during the late summer of 2001 with the intention of creating metal that was more complex and daring than what they have done before. JF Richard would join shortly after on drums. With these members, their sound started to take shape, but they still required a few more individuals to fill some parts. To that end they recruited Gabriel McCaughry (vocals) and Sebastien Painchaud (bass guitar). Upon completing their first official line-up, the band released a demo CD named .357, which was quickly put together in 2002 for promotional purposes to various zines, labels and individuals around North America. This demo is now out of print but was released on mp3.com. Within no time, they received positive reviews and reactions. In this short time, they had to pick an appropriate label to support them and soon release their first LP. They decided to stay with Willowtip Records (Cacophonous Records in Europe). The line-up was changed when Sebastien Painchaud was replaced by their second bassist, Miguel Valade. With this change, they started playing their first major shows as the opening act for such bands as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Daughters, Misery Index, The End, and The Black Dahlia Murder.

During April 2003 they started the recording process for their first LP, Breathing is Irrelevant with sound-engineer Yanick St-Amand (Neuraxis, Martyr, In Dying Days), the album was completed in June 2003, and it came out in October 2003. It received many favourable reviews from a number of webzines and magazines including Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer and Unrestrained!.

(Read all here)

New album from this mathcore gods. Enjoy!

[ Myspace | Century Media | 2010 | Mathcore | VBR ]

Tracklist

01. Cursed (00:52)
02. You People Are Messed Up (03:29)
03. The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same (02:32)
04. This Is The Last Time I Repeat Myself (04:36)
05. No Care Ever (02:55)
06. After Everything That's Happened, What Did You Expect (01:52)
07. We Like To Call This One (04:46)
08. Can Someone Please Explain This To Me? (02:41)
09. Disaster In Sight (02:14)
10. This Is Considered Mere Formality (04:25)
11. This Feels Like The End (04:10)
12. They'll Never Know (07:47)
13. Pallor (06:15)

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48:41

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Decrepit Birth - Polarity

Decrepit Birth is a brutal technical death metal band formed in 2001 by Matt Sotelo - guitars, Bill Robinson - vocals, and Derek Boyer – bass. Originally the intention was to play devastating, brutal, technical death metal, mixed with influences from the early 1990’s Florida death metal scene. Since Matt and Derek had at one time both played in Southern California band, Deprecated, it was easy for the two of them to begin collaborating on material for the first full length Decrepit Birth album “…And Time Begins”.

In Fall of 2002, with the help of friend Tim Yeung on session drums, they entered Legion Studios to begin recording. Almost a year later “…And Time Begins” was released on Unique Leader Records, artwork by Dan Seagrave. The album had production issues but still managed to forge a very solid fan base in the death metal scene. The band went through a dry period of playing no shows due to the lack of a drummer. Bassist Derek Boyer got the chance of a lifetime and was offered a full time position with death metal legends Suffocation. That left Decrepit Birth with out a drummer or bassist.

During 2004, bassist Risha Eryavec stepped in and not long after that, drummer KC Howard of Odius Mortem officially joined the band as well. For the next couple years the new lineup played many shows, fests and one North American tour. In 2007 the band took a break and began writing full time for the new album.

(more here)

Now something new from me to the blog. I serve you the newest release of some perfect technical death metal. If you haven't heard this genre yet, check it out. It's worth that. Enjoy it!

Decrepit Birth - Polarity

(Nuclear Blast Records / 2010 / Technical Death Metal / 224 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. (A Departure Of The Sun) Ignite The Tesla Coil 6:35
02. Metatron 4:16
03. Resonance 3:46
04. Polarity 4:29
05. Solar Impulse 2:56
06. Mirroring Dimensions 3:39
07. A Brief Odyssey In Time 1:03
08. The Quickening Of Time 2:44
09. Sea Of Memoties 2:25
10. Symbiosis 4:26
11. Darkness Embrace 2:26

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CRC Track 4

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

Dinosaur Jr. formed as Dinosaur in 1983 in Amherst, Massachusetts by J Mascis (guitar and vocals) and his high school classmate Lou Barlow (bass guitar), following the break-up of their hardcore punk band Deep Wound. Shortly afterwards, Murph (Emmett Patrick Murphy, drums) joined them.

The band changed its name following the release of its debut album Dinosaur in 1985, after a band called Dinosaurs, featuring ex-members of Country Joe and the Fish and Jefferson Airplane, threatened them with legal action. (They still used the name Dinosaur on their albums until 1987 at the latest, and some copies of You’re Living All Over Me still lack the “Jr”).

Despite no gaining much commercial success, the band has enjoyed something of a cult following. The success of singles Freak Scene and Just Like Heaven singles, and recommendations from the likes of Sonic Youth saw them signed by Warner Brothers. The signature Dinosaur Jr. sound is the melodic tunes saturated in layers of guitar noise and punctuated by J Mascis’ elaborate, yet laconic guitar solos. They were a major influence on the up-and-coming band Nirvana.

(taken from last.fm)

My favorite Dinosaur Jr. album and my secret favorite release of 2009. Maybe it's the approx. 1.3 million great riffs on this record or the vocals or the lyrics or how everything fits together, but I can return to this album as often as I want to and it will always sound and feel great.

[ Jagjaguwar | 2009 | Alternative Rock | 320kbps | 1:00:40 ]

Tracklist
1. Pieces - 4:32
2. I Want You To Know - 4:30
3. Ocean In The Way - 4:20
4. Plans - 6:42
5. Your Weather - 3:06
6. Over It - 3:47
7. Friends - 4:32
8. Said The People - 7:41
9. There's No Here - 3:39
10. See You - 5:47
11. I Don't Wanna Go There - 8:43
12. Imagination Blind - 3:21

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65daysofstatic - Album Discography

65daysofstatic began in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2001 as Iain Armstrong, Paul Wolinski and Joe Shrewsbury. Contrary to popular belief, they did not originally form to try to write music to fit the unreleased and little known John Carpenter film, ‘Stealth Bomber’ (starring Kurt Russell). Instead, they took their name from the 1954 CIA-backed coup d’etat in Guatemala. There, the CIA disabled Guatemalan communication systems while spreading propaganda, leading to the overthrow of the government.

65daysofstatic (also known by the abbreviation 65dos or 65days) are an instrumental electronic post-rock band from Sheffield, UK.

The band intersperses heavy, progressive, guitar-driven instrumental sections with both idm-esque programmed and live drums. Their albums, as a result, maintain a distinctively gritty, almost industrial feel.

(taken from last.fm)

The Fall Of Math
[ Monotreme | 2004 | Post-Rock | VBR | 43:44 ]

Tracklist
1. Another Code Against The Gone - 1:40
2. Install A Beak In The Heart That Clucks Time In Arabic - 4:55
3. Retreat! Retreat! - 4:09
4. Default This - 1:43
5. I Swallowed Hard, Like I Understood - 5:27
6. The Fall Of Math - 3:59
7. This Cat Is A Landmine - 4:45
8. The Last Home Recording - 2:13
9. Hole - 4:33
10. Fix The Sky A Little - 5:29
11. Aren't We All Running? - 4:51

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One Time For All Time
[ Monotreme | 2005 | Post-Rock | VBR | 35:12 ]

Tracklist
1. Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here - 4:18
2. Await Rescue - 4:44
3. 23kid - 4:32
4. Welcome To The Times - 3:53
5. Mean Low Water - 4:00
6. Climbing On Roofs (The Desperate Edit) - 2:27
7. The Big Afraid - 2:08
8. 65 Doesn't Understand You - 3:47
9. Radio Protector - 5:26

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The Destruction Of Small Ideas
[ Monotreme | 2007 | Post-Rock | VBR | 1:02:16 ]

Tracklist
1. When We Were Younger & Better - 6:54
2. A Failsafe - 4:28
3. Don't Go Down To Sorrow - 6:55
4. Wax Futures - 4:03
5. These Things You Can't Unlearn - 6:27
6. Lyonesse - 3:26
7. Music Is Music As Devices Are Kisses Is Everything - 5:20
8. The Distant & Mechanised Glow Of Eastern European Dance Parties - 3:33
9. Little Victories - 5:14
10. Primer - 4:51
11. White Peak/Dark Peak - 3:57
12. The Conspiracy Of Seeds - 7:08

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Escape From New York - Live Album
[ Monotreme | 2009 | Post-Rock | VBR | 45:55 ]

Tracklist
1. Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here - 4:25
2. No Use Crying Over (Some Techno)
3. Retreat! Retreat! - 3:42
4. Await Rescue - 4:50
5. Fix The Sky A Little - 5:06
6. 65 Doesn't Understand You - 6:16
7. Primer - 5:25
8. Radio Protector - 5:16
9. Four Score And (Some Drum N' Bass) - 3:06
10. A Failsafe - 5:37

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We Were Exploding Anyway
[ Hassle Records | 2010 | Post-Rock | 320kbps | 51:10 ]

Tracklist
1. Mountainhead - 5:33
2. Crash Tactics - 3:48
3. Dance Dance Dance - 4:02
4. Piano Fights - 3:51
5. Weak4 - 3:54
6. Come To Me (ft. Robert Smith) - 8:00
7. Go Complex - 4:04
8. Debutante - 7:21
9. Tiger Girl - 10:37

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Across Tundras - Western Sky Ride

It's a relatively rare occurrence in the metal and hardcore world to hear a band that sounds genuinely unique. Brutal death metal gets traced back to Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel. Sludge and doom sounds like Eyehategod and Neurosis. And of course, melodic death triggers an instant At the Gates reference. That's not to say that all forms of heavy music lack innovation and originality; it's just that the relatively tight genre constraints of metal and hardcore often leave little breathing room for these ideas to prosper.

And that's where Denver's Across Tundras fits into the picture. These guys take a strong Neurosis foundation and mix it with Black Sabbath and folk influences to create an interesting mix of what has been appropriately touted as "countrified doom." Sparse instrumentation based around twangy, slightly psychedelic guitar work is combined with prominent low end and meandering vocals, resulting in nine sprawling soundscapes that could only be collected under a title like Western Sky Ride. Across Tundras may not be redefining an entire genre, but their western twist on doom metal will certainly grab the attention of a wide range of listeners.

With Western Sky Ride running nearly 70 minutes in length, Across Tundras has plenty of time in each track to show off their love of everything from Neurosis to Neil Young. The disc's opener, "Carrion Crow," plays around with plodding vintage rock riffs before its midsection locks in a period of metallic riffing accompanied by whistling. "Follow Me to the San Luis" and "Two Black Clouds" both keep the disc firmly rooted in folk influence, with the former displaying subdued female vocal accompaniment and the latter offering substantial guitar twang over noisy ambience and drum rhythms. "Song of the Sullen Plains" displays some of the disc's most abrasive moments, provided by thick guitar riffs and a few stronger vocal lines.

Across Tundras simply does a remarkable job cohesively blending such a wide range of influences on Western Sky Ride. However, the disc's vocal performance leaves a bit to be desired, displaying that the band has not completely fine-tuned their clever combination of genres. Much of Western Sky Ride's singing feels like an afterthought, and since most of the tracks are rich in instrumentation and the vocals are so low in the mix, it appears that the band would also agree. And in order to preserve the folky, vintage feel to Across Tundras' brand of psychedelic, doomy rock, the vocals should, in fact, be buried in the mix. Despite this, it's hard not to notice that much of the singing is all over the place, ranging from apathetic droning to background shouting, ultimately giving the record a bit of an unsure feel at times. Across Tundras' singing is an acquired taste of sorts, but given its place in the mix and the album's instrumental feel, it shouldn't prove to be that great of a barrier to appreciating this interesting take on the doom genre.

Bottom Line: When Across Tundras advertised that they were mixing Neurosis, Black Sabbath and Neil Young, they weren't joking. Western Sky Ride offers sprawling compositions that combine vintage rock, folk, and doom metal and the result is a release that stands out from the pack in terms of ingenuity and originality. If the band gets a stronger vocal performance on their next record, they could be unstoppable.

(Taken from here...)

My most loved album from Across Tundras. Read the review and get the tunes, you won't regret it! Enjoy!

 [ Myspace | Saw Her Ghost Records | 2008 | Sludge | CBR @ 320 ]

Tracklist

01. Carrion Crow (08:38)
02. Thunderclap Stomp (07:55)
03. Low the Daystar Hangs (08:56)
04. Badlands Blues (08:12)
05. Follow Me to the San Luis (03:49)
06. Song of the Sullen Plains (08:20)
07. Run With the Wolves (06:21)
08. Two Black Clouds (08:22)
09. Gallows Pole (08:12)

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68:50

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Ufomammut - Idolum

Inspired as much by the space-tinged acid rock of Kyuss and Monster Magnet as by progressive rock icons like Pink Floyd, Blue Cheer and early Black Sabbath, Tortona, Italy’s UFOmammut was formed in 1999 by Urlo (bass/vocals), Poia (guitar/keyboards), Vita (drums) and Alien (synths).

Their fourth album was released in 2008 and is called "Idolum". It was recorded in Milan at the Magnolia Studio. Lento’s Lorenzo Stecconi was the sound engineer for this album. The album has received acclaim all across the world.

Ufomammut’s live show is supported by the internationally acclaimed video and graphic art of Malleus, a rock artists’ collective who conjure the entirety of Ufommamut’s visual impact.

(Taken from last.fm)

Did Ufomammut absolutely fuck with my mind last night? Yes, they did. They delivered one of the best audio-visual performances I ever had the honor to experience, probably second only to Ulver. Ranging from superheavy riffage with added psychedelia to post-rock-ish arrangements, this album (and every other Ufomammut release, really) is a must-have for every music enthusiast.
If you haven't already, also get their latest release "Eve" here.

[ Supernatural Cat | 2008 | Psychedelic Stoner Doom | 192kbps | 1:06:00 ]

Tracklist
1. Stigma - 7:12
2. Stardog - 5:41
3. Hellectric - 6:01
4. Ammonia - 7:10
5. Nero - 8:33
6. Destroyer - 4:03
7. Void / Elephantom - 27:20

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Amenra - Discography

Amenra is a progressive / sludge / post-metal band formed 2003 in Kortrijk, West-Flanders, Belgium.

Amenra delivers dark, heavy and sludgy post-hardcore in the vein of Cult of Luna, Isis and Neurosis. Intense, noisy and gloomy almost spheric at times. Rich and textured riffs. Thunderous low tones. High impact percussion and cutthroat vocals splattered with a healthy dose of religious iconography. Coalesce into a beautiful pitch black collection of staggering proportion.

(from Last.fm)

Amenra - Mass I: Prayer I - VI

(Anvil of Fury / 2003 / Sludge / 192kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Change Is Always (4:23)
02. Dance Of The Dead (5:50)
03. Discrimen (2:05)
04. Hibernate (4:00)
05. Silent Pause (5:32)
06. Ode To A Broken Doll (4:56)

Mediafire

Amenra - Prayers 9 + 10

(Grave Escape Records / 2004 / Sludge / 192kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Prayer 10: From Birth To Grave (5:56)
02. Prayer 09: Ritual (8:02)

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Amenra - Mass II: Sermons

(n/a / 2005 / Sludge / 128kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Prayer 8: From Brith To Grave (5:42)
02. Prayer 9: Offerande (3:56)
03. Prayer 10: Ritual (10:32)

Mediafire

Amenra - Mass III

(Fivestar Records / 2005 / Sludge / 192kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. The Pain. It Is Shapeless. We Are Your Shapeless Pain (10:17)
02. Némelèndèlle. Twuhste En Tljihste (7:27)
03. Die Strafe. Am Kreuz. Ich Schreibe Eine Bibel In Blut (7:11)
04. Le Fils Des Faux. Il Fallait Que Je Parte. Pour Que Tu Viennes (7:28)

Mediafire

Amenra - Mass IIII

(Hypertension Records / 2008 / Sludge / 195 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Silver Needle / Golden Nail (8:24)
02. Le Gardien Des Rêves (4:26)
03. De Dodenakker (10:01)
04. Terziele (2:46)
05. Razoreater (6:49)
06. Aorte Nous Sommes Du Même Sang (9:01)
07. Thurifer Et Clamor Ad Te Veniat (6:43)

Mediafire


Splits

Amenra / Hitch - Split

(Vlas Vegas Records / 2007 / Sludge / VBR2 186 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Amenra - Razoreater (5:42)
02. Hitch - Slavonski Brod ( 3:56)

Mediafire

Amenra / Gameness / Amen Ra / Gantz / Vuur - 4 Way Split

(Heart Of Fire Records / 2004 / Sludge / 320 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Gameness – Ressucites et remeurs (5:59)
02. Gameness – Immobile destinée (3:42)
03. Amenra – A Promise to Make (4:16)
04. Amenra – Offerande (This Is the Body of Christ) (4:00)
05. Gantz – Hors conditions (La mélodie du chaos) (7:05)
06. Gantz – Porté par le vide (5:09)
07. Vuur – State One (1:58)
08. Vuur – Dying Breed (3:07)
09. Vuur – Bitter (1:56)

Mediafire

Nadja & Troum - Dominium Visurgis

Nadja is a Canadian duo featuring multi-instrumentalist Aidan Baker and bassist/vocalist Leah Buckareff. Originally formed in 2003 in Toronto, Canada as a Baker solo project, Buckareff joined in 2005 to bring the project out of the studio and into live settings. The now-duo creates music that has been variously called ambient doom, drone metal.

To date, Nadja has released 14 full-length CDs, in addition to various eps, splits, and collaborations with such artists as Atavist, Black Boned Angel, Fear Falls Burning, A Storm of Light, Pyramids. Nadja works with a variety of labels, including Alien8 Recordings, Important Records, Beta-lactam Ring Records, Crucial Blast, and The End Records.

(from Last.fm)

Another new and delicious release for you. The new Nadja collaboration with Troum. Enjoy it!

Nadja & Troum - Dominium Visurgis

(Transgredient Records / 2010 / Drone/Ambient / VBR2)

Tracklist
01. Part 1 (11:34)
02. Part 2 (12:45)
03. Part 3 (25:12)

Mediafire

Kingdom - Hemeltraan

These two underground masters of the head trip combine forces for this lethal long-playing untitled track of subterranean mind games. This collaboration goes through purposefully blurred cycles of calm and anxiety that flow like a well-paced narrative. The beginning of the track is misleading because its drifting guitars, droning electronics, and occasional chimes and rumbles have a near-mystical quality. In fact, as nice as it is, I was initially afraid that an entire album of such a mood might lose its power by the time it finished. Turns out that this was merely a false sense of security because the music suddenly takes a nasty turn after about 13 minutes. What had been calming is now discordant, the tension and volume increasing in equal measure. From there it keeps evolving subtly, coming to a harrowing peak with churning feedback amid crackling distortion. Thankfully, it mellows with a much-needed respite of cleans tones and gentle bursts of bass. This ending isn't quite soothing, but it is still effective at counteracting the gnarled tangles that preceded it. The ever-unfolding nuances of this recording are fascinating whether calm and relaxed or swollen to bewildering heights.

I've been waiting for this record and yeah, it's one of my most favorite records this year. Great mix of sludge, ambient and doom. Get it and love it!

[ Myspace | Conspiracy Records | 2010 | Sludge | VBR ]

Tracklist

1. Bruma 05:19
2. Cendre 04:07
3. Gemis 04:44
4. Wiech .: 03:26
5. Throne 05:38
6. Altema 08:28
7. Ruina.Where Men Go to Die 04:00
8. A Quiet 07:53
9. Rivers Rage 05:12
10. Elude .: 06:58

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55:44

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Ultralord - We hate you and hope you die

With Fistula members Corey Bing and Bahb Branca at the wheel of this ridiculously negatory, gutter trawling sludgecore outfit, it’s not too much of a surprise that Ultralord brandishes a similiar sound as the speedier, more crossover-thrash style songs by Fistula. “We Hate You And Hope You Die”, the band’s only album so far, is one hell of a gnarly thrashcore assault that has a nasty habit of dropping massive slow motion sludge metal riffs in the middle of most of the songs, and just like with Fistula, these guys are masters at creating some of the heaviest riffs you’ve ever heard. It’s like they tap into everything great about Age Of Quarrel and the way that Eyehategod can vomit endless feedback out of their amplifiers for eons. Ultralord also includes Scott Stearns on guitar, and if you’ve been following the Ohio/Shifty Records sludge scene at all, you’ll probably recognize him as the artist behind a lot of the album covers on Shifty; his hyperdetailed sketch style of illustration has singlehandedly elevated the teenage hesher ritual of scrawling demons and thrash metal logos on notebooks into a higher art form. We’ve been digging his stuff for awhile, and it’s cool to hear him in action here as one of the band’s two guitarists; the wicked solos are ripped out like Greg Ginn gone speedmetal and they get downright psychedelic at times, especially when they start shredding over one of Ultralord’s grinding sludge dirges.

(Taken from Last.fm)

It's hot outside these days and what is more chilling then a good, southern style sludge album? Ultralord is a sideproject done by two guys from Fistula. Enjoy!

[ This Dark Reign Recordings | 2006 | Sludge | CBR@192 ]

Tracklist

01. Wizard Pimp (04:57)

02. Pussy Witch (06:58)

03. Black Maggot (04:37)

04. Blood Sinner (05:32)

05. Negative D (04:26)

06. Don't fear the Reefer (06:44)

07. Roach Detector (02:49)

08. Dirty Living (05:47)

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41:53

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Alpinist - Demo

Alpinist is a Neocrust four-piece band from Münster, GERMANY.

They exist since winter 2006 and live from the experiences their members made playing in bands from death metal to punkrock.

alpinist is meant to be understood by
those who are sick of people following musical trends
those who wanna live out music with dedication
and those who believe in expressing their own ideals with their own art.

(Taken from Last.fm)

We had their first full length "Minus Mensch" allready on our blog. Now you get some more tracks, this is the first demo these guys recorded, enjoy the crusty ride on your stereo!

[ Myspace / Phobiac Records / 2007 / Crust / CBR @ 128 ]

Tracklist

01. Totgelaufen (02:04)

02. Freighter (02:21)

03. Freiheitszäune (02:50)

04. Listen! (00:53)

05. Abgeschaltet (05:17)

06. Old Habbits vs. Daily Struggle (03:55)

07. 33-45 (03:37)

08. Eiche Rustikal (03:05)

09. Despair (04:23)

10. Restausverkauf (05:59)

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34:27

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Ellen Allien - Berlinette

Ellen Allien (born Ellen Fraatz) is a successful electronic musician, music producer and music label owner (BPitch Control). She lives in Berlin, Germany, but travels extensively. She sings in both German and English. She has said that one of the main inspirations for her music is the culture of reunified Berlin; her album “Stadtkind” was dedicated to the city.

(taken from last.fm)

Back from Bulgaria, with some real "intelligent dance music" (needed by me to contrast all that shitty music I had to endure in Bulgarian clubs). Once again, this is great urban minimal techno.

[ BPitch Control | 2003 | Minimal Techno | 192kbps | 49:22 |

Tracklist
1. Alles Sehen - 3:52
2. Sehnsucht - 6:20
3. Trash Scapes Voc - 1:00
4. Push - 4:19
5. Trash Scapes - 4:43
6. Augenblick - 4:42
7. Wish - 4:49
8. Abstract Pictures - 4:57
9. Erdbeermund - 4:16
10. Secret - 4:11
11. Open - 6:13

Mediafire

Celan - Halo

Celan is the brainchild of Ari Benjamin Meyers (Einsturzende Neubauten, Redux Orchestra) and Chris Spencer (of Unsane fame). They met in Berlin during an Unsane tour and immediately got interest in creating a project to combine and melt their completely different backgrounds (classical, avantgarde, industrial, noise and hardcore). Phil Roeder, Franz Xavier (ex-members of flu. ID) and Niko Wenner (guitarist extraordinaire from OXBOW) completed the line-up that recorded the debut album Halo in 2009.

(Taken from Last.fm)

This was one of the top releases in 2009! If you don't have it, grab it, I bet you will enjoy it!

[ Exile on Mainstream / 2009 / Hardcore / CBR@320 ]

Tracklist

01. Safety Recall Notice (00:45)

02. A Thousand Charms (04:28)

03. All this and Everything (04:30)

04. One Minute (03:37)

05. Sinking (04:44)

06. Weigh Tag (03:06)

07. Washing Machine (04:21)

08. Train of Thought (04:21)

09. It's Low (03:58)

10. Wait and see (03:41)

11. Lunchbox (12:41)

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50:16

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Track One (fixed)

A Forest of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves of Spring

Experimental black metal is A Forest of Stars’ M.O. on “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring.” Long compositions are wrapped around a hodgepodge of musical ideas that ranges from peaceful violin solos to mind-numbing brutality, all usually within the span of a few minutes. This premise was put to solid effects on debut album “The Corpse of Rebirth” and “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring” continues in this direction. The band’s sophomore effort is tighter and more fluid, which is surprising considering it is longer than their first record. The lines between black metal and progressive/experimental are blurred even further, signifying an unpredictable sound that can shift gears at a moment’s notice.

With the majority of the songs over the ten-minute mark, there is no rush in getting to the aggressive sections. The band seems content with sticking to calm passages for extended periods of time with little recourse. Ambience plays a role in the later tracks, which is the main offense against “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring.” While it can be used to enhance a mood or build towards a rousing finish, A Forest of Stars uses ambience to pad out the song lengths. This is most evident in “Starfire's Memory”; a wonderful song that should have ended five minutes earlier than it did. The overindulgent instrumental outro isn’t poorly performed, but seems unnecessary after the band seemed to end things on a strong note before going into the outro.

The rest of the album avoids this pratfall by switching between soft and heavy moments with relative ease. The shifts are sudden, keeping things moving at a steady clip. The momentum is always at a peak position, avoiding long stretches of tedious songwriting. Closer “Delay's Progression” is the perfect representation of this motif. An early synth piece leads into female whispers and acoustic guitars before maintaining a mid-tempo pace built upon lush violin lines and vocoder work. The blast beats and tremolo riffs don’t come in until the last third, making their appearance more effective.

Black metal is a small part of the album, as opener “Sorrow's Impetus” is the only track fully immersed in this sound. The other songs are craftier in their approach, keeping it to short bursts evenly spread out. This is a brilliant decision on the part of A Forest of Stars, as it keeps the intensity given off by the black metal onslaught from getting dull or repetitive, as can be the case with many bands in the genre. When the album picks up and things start to get crazy, a refresh feeling sweeps through.

Beneath the murkiness lies vivid beauty that peers out of the shadows at select moments to show a different side of the band. The majestic violin solo that begins “Thunder's Cannonade” is masterfully executed, while the backwoods acoustic feel of “Raven's Eye View” is highly unique. The cabaret/saloon piano on “Summertide’s Approach” is also another noteworthy oddity in an album stacked to the brim with them. The lyrics have a haunting beauty to them, with sharp imagery and poetic quips like “Soul starved bodies crushed, throats stuffed with my falling angels” and “She cleanses these gutters with her utmost purity. Onrushing dark leaves your false light lonely.”

The release of “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring” was quite low-key, a shame since this is a thrilling black metal album that deserves way more attention than it has been receiving. Some have said that A Forest of Stars is the UK’s answer to Wolves in the Throne Room, but other than both bands having lengthy epics, the two really don’t have much in common. A Forest of Stars is its own entity, one that is easily recognizable among the crop of bands in the genre. When you hear a song from A Forest of Stars, you are hearing something distinct and fresh; a twist on an ancient formula. When the dust settles at the end of 2010, “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring” could be the sleeper hit of the year.

(more here)

Great to be here again! Computer was crashed, now he is alive again and now I'll spent you a great and brand new release. Enjoy it!

A Forest of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves of Spring

(Transcendental Creations / 2010 / Psychedelic Black Metal/Experimental / VBR2 202 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Sorrow’s Impetus 13:02
02. Raven’s Eye View 9:24
03. Summertide’s Approach 13:29
04. Thunder’s Cannonade 8:02
05. Starfire’s Memory 11:51
06. Delay’s Progression 16:29

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Between Silence and Sound

Hey there folks,

 

long time no see, eh? I bet you are wondering why we haven't posted anything in the last weeks. I was at the hellfest (still trying to get in shape again), fullmoonstruck blew up his computer and our friend q_uiz is on holiday in bulgaria after finishing his grammar school. We got the world cup on the television right now, too. And as you know, we European guys prefer soccer instead of football and spend most of the day sitting in the sun to watch the games.

But be prepared, on sunday we hit the spot again with some nice releases. 

Cheers and thanks for all the support,

CultOfRuins Team