True Widow - As High As The Highest Heavens And From The Center To The Circumference Of The Earth (2011)

Full Length, Kemado Records
March 29, 2011



Genre: Shoegaze/Doom Metal
Region: USA

A mighty slow and droning album from True Widow. Described as "stonegaze" by one of the members which, upon listening, is a very accurate tag. Mixing shoegaze elements like reverb-drenched clean vocals alongside lumbering doomy/stoner bass lines and dream-like guitar melodies which have a slight country/western tint to them over steady drumming, True Widow have made another soothing, dense record.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Reka - III (2011)

Full Length, OSK Records
June 17th, 2011



Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Region: Russia

Excellent atmospheric sludgey hardcore from Russia. Overall III is very well paced with no dull moments or filler, every track is heavy and memorable, perfect build ups with satisfying crushing payoffs. Its a really enjoyable, intense album that surprised the shit out of me. The vocalist is from Celeste, several members of Optimus Prime and Fortunae Verbera make up the remaining members so there's an interesting mix of influences at work here.

I'd say this is a sweet spot between something like Tesa and dark sludgey bands like Amenra, Time to Burn or Celeste. Their two previous albums are a bit more on the post-rock/post-metal side of things, worth a listen but I definitely found myself listening to this on repeat a lot this year.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Multiupload)

Murmuüre - Murmuüre (2010)

Full Length, Cold Void Emanations
March, 2010



Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal/Ambient/Electronic
Region: France

Murmuüre is one guy from France recording bizarre and creative black metal. The self-titled is short (just under half an hour), well written, and quite unique. There's a heavy emphasis on synth/electronic sampling, a noisey electronic haze blankets the album but underneath there is a distinct black metal sound and structure which focuses the chaos to some extent. Brilliant atmosphere is created from improvised guitar soaked in effects with giant swells of noise; this is definitely a gem.

Full stream of the album right here. Information here:

"All Murmuüre material is based on a one hour guitar improvisation from November 2006.
Selected parts were further edited to fit a rythmic structure, and merged with additional layers of sound.
This process of mixing & endless re-writing took 3 years until final completion.
The percussions are a mixture of the original programmed drums, and some (extremely re-edited) additional live drumming.
Vocals were recorded during a cathartic trance at a sacred place in the forest, with a mini-disc recorder.
Being almost inaudible in the music, they're strictly conceived as a vocal sigil technique, a vehicle for intent.

The 30 minutes long, self-titled release is possibly the first and last Murmuüre record.
I've put so much in it that it will be hard to match, and there would be no point in doing something more just for the sake of it."

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Dirge - Elysian Magnetic Fields (2011)

Full Length, Division Records
April, 2011



Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: France

A very heavy french band flying under the radar, Dirge play sludge/post-metal and have been consistent when it comes to quality releases. Elysian Magnetic Fields is their fifth release and it is a dense and massive record with layered effects and mounds of atmosphere, a great deal of slow and heavy riffing over top of some well placed synths and samples, occasionally coupled with strained yells from the vocalist.

Eight lengthy songs in the vein of Cult of Luna, Light Bearer, Pelican, Supercontinent, Empires, Rosetta, Hive Destruction, etc.

-link removed on request-

Oathbreaker - Mælstrøm (2011)

Full Length, Deathwish Inc.
Jul 5thy, 2011



Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore
Region: Belgium

Leaked yesterday, their first full record since the selftitled EP. Thirty minutes of excellent female fronted chaotic hardcore in the vein of Converge, Punch, Cursed, The Power and the Glory, etc. The lead singer and guitarist have played live for the great Amenra as well. You can listen to it in full streaming here.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Black Freighter / Planks — German Sludgecore Avalanche (2010)

I've had these records in my library for a while now but never got around to posting them, and since I recently posted a few albums that blur the genres of sludge/hardcore/black metal I decided to finally lump these two into one post . Germany's sludge and hardcore scenes are full of excellent bands so when the genres collide it's always a treat. Here's two powerful, abrasive sludge/hardcore records from 2010 you'll want to check out if you're a fan of Celeste, Time to Burn, Cursed, Buried Inside, Black Ships, Young and In The Way, Amenra, Seven Sisters of Sleep, Irreversible, Perth Express, etc.

______________________________________________________

Black Freighter - Graves And Monuments (2010)

Full Length, Vendetta Records
May 14th, 2010


Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: Germany

Nice crusty vocals and hectic drumming lay the groundwork for this record. Leaning more towards the hardcore end of things at times (similar to Buried Inside), the majority of Graves And Monuments is on the faster-paced side of things, occasionally slowing down for some crushing, wandering sludge riffs. It's too bad they split-up.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

______________________________________________________

Planks - The Darkest of Grays (2010)

Full Length, Per KoroOctober 30th, 2010



Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: Germany

Planks take more of a Amenra/Young and In The Way/Celeste approach to the sludgecore mashup and it works well. Some songs begin with a short sample but all contain piles of dark atmosphere draped over dissonant sludgey hardcore riffs, rasps and yells, and solid drumming. Equal parts furious hardcore energy and brooding Amenra-esque doom, this is a fucking great album.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Dark Castle - Surrender To All Life Beyond Form (2011)

Full Length, Profound Lore Records
May 17th, 2011



Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

Second full length from the heavy duo Dark Castle. Lots of big riffs and feedback.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Torch Runner / Young and In The Way - Split (2011)

Split, Headfirst! Records
June, 2011





Genre: Hardcore/Sludge
Region: USA

The guys from Headfirst! Records asked me to post the new split from Young and In The Way and Torch Runner (which you can preorder from the link above). Of course I have no problem doing that since it means listening to some nice dark hardcore.

Torch Runner have two tracks here in the metallic hardcore vein with some splashes of sludge in one, while Young and In The Way have one longer track in their blackened, sludgy hardcore style (if you haven't heard their full length check it out. Both have a slight Amenra touch to them.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Giles Corey - Giles Corey (2011)

Full Length, Enemies List Home Recordings
April 30th, 2011



Genre: Acoustic/Folk/Shoegaze
Region: USA

Intensely personal and depressive as fuck. The first full length of Dan Barrett's (half of Have a Nice Life) solo project. If you like it get on ordering a copy here.

DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Black Breath - Heavy Breathing (2010)

Full Length, Southern Lord Records
March 12th, 2010



Genre: Death Metal/Hardcore/Thrash/Crossover
Region: USA

This is some excellent blasting crossover heaviness from Southern Lord. Guitar tone resembles Denial or Vorum (has a great growl), with more hardcore/thrash leaning vocals. Never really settles too long on one style. Fast, aggressive and loud.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)