Aldebaran - Embracing The Lightless Depths (2012)

Full Length, Profound Lore Records
May 15th, 2012

Genre: Doom Metal
Region: USA

Apologies for the lack of posts. To make up for it here's Aldebaran's new full length record Embracing the Lightless Depths with another piece of brilliant artwork from Alexander Brown. Thanks to Forever Cursed for getting this up so fast.

I got a glimpse of this record when I attended Rites of Darkness III where they performed "Sentinel of a Sunless Abyss", a 30 minute goliath that put me on my ass pretty fast:

This trembling mountain of funeral doom takes Aldebaran in a different direction from past records (though this arguably started with "Buried Beneath Aeons") with two 20+ minute tracks and three shorter "occultations" that buffer the two longer tracks; they fit very well as valleys of calm between the crooked spires jutting upwards that are those trudging songs (almost as depicted on the album art work). The first and last track act as an intro and outro bleeding into and out of the larger songs, calmer and cleaner to help build up to the unending onslaught of terrifyingly heavy doom riffs. Occultaion of Hali's Gates is a soft, melodic guitar-only track that eventually is overtaken by creeping distorted riffs before draining into "Forever In The Dream of Death".

Now this track and Sentinel of a Sunless Abyss are the meat of the album, both following a similar devastating formula of building melody and slinking bass which is slowly enveloped by powerful waves of deliberate, ground splitting doom rhythms and chasmic, husky growls. Both feel like a journey across a desolate burned-out desert: the pace is slow, like dragging an oil tanker through said desert.

It could be said that it meanders at times. There is a clear direction no doubt but the pacing makes it feel like you've lost sight of it in some moments. It's not boring however, as the constant shadowy melody hidden within keeps things comfortable and painfully melancholic all at once while the songs sway and groove, climbing high and sinking to depressing lows — both guitars harmonized (sometimes one is clean while the other shudders with fuzz) while the drumming tumbles beside them at the same pace. They get quiet in some spots with whispered vocals before kicking into the grooves once more, and in "Forever in the Dream of Death" has one section where the kickers pick up a little.

My favorite of the two is "Sentinel..." as its structure grabs me far more tightly and I never feel lost. I was immediately spellbound by it when I heard it live and on the album it is no different. It's fucking huge and dark, with some extremely catchy riffs that will force you to rock back and forth. The clean section right at 12 minutes in and the following crushing leads are so satisfying, and it slows down near the end to an aching pace to heighten that atmosphere of hopelessness; definitely my favorite moment of this record.

Between these two tracks is "Occultation of Ocular Tauri", a 6 minute interlude which crosses from Forever... and into Sentinel. It's dark and dreary with gloomy cleans, great bass lines. Definitely hypnotic and a perfect lead in to Sentinal. Once "Sentinel..." fades with a clean chord the final and very short "Occultation" leads us to the end with that same echoing shine we heard in the first track — as the buzz of the second guitar creeps back in in the final moments.

High caliber, oppressive and quaking doom that I highly recommend you guys check out. You can snag a copy of this album over at Profound Lore's online shop.

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

New Lows - Demo (2007)

Demo, Independent
2007

Genre: Hardcore
Region: USA

I did enjoy Harvest of the Carcass, I really did, but I felt that the professional production dampened the potential lethality of the songs — which were admittedly a little disappointing having heard this gem before it. They felt a little bland. For comparison on what I mean you should really check out their 2007 demo right here. I really hate to be that guy who says "their early shit is way better than their new shit" but in this case it really is true.

The four tracks on this album completely obliterate, put to shame that whole album in my opinion. Every riff and slam on this short demo is fine tuned to absolute brutality. A large part of it in my opinion is due to the gritty and harsh production making it incredibly loud, crushing and guttural — the amount of distortion and feedback amps it up even further.

The vocal duties are also far more powerful. You can virtually taste the hatred and malice spit forth, anger only matched by something like Kiss It Goodbye. It feels and sounds as if the guy's vocal chords are about to explode and tear right out of his throat. The drumming is not particularly notable on its own but when combined with the aforementioned aspects it really ties the whole record together, crashing down with incomprehensible force.

From the opening track it is abundantly clear these guys aren't fucking around. They aren't innovating to be sure but holy fuck this is the essence of pissed off hardcore done so right. Tightly written and violently executed: it's short, simple and truly barbaric with an ugly and evil guitar tone to carry the riffs into unknown levels of sheer power.

When they're not racing forth with unwavering speed in good old punk fashion, the slow moments will collapse on top of you with such force that it will leave you speechless; it's like being crushed beneath and torn apart by some ferocious wild animal. There is no way you won't thrash and headbang uncontrollably when they settle into a thick groovy breakdown like those heard on Lucifer Crucified or Lowest Depths. These two tracks alone make the album fantastically intense you'll ask why Harvest of the Carcass didn't hit such heights; it honestly is a little disappointing returning to it once you run through this sonic evisceration.

Get this now. It demands to be played multiple times on the highest volume possible. Some absolutely fantastic hardcore. The only complaint one could make is that it's too short but I'd much rather a short and exquisite record then a long and bland one. I'm not sure if this is available on its own but it is also coupled with their selftitled re-released EP which has a few other excellent tracks. It can be found on the Deathwish Inc. store.


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Night Heir - Wind In My Dream Mist In My House (2010)

Full Length, Independent/Unsigned
September 1st, 2010

Genre: Avant-garde Black Metal/Ambient/Experimental
Region: USA

So it's no secret that I'm extremely lazy and have been slacking majorly on requests. I'm slowly sifting through the backlog at the moment while catching up on other releases that interest me, but in terms of requests lets start with this quirky and mysterious record from Night Heir.

I passed over this record several times. I've given it several runs so far but I still think I have yet to grasp what it captures within its winding and bizarre depths. It's one of those records (indeed bands) that escapes genre classification despite it clearly housing multiple familiar genres such as black metal, ambient, pysch-folk, progressive metal, etc. — I want to compare it to something like Wreck And Reference, Mamaleek or Bad Life but that won't do either. It makes for a difficult review, and it is best you give it a listen yourself in order to draw from it what I cannot in the short amount of spins I've given it. Throughout ten tracks Wind... gives a refreshing and dark take on what it means to be progressive and edgy in an underground scene that is continuously contorting into and out of strange new soundscapes.

From the opening track you get the impression you'll be experiencing something folky and calm, but as you move forward into it's core set of tracks you're greeted with some unexpected and genuinely intriguing styles and flavors. Of course there are intermittent bouts of this subtle ambience sprinkled throughout, however a lot of the album has a more turbulent nature. It can be a little jarring for the average listener, just hitting that line of inaccessibility but backing off of purposeful alienation just for the sake of it. There is a plan and it is sincere and gripping. Wind... is ripe with quality and unique writing, that is for certain, and you must push forward to fully grasp and digest what Night Heir present within its deep folds.

It is once you encounter "The Night Heir" that the black metal aspect is revealed, glorious and atmospheric in ways you would not expect. But truly I became convinced and most impressed once I hit "No Sympathy For Demanding Idols" which is extremely catchy while at the same time foreign, stimulating. It contains a very groovy set of rhythms and riffs that ebb back and fourth hypnotically while a droning set of vocals (clean and bleak in tone) caress the listener's ears. It has elements of black metal but quite unlike what I've encountered elsewhere. This continues into "Indigo Woman" which as some really heavy, satisfying moments (as does "Böcklin", the track that follows). These four songs flow together as if they were one track while having very different personalities.

If ever there was something one could call dynamic or progressive or "avant-garde" without becoming convoluted and pretentious this is it, and all tracks from this one forward retain this quality, though not trapped in one style. The latter half of Wind... becomes more mellow, heavy, slow and experimental within it's own realm of peculiarity as it sheds it's originally more blackened coil ("I Seek Myself / I See Myself" are good examples of this). The evolution into this valley is just barely noticeable and once you arrive it feels very natural.

Occasionally clangs of bells, clashing of rattles, and swells of synths/keys tasetfully accompany the eerie vocals, which as mentioned are often clean but sway back into more harsh blackened tones; though not pained and screeching as one might assume. Desperate and howling fits better. The drumming runs the gamut of styles and yet it always feels appropriate while the bass is at the forefront, sliding and bouncing hypnotically. The structure of the riffs move effortlessly between weighty chunks, hazy chords, proggy riffs, and tight tremolos that weave themselves into surprising areas. Heavy but not doomy, dreamy but not shoegazy. Most of the time the songs stay short but still contain so much without becoming crowded or convoluted. This enigmatic two piece manages to create meaningful, atmospheric and articulate songs, escaping tropes one might expect.

I can certainly recommend those of you who are adventurous, looking for something refreshing, to look into this record. It's fairly impressive. There really isn't much out there that you could comfortably compare Night Heir to. It's best you give it a shot yourself as I'm unable to do justice to what has been offered here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. You can download it for free on their bandcamp page where you can also order a copy of the album in cassette format if you're so inclined for $3 (I did, it's quite nice). You can also follow their blog for updates on their activities.

DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

Wake / Dephosphorus - Split (2012)

Split, 7 Degrees Records
April 22nd, 2012

Genre: Grindcore
Region: Canada / Greece

What we have here is two great grindcore acts coming together for a short but sweet split. If you want to you can hear this streaming at Cvlt Nation in full.

Dephosphorus' side is three tracks which will appear on their upcoming album, following up their phenomenal EP Axiom. After the release of an amazing creation like Axiom it's going to be difficult for them to top themselves — such is curse of coming out of the gate with near perfection — but until Night Sky Transform is released Dephosphorus have decided to tease us with what they lay down here. If it's any indication on what the rest of the album will sound like they may have managed to keep up the quality that Axiom displayed.

They continue to follow their unique formula of combining grindcore, death metal and crusty blackened-hardcore with an astral flavor to birth short (much shorter than Axiom's tracks) and powerful transcendent songs, all three filled with strange yet catchy sharp riffs that blend comfortably with the violent scorching rasps of Panos, and unrelenting hyper-speed drumming. Moments of groovy powerchords help to slow down the pace before taking off into blast beats and swirling shreds; The Cosmologist exemplifies this perfectly. Dephosphorus have shown that they're not satisfied with resting on the success of Axiom. Once again they display their ability to craft furious sounds — well arranged, thoughtfully written and tightly performed with a thick production while managing to retain their signature style. A searing, cacophonous and spacy journey as only they can conceive.

Wake on the other hand I only recently became aware of. I've yet to hear all of their 2011 album Leeches but what I have heard of it was enjoyable; here though it definitely feels like they've stepped up their game. Like Dephosphorus, Wake offer up three tracks of unrestrained and brutal grind.

More traditional than what Dephosphorus present both in terms of style and aesthetic (socio-political as opposed to cosmological) but clearly filled with refined structures and a filthy atmosphere — each track plows through you like an out-of-control freight-liner. Two tracks run slightly longer than two minutes, but not to a detriment. Thirst and Veil of Odin both have tasty, chunky powerchord sessions after long bouts of blistering shred passages. Especially the latter track, it bursts forth violently from the start adding in some tastefully used hammer-ons when in the mid-point we hit a sick set of catchy rhythms and feedback leading to the conclusion of their side. Wake are clearly lurking in the dark of the underground for the moment but it would seem they have the potential to emerge and stand proudly beside the more well known acts of the genre.

All around it's a very solid split, and those of you aching to hear a glimpse of what Dephosphorus have in store for their next outing will want to pick this up; and if you want to hear some Canadian's ripping out some harsh grind alongside them then you can't go wrong with this one. They manage to compliment one another quite well. You can order this from 7 Degrees Records in 7" vinyl format with some nice art accompanying it (and a digital download as well).

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The Great Old Ones - Al Azif (2012)

Atmospheric Black Metal
Full length, Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Prodcutions
France
320

You guys know how I'm a sucker for lovecraftian shit, so it's quite obvious this album appealed to me. Also posted on Forever Cursed, I present you The Great Old Ones. A lovecraft inspired band from Bordeaux, France. And this is their debut album Al Azif, and let me tell you that this album is one of fucking hell of a debut.

When listening to Al Azif, I didn't get what I was expecting. So many bands who take Lovecraft often incorporate him with dark, desolate, depressing, petrifying soundscapes, which is correct since a lot of his stories are just that. However Lovecraft as a whole isn't just that, Lovecraft can be epic even when surrounded by the all hopelessness, Cosmic gods, monsters that can control winds, ancient wars and rebellions etc. Al Azif provides a good emphasis on these subjects whether it was band's intention or not.

The Great Old Ones are in the end a black metal band. Raw, fast drumming, shrieking vocals, and lots of tremolo, but album is also rich with harmony and melodies that are pleasing to the ears. The doomy rhythm and atmosphere almost puts this in sort of a "Post" genre as Forever Cursed put it. If you enjoy bands like Altar of Plagues and Wodensthrone I am pretty sure you're going to enjoy this so why not give it a spin?

LISTEN (Bandcamp)
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P.H.O.B.O.S. - Atonal Hypermnesia (2012)

Full Length, Megaton Mass Productions
March 19th, 2012

Genre: Industrial Doom Metal
Region: France

Atonal Hypermnesia is this secretive group's third full length, and it continues their unique journey with more ambient, industrial tonnage with a few more steps into plunging madness. It may be their best record yet.

P.H.O.B.O.S. offer up four lengthy and dense tracks on this release, each one filled with creeping drones and trembling heavy riffs that will plow you beneath waves of industrial noise. Hypnotic and heaving, cavernous and desolate atmospherics fill the dark void that they open up on "Necromegalopolis of Coprolites". The riffs here are muffled and could be compared to the warped rhythms that Portal achieve but are more repetitious — winding back and forth as the industrial drums repeat continuously. The vocals lay buried under the onslaught largely, whispered and echoing as a smooth bass riff meets the guitar. Cycling noise and samples (deep and booming) both accompany the slogging guitar or stand alone in some sections to give the track a very spacy or alien vibe. Sections of silence are interrupted as the riffs come full circle.

This is the formula that underlies each track on this record, and while it doesn't stray too far from that pattern it stays spellbinding and heavy at all times. It's truly impressive that they do so much with so little in terms of riffs. Apocalyptic, perhaps brooding is the only way to describe the tone of this record.

"Maelström Mani Padme Hum" is no exception which again opens with slow bends that grow in volume with the drumming. The riff drones deliberately with great weight for a bit with occasional additions of dissonance when the drowned vocals emerge, and not long after the bends become altered slightly. It's a very unique and strange heaviness which you're likely to only get from P.HO.BO.S. Riffs fade and an ebbing is all that is left for a time; it really does sound like the sounds that would emanate from deep within some ancient monster. Suddenly the drums slam back in as the hum and buzzing continues to entrance. Drums switch up with added punch when you hear the riffs begin to subtly swing back to the front until they're pressing against you with full force — disturbing and filled with darkness. Near the end as the guitar become more mangled this is the first time a scream rises above the instruments, and the song fades ominously with intermittent drum blasts.

"Solar Defrag" may be my favorite track on this record, and follows the previous one with a rumble, whirling like the blades of a massive flying machine. Electronic pulses shoot up continuously as the drums return. It's truly trance-inducing. The drums drop out leaving the whirling noise to stand alone, and it builds when the first riff breaks through: one massive, loud powerchord sustained and smooth. It continues to bore, gouges a deep ugly crater into your mind endlessly as the vocals seethe under them and the drums occasionally drop out. The riff only changes once into a huge bend far into the song and continues like that (slowing down to a crawl) right to the end.

The final track is "Transonic Mahasamadhi". It starts with a psychedelic tinge as the noise grows and grows until the thunderous drums kick into a sick rhythm, while the down-tuned guitar circles below. Repeating strongly, there's a break from the drums as feedback, delay and reverb take over for a short time — but then all elements return. Whispering accompanies a very subtle change in the riff, and then it shifts to an evil droning bend once again. Then after many cycles for the first time (though brief) we get some palm-muted chugs that stand beside the harsh chaos and sick bends before a return to the previous section. And it continues this way — a trudging hideousness unmatched with only brief glimpses of silence. The last leg of this album is filled with shifting pitches and frequencies, bass punches and almost inaudible vocals before we reach the conclusion.

I have to say this is definitely a huge step up from Anœdipal in my opinion, and from the material I've heard this impressed me the most. Unbelievably heavy, mysterious and strange. Highly recommended for those of you looking for lumbering alien heaviness. You can pick this up through Megaton Mass in cd and vinyl formats, the vinyl version comes with a cd copy as well.

Go get it.

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

Thou / Hell - Resurrection Bay (2012)

Split, Pesanta Urfolk / Gilead Media
April 23rd, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

What a perfect combination for a split. Two tracks from two devastating monsters of doom: Hell and Thou. No doubt this will be one of the top splits (if not general releases) this year.

I don't know what you want me to say about this. It should speak for itself by just having both bands attached, not to mention being released by two excellent labels. Side A is Hell's side, titled "Sheol". They played this to end their set at the Gilead Media fest so that was my first taste of the split, and for sure you won't be disappointed. It's just over 5 minutes long and very thick, pounding doom with hoarse distorted screams echoing throughout. It plods at a snails pace and shakes the ground beneath you like a titan roaming the earth. Dark and filthy with one section of clean riffs before returning to pitch black ugliness.

Thou's side is a track called "Ordinary People". It's fucking Thou guys — once again they spew forth an amazing, groove-ridden tsunami of sludgy excellence over 6+ minutes. They can do no wrong really. "Ordinary People" crushes you into a fine powder effortlessly with heavy riffs and bouts of dissonance as Brain rasps hatred and defeat that will pierce your skull, leaving you to bleed out on the cold ground alone. It's massive bone-breaking riffs, crushing drumming and bass licks form a tragic trek through a bleak and impure realm that only Thou can deliver.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to hear this if you like doom. Highly recommended. Not only is the music awesome but the packaging is truly beautiful: thick screen printed white jacket and obi strip, embossed with letter-pressing, and all white 7". It really contrasts heavily with the dark music it holds within.

Go pick this beautifully packaged and heavily executed split from either Pesanta Urfolk or Gilead Media and support these guys (limited to 1000 guys). You can also listen to this on the Gilead Media bandcamp page.

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Gilead Media Music Festival

— GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL —

ANOTHER HALF-ASSED FESTIVAL REVIEW

The Gilead Media Music Festival.... where to start? What an incredible weekend. Even six days later I'm at a loss for words in terms of what I experienced. It took me a little while to write this and even then I don't think I could ever do it justice. Be prepared for a disappointing account of a wonderful weekend. You had to be there.

Before getting into the bands and their performances I want to sincerely thank Adam Bartlett, founder of Gilead Media and generally humble and awesome dude, for putting this shit together. The fest went off without a hitch — it was very well organized. Much praise to him, his crew and all the people who came together to make the fest an unforgettable experience.

After the break I'll get into the sets and all that great shit. I took some photos and video but the large amount of pro photographers and press allowed me to take it easy on that end of things; I only got shots of those bands that interested me the most but even then the cramped conditions and thrashing going on made it difficult for someone as unprofessional as me to get much — which again relieved me and allowed me to sit back and just enjoy the fest.

Anyway on with the review.

Saltillo - Monocyte (2012)

Trip Hop/Neo Classical

Full Length, Artoffact Records

USA

256

Now I know that most of Equivoke's followers are looking for something that falls into a more "extreme" genre but I also know that at least a few will find this to be quite a treat. Saltillo is a solo project by Menton J. Matthews III, he made Ganglion in 2006 combining Neo Classical with Trip Hop. Monocyte is no different, except this time his music is more atmospheric and evoking. This album is really just an example of someone actually creating what they really want to create, and I applaud Menton for that.

The album cover is truly something else, Menton is also an illustrator and if I'm not mistaken he drew this himself. What a great contrast between the black, white and grey. And that skull looks like it perfectly on the that ledge. The only gripe is the text, looks like it's in the way.

At the very beginning of Monocyte you get a very good feeling, an example of what the album wants to portray. Very dark and dreadful unlike Ganglion which was bright and hopeful, even with sounding like something with high production values Monocyte still manages to actually invoke, again a dark and dreadful atmosphere. Maybe the contrast between Ganglion and Monocyte was intentional.

The album certainly has variety, you have heavy distorted beats with violins smacked on top but then to break things up a bit you have samples of broken word moments. There are even female vocals here though they might not appeal to some people's taste. So before you download listen for yourself in this video.

This album however can get a bit repetitive despite the variety, the album just under hour long length can really get to someone if they are the impatient type. Other than that this great stuff, hopefully you guys will enjoy this because I sure did. 

Plus look at this guy's beard.

He's like Rasputin or some shit.

DOWNLOAD(Mediafire)

Dweller On The Threshold - Dweller On The Threshold (2012)

Full Length, Enemies List Home Recordings
April 22nd, 2012 

Genre: Folk/Alternative Country/Post-Rock/Noise-Rock/Post-Hardcore
Region: USA

Like others who follow Enemies List, I've been curiously anticipating the release of material from Dweller On The Threshold, a quietly blooming group of shifting seasoned musicians from Death To Tyrants, Daniel Striped Tiger, and The Toll.

This album could definitely be described as enchanting, but even more than that it's surprising and dense. I had assumed that it was going to be calm and dark, in the realm of alt-country/folk/ambient something like Wovenhand or O'Death. Knowing that this is Enemies List though I suspected that what I had heard from the short preview clip on their site was only the smoothest tip of a monolithic, jagged iceberg. I just didn't know what to expect.

The first few tracks are very warm and dark acoustic pieces with very honest, clean singing accompanying the quiet ghostly chords — these tracks are tranquil and melodic, glowing like a summer sunset in the country as echos spread to fill the air. "The Woods: Electric" is the perfect example of this as it lulls you into a nostalgic haze while it's tail end gets a little more rough; "Bell", "Where Did You Go?", and "Gallery of Stars" all experiment with this sound. All members (at times eight) play well together however the singing is particularly hypnotizing: unearthly, light and creeping with a lot of reverb.

The first time where you'll be thrown completely (as I was) is on the third track: "Crumbling House". It suddenly sounds like we've stepped into a very early Cave In EP and it's oh so good. Hardcore backgrounds of the musicians are given free reign here it would seem as the tone has been flipped completely to a post-hardcore or noise-rock pace: raw, bouncy and fast. As this track ends, the punk melts away quickly but is expressed elsewhere between the laid back and introspective folk. "Waves" is an example where we can hear some touches of sludge creep into the very distorted and coarse sounds, as the main riff repeats with a chorus of voices yelling overhead.

"Cantos 984" shows another unexpected blend. Beginning quietly on all fronts at a ritualistic pace, as the fuzz gets rolled on gradually and the volume increases you can almost hear the light tread of shoegaze right up to the five minute mark. The shift here is a step into a more sludgy-hardcore groove (like early Capricorns or Mare), the dose of heavy noise seals the track well without a doubt. One of my favorites here.

"The Drone" is another brilliant track with a change in style though not as jarring, moving from again warm country and halfway through bursting with feedback and multiple snaking leads to a very abrupt cold end. It's a powerful track, ambitious and treading softly on shoegaze at points but I really would've liked to hear that build last longer rather than the sudden drop out.

The final song, "Bell", has a similar atmosphere about it. The acoustic strings chime and twang alone beautifully for the opening three minutes; very magical with a gloomy edge as the slowly fade. It feels like a second song starts at this point as the spectral vocals come through with a playful melody for a time; very graceful. Then a break occurs where some of that post-hardcore shines through for a final crescendo but with the haunting voice remaining, echoing softly atop waves of noisy riffs.

Dweller On The Threshold's debut is impressive, fitting comfortably among the other strange acts in the increasingly excellent Enemies List stable. I almost want to compare these guys to Do Make Say Think in some ways. The number of talented rotating musicians with varied backgrounds is similar in both, and while I wouldn't call this post-rock the moments that approach this style feel much more like DMST then say Explosions In The Sky. As with most Enemies List releases this is something that may not be everyone's cup of tea. The changes in style could come off feeling a little disconnected and the album is definitely on the short side arguably. I would say they've managed the flips very well, pacing both elements smoothly considering the length.

I couldn't encourage you more to check this one out — it's an ELHR release so I shouldn't need to convince anyone to at least give it a chance if you've enjoyed anything from the label. Certainly those of you who like it can go to ELHR and preorder the vinyl or pay-what-you-want to download it digitally. Support these guys. You can also follow their tumblr.

DOWNLOAD (Enemies List)
DOWNLOAD (Direct Link)