Night Heir - A Maze Of Evenings (2013)

Full Length, Self-released /Independent
July 28th, 2013

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

NOTE: These hard working fellows are looking for a label of some kind that would be interested in releasing this record in physical form, so I'm putting the word out. If you think you could help them out I suggest you contact them (chambermusick@gmail.com) because this is a record I'd very much like to see on wax or tape or something. A release very much deserving of a physical home.
 
I’m excited! The new Night Heir album has finally appeared. It’s funny because I was wondering a few months ago if this year we’d see something new from Night Heir. Their last album Wind In My Dream Mist In My House is a sleeper gem of 2010, it’s impression grew on me significantly since I first heard it — so I’ve been wondering what exactly this now growing collective would come up for a follow-up.

Well, it’s quite brilliant. Overall it’s stronger and more generous than the aforementioned record. This new effort quickly ensnares you with it’s charm, unique atmosphere and bold approach which has been refined and expanded since last we encountered Night Heir.


A Maze Of Evenings brings more members (or contributors) into the circle, and with them more sounds and textures along with extended life; it hits about an hour and twelve minutes. While it was largely a one and two person project last time this record brings a swath of different vocal contributions and styles which enhance their tradition of wide scope in that arena, smoothly buttressing the swooning progressions both in the traditional guitar/bass/drums threesome, but also in the synth/keys and noise. These last two elements come to play an even bigger role than last time overall.

All of this thickens the already eerie atmosphere, new and larger amounts of varied, layered vocals add new dimensions to this records sound. The production was handled by the band rather than Colin Marston resulting in a more coarse, lo-fi quality compared to a surprisingly finer one on the previous record. This leaves the distorted and loud moments sounding grittier and the quiet valleys are a little more crisp.

It has made the drumming (snare for sure) a little more distant and thin but this hasn’t dampened the impact of those gripping bass grooves which played a prominent part on their Wind In My Dream... and now do so here. Especially on a lot of the clean sections, but also for instance on the the opening ritual “Inamorata”, and later on “Inner Female”, "Daymare" and “Draw Me Down The Moon” where those licks stick out and play prominently.

The journey feels more contemplative in its pace and volume this time around — even when it is being loud. Night Heir has not lost anything by doing this as their strengths buoyed further in the longer treks on the album allowing them to explore both parts equally and more fruitfully it seems; where the builds can be big and slow with just as much pay-off.

I’m talking about tracks like “Giver & Receiver” and “Inner Female”. The former is a perfect example of tricking the listener into thinking the metal has taken a back seat, crafting an alluring chorus haunting sounds; somehow incorporating twinkling pianos and not sounding annoyingly out-of-place. Quite a beautiful track. The latter is the climax of the record, possibly my favorite and very enchanting. Quiet and ghostly and ramps up to overwhelming but never coming unhinged.

Rainfall and silence. Remember that bass? Damn do the riffs on “Inner Female” kill. By the time the female vocals split through the distortion those grooves have begun their spell in full force; a few choice harmonics punctuating the heavy rhythm satisfyingly. It definitely has a very ethereal atmosphere by the end, aided greatly by those synths.

Having said that, a lean towards the rapt has not loosened the grip of metal on this project. As is made clear in tracks like “Daymare”, the change in production can allow that more fundamental ‘black’ metal quality to return with full force, scratching and galloping into some stunning territory. It's a bright track and one of my favorites and rivals “No Sympathy For Demanding Idols” off the previous record. Excellent vocals, it’s a monster by the end that whirls and roars coldly with a melancholic tone thriving in the lo-fi environment.

Yes the opener “Inamorata” shows a different side of this, the anguished cries over a looping rhythm unceasing with a final spectral push into the wicked "Daymare". So too do “Draw Me Down The Moon”, “Solar Piexus” and “The Curator” (both nearly nine minutes) which all bring the aggressive chime-like tremolo progressions, chunky rhythms, and stormy percussion as they have evolved between records.

The assault of “The Curator” accompanied by creepy, slithery singing,  is only interrupted midway through for ambient/noise manipulation, and that leads into some really chunky riffing and modulated female screams to close. Some of the lead’s vocals after the gap stray into quirky Daughters territory and amongst the crushing, dragging cacophony it works to their advantage.

So by the time we’re stretching into the second half of A Maze Of Evenings after multiple listens things are becoming clearer. Night Heir have given themselves both the span of time between records and the overall length on this record to allow for growth and breathing room. The clean and quiet elements taking as strong a role as the louder metal infused ones, but far more concentrated and focused than in their previous effort.

The result is some contrasting and very stunning sounds on both ends of their unique spectrum. The two “Inviolate” intros, “Theme From Slowland”, “Inner Female”, and “The Wheel” all creep on you but are no less captivating and creative than the more blunt attack. Tracks like “The Wheel”, a gentle throb bursting with radiance that starts quiet and almost loses control, but never dropping the meditation while gaining in aggression. A wobbly and entrancing trip.

Even “Solar Piexus” which contains mounting craggy riffs for a time (almost in oldschool Melechesh fashion) dives deep into a dark and contemplative chasm for a time. The gulf of quiet after the shredding just over three minutes in is breath-taking, the gentle atmosphere is thick and cool with organ keys and the splashes of percussion lighting up the dark. When the return to distortion is made over mourning hymns it’s heavy as the ocean from which their bursting forth.

I think near the end of this record is where it gets more intriguing, the contrasts continuing.

First we have “The Snakewife” which I think is one of the more interesting or surprising songs here just in terms of the switch off in styles and tones from the beginning to middle, and then the slow change thereafter. At seven minutes it’s almost noise-scape-y at first with a slight creeping horror veneer: off kilter, severely slowed-down, almost twilight-circus styled tones melt through feedback which in turn builds into howling and screaming synth — really nice — and finally gives way to bleak, hypnotic riffs as the build behind gets louder.

Suddenly the style changes again into something that feels more oldschool death-thrash, and the vocals fall in line as well. It’s bizarre but enjoyable especially as the track progresses, the drumming becomes more complex and the vocals are spiked with clean howls.

Then you follow this up with “Theme From Slowland”, which is somewhat self-explanatory I suppose, and you have a decent span of music in just these two tracks that tries and succeeds at exploring new ways of combining influences. This track is simple, clean and smooth in the vein of True Widow but less groove oriented, employing some beautiful vocals from both genders as it slinks along. I’d even say it begins to develop a slight Neurosis flavor (Enemy of the Sun era perhaps) just after halfway but it recedes by the end.

A huge and memorable song for sure. Subtle effects behind the build at points really make the track powerful. There’s not confusion or haphazardness in their placement or structure either, it works quite well. Right into the more shrieking blackened gloom of “Draw Me Down The Moon” (Beherit pun?) which when combined with “Inner Female” make for a fuckin wicked climax on this record’s end.

Final verdict? Fucking home run all the way for this humble outfit and A Maze Of Evenings. Black metal? Maybe, how about yes just to bug people. Regardless of its label it’s a wonderful record that will probably be passed over and be relegated to lost gem status years from now much like their first. It will no doubt be on my year end list.

All things considered there’s not a lot wrong with A Maze Of Evenings (length is debatable, after a few listens it doesn't seem long at all) and a whole bunch right with it. The time and effort over the last few years have clearly paid off with a rewarding record that retains originality. Night Heir continue to be awesome and interesting, and hard to place.

Please go support this project by paying what you can for this record if you’re able to, of course over on bandcamp. It is up for free for now, no physical release yet but I assume (like the previous album) a cassette may be in the future so keep an eye on that. I’ll update this post once that shit’s a reality.



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Wreck And Reference - C̶o̶n̶t̶e̶n̶t̶ (2013)

EP, The Flenser
May 21st, 2013

Genre: Experimental/Electronic Doom/Noise/Industrial/Post-Punk
Region: USA

I always love requests like this one because I would've put it up anyway as the band involved is killer. Wreck And Reference just happen to be on a streak with everything in their creative history since 2008 (?) being strictly different and enjoyable while also cathartic. C̶o̶n̶t̶e̶n̶t̶  (or No Content, dual meaning) is their most recent record and continues onward eager to explore, remaining unsurprisingly heavy and delightfully gloom ridden.

Through two short tracks this humble duo can convey quite a lot. C̶o̶n̶t̶e̶n̶t̶  feels like a brief revisiting of Black Cassette's themes in some ways or maybe excerpts from No Youth at it's most 'metal' moments if you can call them that. The material has not weakened, only furthered tempered and those behind it thirsty.

It's not as shocking as No Youth was to me in that their sophomore release took longer to warm up to than the debut, and the difference here is the impact with this 7" is as powerful as when I first heard Black Cassette. I felt it as soon as I heard the vocals on the opener "Absurdities & Echoes" which it's fair to say are haunting and pretty different from their previous experimentation.

It works so well with the lyrics and for the gloomy vibe of the song. The beginning draws in a lot of sounds slowly at first without becoming cluttered while a strong digitized chime quakes out a captivating lead, and the drumming in this intro rules. Very hypnotic, indeed continuing once the vocals float shakily in. During the core of the song hoarse spectral wails reverberate in the open making for very spacy or ethereal atmosphere.

The lyrical build in this both tranquil and jarring atmosphere is strong, leading to a climax of tremolo waves and rising cymbals— and a stunning frigidity washes over the song like various moments in The Angelic Process' work which was felt in the previous record as well, "Spectrum" and "Nausea" for instance. The louder the better.

It's the rolling, crackling, concussive pulses looping behind the church bell paced MPC and organ drone and rich percussion, becoming more pungent nearing the final quarter. It feels/sounds like somethings burning softly in the distance behind the aching and cathartic performance of Felix and Ignat. The vocals are particularly explosive by the end. That style is refreshing in general not even looking at their interesting approaches.

"Abhorrence" brings back the blackened yells, making this track fuckin' awesome instantly. Lyrically far more in step with this return while the hammering on the snare, and blaring MPC texture things nicely and then when all but the 'bass' tones drop out that subtle doom atmosphere amplifies a lot more.

It feels like you've just stepped into a funeral doom jam for ten seconds which is something they do exceedingly well without bass or guitar at this point. Proceeding from that moment the climb instrumentally is intense taking cues from the lyrics and the vociferous, shredding vocals. This comes to and end quickly with those thunderous tones again and the swirling rise in high frequencies and static giving a short does of eerie anxiousness.

Absolutely recommended if you couldn't already guess.. 2012 wasn't that long ago but even since No Youth they continue to mature creatively and the hooks just dig in deeper. If you've liked everything they've done before this should not disappoint you. Passionate consistency, tense and rapturous, unorthodox heaviness — C̶o̶n̶t̶e̶n̶t̶  continues resolutely with all of this. It feels like there's more coming soon and they've generously shared for free a glimpse at that. You shouldn't skip it and if you're new it's as good a place as any.

You can grab a digital copy from them on bandcamp or a physical copy from The Flenser. The Flenser also put this up digitally for real cheap but everyone always appreciates "free" direct from the artists too.


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Crawl - Mine Maille Shone Not The Light of Death (2012)

Demo / Live, Self-released /Independent

August 1st, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

Not long after I listened to Crawl's demo I purchased the cassette release that follows it titled Mine Maille Shone Not The Light of Death. As I mentioned in that previous post this Texas experiment in tortured ambient doom has found a more unique avenue to express the weight of defeat and uncaring isolation through a simple ceremonial set up of drums, bass and vocals (and here a didgeridoo), and with Mine Maile... Crawl capture this desolate expression more intensely live.

"The recordings herein serve as an interpretation of failure. They are not intended as a gift to the spiritual inner, but merely as a gateway to the tunnels of depression brought unto the underwhelmed. 

These tracks have been released onto tape in order to properly express the beaten and downtrodden aspects of aural imprisonment."

This is how the author wishes to express this records goal and perspective. The three tracks here do a good job at instilling those feelings of swirling around a frigid and dark drain, droning agony filling your consciousness. Instead of shorter dissonant doom spells, on Mine Maille... Crawl is reveling in a slow, blunt bludgeoning from the out set, swamped in rust and archaic ritual odours. However the change is a shift away from the heavily distorted machine-like pace and sound in order to find other paths to grow from.

That is not to say this element is completely gone, but this tape seems more focused elsewhere. The first blow comes in the form of "Breath of the Dying", a ten minute descent marking the start of that different approach for Crawl. This kind of sonic force does well this way if tailored properly — again it's not funeral doom but it's also not the dual bass stoner rockfall of Horse Latitudes either. Crawl desires to meddle in more chilling, martial horrors. After a quiet build that brings the anxiety up with tribal thumps, feeback announces the journey has commenced. With this track it is the closest the record sounds to anything on the first demo (track two would be a good example).

You'll get an intoxicating dose of tone all the way through the opening song from the thick humming and growling that takes heavy swings in the pitch black atmosphere. A solid and slow groove is carved out in the tolls of a girthy bass tone and enormous, hammering percussion in harmony with one another. The way the track flows gives more insight into the title. It progresses to a point of feedback resembling a flat-line and kick/snare drops, and then becomes cold with only the beat that slows drastically like a dying heart in the cold of night.

(Unmarked black cassette)

"Summon Greater Bonespirit" is a pretty substantial track despite what it might sound like. This is where the didgeridoo is utilized to surprisingly great effect, much like a siren in the middle of a either a raging fire or torrential downpour as thunder rolls ominously above. The combination works well, drawing you into Crawls hex from a different position. Those blasts oscillate occasionally as if off kilter sometimes (foreshadowing), the atmosphere only disturbed by eerie whispers in the right channel at around the four minute mark — and suddenly you're shocked from this fade by an augmented howl from the didgeridoo. Digitized, industrialized. Much more 'noise' oriented for that brief section, a very clever use of that instrument in my opinion especially for doom — blending a little death industrial in there.

By now it's easier to recognize that this heap of sludge has been experimenting more even within it's own forming niche, in "Frozen Horror" the ambient side comes out for four minutes but does not expand much. It consists of a chime or bell that has been distorted and morphed, and flexes over the course of the track sounding like something out of a horror film. The dragging samples are the final sounds on the tape.

As a live recording it sounds fucking crisp: bass and drums while pounded ferociously are not distorted or muddy, sharp cymbals, though the vocals are a little too far back. The style though may lend to being a little more buried: frenzied screaming like the angered caws of a raven fighting over a cadaver. It's a cryptic release and feels more like an interlude or teaser of what is to come than a proper or thirst-quenching record but what is hear is not replicated elsewhere too often, if at all.

If you're into the heavy and obscure there's no reason not to check this 19 minute live ritual out, it's free and crushing so I recommend you do. The changes do nothing but make the project more intriguing. Below you can get a taste of Crawl's recent pulverizing ceremony.

Also if you like what you hear you can grab a copy of the limited cassette over at Crawl's big cartel store in both regular and limited edition, and at Murder/Suicide Incidents, or a digital copy on their bandcamp page. I was informed he was going to update the store with more merch in the near future so check back if later if shit's not up. Follow on facebook for show and future release information.



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Cower - Mind Over Matter (2012)

Full Length, Howling Mine / Vendtta / Television Records
December 21st, 2012

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: USA


I've become obsessed with Cower over the past few months, this record in particular but even more their split with Thou (who's members really dig this as well). I'll be putting up the rest of their catalog eventually but Mind Over Matter deserves a little more time first. I said it pretty concisely in my list so lets see if I can mess it up here.

Cower are definitely flying under the radar despite their odd accessibility, putting out four records so far all of which are really good as I found out. This one is at the top with their split. Their grand, usually upbeat style of stoner-sludge hardcore is difficult to not enjoy and has mad staying power.

I think they're sometimes a four piece but usually a three piece, drummer Logan and bassist Jakob providing both clean and scratchy punk shouts. The important thing about the cleans is that they're melodic without becoming cheesy or overdone. That doesn't mean everyone will like tit of course. Tons of thick riffs sometimes filtered through tremolo and flang effects bringing a little stoner psychedelia into the mix but never oversaturating the riffs; it remains fuzzy and loud. Cower also offer a lot of aggressive punk energy that can quickly part the dope cloud and stir shit up nicely.

Mind Over Matter has a lot of variation even if you want to boil it down to just sludgecore. Listen to "Skylids" which is loud and anthem-like and also quiet and bluesy., it's ridiculously catchy from every angle and one of my favorites on this. "The Secret Garden" has similar qualities but it's arranged a little differently so as to make shit fresh, ending up with another hypnotizing song with a sick build from the beginning. Those bass lines are engrained into my mind.

Then check out something like "Fungus Summer": a pretty acoustic balad that turns into something much more once the drums and bass creep in. Even from "The Secret Garden" you leap into something much different directly afterwards. It changes over to a bouncy almost southern rock near the end before slipping into the pure hardcore "404" which only progresses into a more sludgy Converge section at the end. This is the mark for the next track "A Rocket Man's Reality" which falls right in line with the first two mentioned as it carries that Converge-twang for only a few quiet moments, yet again morphing into a swampy sway.

As on previous releases each song shows that Cower does these genres extremely well separately and fused, with passion and making them just internally enjoyable. Another example of this is in "The Lonely Road" which is a bit dark but clear cut hardcore while "Fifteen" sounds like something out of the fastcore punk '90's or maybe Touche Amore these days; high speed, frantic with a bit of a screamo vibe by the end without the vocal style. The final track might be my pick though. "Moving Day" is just so heavy and hypnotizing, from the scratchy punk intro to the  heavy rhythms and cadence of as he shouts along jerkily, it really couldn't get much better you'd think until the slow fade and build at the end.

Admittedly you might get a different impression from the first track "Cops" as it is deceptive for the first half of the song, more obtuse and angular hardcore then most of what Mind Over Matter sounds like; though these elements are certainly incorporated. The switch is made and like that the stoner-sludge influence takes over at the same pace. Its even more palpable from "Cowboys Pt. 2" (appropriately titled) onward. They do some of this mid song flips in other tracks like "Thieves of the Night" which becomes very melodic and chilled, grooves pulsing and vocals turning clean, as well as in "A Rocket Man's Reality".

Cower on each release have brought this accessibility to a manageable/tasteful level, as with the experimentation, so there's no way you can't enjoy it even if you're on a strict diet of kvlt. A sludgy Cave In is what I would describe it as except I'm getting far more consistency and enjoyment out of Cower than Cave In.

This doesn't have a physical release yet but considering the fact that all their previous records made it on to wax and cds you can bet this will, and probably from Television Records too. Possibly Howling Mine or Vendetta in Europe if I had to guess. For now it's up on bandcamp as a pay-what-you-want download along with the rest of their discography (which I will also be posting in the future) so please give these guys what you can if you like what you hear.




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Circle of Ouroborus - Abrahadabra (2012)

Full Length, Kuunpalvelus
August 23rd, 2012

Genre: Black Metal/Experimental/Post-Punk
Region: Finland

Two big, highly anticipated albums hit the ground today and what am I doing? Why I'm posting another obscure record authored by the enigmatic group Circle of Ouroborus ,who I'm beginning to fall in love with. And I still haven't gotten through the majority of their discography.

It's increasingly difficult to keep up with the amount of material these guys put out there, and even more difficult to procure physical copies of it due to the high demand and limited releases. Since Eleven Fingers last year there have been 9 new records from this Finish duo (most cassette or vinyl only releases), and I only managed to get a hold of 3 of them including this one.

Abrahadabra was recorded around the same time as Eleven Fingers and The Lost Entrance of the Just so you can expect a similar murky production, clean mournful howling vocals, astral/existential/contemplative and somewhat depressing lyrics in their simple rhyme scheme, and dream-like guitar tones through listless riffs and structures. You have six tracks to get lost in here, the last one is nearly 10 minutes.

Overall this is a much slower record (especially on side two) with no hoarse black metal growls to balance out the clean style. The first side is generally more mid-paced, the cloudy blackened post-punk is still quirky yet catchy and ghostly, and a few rhythms with slightly awkward percussion.

You can hear a little of this on the opener "Conspiracy" during the hook where it speeds up, the escalating notes here giving of that ethereal vibe. "These Days And Years To Kill" has a couple moments resembling traditional black metal in the backing riffs but still not near their effort on "Armon Keitaalla".

The second side begins with a slow track "Six Hands" which reminds me of "Sigil of Suns": melancholic riffs whining like a synth with a slower rhythm behind it, the drumming picking up only briefly at points. And it continues like this with "Like Silent Meadows", swaying in a very fantasy-ish manner.

The closer as mentioned is a long one, slow with short episodes of martial drumming (much like in "Breathing Slowly") alongside the pinging cymbals. It has a a great section like 3 minutes in once the vocals drop out where both the lead and rhythms are quite beautiful (and repeats quite often). It might be my favorite track and is the most reminiscent of material on "Eleven Fingers".

While it's not as wonderful straight across the board as Eleven Fingers it is more engaging and memorable (for me at least) than The Lost Entrance of the Just. Though I've seen some people bagging the drumming on recent Circle of Ouroborus records I like it a lot. Sure it's simple and doesn't vary a whole lot (maybe a little more varied here) but it stands out making the songs more hypnotic.

I certainly recommend checking this one out if you've enjoyed their recent style. If you're interested in a copy you'll have to do some in-depth searching, but you can also head over to Fallen Empire Records and shoot them an email asking for a copy. I grabbed mine from them just before they ran out but they're trying to get more in stock for now.

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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.

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Wreck And Reference - No Youth (2012)

Full Length, Self-released/Independent
April 15th, 2012

Genre: Experimental/Electronic Doom/Noise/Industrial/Post-Punk
Region: USA

This is a pleasant surprise. Wreck And Reference have just released their new album No Youth as a pay-what-you-want digital download on their bandcamp. They've requested I get this up here for you guys to check out. Be kind and give them something for their extreme generosity.

Another record mastered by Colin Marston (this guy is fuckin busy), but self-released by this duo that seem to be the only group outside of possibly Bad Life that approach the great Have A Nice Life in terms of strange weighted beauty, haunting ethereality, and their ability to escape categorization with their sound.

Wreck And Reference continue to develop and hone their unique style to new interesting levels with No Youth. It still retains that despondent atmosphere. No Youth is a little more tame and symphonic at the outset compared to Black Cassette, but and at various points this is contrasted with the ever-changing vocals and with many more sections of black metal percussion as well — for instance on "Cannot", "Inverted Soul", and "Nausea", with the MPC being subtly introduced underneath, buzzing and pulsing between the craters of silence and eerie sounds. "Nausea" has some excellent soothing vocals that contrast sharply with the blasts present and is one of my favorites on this album, next to "Cannot".

Moments of doom-like heaviness do appear though among the spoken passages laced with ambiance (the opener "Spectrum", "I Am A Sieve", or "The Solstitial"). Far less often than on Black Cassette admittedly but not to the album's detriment: No Youth is still plenty heavy but the approach has shifted slightly. Many tracks like "Obsession", "Edifice of Silt", and "Stage Collapse" are heavily symphonic, thick with cold entrancing melody and gloom. Sparks of industrial noise, humming, cycling psychedelia created by the MPC are far more haunting this time around.

As mentioned the vocals can be soothing and soft or droning, then in the next track they're scratchy and blackened, only to be followed by sombre speech or shaky singing. This can all occur within a single track ("I Am A Sieve", "Cannot"). It always works in the strange spectral atmosphere they create. And again the drumming drifts through multiple genres as well, sometimes tribal or semi-jazzy, sometimes doomy or black metal but as a key component it draws a lot of attention and is consistently entrancing.

Big recommendation for those who enjoyed their last one, another trip through the eletronic-industrial doom haze. Unlike Black Cassette I'm not sleeping on No Youth. I'll updated this if there's ever news of a physical release but their is no comment on that topic yet.

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Circle of Ouroborus - The Lost Entrance of the Just (2012)

Full Length, Handmade Birds Records
February 29th, 2012

Genre: Black Metal/Experimental/Post-Punk
Region: Finland

You can always count on this Finish duo experimenting with their sound and staying busy. Recently Moonflares and Eleven Fingers were muffled hazey excursions while Armon Keitaalla switched to a more traditional black metal sound leaving the muddy atmosphere behind.

The Lost Entrance of the Just returns to the post-punk/shoegaze sound on Eleven Fingers and Moonflares. Clean mournful vocals remain dominant as does the murky ethereal mist but slightly tamed, slower. This is most evident in the first two tracks. In fact the first half of the album is more ambiance heavy with dazed and drowning rhythms and less prominent use of tremolo riffs at first. Of course they always have such elements warmly pulsing under every track coupled with a soft drumming technique to entrance you, but it's much more subtle to begin with. In tracks such as Cast in Clay and Black Hole Womb the approach is similar to the clouded sound of The Angelic Process.

Skyline Painter and Ride the Wolf are closest to Eleven Fingers in my opinion as the droning cleans mix with the raw rasps from Antti, and a strong smothered tremolo pattern wails underneath. Grittier aspects of Armon Keitaalla are just barely present in some of the later songs — and only briefly. Often overtaken and smothered by drugged out atmospherics. Toivosta Syntynyt is probably the most unique here with warbled melancholic bends standing out as the lyrics are sung in Finnish.

Overall it's another solid entry into Circle of Ouroborus' extensive library of experiments though a little less gripping than their last few releases. Still enchanting though and unlike much else out there. This album (like their last few releases) is limited to 500 on vinyl so if you want it I'd hurry up and head over to Handmade Birds Records to pick it up before it's gone forever.

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Swans - We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head (2012)

Full Length, Young God Records
February, 2012

Genre: Post-Punk/Industrial/No-Wave/Experimental
Region: USA

I don't need to sell you on this or at least I shouldn't need to. This is Swans' most recent live album from their last set of tours plus some demos of their upcoming new album The Seer. I saw them live and it blew my mind. Their live albums are legendary and this is no exception. I haven't even heard the whole thing yet, only the first half of the first cd and man is it intense, raw, bizarre; even exhausting.

This will be taken down eventually I would think. I know Gira asked nicely for people not to share this online, but I missed out on the chance to pick up the limited/special edition and this is someone elses upload so whatever. It needs to be heard, and eventually there will be a regular cd press soon for the general public — watch Young God Records for more info on that.

DOWNLOAD PT. 1 (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD PT. 2 (Mediafire)

Bad Life - The Day You Die (2011)

Full Length, Music Ruins Lives
October 11th, 2011

Genre: Experimental/Post-Punk/Shoegaze
Region: USA

More weird and gloomy DIY hipster experimental shit that I was made aware of recently. From Music Ruins Lives:

"Every day blurs the same. The lines under your eyes are a map of your mistakes. The day you die, nothing changes. Bad Life is a procession of every half-heard sound that ever seeped through heat-cracked walls distorted. The Day You Die is eleven death rattles as rallying cries, grinding against the walls of this world."

Less bizarre and experimental than Wreck And Reference but still falling within that sound for the most part, Bad Life bring elements of doom, post-punk, shoegaze and pop together to create some strange but accessible experimental tunes. The vocals at times remind me of The Cure or The Killers with a clean, shaky, gloomy droning tone and this is put alongside the mix of sparkling synths, midi elements, sometimes shoegaze/sometimes doomy riffs bringing the depressive feeling even further into focus.

It's a distinctive sound and can be a little jarring at first but as is the case with this genre-splitting style as you continue listening it becomes less grating and more hypnotizing, with most songs not sounding to similar to each other. It's dark, warped and quirky but at the same time deceptively easy to grasp. A weird mix that works surprisingly well without becoming tired.

Definitely a sleeper of 2011. Highly recommended for fans of Wreck And Reference, Have A Nice Life, Swans, Hateful Abandon, etc. The final track of the album is not available online so you should pick up the cd from Music Ruins Lives. You can however hear the rest of the album on the label's bandcamp, and the rest of their material on Bad Life's bandcamp. Follow them over here.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Wreck And Reference - Black Cassette (2011)

EP, Flenser Records / Music Ruins Lives
February 25, 2011

Genre: Experimental/Electronic Doom/Noise/Industrial/Post-Punk
Region: USA

Here's one of those 2011 releases that I didn't listen to soon enough but had heard of vaguely throughout the year.

Wreck and Reference are a hard one to place and describe. The Flenser describes them as "pure misanthropic electronic doom". They're clearly influenced by the likes of Big Black and Swans to some degree, and I would even compare them to Have A Nice Life and The Angelic Process in some sense. Lo-fi, noisy, DIY basement/bedroom industrial doomgaze pop? Sounds idiotic and contrived but Black Cassette is definitely a unique and challenging record which really can't be boxed in by genres. One of those love or hate releases.

Vocals are what I noticed right away, clean and a little off key with that Dan Barrett style of singing from your heart, and there are very short sections where he reaches a yell you might hear in hardcore or screamo. Lyrics are focused on the "darker components of existentialist philosophy including the non-existence of god and fated death."  From what I can glean from other sources the only other elements used outside of vocals are live drums and an MPC which other than samples takes the place of a guitar and bass, and to be honest until I read up on it I almost couldn't tell it wasn't a guitar/bass. It's used exceedingly well throughout the record to conjure a bleary, despair-filled atmosphere. Drums range from slow and sludgy to jazzy to a hardcore/black metal pace, doing a great job of throwing you off before laying a nice foundation to the gloom.

There are some interesting sounds to be heard here and a big dose of atmosphere to be enveloped in. Black Cassette has very ethereal and melodic moments interlaced with the heavier machine-like trudging. "Surrendering" starts off quiet with what you would swear was a bass with creaking samples behind it, eventually squirming into a dense and noisey haze with a wicked warped synth section. Melodic, intense and depressive.

"In Chains, Awakening" throws you for a loop with a fast drum section that moves into a satisfying bassy, distorted groove that grows, getting louder and louder as the drums pound and the vocals dive below the noise. "Evening Redness" starts of twangy and sludgy with pained yells and ends with a bouncy coda heavily affected by the volume nob and some ace drumming. Halfway through "Desire, Ether" a huge switch to a psychedelic and very heavy industrial doom sound is made, very gloomy and dark. All the way through its strange knowing what you hear is not a guitar though some moments do jar you just enough to question it.

I think Wreck And Reference show great promise and have laid down something strange and bold here. This definitely isn't for everyone but I certainly suggest giving it a try. It's grown on me immensely. Those who like Have A Nice Life, Swans, Big Black, Mamaleek, etc. should take a chance on Black Cassette. You can get a copy on vinyl over at The Flenser and you can download it for free on bandcamp.

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DOWNLOAD (Megaupload)

Circle of Ouroborus - Eleven Fingers (2011)

Full Length, Handmade Birds Records
August, 2011

Genre: Black Metal/Experimental/Post-Punk
Region: Finland

Been waiting on this to show up on my doorstep. This of course is the latest release from Finish two piece Circle of Ouroborus who have a tradition of creating murky, low-fi, experimental black metal/post-punk. They're kind of hard to pin down genre-wise and have quite a catalogue of releases which are all equally strange; many of which I haven't had time to get to except for a few full lengths (Tree of Knowledge, Unituli, etc.). Having said that those that I have heard I found that they can be hit or miss for me but Eleven Fingers is different in that regard as I enjoyed everything on this release and felt compelled to spin it again immediately afterward. It may be their best work yet.

If you want a good idea of what you'll get from Eleven Fingers you should check out the track Warpath. It's a difficult release to describe. The seven songs here are draped in a mystical cold haze, their sound has not changed greatly from past releases outside of being very refined here. Eleven Fingers has a very laid back, thick, melodic atmosphere while still being engaging and intense. Vocals (as always) are 90% clean but not in a traditional sense, they have a mournful droning quality complimenting well with the soft guitars and hypnotic drumming. Brief moments of harsher vocals do appear (a few passages at most) and there are no acoustic moments here as in some previous albums. Circle of Ouroborus have always had such a strange and compelling sound and this seems like the best expression of it to date.

Distinctive, entrancing and dreamy. I'm really enjoying Eleven Fingers a ton and would recommend it even if you haven't heard their past work. It really does encompass perfectly Circle of Ouroborus' unique sound while still being accessible to some degree. Fans of Have a Nice Life, Mamaleek, and Murmuure may be interested in this.

UPDATE: Links fixed. Now both CD and Vinyl rips are up! (UPDATED: 21/03/2012)

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare) CD
DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare) VINYL

Mamaleek - Kurdaitcha (2011)

Full Length, Enemies List Home Recording
March 1st, 2011



Genre: Experimental Black Metal
Region: USA

Mamaleek is two mysterious brothers making some very strange, intriguing black metal. Previous albums had some jazz influence, this one however has dropped it while retaining the electro-noise elements, subtle synth use, and heavily distorted guitar/vocals. These guys have generously put their album up for free on Enemies List with an option to pay what you like if you enjoy it, preorder the album on vinyl, etc.

Definitely an odd and unique sound that sticks out among other acts in the genre. You won't hear much else out there like the sound they've crafted. If you're looking for something different give it a shot and support them if you can.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Mr Bungle - California

CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA

1. Sweet Charity

2. None of Them Knew They Were Robots

3. Retrovertigo

4. The Air-Conditioned Nightmare

5. Ars Moriendi

6. Pink Cigarette

7. Golem II: The Bionic Vapor Boy

8. The Holy Filament

9. Vanity Fair

10. Goodbye Sober Day

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Mare - Mare EP (2004)

EP, Hydra Head Records

October 5th, 2004

Region: Canada (Ontario)

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge

Mare released this originally as a demo and then split up due to an apparent lack of motivation. Nonetheless it's a great sludge gem.

1 Anisette 4:39

2 They Sent You 5:49

3 Tropics 2:56

4 Palaces 6:53

5 Sun for Miles 4:21

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)