Blind To Faith - The Seven Fat Years Are Over ep (2009)

The latest from Holy Terror Records is "The Seven Fat Years are Over", the long-awaited debut 12" EP from Blind to Faith, which tears through eight excellent tracks in less than 17 minutes. Expect absolutely ripping hardcore/punk that's actually a little faster and more furiously intense (in a straightforward, blasting hardcore manner) than many listeners might expect, while an almost Celtic Frost-like vibe provides a counter to the speed by injecting a forceful midpaced churn to several of the compositions. The recording is completely awesome as well, boasting an insanely crisp/clear mix and a badass guitar tone that surprisingly has some of that Sunlight Studio sound to it, thus lending a classic Swedish death metal edge to the material without the songs sounding at all like Swedish death metal. It's basically over in a flash, but certainly calls for repeated listening thanks to the explosive fury of the delivery, and I can't recommend this enough. The vinyl comes handsomely packaged in a sleeve that utilizes lots of subtle gloss printing, and while I haven't played the actual vinyl yet due to lack of time, I'm told the 12" is curiously "reverse mastered" so that the grooves run from the center to the outside. Nice little touches to keep you on your toes!

(from Aversionline.com)

download

Ufomammut - Idolum (2007)

Inspired as much by the space-tinged acid rock ofKyuss 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).
Members of Ufomammut are also critically acclaimed graphic designers and fine artists who go by the name Malleus. Malleus mainly do a lot of gigposter art and art prints mostly screen-printed. Their official website can be found at: http://www.malleusdelic.com/

download

buy

Das Oath - Mini Lp (2006)

Das Oath was a thrashcore band from New York, originating from the The Netherlands. They formed in 1999. After two rehearsals the band recorded their 7” eight song debut in Rotterdam. It was not until a year later when Das Oath started to play shows. With only one 7” released the band hit the road and played all over Europe during the fall of 2000. Upon their return to The Netherlands the band went straight into the studio to record songs for what would become their 9” / 10” record. After the recording session the band started to prepare for their first USA tour slated in December 2000. Shows took place on the Westcoast tour in the USA with Total Fury from Japan. One of the highlights was the show at Gilman in San Francisco with Spazz. The tour barely broke even, yet more tours in Europe (with The Locust) and the USA (with Limpwrist and Total Fury). Meanwhile the limited 10” version came out for the spring tour on the Eastcoast. The regular 9” version was finally released late 2001. Shortly upon its released it was banned by the distributor for its controversial artwork. Their self-conscious move away from a typical punk rock aesthetic presaged a signing to Dim Mak Records, an extremely varied and commercial label that released Das Oath’s most critically well-received release, their self-titled LP from 2004. A mini-LP saw release in 2006 through Youth Attack, with the compact disc released again by Dim Mak. 2006 also saw the release of a self-titled 11” on Youth Attack/Coalition with the compact disc on 31G and Das Oath’s funereal release, a tour-only all-covers split LP with Ampere.

(from wikipedia)

download

buy

Grails - Black Tar Prophecies I, II & III (2006)

The Black Tar Prophecies is a massive evoltionary step in the established Grails sound and it is shrouded in change and pain. The somewhat clinical studio sound and recording style which has established them a tremendous following has been replaced with a much more free and conceptual recording style. This method liberated the group in the studio and these recordings feel much more open, heavy and for lack of a better term “psychadelic.” We're not talking about the cliché co-opted psychadelic fashion, but psychadelia as a reckless embrace of new states of mind and possibilities. This sound has always existed within a Grails song but now it's been heavilly pushed to the foreground. Perhaps even more elloquently and simply stated, Black Tar Prophecies 1-3 is their best record yet.

(from Important Records)

download

buy

Glass And Ashes - Aesthetic Arrest (2004)

Hailing from Ventura, California, GLASS & ASHES soak every possible ounce of spirit and passion from a full-velocity scream! Musically dynamic and compelling, GLASS & ASHES is already garnering comparisons to TORCHES TO ROME, PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS, and YAPHET KOTTO, with a touch of D.C. of years past.

(from No Idea Records)

download

buy

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails (1969)

Happy Trails is the second album of the American band Quicksilver Messenger Service.Happy Trails consists mainly of a performance cover of Bo Diddley's - aka Ellas McDaniel - "Who Do You Love?" spread out over 25 minutes. The live portions of the album were recorded at the Fillmore East and at the Fillmore West.The second half of the album consists of an almost continuous suite. Beginning with another Bo Diddley song ("Mona"), guitarist Gary Duncan's "Maiden of the Cancer Moon" follows and the album closes with "Calvary", which manifested itself during a studio acid trip. As a coda, the band sing the theme tune from Roy Rogers' western television show, which lends its title to the album.The record was released by Capitol records in stereo.In 2003, the album was ranked number 189 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

(from Wikipedia)

download

buy

Zoroaster - Matador (2010)

There’s so much good Southern sludge/doom/stoner rock coming out of Georgia and the Carolinas these days that if you aren’t paying attention, some of the best of it can slip right past you. A perfect example is Atlanta’s Zoroaster, a highly skillful outfit whose Matador full-length starts strong, but grows on you after repeated listens.

(from the A.V. Club)

download

buy

Young Widows - Old Wounds (2008)

Arriving two years after their debut, Settle Down City, Old Wounds completes Young Widows' transformation into a top-shelf rock band firing on all cylinders. Forging the best parts of Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Fugazi and The Melvins, Old Wounds is a series of dynamic, thoughtful tunes anchored by cavernous grooves that will certainly push most speakers to their breaking point. For the unique production, the band reunited with uber-producer friend (and Converge guitarist) Kurt Ballou, who had been eager to experiment with recording the band in multiple environments, with the intent of capturing the definitive take of each song for the final cut of the album. Feeling most at home when they're not at home, they brought Ballou along on tour to record all of their live shows. In addition, they recorded multiple sets in their rehearsal space, and another set at Ballou's Godcity Studios in Boston, MA. After tediously combing through a dozen hours of recordings, they compiled and mixed the album. The result is a bonafide classic, overflowing with the sweaty euphoria of a great live show, and the high replay value of a perfectly sequenced, well-produced rock record.

(from Temporary Residence.com)

download

buy

Master Musicians of Bukkake - Totem One (2009)

Master Musicians Of Bukkake’s newest record and part of a Northwest trilogy, Totem One marks an evolution from their first record “Visible Sign Of the Invisible order.” MMOB has now solidified into a 7 piece cosmic psyche force. Like a reverse dark side of the New Age sound, on the Totem series Master Musicians of Bukkake perform ritualistic electric excursions into the outer and inner reaches.Relying more on the electric power of psyched guitars, analog synth chants, and exotic heavy percussion, Totem one echos with the delusions of a West Coast Death cult. Outer spaced Gamelan, dusty fuzz rock from celestial deserts, meditations of a deranged Krishna gathering, and the Blurry acoustic guitar majesty of The Cascade mountains all reveal themselves here in epic form On Totem One. Every sound and note played was put to tape by a group with a singular purging purpose. Totem one also features Vocals By MMOB honorary member Alan Bishop of the Sun City Girls.

(From Conspiracy Records)

download

buy

Black Haven - The Cleansing Storm 7" (2007)

Like a gigantic wall of sound hitting you like a train and destroying as much as possible in the process. Only not sounding as cliche as this description. Others say they sound like Ringworm, Integrity and Entombed mixed together, which is quite correct, I guess. Another band that kept popping up while listening was Tragedy, on overdrive perhaps. Bust most of all Black Haven sounds raw and pissed.

Sure, Black Haven is a little bit slower and maybe also a bit more metal but other than that, their fellow countrymen Rise and Fall must have had a huge impact on them.

(from Asice Webzine)

download

buy

Amenra - Afterlife ep (2009)

For those unaware, Amenra is sludge/post-hardcore band from Belgium which is quite known for their long songs with repetitive and hypnotizing riffs that put a listener in a state of trance. At least that is what happens in my case.Unlike their previous releases this EP is completely acoustic and contains 6 songs. There are actually 3 and the other 3 are their mirror reflections, which can be figured out by looking at the track list.There wasn’t much change in their songwriting signature: songs still have that touch of infinity or should I say timelessness, although they didn’t play as much with dynamic structure as on their “electric” releases.Gentle, melancholic, compassionate vocals and “cold” acoustic melodies are just perfect for rainy nights.

(from vilenoise.com)

download

buy

Karysun - Interceptor (2008)

Self released debut album by the french drums n' guitar powerduo. It combines huge crunchy garage metal riffs with spaced-out gutteral Lemmy vocals, leagues of fuzz, and a droning scumbag swagger that reminds of a noise-rock tainted Black Cobra or High On Fire. There is some really rad shit happening in here though that makes these guys stand out...Imagine Black Cobra bestowed with a propensity for motorik rhythms, a noisier, lysergic Torche, or Floor after a weeklong listening binge of nothing but Motorhead's Orgasmatron. Karysun has played with Saviours, Akimbo, Young Widows, Tesa, Kidcrash, Black Cobra. Members of Amanda Woodward, Sugartown Cabaret and lots of another band from the Caen Punk / Hardcore scene. "Mixing stoner, sludge, noise, punk and rock influences, this CD is for fans of Baroness, Torche, Floor and Black Cobra.

(from clear-spot.nl)

download

buy

Big Black - Atomizer (1986)

Atomizer is a 1986 album by the American noise rock group Big Black. It is their debut album as all previous releases are EPs. The LP is accompanied by liner notes that explain the stories behind many of the songs. The album reached number 197 in the Billboard Hot 200 charts.It was released on CD, with the Headache EP and "Heartbeat" single, as The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape, which omitted the instrumental "Strange Things", as well as the artwork and liner notes from the original LP. This is in line with Steve Albini's general dislike for the CD format.

(from wikipedia)

download

buy

Aussitôt Mort - Montuenga (2008)

French screamoband at the top of their game. Need I say more ?

download

Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (2011)

It’s the band’s first LP since 2008′s acclaimed The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull, and it finds mainman Dylan Carlson and his longtime collaborator Adrienne Davies joined by cellist Lori Goldston (Nirvana, David Byrne) and bassist Karl Blau. For this outing they’ve apparently taken inspiration from British folk-rockers Pentangle and Fairport Convention, as well as North Africa’s Tinariwen, putting more energy into melody and arrangement than ever before, without compromising on heaviness.

(from factmag.com)



download
buy

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986)

Epicus Doomicus Metallicus is the debut album of the Swedish Doom metal band Candlemass, released June 10, 1986 on Black Dragon Records. It was re-issued in 2003 with a bonus live CD. The album title Epicus Doomicus Metallicus is a Dog Latin rendering of "Epic Doom Metal", the genre with which the band is most commonly identified.

(From Wikipedia)

Essential Listening

download

buy

US Christmas - Eat The Low Dogs (2008)

U.S. Christmas (USX) started playing together in 2002. They create very loud, loose and free music in a definite nasty psychedelic vein, but never jammy or amorphous. Everyone creates their own individual sound, and writes their own parts. And together they change things around a lot, probably because they don’t remember what they played the last time they played. The bandmates mention many bands that shaped their sound: classic psychedelic, blues, guitar slingers, modern metal, doom, and sludge, as well as old country artists - Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Hawkwind, Neurosis and Caustic Resin.

(from Last.fm)

download

buy

Various Artists - The Limits Of Control OST (2009)

You can love or hate this movie, but you can't argue with the quality of the soundtrack. Jim Jarmusch mixes songs by SunnO))), Boris & Earth with some of his own psychedelic creations (under the name Bad Rabbit) to create a dreamy record for lazy sundayafternoons.

download

buy

The Paper Hats - Deseret Canyon (2008)

The Paper Hats is William Tyler of Nashville, Tennessee. He rocks his guitar like a frenzied Fahey with effects and loop pedals to make a pretty expansive sound. The man is a beast. See him in other bands such as Lambchop and the Silver Jews.

(From Last.fm)

download

buy