[ aquarius records catalogue

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Showing results 701 through 750 of 1549.

We weren't sure what to expect from this mysterious outfit, but it definitely wasn't this! We got this from FRKSE, who's most recent releases was a Record Of The Week not too long back, and the fact that the group was called Goat's Gloom, and came via FRKSE, we were really expecting some sort of dark churning experimental abstraction, rhythmic, industrial, sorta home-brewed, which is precisely what we got, at least at first, muddy, and moody, a sort of grinding industrial crunch and clatter, noisy and lo-fi, definitely our sort of thing, and then all of a sudden, there's RAPPING. Woah. We were sort of thrown for a loop, but it didn't take us long to get right back into. The weird combination of rapid white boy flow over lurching stumbling junkyard beats and blown out industrial ambience is actually pretty goddamn great. Sounding a bit like some warped and woozy cross between DHR hip hoppers Fever and aQ faves Death Grips, via Bay Area hip hop label Anticon, if that makes any sense. And it sort of doesn't, but that's definitely what makes this so cool. As the record progresses too, it just gets noisier and more chaotic, lots of drones and low end rumble, sheets of buzz and all sorts of fucked up rhythmic weirdness. Fans of all the weirdo Ormolycka tapes we've been reviewing lately, this is definitely right up your alley. LIMITED TO 125 COPIES!!

A furious fifteen minute blast of unholy blackened war metal from France. Four tracks of grim chaotic lo-fi evil. Buzzing blasting brutality tempered by occasional midtempo dirges and old school thrash metal. Howled blasphemies and Burzumic buzz over galloping drums and swarming stun guitars. Only have a few of these so act fast!

MPEG stream: Tormentor 666
MPEG stream: In The Name Of The Black Lord

Another blast of twisted black metal weirdness from Finland, from long time aQ faves, one man BM weirdo Dead Reptile Shrine, and fellow one man black metal outfit Goatmoon, who just happen to be finally making their aQ list debut. And as you might have surmised, 'weird Finnish black metal', could very well mean that this is not at all like the black metal you're used to, and in this case you'd be right. Goatmoon, who in the past have shared a split with another aQ fave, the truly insane/brilliant Ride For Revenge (in fact, Mr. Goatmoon is a member of the RfR live band), offers up the nearly 25 minute title track, which is barely black metal at all, instead, the first 4 minutes is all acoustic guitar, draped over swirling winds, sounding a little like a Nordic Six Organs or something, that is until the guitars fade out, leaving just the wind, then some tribal drums, howling wolves, and then what sounds like some alien gypsy ritual, buzzing guitars that sound very Eastern, the percussion bells and shakers, the only real black element is the howled demonic vox, otherwise it sounds more like Amps For Christ, that is until that fades out, leaving just piano, a mournful lament drifting over that same whipping wind, then that distorted gypsy folk sounding buzz returns, this time with crooned clean vocals added to the mix, before everything fades out, leaving just a soft swirling expanse of melancholy synths, a meditative dronescape, haunting and dreamlike, drifting darkly though the ever blowing wind. So amazing, twisted and far out. Finland! Which brings us to Dead Reptile Shrine, who like Goatmoon, confound and confuse, here offering up a thick swirl of hazy psychedelia, minimal percussion beneath a cloud of tangled looped buzz, a weird disembodied distorted voice buried in the mix, the sound tense, never quite offering release, instead, a continual crescendo, epic and majestic and gorgeously haunting, before giving way to the stripped down minimal stumble folk of the next track, reverbed notes drift over electronic buzz, the vocals a caveman grumble, before a second vocal swoops in strident and powerful, the track flecked with steel string guitars, atonal melodies, monstrous whispers, a creepy chunk of haunting black folk mesmer. And so it goes, the sound definitely seems to exist in some warped abstract folk continuum, stumbling looped rhythms, distant fluttery flutes, detuned finger picking and fractured folk strum, eventually subsumed by some almost blackened buzz, and ridden by echo drenched sung/spoken vokills, the next track is about as close to proper black metal as DRS get, but as you might imagine that's not very close, with a black metal riff slowed way down and gradually unraveling, while various bits of percussion or shaken and rattled, and strange chant like croons swirl all around, until finally, DRS finish things off in a cloud of keening almost Skullflower like guitar, peppered with tiny bits of percussive glitch, thick low end rumbles, and a strange voice that almost sounds like he's speaking while breathing in, warped and weird, and pretty amazing in fact, a haunting, confusing bit of black ambient ritualism, and pretty much what we would expect (if one could really expect anything) from Dead Reptile Shrine. Of course, unadventurous black metallers should steer clear, but everyone else, whether you dig anything weird and Finnish, or love blackened outsider folk, or twisted deconstructed folk flecked black metal or like us want ANYTHING from either of these bands, this comes HIGHly recommended.

MPEG stream: Winterforest
MPEG stream: The Threshold Of Choice
MPEG stream: Across The Morbid Chaparral

One word for you. Eyehategod. Or is that three words? Anyway, it's pretty obvious that Goatsblood are gunning to take EHG's place as the reigning masters of slow motion doom/sludge. And Goatsblood seem to have a much better chance than most comers, as they don't just ape the dirges that have come before, they add all sorts of random detritus to the mix, short bursts of chaotic blast beats and total spastic freakouts, punishing grind, genuinely somber melodies, creepy ambience and one of the most caustic guitar tones ever, searing white hot, serrated, dripping acid and thick as a pool of week old blood. Think Eyehategod meets Brutal Truth meets Khanate. That good.

MPEG stream: Drull
MPEG stream: Skulton River

From UK label Rage of Achilles comes this Canadian blast of molten sludge. Crushing downer-core ala Eyehategod, squealing feedback, slow motion drumming (with the occasional grinding staccato blast beat) and howling midrange shrieks. Heavy as fuck.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. LA stoner/doom metal with former members of Wool, Scream, Engine Kid, The Obsessed... Well, whatever, is it any good? Well, there's a great, devastating song called "Raw Curtains" which, however, is also found on their recent split cd release with Burning Witch. And then they do a cover of Free's "Heartbreaker" that maybe wasn't such a good idea, although they do it well. Fans should dig this, though, as long as they don't mind getting "Raw Curtains" twice...

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SORRY. "This is the record that Black Sabbath would have recorded if they were starting today" sez Man's Ruin & various parrot-like distributors. Well, I don't know about that! What nerve. If true, it's a good thing that Black Sabbath aren't starting today, 'cause this ain't no "Black Sabbath". Not that this is a bad record, in fact, for fans of the currently-burgeoning Sabbath-influenced school of stoner/doom rock/metal should be quite happy with this release. A supergroup of sorts, featuring ex-members of The Obsessed, Engine Kid, and Scream/Wool. Heavy, heavy, heavy, with a lot of rock groove and even some vaguely Ian Astbury-like vocals...

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SORRY. Two of the LA doom metal scene's heaviest slug (and sludge) it out on this split release, with two songs each, of course played slow enough to make this a full-length! Goatsnake (featuring ex-members of The Obsessed and Engine Kid) even do a cover "Burial At Sea" by LA's godfathers of doom, the late great Saint Vitus. Sabbarific!!!

You can't go wrong with a 'goat' band name. Goat Horn, Lubricated Goat, Floating Goat, Lost Goat, Goatsnake, Goatsnake, Goatsblood, Goatlord, Goat Fire and of course Goat Thrower, so what if you just got rid of all that extraneous stuff, the throwing and the blood and the lubrication and got right down to it, the goat. Thus we have simply Goat, a one man American noise band who . So what if this Goat teamed up with one of our favorite masters of the apocalyptic dark ambient drone, Nordvargr? Well, then of course you'd end up with a creature known simply as Goatvargr, that sonically straddles the mysterious martial darkworld of Henrik Nordvargr Bjorkk and the harsh caustic brutality of Andy O' Sullivan (aka Goat). Huge expanses of industrial creak and groan, blown out beats buried under piles of sonic debris, face melting bursts of acidic distortion and crumbling walls of guitar grind, distant martial beats stretched out over smears of black sound and buried desiccated vocals, squealing sheets of feedback and layer after layer of Merzbowian murk. This is most definitely a noise record, but Nordvargr injects enough of his subtle darkness and penchant for strange beatscapes to keep the proceedings appropriately damaged, dreary and darkly demented. Recommended for the iron eared with hearts of noise! Great stuff!

MPEG stream: Goatlord Rising
MPEG stream: Fik

MPEG stream: Wear These Scars Of Testimony
MPEG stream: Bloodletting Upon The Cloven Hoof

From the ashes of the cult New Orleans metal/rock band Acid Bath have come not one band, but two: the amazing & essential best-of-2000-for-sure Agents Of Oblivion with Dax and Mike, and now the much-more-metal assault of Goatwhore, featuring Acid Bath guitarist Sammy (and the tortured throat of fellow NOLA metallers Solient Green's Ben) who have taken the darkest, heaviest, ugliest elements of the mulitfaceted Acid Bath and gone fully grind. Evil blackness, definitely influenced by the spawn of Norway. Their name, and song titles like "Invert The Virgin" and "Perversions Of The Ancient Goat" will show you that they're leagues away from the Bowie/Cooper/classic rock sound of their sister band. Not the most original sound or concept, to be sure, and not the fastest or most brutal either, but as soldiers in Satan's army they are worthy.

Released in the USA as "Together" and in Italy as "Amo Non Amo", this soundtrack to the film starring Terence Stamp and Jacqueline Bisset was originally scored by Burt Bacharach (now that I'd like to hear!) For the Italian version Goblin, masters of horror film soundtracks, were commissioned. Yikes. Goblin doing a romantic comedy score in 1979 is not my favorite Goblin style by a long shot. A lot of Guitar ballads and soft numbers, very anonymous and bland. I just love when Goblin is scary and thrilling and this has none of that. Not recommended unless you're a Goblin completist.

RealAudio clip: Amo Non Amo
RealAudio clip: Maniera

This is the soundtrack for 1980 Italian movie Contamination directed by Luigi Cozzi. To heighten the tension in the gory scenes and to capture the mood of pure panic towards the end, the director called on the Italian prog mayhem masters, Goblin. You can tell this soundtrack was written in the '80s. There are some out and out Miami Vice / Hill Street Blues sounding riffs. Embarrassing most of the time but a horror soundtrack nonetheless. Jim's friend said it sounded like music that would be playing at a hardware trade show.

RealAudio clip: Connexion
RealAudio clip: Bikini Island

I am so so so in love with this record! (I'm Windy.) If you don't have any Goblin records then you want to forgo this temporarily (it's just not typical of their material) and get Suspiria first. But if you already have at least one Goblin album, then get this one now. Of course, at first you had to be a little trepidacious about Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark, released in 1978, for the following reasons: [1] it's one of only two Goblin albums that weren't commissioned as soundtracks (the other being Roller), and [2] it's also supposedly their only album with *vocals*. Coulda crashed and burned if you ask me, but it turns out this album is awesome and the vocals just send it over the top! Massimo Morante's voice is dramatic and urgent yet at the very same time super melodic. And it sort of makes sense that without filmic visuals to provide visible stimulation, the vocals provide just the right amount of narrative "human" element. The songs here are so melodic and hook-filled, with tremendously beautiful minor-key climaxes that really satisfy. So great! Comes with mpeg footage of the band (in 2001) playing music in the same Cinevox studio where they'd always recorded, and also there's a rare interview where they reveal that much of Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark is about saying no to drugs.

RealAudio clip: Opera Magnifica
RealAudio clip: Le Cascate di Viridiana
RealAudio clip: Mark Il Bagarozzo

After 22 years Dario Argento and Goblin reunited for this 2000 thriller. The music is as you might expect very Goblinesqe. Despite the technological breakthroughs that have occured since Goblin worked with Argento on such great films as Deep Red, not much has changed in the Goblin camp, with their signature sound intact: mysterious, melodic, dark and scary and proggy.

RealAudio clip: Endless Love
RealAudio clip: Arpeggio-End Title Theme
RealAudio clip: The Rabbit

The soundtrack for Patrick, a Richard Franklin Film from 1978 (he did Psycho 2 and a few other un-notables) featuring the kings of horror soundtrack prog, Goblin! The film sounds great: a comatose patient named Patrick uses his psychokinetic powers to terrorize the staff of the hospital in which he is confined and there's supposed to be a creepy fucked up ending. The promotional teaser was "Patrick is nearly dead and still he's killing". And while I'm now all psyched to see the film, the soundtrack is sadly Goblin at their worst, which is too bad 'cos Goblin are the *best* at what they do, but this is way later in their career (the eighties); the sound is funky, wanky and cheesy and not really all that scary. Far from the spinechilling eerie prog we've come to expect.

RealAudio clip: Transmute
RealAudio clip: Snip Snap

Known in the USA as "Creepers", starring Donald Pleasence, written and directed by horror master Dario Argento. This edition features alternate versions of songs *not* used in the film. While the original soundtrack LP of 1985 was a blend of Goblin songs with rock tracks from various other artists, this new disc can be considered the instrumental sequel to that work -- all tracks composed and performed by Goblin, with the addition of 4 movie takes and 11 unissued tracks. The cd starts with a Halloweenesqe riff with far away female vocals. Slowly it evolves into crazy wanking guitar and hectic drums. This soundtrack is eerie and suspenseful, just like the film. A great example of Italian prog rock soundtrack geniuses Goblin.

RealAudio clip: Phenomena
RealAudio clip: Jennifer
RealAudio clip: - Film Versions suite 2)

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Spooky '70s Italian prog rockers Goblin are known for their soundtracks to many famous Dario Argento horror films. Here's one of the best, newly reissued on lp. Deep red indeed. Includes the tracks "Death Dies", "Mad Puppet", and "School At Night" among others.

Distributed and better known in the USA as "Deep Red", this is the wonderful soundtrack to the beautifully photographed Dario Argento classic. Twenty eight tracks total, this expanded edition features all of Goblin's contributions to the film as well as Giorgio Gaslini's chilling score.

This is an older release which we've never listed, due to problems with keeping it in stock. However recently this label has improved its distribution situation, so here we go: Not as beautifully packaged as the recent Dagored LP repress, this cd features those same tracks from Goblin's classic horror-film soundtrack, plus four bonus cuts not featured elsewhere. If you're going to buy one Goblin record, make it this one! If you're going to buy two, however, the Profondo Rosso soundtrack is equally wonderful! Essential!

Everyone's favorite Italian horror-film soundtrack rock band Goblin gets a handsome "best of" treatment on this import double cd. The first disc is the "best of" portion, concentrating on the Goblin's spooky prog-funk contributions to the '70s gore-thriler classics of Dario Argento (with tracks like "Profundo Rosso", "Death Dies", "Tenebre", "Suspiria", "Mad Puppet"...) that will be familiar to fans of the films and/or the band. Now maybe you already have Goblin cds with those tracks (if not, you should, or get this!) but even then true fans will be intrigued by disc two, a live Goblin concert recording from 1979, never before released. The sound quality is ok, and the music of course is great -- and even features a lot of vocals, something normally absent from Goblin's better known soundtrack material!

These legendary sinister soundtrack prog masters from Italy, currently on tour in the US for the first time ever (they played at the Warfield in SF last weekend, it was great!!), deliver four classic tracks ("Profondo Rosso", "Roller", "Suspira", and "Tenebre"), re-recorded, updating that classic sound to reflect their current live line-up. We'd say more but, as you might imagine, these are SUPER LIMITED, we only got a small handful, and then pulled some strings to get just a few more, but they've been blowing out of here fast - and we're pretty sure the ones we have now will be the last copies we'll be able to get... Pressed at 45rpm, on 180 gram red vinyl, with ghoulish cover art from artist Graham Humpreys.

This is the 20th Anniversary Special Edition cd from the Lucio Fulci (Argento produced) classic ZOMBI! Features six bonus tracks not featured on the original release...whoops, we screwed up with this description. One of our favorite customers, Jordan Perry, happened to catch our mistake, so we thought we'd just put his whole email about it up here to clarify matters: "...you list the Goblin soundtrack "Zombi" as being directed by Fulci. But it's not. And it's a complicated story, so please, bear with me. "Zombi" is actually Argento's Italian cut of Romero's "Dawn of the Dead." Argento was the producer of the film, and for it's release in Italy, he chose the film to be edited in slightly different ways than Romero had. Goblin composed a soundtrack, but from my understanding, Romero didn't much like it and only used it sparingly in his cut of the film. Argento, however, I'm guessing used more of Goblin's music in his version, perhaps explaining why this soundtrack is called "Zombi" instead of the much better-known title "Dawn of the Dead." But then there's Fulci's zombie film too, which was called (in Italy) "Zombi 2," likely an attempt to cash in on the success of Romero's/Argento's film by claiming itself a sequel. For its American release though, it was simply called "Zombie." The chance for confusion here then is obvious: Fulci's American title is only one letter different from Romero's/Argento's Italian title. Most important in all of this though is that Goblin did NOT compose the soundtrack to Fulci's film. Rather, that was Fulci-regular Fabio Frizzi (The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, Manhattan Baby), and IT is an amazing soundtrack, far better I think than Goblin's for their zombie film, particularly Frizzi's chilling main theme that got me so into horror soundtracks in the first place (this was about four months ago, and now I've got over 30 horror soundtracks in my collection). And I've been spending heaps of time renting horror movies of late, that is why I have all these facts down pat. And if you've only heard the soundtrack to Suspiria and not seen the movie, I most highly recommend you do see it. Of the fifteen or so horror movies I have seen in this past month's spree, Suspiria still easily ranks at the top (due in large part to the brilliant Goblin soundtrack for it). So... yeah. Do what you wish with this information." Thanks Jordan, for all the interesting info. Sorry for our misinformation!

By now you must realize we're total suckers for a ridiculous band name. Bathtub Shitter, Fuck, I'm Dead, Lurker Of Chalice, Goat Thrower, we could go one and on. But when faced with a band name like Goblin Cock. Well as far as we're concerned we're pretty much sold already. Then incorporate some classic fantasy art depicting a goblin, seated upon a throne, surrounded by fire, with his lengthy member protruding from his voluminous robes, like a sleeping serpent (and while we're at it, why not put a huge gold hoop through the tip?!), and then add some band photos, cloaked in mist, the band members be-robed skeletons, all crowded around and cradling a glowing metal skull. Okay, enough already! We love it. Well the surprising thing here, is that this is not in fact some crazy metal band, or some troop of weird metal ironists, no Goblin Cock is actually the latest group masterminded by Mr. Rob Crow, who you may know better as a member of Pinback, or Thingy, or Heavy Vegetable. And while this was purported to be Rob Crow's metal record (Heavy Metal Vegetable?), it's not all that far removed from the complex and off kilter pop we've come to expect. The guitars are definitely heavier, lots of distorted chug, and there's all sorts of metallic pounding drummage and plenty of very 'metal' moments, but the songs are still catchy, ridiculously so sometimes, and Rob's voice is killer as always, every song a twisted snarl of buzzing guitars, rich harmonies, strange arrangements and hooks galore, albeit wrapped snugly in leather and denim and spikes and blackened hoods! Probably not metal enough to get Goblin Cock a slot on Ozzfest, but just heavy enough to supply your indie rock collection with a much needed dose of heavy metal thunder. Sort of. And if you're not sold already, check this out: http://www.wormwoodfilms.com/movies/goblin_cock_2.mpg

MPEG stream: Stumped
MPEG stream: The Crusher
MPEG stream: Ichiro's Dilemma
MPEG stream: The Revenge Of Snufalufagus

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

The first offical cd (not cd-r) release from the Yellow Swan's label Jyrk and it's a doozy. A 45 minute spin through a dizzying collage of electronic fuckery, white noise, chopped static, all sorts of percussive amp buzz and cable jiggle, swooping sheets of feedback and chaotically controlled drones. High end sine wave lazer beams, all sorts of crickety glitchery and warm warbly woosh. Definitely for fans of Yellow Swans, Wolf Eyes, Hair Police, Double Leopards, Burning Star Core and all that lovely noisy goodness. Packaged in a super sweet hand screened, multi-colored wallpaper style sleeve. Nice.

MPEG stream: Anti-Sex, Anti-Wiretapping (Made In Taiwan)

Not to be confused with '90s Pathological Records heavies God, THIS God were from Australia, and in the eighties, these teenagers kicked up a serious ruckus, a ramshackle rambunctious grinding guitar heavy punk rock equal parts Stooges, KISS, the Replacements, the Ramones, the riffs crunchy and fuzzy, the drums wild and loose, the vocals a buried bark here, a deep Nick Cave-ish croon there, the songs KILLER, heavy and hooky and melodic, the vibe snarly and snarky and pissed off, just listen to "Gunk" and you'll be sold, a seriously hard and heavy blast of punky pop, churning riffs giving way to some sweet melodies and some bad ass guitar leads, and that's just the first track, from there on out, it's non stop rock. Big riffs, big hooks, fuzzy and distorted, trashy and ramshackle, occasionally dipping into something a bit more restrained, more melodic, but it's never long until the next burst of adrenalized crunch and pound. This is definitely some primal rock energy, essential listening for all worshippers of THE RIFF. Super nice packaging, their complete recordings on two discs, all remastered, including singles, and rare covers (KISS and the Stooges!), as well as a recording of their final gig in 1989, also includes a big ol' booklet of liner notes and photos.

MPEG stream: Gunk
MPEG stream: Headin' For The Id
MPEG stream: Golly Wolly Golly Wolly Hoo Ha
MPEG stream: Sook
MPEG stream: Snake Charmer

Old/rare stuff from this Dutch death metal combo, whose later Metal Blade albums are all pretty good. Includes video clip.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Newest from these always-fun NYC queer-positive artskronk rockers.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. We've also got the West Coast exclusive on the newest GIMCP cd, which was recorded for their European tour and is therefore limited to 500 copies, most of which presumably belong to Europeans now. Chaotic downtown New York intensity with a rollicking punk/no wave edge, God Is My Co-Pilot has been one of our favorite bands for years. This release includes covers of Spaceheads (who confirmed their Terrastock appearance, yay!), Frances Gall, the Carter Family, and Beausoleil.

22 tracks of GIMCP's favorites. Including "Steal Yr. Girlfriend."

God Is My Copilot.

After the four song Decline & Fall ep from earlier this year, legendary industrial metal duo Godflesh follow it up with their first full length in THIRTEEN YEARS, the first since 2001's Hymns, and like Decline & Fall, it's a total time machine trip, the band sounding pretty much as good as they did back in the day. All the elements are present, the robotic drum machine pummel, the crushing down tuned riffage, the thick rumbling bass, Justin Broadrick's throaty bellow. When we first heard about Godflesh's reformation and return, we were sort of expecting it to be more of a Godflesh lite, with some of Broadrick's other more poppy band Jesu finding its way into Godflesh's new sound. But that new sound is pretty much their old sound, and we're definitely not complaining. Other than the first couple Pitchshifter records, which were widely considered to be Godflesh ripoffs anyway, no other industrial metal band has managed to pull it off like these guys, creating epically tranced out mechanical metal mesmer, pounding, and churning, a bleakly psychedelic mechanoid doom, that at times had us thinking of modern, machine-making, one man doom band Author & Punisher, which makes sense since he no doubt owes pretty much his whole sound to Godflesh, but for folks late to the party, young 'uns who maybe missed out on Godflesh the first time around, and who have been digging stuff like A&P, this is the OG shit, or the OIM (original industrial metal?) shit. And it's not just the sound, the songs too, long stretches of grinding riffage, give way to more spaced out psychedelic passages, cascades of minor key melody draped over stuttering drum machines, and undulating bass buzz, the vocals too, even occasionally slip into a more sort of monk-like chant before returning to that distinctive bark, the songs weirdly catchy, which is quite a feat for music like this, but for every atmospheric bit, every buried hook, every melodic moment, it's more than made up for by some seriously brutal metallic crush, flurries of pounding behemoth beats, and probably some of the most punishing, skull-caving, down-tuned distorto, industrial-doom riffage you've likely heard in a long, long time. Killer.

MPEG stream: Deadend
MPEG stream: Life Giver Life Taker
MPEG stream: Obeyed

Listening to "Ringer", the first track on Godflesh's new Decline And Fall ep, it would be easy to imagine that this wasn't in fact the duo's first new record since 2001, the sound, as we were assured by folks who heard it before us, was very much like old Godflesh, and now that we -have- heard it, we most definitely concur. Sure there are some subtle differences, the production for one, less raw and abrasive, a bit warmer, as well as some strange sonic filigree that sounds like it could have been lifted off of a Jesu or Pale Sketcher record, and more dynamics too, with some cool psychedelic passages, and more minimal soundscapey bits, but at it's core, and for the bulk of the ep, the new Godflesh hews pretty close to the old. The guitars gristly and crunchy and abrasive, the bass thick and buzzing and corrosive, the drum machine locked into churning, unwavering, industrial rhythms, Broadrick's vocals the same sort of pre-Jesu bellow, the songs strangely catchy, with the occasional soaring melody draped over that instantly recognizable industrial machine metal, laced with shards of feedback, and arc of grinding down tuned crush. The whole thing tranced out and hypnotically headbangable, and a serious return to form, one that has us hankering for a proper full length.

MPEG stream: Ringer
MPEG stream: Dogbite

[ aquarius records catalogue — G ]