[ aquarius records

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Showing results 1451 through 1500 of 5570.

"War metal" from North Carolina, basically an American take on Scandinavian black metal and pretty great.

This is a weird one. The record starts off with a melancholy, minor key piano intro but soon erupts into an atonal riff with some jazzy/spastic drumming beneath it. This eventually mutates into some sort-of-black-metal. You knew it was only a matter of time. Kids have been aping Slayer for years, but now it's black metal that has got the kids' attention. So here is some East coast hardcore kids playing black metal, but with all sorts of curious little details that make it distinctly -not- black metal. The spazzy overplaying drummer, who is heavy on the technique, but not so heavy on the, well the heavy. Also some fingerpicked melodies that sound almost radio ready, and some total shredding leads and harmony guitars ala Iron Maiden. Not to say this is bad 'cause it isn't. It's pretty fucking cool. They may have failed in trying to sound 'black metal', but in failing they ended up with something more original and definitely more interesting.

RealAudio clip: These Ghosts Forever
RealAudio clip: Under Eternity

We'd been warned about this next-big-British band from our friends overseas. But mere warnings weren't enough to prepare us for what has quickly become our favorite new record / not-so-guilty pleasure. Everytime we play this in the store, people freak out and either ask "What the fuck??" or buy one on the spot. It's that good. And weird. More on that in a minute. This is easily the best RAWK record in forever. Huge catchy, crunchy riffs, big eighties drums, hooks galore, equal parts AC/DC, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Pat Benatar, Billy Squier, Rick Springfield, Journey, REO Speedwagon, John Parr (remember him? 'Naughty Naughty'?) but nothing could've prepared us for the vocals. And once those vocals kick in it's all over. Think Bon Scott meets Tiny Tim, Freddie Mercury meets Vince Neil, the singer from Comus meets the singer from Nitro, or an opera singer thrust on stage and forced to front Def Leppard. It's that amazing. The vocals slip effortlessly into a falsetto that then leaps wildly from note to note, octave to octave, stretching single words into multi-syllabic whoops and wooooahhhs. So amazing. Yet somehow they fit the music perfectly. From big balls-out riffy cock rock, to melancholy FM radio ballads, to good ol rock and roll, all just slightly tweaked by the unorthodox vocals. Plus the amazing song titles and lyrics fit perfectly with the whole vibe and seemingly could be delivered in no other way than a howling ridiculous falsetto. "Black Shuck, that dog don't give a fuck", "Love on the rocks with no ice" and "Keep your hands off of my woman, moootheeeerfuuuuuuuuckeeeeeer" with motherfucker spanning 8 or 9 syllables and 2 or 3 octaves. So fucking brilliant! The vocals move this from the catagory of good retro rawk act that would be a guilty pleasure to the we-can't-believe-this-is-popular, it's totally fucked and practically avant-garde yet insanely catchy and commerical. Wow.

MPEG stream: Get Your Hands Off My Woman
MPEG stream: Growing On Me
MPEG stream: I Believe In A Thing Called Love

Along with the stunning new album III I, we also managed to get a handful of the first demo from everyone's favorite Swiss black cosmic sci-fi space metal cyborgs, two tracks, originally released way back in 2002, and like all the records, cryptically titled with just numerals (these two tracks in the negative of course) and housed in another super minimal black sleeve. Sonically, the template for all four future records was already perfectly laid out here, the sound while a bit more raw, really isn't that far removed from the records proper, the same sort of horror score, sinister ambience, the arrangements simultaneously lush and expansive, dense and tangled, in fact if anything, -I might be the meanest sounding of the bunch, with some of their cosmic tendencies yet to come, here the group find themselves engaged in some sheer sonic brutality, albeit one that manages to be blackly beautiful and stunningly complex. And even back then the band flirted with dub and electronics, not hiding the fact that their drummer was a machine, but embracing it, the second track, a haunting swirling morass, held down by a slow motion programmed beat, laced with heavily effected vox, and some grinding, crumbling swaths of distortion, a black dub, that while soon overwhelmed by an avalanche of blown out guitars,quickly transforms back into a final bit of almost industrial sounding droned out dubbiness. Killer stuff, and again, as essential as any and all of their other records. Once again, fair warning, we got these direct from the label in Italy, and it took FOREVER, so when we run out, it will likely be a while before we're able to get more, so buy now, or be prepared to wait a while later!

MPEG stream: Dark -1.-1
MPEG stream: Dark -1.0

We know the black hearted AQ legions rely on us to trawl the dark depths and the fiery pits, in search of any essential blackness, that their cursed souls would wither without. With that in mind, we have been trying, for ages now, to get a hold of these two mysterious releases from Swiss black metal horde Darkspace. Those of you in the know, probably realize, that one of the cloaked and corpsepainted members of Darkspace is the man responsible for the epic frosty buzz drenched majesty that is Paysage D'Hiver. And judging from how big a hit Paysage was around these parts, it's no small leap to think that EVERYONE who bought the Paysage absolutely NEEDS this as well.� Whereas Paysage was one man's vision, twisted buzzing glorious epic blasts of grim black metal and extended Tangerine Dream like sythnscapes, gorgeous subterranean drones and hushed ambient shimmer, based around themes of winter and spirituality, darkness and astral projection, the music stitched into expansive worlds of sound, Darkspace is an actual band, and in many ways is WAY heavier than Paysage. The focus is on the riff as much as the ambience, if not more so, and the riffs are some of the best we've ever heard, downtuned and super distorted, minor key and crunchy, thick and dense, twisted and black, gnarled but incredibly catchy, often, the band explodes into furious wintery blasts, dense chaotic furies, topped off by huge sweeping melodies that sound like washes of keyboards (although no keyboards were used), before settling back into a gorgeously loping buzz encrusted mid tempo, a weird black groove, haunting and intense. But fast and fierce is the order of the day, and these guys are indeed true Blizzard Beasts, whipping up nearly impenetrable walls of swirling, roiling black frost. Which is sort of why the slow parts have such impact, the riff just sort of emerges from the dense black blur, to chug briefly before being swallowed up again. And whereas in most music, sound samples and snippets of dialogue from films, usually mean less re-playability, and often eventually bug more than they enhance, here are used to fantastic effect. Darkspace are futuristic black metal voyagers, the stars, planets, the universe the cosmos, the music is all about space, and it sounds like it, epic and so MASSIVE, simultaneously like a black hole sucking up all light, and a blinding supernova, the bits of dialogue are buried in the mix and delivered like some mysterious transmission from the farthest reaches of the galaxy. The fast bits and Burzumic passages are balanced by tripped out ambience, crazy dub drenched interludes, long drawn out SUNNO)))-scapes, huge walls of guitar, riffs splayed and spread out over epic expanses of low end drone, rumbling murmuring ambience.... Listening to Darkspace, we almost wish we hadn't used so much hyperbole in the past, or described other black metal bands as epic, or majestic, or even intense or brutal, or frosty and grim, because this is the music those adjective were designed for. In fact, we're almost compelled to create new words, a handful of superlatives, black metal specific, in order to do justice to these sounds. To explain just how fucking massive and intense this stuff is. NOW is the time for hyperbole, but it's not hyperbole if it's true right? And never has anything sounded this intense and blown out, heavy and black, we almost forgot how completely mind blowing this stuff was. But hearing it again, it makes us wonder why most black metal bands even bother... The first album is separated into seven parts (1.1-1.7), with song lengths averaging about 10 minutes. Each one a burst of black chaos, little epics compressed into the length of a normal song, like it must be some trick of the light, as if unleashed they would expand and stretch out forever. Their second album is split up into just three tracks, two of them 20 minutes plus, with a much more ambient bent, a ten minute sprawling drone separating two lengthy black metal spacescapes, and much of those are taken up by drifting black hole ambience as well, but the metallic fury everywhere else is positively overpowering... And�there's a reason that both these releases have the same review, besides the fact that they are both sonically similar, it's that BOTH are essential, they are two parts of a bigger whole (with a third in the works), they might as well have been released as a double cd, they flow perfectly into one another, one massive journey through the endless blackness of space... You can certainly buy one without the other, but you will quickly find that you need more and can not live without both... As if the music wasn't enough (and it is), their aesthetic is just as intense and mysterious. The band, all in matching corpsepaint and high necked robes, look like some alien black metal priests, or cenobites even, the band's logo, simple and subtle, a pentagram within a crescent moon, the artwork, spare and sparse, just the band logo, and the name of the record, either I or II, the song titles are numbers, "Dark 1.1", "Dark 1.2", "Dark 2.8" (you can go to their website and download the first demo, titled -I for free), a barely visible alien image beneath the tray card, everything printed in bluish silver on black, very austere and space-y... A gloriously blinding sonic dying sun, a burst of pure blackened brilliance, both discs, separate or together, obviously black metal record(s) of the year, this year, or whatever year they actually came out, maybe black metal record(s) of forever. And yeah, we're serious.�

MPEG stream: Dark 1.1
MPEG stream: Dark 1.2
MPEG stream: Dark 1.3

MPEG stream: 2.8
MPEG stream: 2.9

There have been plenty of contenders so far for metal record of the year. The grim noise drenched buzz of Korean one man (boy) band Pyha, the fucked up almost industrial dramatic dirges of Urfaust, the freaked out flute flecked prog blackness of Quest For Blood, the blown out blacknoise of Nekrasov, Leviathan's latest (read: last) and greatest of course, Jumalhamara, Wrnlrd, Fen, Varghokarghasmal, Happy Days, Leaden, we could go on and on and on... But the thing is, for any and all of those records to even be metal record of the year contenders, one simple requirement had to be met. That there was no new Darkspace record. And the fact that the long anticipated III was just released, means that all of those other records will have to settle for runner up status. Because the music of Darkspace is not just black metal, not just metal really, and in some ways not even simply music, Darkspace is in fact the sound of 'dark space', of vast black expanses, of collapsing suns and colliding galaxies, rendered in a black metal template, only insomuch as there are distorted guitars, harsh wailing vocals, and blasting drums, but even within a somewhat familiar framework, those parts become something alien in the hands of Darkspace, and are woven into epic black tapestries of sound, like ancient sonic maps, depicting the whole of the universe, all of creation, laid out before us in a series of super distorted noise drenched howling black blasts of drone and buzz. The songs are long, and repetitive and hypnotic, so much so that they often seem to smooth out into pure drone, like staring at something until your vision blurs and the object is transformed into a series of streaks and smears, there are structures here, and parts, and melodies, but those basic elements are more often than not subsumed by furious roiling black clouds of buzz, a relentless blur that stretches into mesmerizing black shapes, the drums barely exist, if anything, they are the beast's bones barely visible through its skin, machinelike and industrial, rigid and dense, but wrapped in thick veils of rich thick blackness. Synths are everywhere here too, but unlike most metal bands, Darkspace don't employ keyboards as delicate little melodic interludes, instead those swirling swaths are an essential part of the blackened soundscapes, adding soft swells of warm whir, or near static single note tension, adding a distinctly psychedelic vibe to the proceedings, like 1349 crossed with Tangerine Dream, but often bearing the brunt of the song's heft, relegating the buzzing guitar to a supporting role, but without losing any power or heaviness. While most of the record is in fact spent droning relentlessly, one gloriously massive blown out ethereal blast of blurred buzz after another, when the band does shift gears, slowing things down into a sea sick chug, or a doomy pound, it only serves to sound that much more intense, but even then, when the band seems to be exploring something much more traditional, the chug and pound is routinely unfurling beneath a gauzy veil of swirling spaced out synths, peppered with glimmering star like harmonics, deep swoonsome swells, strange super effected guitar glimmer, most notably on the second half of "3.13" (all the songs are named numerically), an intense repetitive space math black groove that is as heavy and brutal as it is dizzying and ethereal, and the end of the final track "3.17", where for the first (and last) time, the band slows things down into much more traditional songform territory, a fingerpicked clean Slint style guitar melody, space-y synthesizers, simple understated drumming, a gorgeously melancholy and musical outro to a record that in its extreme and abstract beauty, up until the very last few moments, seemed to exist in a world entirely of its own invention. As with all sounds transcendent, the magic here is ineffable, there is definitely some sort of musical alchemy going on. The sound of III is rooted enough in black metal orthodoxy to appeal to fans of the more traditional forms, but at the same time, the sound is so abstract, so free, the process is so transformative, that fans of all things heavy and dark, minimal and repetitive, should be equally enthralled. It's impossible not to hear elements of new age, of modern minimalism, of free drone, all deftly woven around an incredible collection of churning black heaviness. Once again packaged in that immediately recognizable minimal black packaging, housed in a black and silver slipcover, adorned with mysterious diagrams of some 'dark space'.

MPEG stream: 3.11
MPEG stream: 3.12
MPEG stream: 3.17

We've now been waiting for six years for this record, and been trying to track down copies for a year, but it's finally here, and it was totally worth the wait. the latest sprawling cosmic black masterpiece from Swiss black metal cybernauts Darkspace. Titled III I (not to be confused with IV, or even IIII), Darkspace's latest is a continuation of the three previous records, right down to the packaging, and the numeric song titles, and of course the sound, with III I beginning life as some abstract ambient soundtrack, a Hellraiser worthy cloud of electrified blackness, martial percussion, shimmering synths, like a nightmarish planetarium show gone haywire, creepy and otherworldly, and when the programmed drums come in, it almost sounds like gabber techno, if it weren't for the swirling cyclical melodies, and chugging riffage, the slowly build and build and build, until the sound explodes into the relentlessly furious galactic blur we've missed so much. Somehow symphonic and orchestral, but wound up in Blizzard Beastly squalls of blacknoise, and those drums, WAY up in the mix, and even what sounds like some vocodered vokills, that main melody constantly resurfacing, giving the sound a majestic, almost power metal feel at times. And we're not even ten minutes in. The opening track, clocking in at nearly a half hour, mutates constantly, from doomy creep driven by wild double kick drumming, to dizzyingly ferocious blasts of kosmische blackbuzz, to what sounds almost like a black metal Massive Attack, a sort of industrial black dub, wreathed in thick cascades of distorted buzz. The other two tracks, are essentially a continuation of the first track, a tripped out psychedelic black metal songsuite, with choral vocals, with strange electronics, weird almost krautrock sounding synths, some bits that almost sound like 8bit bleeps and bloops, still more stretches of ominous ambience that sound like the score to some alternate reality Blade Runner, and some seriously classic metal sounding chug, all blurred and smeared and stretched into a mind blowing, sonically confusional, eerily lysergic batch of next level black cosmic crush. Super striking packaging as always, pressed on black cds, in minimal black packaging, in an equally minimal black slipcase. Also we got these direct from the label in Italy, and it took FOREVER, so when we run out, it may be a while before we're able to get more, so buy now, or be prepared to be very very patient later!

MPEG stream: Dark 4.18
MPEG stream: Dark 4.19
MPEG stream: Dark 4.20

The raw yet epic 1991 release from the notorious Norwegian trio of Fenriz, Nocturno Culto & Zephyrous. A black metal classic that's been practically impossible to find domestically until quite recently.

Today's Darkthrone is a totally different beast than the Darkthrone of old. Back in the day, Darkthrone conjured up visions of mysterious corpse painted figures, of epic Norwegian black metal, of vast fields of ice, of shadows dancing in firelight, they were THEE ultimate black metal band. Transylvanian Hunger, A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Under A Funeral Moon... But at some point, the punk and classic metal influences that so obviously informed the music of Darkthrone, really took over, and the sound of Darkthrone, instead of being influenced by that music, began to SOUND like that music, WAY more punk, with smatterings of classic NWOBHM, which we definitely dug, and with that sonic shift, came a shift in, well, seriousness? Their public persona became goofier. Photo ops consisted almost entirely of shots of the group on camping trips. And there's drummer Fenriz, outspoken as always, consistently holding court, schooling the kids on cool metal records, weird obscure bands, to the point of filling cdd booklets with liner notes, comparing their songs to classic metal jams, as well as including a list of albums to buy. So while a lot of troo grim black metalheads probably jumped ship by now, the rest of us can dig these crazy punk metal jams, the goofy lyrics, the over the top vocals, the squiggly guitar leads, totally retro, but all twisted up into something distinctly Darkthrone. The sound here is less classic metal, and almost kinda more like any of those "NWOFHM" metal Circle side projects, Steel Mammoth, Mercedes Hell, Motorspandex, and well, let's let the track-by-track liner notes from Fenriz point out their actual sonic inspirations: Motorhead, Inepsy, Agent Steel, English Dogs, old Metallica, Deathside, Puke, old Slayer, Omen, Savage Grace, one song is even described by Fenriz as a "Mix of speed metal and hard rock, with 40s nostalgic notes in the verse-riff". Not sure what else to say. When asked in a recent interview if Darkthrone performed "extreme metal", Fenriz responded by saying that Darkthrone is "moderate metal. With UGLY vocals." Which pretty much nails it. It's heavy, punk as fuck, definitely metal, loose and sloppy, but super melodic, weirdly catchy, with some seriously killer riffs, some ridiculous and over the top vocals, and some of the best liner notes you'll ever read. Plus more bad ass Dennis Dread artwork. Recommended of course, but only for those of you who know what you're getting into!

MPEG stream: Those Treasures Will Never Befall You
MPEG stream: Running For Borders
MPEG stream: I Am The Graves Of The 80s
MPEG stream: Stylized Corpse

None more self-referential. (Not even Manowar.) This album actually has the words "Dark" and "Throne" in the title. Dark Thrones & Black Flags, could they make it any more plain? Implying the grimnity of Darkthrone's traditional necro Nordic black metal with a severe dose of '80s punk (and metal) infesting the proceedings, which is basically the Darkthrone formula of recent years. If you liked, say, last year's Darkthrone album, F.O.A.D., you'll like this (and if you didn't, you won't!). While we can't expect 'em to replicate old classics like A Blaze In The Northern Sky or Transylvanian Hunger, we do know they can make F.O.A.D. Part II! Heck, it even looks almost identical. Similar cover art, same rounded-corner jewel case. And as with F.O.A.D., the text in the cd booklet delves into fannish detail, including another page of interestin' record-buying recommendations from drummer Fenriz, and individual liner notes for each song on this disc, explaining their inspirations. Which often have to do with obscure '80s bands only collectors know about. Or, have to do with camping trips! These guys love the great outdoors, and thus the cd booklet is illustrated with many photos of Norwegian forests and lakes taken by these "Hiking Metal Punks" (yes, that's a song title here!). You gotta love it. So many black metal bands claim to be "of the forest", but these guys prove they are. They also prove, again, to have a sense of humor... yet remains totally cvlt 'cause heck they're Darkthrone! Musically, this album rocks, it's a punked-up slab of riffy, raw black metal. Utterly old school - even though it's Darkthrone's new school sound (for the actual ye olde Darkthrone stuff, we still have a few copies of their deluxe demos collection The Frostland Tapes reviewed 2 lists back). There's anthems like "Hiking Metal Punks" and icy epicks like "Norway In September", but whatever the style, headbangingness is job number one. The production is typical Darkthrone filth, the vocals (from both Fenriz and stringed-instrument wielder Nocturno Culto) range from the usual rasping croaks to higher pitched yelps and even some weird, clean vocals (like the chorus of the opening track, "They Winds They Called The Dungeon Shaker" - that's an awesome title by the way, whatever it means). Fenriz does a Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost) sometimes, and even gets kinda witchy, sounding just a bit like ol' King Diamond on "Hanging Out In Haiger". On the drums, he bashes away enthusiastically as always. Guitarwise, Nocturno keeps it grim (of course) but throws in the occasional surprisingly widdily solo. So, basically, the cold, old ones are back with another album of all about their favorite stuff: metal, camping, Darkthrone. It mixes their punk side (which they took to the furthest extreme a couple albums back on The Cult Is Alive) with hoary heavy metal homage, again a la F.O.A.D. And there's definitely a bunch of tracks on here that give that album's biggest hit, the catchy "Canadian Metal", a run for its money! We like.

MPEG stream: They Winds They Called The Dungeon Shaker
MPEG stream: Hiking Metal Punks
MPEG stream: Blacksmith Of The North (Keep That Ancient Fire)

If metal fans/dilettantes Circle were to actually make a metal album, as opposed to a "metal" album (one that in the end really sounds like Circle), maybe it would come out something like F.O.A.D., the latest (number thirteen, uh oh!) full-length from Norwegian black metal icons Darkthrone. This album, entitled F.O.A.D. (which stands for something Off And Die, you figure it out), is a collection of nine songs, each one of them with a specific inspiration or inspirations that will resonate with all true metal fans, which Darkthrone obviously are. We know this not just 'cause the old school vibe of these songs, retro-riffed and raw and fueled with punkish attitude, but also 'cause Darkthrone drummer Fenriz has kindly provided notes on each track in the photo-illustrated cd booklet. So you can scope snapshots of Darkthrone's summer camping trips whilst reading about how the track "Canadian Metal" is lyrically a tribute to their favorite Canadian metal bands (natch) but musically is inspired more by (non-Canadian bands) DeathStrike, Onslaught, Darkthrone and Motorhead -- and, for the heck of it, is dedicated to their Central American fans! Or learn that the song "The Church of True Metal" is dedicated to Manilla Road and the late singer of another '80s American true metal cult, Omen. Or see that Fenriz claims that "Pervertor Of The 7 Gates" is inspired by "Axegrinder/Darkthrone, Humble Pie (!), Celtic Frost (duh), Impostor... and Poison Idea!". You may have noted how ridiculously, circularly self-referential (reverential?) it is, when several times they cite Darkthrone (themselves!) among a particular track's influences. At least they're being honest! The cd booklet also includes a shopping list of 20 true metal (mostly, though The Residents are on here too) recommendations from Fenriz and guitarist Nocturno Culto, their suggestions to get your music listening back on the proper, perverse track. Can't argue with any of their picks, and in fact we're gonna be on the lookout for the few we didn't already have, but again it's a funny thing to find in a cd booklet. We guess they're concerned about "the kids" these days not knowing what's what. But the reason we mentioned Circle above is 'cause this seems to be a very "conceptual" metal album, metal for metal's sake made by fans in a very explicit and nostalgic fashion. There's a metallic version of Comic Book Guy, record-collector nerdism in equal doses with a punk WTF? approach. Circle calls it NWOFHM. Darkthrone's making NWOBHM. No it doesn't compare to any of their past classics like A Blaze In The Northern Sky or Transylvanian Hunger. Less grim, more grins. This sort of thing tends to demystify what is (was?) one of the seminal, scary bands from the notorious Nordic church-burning, corpse-painted black metal scene. But we've already gotten the idea that Darkthrone don't take themselves too seriously anymore, and maybe never did, nor do they care what other folks think. We realized that long ago when we read an interview with 'em that mainly talked about how much they loved the Simpsons TV show. Also there was the silly message that Andee once got on his answering from Fenriz (thanks to a mutual friend who was over in Norway working on an as-yet-unreleased black metal documentary). And of course not long ago we reviewed the DVD of Nocturno Culto's bewilderingly mundane home movies. The curtain has been pulled back, and what we find are two none-too-serious yet none-more-black dudes from Norway who loooooove metal (and camping). And happen to be fuckin' Darkthrone. So they can say F.O.A.D. then you gotta take it. If it's too crude and dumb and retrogressive and punk for you, fuck off and die. Otherwise, let the headbanging commence.

MPEG stream: These Shores Are Damned
MPEG stream: Canadian Metal

Released to coincide with the band's 21st anniversary (!!!), Frostland Tapes collects a bunch of super sough after rarities, lost and live recordings and most importantly (at least for Darkthrone fanatics), the unreleased instrumental version of their Goatlord album. As much as we're tempted to say every metalhead probably should own almost anything these guys release, this one, while pretty fucking excellent, might just be more of a 'For Fans Only' sort of thing. Although if you've never heard Darkthrone before, and want to jump in way back at the beginning, and experience the band through rough lo-fi live recordings or raw primitive demos, then hell yeah, this will definitely do the job. But if that sounds a bit too intense of an introduction, then try either Transylvanian Hunger or A Blaze In The Northern Sky, we guarantee you'll be hooked, you can always come back for this one later! For the rest of you, who have all the records proper, odds are you're gonna want this too... the 1988 Land Of Frost demo, the 1988 A New Dimension demo, the Thulcandra 1989 demo, the legendary 1989 Cromlech demo, a 1990 show recorded live in Denmark, and of course a rare instrumental version of Goatlord recorded in 1991. Lots of songs you know, some you probably don't, varying degrees of fidelity, but c'mon it's Darkthrone, the more raw the better!!!! Housed in a super fancy hardcover book style package with tons of rare photos, liner notes and a funny (aren't they all?) interview with Fenriz...

MPEG stream: Land Of Frost
MPEG stream: Thulcandra
MPEG stream: The Watchtower
MPEG stream: A Blaze In The Northern Sky

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MPEG stream: Pure Demoniac Blessing

Album number ten from perhaps the most revered (or as the band prefers, most hated) of black metal's old guard, the dynamic duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. Clocking in at just over a half an hour and according to the liner notes, recorded AND mixed in a mere 26 hours, Hate Them is the latest installment in more than a decade of Christ crushing, poser smashing, misanthropic, grim and buzzy black metal. Emperor are gone, Mayhem are old news, Immortal are cartoons, Satyricon are techno, which leaves Darkthrone to carry the torch of simple, hateful, aggressive and virtually-unchanged-since-1990 black metal. You don't fix what ain't broke! Howling barbed wire guitars, bloodied vocal chords, and Fenriz's 'unique' mostly midtempo drumming, thrashy and sloppy. The blast beats may be 1/10 the speed of other black metal bands, but what Darkthrone lack in speed and finesse they make up for in grim atmosphere and raw aggression. Possibly the only true black metal band left. MPEG Download: "Rust" [/audio/darkthronerust.mp3] MPEG Stream: "Rust" [/audio/darkthronerust.m3u]

MPEG stream: Rust
MPEG stream: Det Svartner Na

Like the passing of a rare comet, the appearance of a new Darkthrone disc is a time for God-fearing natives to cower and tremble, and for the chosen, corpse-painted few (black metal fans) to revel in barbaric worship. Yes, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz (who, along

RealAudio clip: Weakling Avenger
RealAudio clip: I, Voidhanger
RealAudio clip: Wreak

MPEG stream: Snowfall (Demo 1988)
MPEG stream: Archipelago (Demo 1989)
MPEG stream: Iconoclasm Sweeps Cappadocia (Demo 1989)

Perhaps the most essential, archetypal Norwegian black metal act ever (along with Emperor and Satyricon if you want to quibble) get an early-years "best of" treatment from former label Peaceville, for whom they recorded a bevy of classic (and currently hard-to-find, some of them) albums. The 70 minutes on offer here feature cuts from the sought-after "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" album, from utter classic "Transylvanian Hunger" (the full album of which we also have in stock at the moment, as it's domestically available unlike much of their other output), and from "Soulside Journey" and "Under A Funeral Moon" as well. That's enough for the Darkthrone novice -- get this if you can't track down all those records, for a taster (but note that obviously there's nothing here from their more recent discs on the Moonfog label). Then, for the true fan, we get rare live and demo material from the late '80s, before Darkthrone's first LP: truly "cult" stuff indeed. And, the nicely-done digipackaging (four panels folding out in a cross-shape) includes handwritten liner notes from the band, from which we learn that he of the best black metal name ever, Nocturno Culto, is actually called "Ted" by his friends.

Norwegian black metal legends, the self-proclaimd "most hated band in the world" Darkthrone, come out of semi-retirement to surpise us all with a long-awaited new release! Cold, grim, & evil, guaranteed! My only disappointment with this disc is that band member Nocturno Culto, who possesses my favorite black metal name ever, has for some reason seen fit to change his moniker to the somehow-less satisfying "Nocturnal Cult". Despite that, though, the Celtic Frost inspired winter forest doom-ride of "Ravishing Grimness" more than upholds the Darkthrone legacy (and is a worthy answer to the amazing "Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone" tribute compilation released last year).

Hail the return of Darkthrone! The elder statesmen of Nordic Black Metal! Still cult and true, and still sonically stirring up the blackest pits of hell. Ahhh, some things never change. Sardonic Wrath. What a cool fucking title. But then Darkthrone are no slouches when it comes to naming records. Plague Wielder. Ravishing Grimness. A Blaze In The Northern Sky. Hate Them. Transylvanian Hunger. And the cover is an amazing painting of sword wielding angels tumbling from heaven, through a rent in the black night sky. And the sound is classic Darkthrone. A thrashing, blackened assault on all that is holy. HUGE riffs, buzzy and blurry, simple pounding drumming, occasionally stumbling into breakneck blast beats, but more often, the speed remains a lumbering midtempo or sometimes a galloping punk rock boom-bap boom-bap boom-bap. Darkthrone have always been old school, and nothing has changed here, taking Venom-ous riffery and Celtic Frost-y melodies and Bathory brutality and sculpting them into the distinctly Darkthrone blueprint for modern black metal. If one thing has changed it could be that the lyrics and song titles have gotten a little...er...strange. Sardonic Wrath features such unlikely song titles as "Information Wants to be Syndicated", "Straightening Sharks In Heaven" and "Rawness Obsolete". Just adds to the eccentric appeal though. Darkthrone are truly one of the only black metal bands blazing their own blackened path, often finding other black metal hordes desparately trying to follow.

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The cult is alive indeed. However, now more than any time over their 15+ year career, the cult sounds less black than ever, and instead like the heaviest, most kick ass eighties hardcore band you've never heard. Darkthrone have always had a punky edge, but this time the riffage is so straight up hardcore it's hard to even classify this as black metal. Sure the artwork looks like a Darkthrone records, and the vocals for the most part are appropriately grim, but there is no disguising the white hot boot stomping spiked and leathered streak of hardcore energy running through every track on The Cult Is Alive. Song titles like "Graveyard Slut", "Atomic Coming", "Shut Up", "Whisky Funeral", the riffs more than anything, and there are still blast beats, but when they do happen, they don't really blast as much as they sort of gallop, a reckless careening hardcore/fastcore, wild and almost out of control. Think Discharge, the Meatmen, GBH, but WAY heavier, and with a bit more evil atmosphere. And take away those blackened vocals, and you'd definitely be hard pressed to pick this out as a record by one of the founders of Norwegian black metal. And even the vocals, while mostly demonic black metal growls, just as often veer into a weird grunty hardcore shout a la Tesco Vee. There are still some very black moments, the strange slippery blackened main riff of "Whisky Funeral", long stretches of buzzing guitar that sort of swirl and drone, some Burzumy midtempo dirges, but those are just brief black flashes, cuz no matter how deep you delve into this dark forest, this is punk rock my friend, too old and too cold!

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Norway's number one "hiking metal punks", the Darkthrone duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto are back with another album (their 16th!) that melds the grim frozen Nordic black metal of the '90s (typified by their own corpsepainted classics from the era like A Blaze In the Northern Sky and Under A Funeral Moon) with '80s NWOBHM, punk, crust, and speed metal, as they have been doing for the past six or seven years. We'd heard before we got this that the new Darkthrone was heavily influenced by Agent Steel, and while Fenriz does pull of some amazing high pitched shrieks in the style of John Cyriis from that cult '80s speed metal outfit, we suspect that people were saying that 'cause a copy of Agent Steel's Skeptics Apocalypse lp is prominently displayed behind Fenriz in his picture on this album's back cover. What also should have been in that picture is a copy of Celtic Frost's Morbid Tales, 'cause plenty of this has that brand of '80s underground doomic deathliness to it too. Mercyful Fate and Venom, the '80s originators of black metal, are also clear inspirations. A good example of what that means, is the album's truly epic final track, the 13 minute 49 second "Leave No Cross Unturned", written/sung by Fenriz, which opens with an impressive balls-in-a-vice scream, the song speeding along with rapid riffage ornamented by soaring swooping vox. But then, whomp, it slows for a sluggish doomed out break, chugging thenceforth under a Hellhammered, Frosty vibe. Eventually the velocity ramps up again as do Fenriz's operatic affectations, and then back again into the doomy depths, the song a tour de force display of what Darkthrone dig in metal, as well as serving as a representation of the entire album in microcosm, it's got it all. A headbanging masterpiece right there. That could be the only song here and we'd still be into this, but wait, there's more. Six tracks total, three by Nocturno Culto (the guitarist) and three by Fenriz (the drummer). Fenriz sings his compositions with an extreme/eccentric mix of falsetto wails and guttural deathgrunts, while on his tracks Nocturno employs a capable (if less WTF?) black metal rasp. They alternate songs throughout the album, beginning with Nocturno's gnarly snarly punked out black metal opener "Dead Early", followed by the more-likely-to-get-you-staring-at-your-stereo "Valkyrie" of Fenriz, some very epic wailing metal, fast but glorious, like a weird mix of Bathory and Manilla Road, maybe. Nocturno is back on the mic with track three, the dense churning rocking riff-fest of "Lesser Men". Fenriz responds with the rollicking "The Ones You Left Behind", sorta like "Valkyrie" but with some Motorhead added in? It's hard to describe actually, and that's what's cool about Darkthrone these days, while these guys wear their influences on their sleeves (and can do so with impunity 'cause they themselves were once so influential), the stuff they come up with here is still original, somehow channelling their obvious inspirations into weird hybrids never before attempted or envisioned. Then to the album's penultimate track, Nocturno's own pounding epic, the 8:37 "Come Warfare, The Entire Doom", which is indeed doomy, but cranks at speed too, and almost would be this album's more metal than thou piece de resistance if we didn't know that the massive "Leave No Cross Unturned" was coming up next. But it sure comes close. All we can say is, if you love metal, you gotta love Darkthrone. Long may they reign. As long as they're around, metal will never die. The cd comes packaged in a hardcover digibook, 20 pages, necessary 'cause of course the ever talkative Fenriz takes up a lot of space with his notes on each song, etc. One of his songs ("Leave No Cross Unturned", natch) even has its OWN lengthy "thanks list", separate from the two page thanks list Fenriz himself has. Nocturno Culto, aka Ted, more taciturn, limits himself to just one page for his thanks list and doesn't deign to analyze his songs, unlike Fenriz, who practically writes reviews for 'em, listing precise inspirations for each section of each of his compositions. Also, in recent Darkthrone tradition, Fenriz provides a list of recommended new bands he likes, in his role as tastemaker for a new generation of metallers. So folks who download this, illegally or otherwise, are missing out on a lot!

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

SORRY.

Y'know this series of books, right? The 33 1/3 series, each one devoted to someone's (lots of people's) favorite album ever? We have a few in stock, and have listed a bunch in the past, from OK Computer to Meat Is Murder, most recently one about Slayer's Reign In Blood. All of 'em are pretty cool, if you're into the album in question, and sometimes even if you're not ('cause you then will be). This one in particular has a lot going for it. Not only is it about one of the best albums by one of the best bands ever (sez Allan, excitedly jumping up and down), Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality. But it's written by our pal John Darnielle of Mountain Goats fame. He's an awesome writer. And, if you didn't know, a serious metalhead. He does a witty column, South Pole Dispatch, in the back of metal magazine Decibel each month, as a matter of fact. In addition, John doesn't simply write a nonfiction, journalistic overview of the "behind the music" story of the making of this classic album. No, he takes this opportunity to do something a lot cooler and more creative - the book is actually a novel, written from the perspective of a teenage burnout in 1985. He's committed to a psychiatric facility, and writing in his journal all about his obsession with Master Of Reality, among other things. And it works as both a novel, and as rock crit too. This definitely illustrates an extra dimension to what we mean when we say Sabbath is "heavy."

Low-end drones, mysterious field recordings, sitar, haunting melody... and crushing electric guitar heaviness? If your tastes are at all similiar to ours regarding this sort of thing, then Darsombra's Ecdysis is already sounding pretty intriguing! This 34 minute, six-track debut cd from Baltimore's Brian Daniloski (a member of metal mongers Meatjack) is right up our alley, and yours too if you dig the more abstract, arty, ambient sides of, say, Thrones, Melvins, Harvey Milk, Earth, and Fantomas. Ecdysis is just a bit scary, and full of super-heavy moments, so it could be taken as some kind of nightmare soundtrack. But there's much beauty and gentleness here too. You'll hear some major-key melodies, surprising in such a context, and a plethora of sampled sounds, from sinister voices to religious testifyin'. Anytime we find a disc where, y'know, one track sounds like 20th century classical meets Melvins and another like the labored, ritualistic breathing of some sort of demonic creature, and it's metal but not really, and kinda pretty too, well, there's only one way to end the review: recommended.

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Break out the headphones, relax the body, and close the eyes, it's another one from the devastatingly droney and dark Darsombra, whose debut Ecdysis disc we really liked a couple years back. We like this just as much, maybe more. There's a great deal of melancholic, mesmeric beauty in Darsombra's isolationist grinding and evil ambient shimmer. We can imagine Darsombra's human operator, Brian Daniloski from the Maryland metalcore band Meatjack, up late at night alone in his home studio, lights dim, wreathed in smoke, hunched over his guitar and synth and effects and whatever else he uses to conjure this music, willing himself off into another place, out into the void of space, riding the dense waves of his own creation, returning only at dawn with another track for this album finished. Let's discuss these tracks, but not in order... The echoey minimalism of "Drops Of Sorrow" is simply glorious, it's Riley or Reich from a psychdronedoom perspective. Or perhaps krautrock's Achim Reichel & The Machines playing Black Boned Angel!? Elsewhere, there's more gloom and glory, from the hushed sinister soundtrack melodies of opener "Auguries" to the haunting, spacey drone-whispers of "Night's Black Agents" - this disc's longest track at 17:34, reminding us of the 'Vox Insecta' work of old AQ fave Q.R. Ghazala. Then, with an intro of ommming voices (or synth) there's "Lamentings / Auguries", featuring sparse melodic guitar weepery buried beneath fuzzed out layers of deep, electronic drone and distortion. Again, this definitely sounds like it would make good soundtrack material for some eerie, arty Italian horror flick. And further cementing our love affair with the abstract attractions of Eternal Jewel, the calmly vibrating "Incarnadine" brings some rays of light to this disc at its very end, with its peacefully repetitive clusters of gentle chimings over a quiet drone. Packaged by Public Guilt in a nice black, gothically graceful gatefold sleeve, this is definitely recommended. Imagine Expo '70 cloaked in black, performing a seance with Tony Conrad and Lustmord, and you'll have an idea of how much we must like this!

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Hopefully you already know Darsombra, seeing as we made their last Public Guilt release, Eternal Jewel, a Record Of The Week not too many moons ago. Atmospheric dark doom-drone experimentation not unlike a more sinister Expo '70 or a proggier Nadja. If you don't know 'em, get this and you'll get to know at least one of their songs really really well, in a way. Track one here, "Nymphaea", is a head-nodding exercise in bass heavy, slow-building psychedelic instrumental throb. It starts out with plenty of distortion, and only gets heavier and more blown-out as it plods forth, adding a snakily melodic guitar line to further entrance the listener. It originally appeared as Darsombra's contribution to the "untitled" 3cd comp PG help put out last year, and now it has spawned this collection of remixes, a dozen of them, tracks 2-13! It's pretty fascinating to hear this single song morph from track to track, 'cause they're all very different, the each remixer definitely making it their own, from blissed out vocal pop (Max Bondi & Bleeding Heart Narrative's "Hyena Amp mix") to big-beat crash-boom electro (Pulsoc's "True Love Never Dies remix") to creepy drone-noise ambience (Guilty Connector's "Dotonburi Neonnights") and that's just the first three mixes on here! Elsewhere, Ala Muerte adds eerie female voice doing Latin chant, Destructo Swarmbots strip the track down to a minimal low-end hum, The Heirs Of Rockefeller crank up the fuzz, focussing on the song's incessant hypnotic plod... all these and the rest of the remixers generally fucking with this track in many compelling and often unexpected ways. Darsombra have every reason to proudly approve what's been done with, or done to, their "Nymphaea" here. Remixers not already mentioned above also include Perfekt Teeth, Magicicada, Strotter Inst., Decimation Blvd. & Darla Hood, Blood Fountains, and le knell. LIMITED EDITION! 250 COPIES ONLY! We only got 20! On a black cd-r in a slim, screen printed sleeve with vellum obi.

MPEG stream: Nymphaea
MPEG stream: Nymphaea Seance remix
MPEG stream: Nymphaea True Love Never Dies remix
MPEG stream: Nymphaea The Drugs Won The Drug War Mix

Gonna try to make this review a short one, not because this record isn't great, because it is, but just because it's only eleven minutes long. That's right, eleven minutes. Ten songs in eleven minutes. That should give you a clue as to what you're in for. Somehow though it doesn't seem like a rip off since the Daughters jam more parts and notes and insanity into a minute long song than most bands fit in a whole record. Ultra spastic, maniacal grinding prog metal punk is what we're talking here. A la the Locust, An Albatross, Horse The Band and all those bands that take twice as long setting up as they do playing their entire set! Just set your cd player on repeat and listen to Canada Songs over and over and over and over. You'll want to anyway this record is so good. From the same label that brought us the great Circle Takes The Square record from a few lists back!

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Not sure why we never reviewed the last Daughters record, Hell Songs, it was a doozy, a gnarled chunk of chaotic noise rock, which ended up being the bands swan song. At least temporarily. After a hiatus of several years, the Daughters are back, and sonically very little has changed, a lurching pounding din that would fit pretty comfortably right between your Jesus Lizard and Botch records (sonically, not alphabetically), wild streaks of angular guitar, pummeling drum damage, howled mush mouthed vocals, a whirling dervish in sound, slipping from full on psychedelic noise rock freakout, to loping post rock lurch, effects all over the place, super dynamic, lots of stop / starts, plenty of metallic chug, throbbing fuzz bass, twisted guitar harmonies, stuttery glitched out production, and some subtle but KILLER hooks, shit this twisted and noisy and off kilter shouldn't be this catchy, but these guys always had a knack for slipping some pop into their noise, and if anything, some time away seems to have reinvigorated them, these jams sounds as heavy and freaked out and KICK ASS as ever. We only listened to this a couple times since it came in, but we've been spinning it over and over and can't seem to stop, which says more than we ever could. RECOMMENDED.

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The truly "true" amongst you, metal-wise, should already be familiar with the German hellions known as Sacred Steel. We've given horns-up reviews to several of their more-metal-than-thou albums in the past. Dawn Of Winter is Sacred Steel's doom metal side project, featuring two members of that band, guitarist Jorg Knittel and, crucially to our enjoyment of it, vocalist Gerrit Mutz, whose unusual wavering wail, as we've said before, comes off like a cross between Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) and Jello Biafra! Dawn Of Winter have been around for years and years (since 1990) but haven't made that many records, possibly 'cause sloth is their modus operandi, playing as they do the lethargic, lumbering strains of traditional doom metal. This is only their 2nd full-length. You could say we were slow too, in reviewing this, as The Peaceful Dead came out last year ('twas in heavy rotation in Allan's iPod around Christmas time). Perfect for the bleak winter months of course, but now it's gotten better US distribution and we've managed to get a few for the store. Whilst Sacred Steel are almost always speedy, with the occasional doomy detour, in this band Knittel and Mutz fully indulge their love of all things slow and low. Indeed, opening track "The Music Of Despair" is a doom/cult metal shoutout of sorts, the lyrics making references both subtle and overt to a bunch of DoW's favorite bands, including Penance, Manilla Road, Witchfinder General, Mercyful Fate, Angel Witch, Cirith Ungol, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Pagan Altar, Reverend Bizarre, Candlemass, and of course Black Sabbath. The other nine tracks here pretty much do their utmost to live up to all that, with plodding tempi, gothic imagery, loud-soft dynamics, and dramatic crescendos. Soooo dramatic! Mutz's hammy (but sincere) thespian delivery is perfectly suited to the melancholic majesty of this music, songs that are seemingly weighted down by the crushing distortodoomidelic guitar accompaniment, o'er which Mutz' emotive vocals are declaimed. So, if the epic doom metal of the Heaven & Hell and Candlemass albums reviewed here recently has whet your appetite for even more in the way of hoary, Sabbathy riffs and wizened wizard vocals, and you're down for something a little more underground as well, then Dawn Of Winter might be just the ticket. We'd have highlighted this, too, but are aware that DoW are only for the "true"!

MPEG stream: The Music Of Despair
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Superheavy jagged post-math-metal with trumpet, from Germany. Like Jesus Lizard crossed with Brasil 66!

All hail! At last, a follow up to the critically-acclaimed (and by us as well) 2010 album Nucleus, from this idiosyncratic lone genius metal cult. Yes it's the return of Dawnbringer, masterminded by guitarist/drummer/vocalist Chris "Professor" Black, he of also, amongst others, AQ faves High Spirits. Interestingly, Dawnbringer started off years ago as the one-man band of *somebody else*, but early on, Chris Black joined on drums, and then the other guy subsequently quit, making Dawnbringer into Black's own one-man band! (Though he does get help from friends.) For those who've heard Nucleus, you know that Dawnbringer plays truly classic metal, but with an experimental edge, informed by black and death and other styles, though those elements have been toned down in recent years. Dawnbringer's latest comes quite close to the sound of the NWOBHM-ish High Spirits, with some of the power/proggishness of another band the Professor plays drums in, Pharaoh. Dawnbringer must be lauded for their real, honest-to-god heavy metal songwriting, unafraid to be a bit 'pop' - track five even gets a little power-ballady, we love it! Other trademarks include the powerful drumming, TONS of gorgeously shredding guitarwork, various quirky details, and, crucially, the whiskey-weary, Lemmy-phlegmy, soulful vocal stylings of Black - the earnestness of which go a long way toward making the weirder aspects of this seem worth taking seriously, 'cause yes, the album title kinda sounds like the name of a D&D module, and indeed it's fantastical. The sticker on the shrinkwrap says that this album is "the story of a naive assassin, his bizarre journey, and its tragic end". But beyond that, for a 'concept album', very little is revealed. The disc is broken up into nine completely untitled tracks, there's no 'story' provided in the cd booklet, and only a few lines of lyrics are printed. You just gotta listen. And, whether you follow the plot or not, you'll enjoy the masterful metal music, full of killer riffage, galloping rhythms, and impassioned vocals... Dawnbringer here can certainly be compared to their former Profound Lore labelmates, Slough Feg and Hammers Of Misfortune (the latter especially due to the pounding '70s prog Hammond organ you'll hear on track VI, in particular). Also of course, such bands as diverse as Iron Maiden, Blue Oyster Cult, Bathory, Manowar... In sum, this album is an artistic, ambitious attempt at 'Epic Metal', and it's a huge triumph. Definitely in competition for best heavy metal offering of 2012!

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The fertile metal mind of talented guitarist/vocalist/drummer/songwriter etc. Chris "Professor" Black brings us his latest opus, this time an album from his critically-acclaimed epic metal project, Dawnbringer, whose previous two albums on Profound Lore we've lauded as well. Now, as you hopefully are aware, aQ fave High Spirits is one of the man's other bands, but this, while sonically similar in many ways to High Spirits (fist waving metal), is more like, Low Spirits. Maybe the band name should have changed here to DUSKbringer... While as melodic and majestic as ever, there's something super bummed out about all these tracks, however anthemic and even flat-out rockin' they are. It's not exactly doom metal, more like gloom metal. Negative, downer vibes permeate, with songs like "Damn You", "Nobody There", and "Crawling Off To Die", the latter appropriately enough the album-ender (with its title also being the brief, sad song's only lyrics). Not smiley stuff. Certainly you'll get your fix here of tasty guitar leads, crunchy heavy riffs and Black's distinctive, warm, weary vocals - but you might need to up your dose of Prozac when listening to this... Tempos and everything else are mostly sorta sluggish sounding - excepting the blasting, black metallic attack of "Not Your Night", towards the end of the album, where some other surprises lurk. Black metal being an aspect of the Dawnbringer equation heard in the past but not such much recently, so when that track hits, if you're not paying attention you might think you're listening to a different disc entirely, as Black also trades his 'clean' singing voice for a more rough/raspy 'vokill'. And likewise, you could really be confused by the very next cut, "Funeral Child", Black's vocals on that one sounding like a tribute to King Diamond & his falsetto shriek! Unexpected. But, again, not unknown in the Dawnbringer discography. However entertaining this display of Black's vocal versatility is, it's the sad, folky, balladic likes of "One-Eyed Sister" from midway through the disc, sung in his usual melodic manner, that seems more in keeping with the primary, melancholic mood intended here.

MPEG stream: Nobody There
MPEG stream: Xiphias
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Now that the Profound Lore label has released this Chicago-based metal band's fourth full-length, we think more people are gonna start paying attention to 'em. We know WE are. Though we thought we knew what they sounded like before, we were blown away by this. Note we said "metal" band, and didn't qualify that in any way. Didn't say black, thrash, doom, true, etc. That's 'cause Dawnbringer are sorta ALL those things. Well, they used to have a lot more black metal aspects, death metal too, as we remember. But through a process of experimentation it seems they've arrived at THIS sound, a perfection, a distillation, a PURE metal sound that is traditional... yet advanced and yes, still experimental. On Nucleus, Dawnbringer bring it, all right. They can be triumphantly shredding in speed metal glory, or NWOBHM-ishly rockin' ("Swing Hard"), or thrashy ("The Devil" approaches black metal velocities), and then slow, sad and majestic... sometimes all within the same song. And SONG is the operative word, as is singing, the versatile vocals often approximating the melodic gruffness of Lemmy, or James Hetfield, sounding tough, yet vulnerable... so Dawnbringer have their Motorhead and Metallica sounding moments, also musically reminding us of Maiden and other old school metal greats. Another reference point would have to be Hammers Of Misfortune, if you stripped away most of Hammers' prog elements and exposed the metal core. 'Tis utter headbanging heaviness, inspiring "invisible orange" style air-grabbing for sure, but not without neo-classical artistry as well. Impressive as hell, especially considering it's mostly the work of one man, Dawnbringer being masterminded by multi-instrumentalist (and singer) Chris "Professor" Black, a former member of psychedelic black metal act Nachtmystium, also drummer for power metallers Pharaoh and the genius behind NWOBHM worshippers High Spirits (whose demos cd we HAVE to review here soon!).

MPEG stream: So Much For Sleep
MPEG stream: The Devil
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This is not really new, but we've never been able to get enough of these to list until now. From the label that brought us Benighted Leams, Contra Ignem Fatuum, Dark Ages and Meads Of Asphodel comes another confounding blast of black metal, this time from a mysterious group called Dawnfall. The first three tracks are 11+ minutes each, every one a convoluted, twisted swirl of stumbling midtempo black metal weirdness and swooshing keyboardy ambience, with some of the most tortured vocals we've ever heard. Somewhere between the anguished shriek of Weakling and the inhuman howl of Rehtaf Ruo. Each prickly spikey tangle of blackness is peppered with squirrelly Greg Ginn like guitar freakouts, random tinkling chimes and warm wooshes of synthesizer. Dizzying and totally brilliantly confusional. Warm fuzzed out guitars wrapped loosely over a framework of thudding pounding drums, while maddeningly slippery guitar squiggles slip and slide in and around the blackness colliding with the harsh vocal wails. Amazing. But that's just three tracks in. Track four is some sort of faux harpsichord driven electronic ambient soundscape, like Benighted Leams playing Dead Can Dance covering Autchre or something? Skittery beats and a dense wash of thick metallic string strum. As if it couldn't get weirder, the next track is mostly sped up and slowed down vocals, mixed with strange spacey effects, swooshes, and beeps and a hiccupping dsrum machine. Weird! But it's not over yet, the second to last track is a ten minute soundscape of skittery synthesizers, warbly keyboard squiggles, all smothered in reverb and other space-y ambience. A creepy, splattery minimal crawl through some outer space fun house. Finally, the record finishes with a weird one minute blast of synthesized circus music, maybe like a lite Killing Joke, with wooshy synth stabs and casio style drum beats. Woah, not sure what to make of this. We love it. For sure. Just not sure why. Definitely too weird for most metalheads, you all can quit after the first three tracks, that is if -those- aren't already too weird for you. But folks who have been digging all the crazy shit Supernal puts out, and anyone up to trying to wrap their brains around something amazingly weird and wonderfully obtuse, definitely check this out!

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MPEG stream: Bone Fragments
MPEG stream: In The Face Of Collapse

Longtime readers of the aQ list no doubt remember Aussie heavies, Fire Witch, who released a barrage of often way too limited released before calling it a day. Well since then FW drummer Jem has resurfaced with Dead, a two piece, just drums and bass, and a sound that while maybe still a bit beholden to his old group, definitely has honed a pretty unique sound, one that definitely transcends the limitations of the bass and drums duo. The opening few minutes delivers a strange bit of percussion driven ambience, all cymbal shimmer and tinkling chimes, subtly rhythmic, abstract and space-y, laced with little curlicues of FX, before the bass comes in, and comes in hard, super distorted, grinding, chugging, then the drums, totally off kilter, and seemingly at odds with the bass riff, dizzyingly mathy, then the vocals, a distorted monstrous bellow, the band channeling a little bit of that classic AmRep noise rock sound, but though something much more minimal. Eventually, the song explodes into something more melodic and metallic, the vocals cleaner, a sort of dramatic howl, the drums wild and chaotic, the bass spitting out thick distorted chords and dense textures, the song constantly shifting gears, erupting into full on frenzied metallic math rock, and then switching to some serious metallic pummel and back again. The first song along is intense and energetic, relentless and dense, and brutal and intricate, and it's the sort of song that makes you exhausted just listening to. Hard to imagine just two guys kicking up this sort of racket, but holy shit, Dead are a fierce sonic beast. The rest of the record follows suit, straddling the line between minimal metal crush and punked out mathy freakout, "Couldn't Keep His Mouth Shut" finds dead sounding like a dead ringer for the Melvins, while "Up!" is all bass driven noise rock sludge, "Murder Hollow" is some darkly atmospheric doomic churn, which leads into the progged out "Bed Bugs" which had us thinking Nomeansno! Stick around for the 11 minute closer "Lego Men", which lets the band unwind a slowburn punk-sludge epic, that again, harkens back to classic Melvins, which is no bad thing at all. Super swank packaging, an elaborate gatefold inner sleeve, full color printed, in a plain white jacket, so the gatefold is partially visible through the hole, full color sticker on the jacket, label stickers inside and a download code as well.

MPEG stream: The Carcass Is Dry
MPEG stream: Couldn't Keep His Mouth Shut
MPEG stream: Bed Bugs

Naming your black metal band after the only record by arguably one of the most important USBM bands ever, and around here definitely one of the most revered, is most certainly setting the bar pretty high, but then as we mentioned in the review of Dead As Dreams debut, you could do a lot worse than look to Weakling for inspiration. We dug the first DaD release big time, a split tape with another Weaking obsessed outfit called Aurvandil, and on that split, DaD definitely did their best Weakling impression, a sprawling epic single track, rife with wild blasting beats, frenzied riffing and hysterical shrieks, but in the process, did manage to infuse enough of their own vibe to keep it on the homage side of hero worship. So here we are, a year later, and Dead As Dreams have returned, and if anything, the Weakling worship has only intensified, not only did the band travel to San Francisco to record with Tim Green, who recorded Weakling's Dead As Dreams, the credits on the inside of the booklet are also in that weird, impossible to read vertical font, and are a dead ringer for the Weakling record, but musically, some things have definitely changed. The template is similar, one single massive multi-movement 25 minute track, long swaths of frantic insectoid buzzing, wild chaotic blasting, but unlike the trancelike mesmer of Weakling, Dead As Dreams have crafted something much more multifaceted, those stretches of frenzied blasts are tempered by lumbering bits of black doom, the guitars tangled into gnarled harmonies, long drawn out expanses of murky buzz and spidery melody, the arrangement much more mathy and dynamic, relying less on repetition, and instead creating what is essentially a songsuite blurred into a single 'track'. Loping mid tempo Burzumic buzz gives way to gnarled Deathspell style riffery, which blossoms into blackened pound, laced with almost NWOBHM style melodies, as well as lots of cool woozy almost psychedelic sounding slow parts, not doomy so much as just droned out and seasick sounding. The blasting buzzy bits are definitely still beholden to Weakling in some ways, but hell, how is that any different than the millions of other bands following in the footsteps of Mayhem, or Immortal, or Satyricon. Weakling seems like a way more obscure and inspiring influence. And it definitely sounds like these guys were inspired, Their Steps Become Unbearable is a huge leap forward from that split cassette, which besides the songwriting, is also probably thanks to Tim Green's production, and the fact that the band that recorded this was made up of SF black metal veterans including members of Horn Of Dagoth, Elk and Palace Of Worms. Removed from the shadow of Weakling, Dead As Dreams are most definitely an awesome band, but even acknowledging the group's unfettered love for their sonic forbears, these guys totally shred, and anyone who digs epic tranced out black buzz, should definitely check this out. And even though technically this is only an ep, it feels like a full length, a black expanse of parts and textures and layers and movements all spun into a glorious black epic.

MPEG stream: Their Steps Become Unbearable (exceprt 1)
MPEG stream: Their Steps Become Unbearable (exceprt 2)

What hath the mighty Weakling wrought? Surely that legendary SF black metal band spawned a legion of followers and worshippers, but few underground bands have had such a noticeable impact, spawning bands blatantly and openly paying homage to the masters. First there was Jabladav, who began basically as a tribute, even releasing a couple records called Dead As Duck and Drunk As Duck, both references to Weakling's only album, Dead As Dreams which came out on tUMULt way back in 2000. Now there's the BAND Dead As Dreams, a USBM band who apparently loved Weakling enough to name their band after the group's seminal record. And as if that weren't enough, Dead As Dreams are paired up on this split with a band called Aurvandil, who have a song called "As Dead As Dreams". But you know, bands could do a lot worse for inspiration than Weakling, and if you ask us, and since you're reading this review you sort of are, a band could hardly do better. So Dead As Dreams, offer up a single looooong song, carving out their own sound, which is definitely heavily influenced by Weakling, but manages to be pretty unique and most assuredly their own. The fast bits are the most Weakling inspired, with similarly hysterical shrieks, drone infused blackened riffing, relentless drumming, but then the band whip out these really awesome depressive slow parts, all mournful and a bit abstract, plodding and melancholic, with some long slow decays and awesome wailing keening high tones, that almost sound like guitar and voice harmonizing, however they do it, it's really dramatic and makes the song! Aurvandil are from France but sound like they're from Norway, very Buzumic, gloriously buzzy, midtempo, drum machine, but not distractedly so, some awesome riffs for sure, the sound not as murky or muted as Dead As Dreams, more chaotic, but still melodic, definitely need to hear more from both these bands, but especially Dead As Dreams, we find ourselves returning to that track again and again, THAT one part burned into our brains. Released on the always kick ass Tour De Garde label!!

Some seriously heavy, seriously groovy metallic sludge from these Philly bangers, three tracks of crushing downtuned heaviness, and while the sludge factor is pretty high, so is the groove factor, which keeps Deathbeds from slipping into torpid trudgery, and instead let the bands swing. Somewhere we saw these guys described as Iron Monkey meets Entombed meets Helmet, which now that we think about it is a pretty decent description, but you might also want to mention Eyehategod, maybe Crowbar or Down, there's a definite NOLA vibe, a slithery Sabbathy pound. The drums are way up in the mix, like getting pelted with cannonballs, the guitars thick and crunchy and massive, then there's the vocals, a monstrous deep bellow, reminiscent of Coalesce, that impossibly intense rrrooooaar, which is a weird match for Deathbeds' stonery groove, but fuck it, it definitely works, or doesn't work, but in not working, makes it work even more. Or at least makes it its own thing. And the vocals do shift gears here and there, slipping into something more shrieky, but always back to that monstrous howl. And yeah, the songs are pretty dang catchy too. Churning and chugging and pounding, we've actually gotten a little obsessed with these three jams, listening to this 7" over and over, and it definitely has us dying for a full length. Cool creepy full color sleeve, pressed on green vinyl, comes with a download coupon too, LIMITED TO 300 COPIES, each one hand numbered.

MPEG stream: No Funeral

Full length number two from this Norwegian duo who traffic in, as their name suggests, some seriously fierce old school eighties style thrash. Think Kreator, Sodom, Bathory and the like, their sound a blitzkrieg of frenzied riffing, shredding leads and blasting beats, the sound super distorted and blown out, the vocals a raspy growl with a penchant for Slayer style almost falsetto screams at the end of lines, sometimes just a weird voice cracking squeak, other times a full on maniacal shriek. Some of our favorite moments though are where they slow it down and get downright doomy, like the opening of "Emperor Of Sin", complete with tolling bell, or on the distorted organ and chugging dirge intro to "Lead Us Into Hell", but in both cases, it's not long before they explode into another blast of galloping thrash. Obviously stuff like this doesn't need a huge review, or in depth analysis. Do you favor denim vests, preferably with patches and spikes? How about bullet belts? Do you like your metal raw and violent, furious and frantic? Blasting beats and hyperspeed riffing? Do you dig classic speed/thrash/black metal? Yes to any of those and odds are Deathhammer will be your jam...

MPEG stream: Deathrashing Sacrifice
MPEG stream: Emperor Of Sin
MPEG stream: Lead Us Into Hell

There are definitely a bunch of you out there who really dig the crazy technical progmetal stuff, the thrashier and more insane the better. Like Vektor, ferstance. You know who you are. Or rather, WE know who WE are, maybe we should say, since we love that sort of stuff too. We certainly sold a lot of the Confessor demos cd set that Divebomb put out a while back, and so we thought we ought to list this, another mathematically advanced Divebomb reissue. This one's a somewhat obscure tech-thrash masterpiece by the German band Deathrow. Deception Ignored - what does that title mean, anyway? The deception failed? or it succeeded?? Anyway, Deception Ignored was Deathrow's third album, originally released in 1988. Their first two albums, Riders Of Doom aka Satan's Gift ('86) and Raging Steel ('87), were much more basic and barbaric Teutonic thrashfests, and also pretty awesome, but it was with Deception Ignored that they joined the ranks of such bands as Watchtower, Coroner, Voivod, Anacrusis, and Mekong Delta in the realm of progressive / technical thrash mastery. Probably the evolution had to do with the fact that they'd just acquired a new, more technically-minded guitarist. His chops seem to have rubbed off on the other guys in the band. So grab this and get ready for a dizzying performance. Deathrow on this album are still raging, speed-wise - and lyrically too, it's all sociopolitical subject matter. But their heavy riffage has become intensely convoluted, lashed to equally intense rhythmic complexity. There's a shit ton of weedly-weedly razor sharp guitar shred that's sometimes almost jazzy, spilling (in a precise fashion) all over these stop, start, spin on a dime song structures. Which also feature the occasional atmospheric segue - like the acoustic guitar intro to "Machinery", or the classical touch provided by the moody piano and church organ passage heard at the start of the math-mad epic instrumental "Triocton". Meanwhile, amidst all this incredible instrumental interplay, Deathrow's singer fits in where and when he can, his vocals sometimes shout-growled in an aggro manner, or at other times affecting a higher pitched, more "melodic" whine. Which kinda makes us think of Joey Belladona era Anthrax if they got into a total math-metal frenzy. Also, it sounds not unlike Confessor a lot of the time. So this is definitely for fans of that band, also the others mentioned, especially including those modern day prog-thrash faves Vector! The cd booklet of this nicely done reissue includes lyrics, an interview with Deathrow originally published in Metal Forces magazine back in '89, and extensive new liner notes by Jeff Wagner, the prog-metal expert who also wrote the liners to that Confessor demos collection.

MPEG stream: The Deathwish
MPEG stream: Triocton
MPEG stream: Machinery

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

SORRY.

[ aquarius records — Metal ]