Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Gas Chamber - Hemorrhaging Light (2014)

Genre: Powerviolence
Country: United States

This one kind of reminds me of Bucket Full of Teeth's IV. Like in IV, these guys don't play it straight; rather they include sections outside of hardcore. Gas Chamber however chooses to add a psychedelic and progressive flair to their brand of powerviolence to switch things up. These sections aren't as jarring as Bucket Full of Teeth adding ambient sections since they feel more in place so I think this is a lot easier to get a feel for.

Download

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Kairon; IRSE! - Ujubasajuba (2014)

Genre: Shoegaze, Post-Rock
Country: Finland

If you've been on the front page of RYM in the past month or so, you've probably seen a review for this with the caption "BRUTAL POST ROCK" (the author changed it unfortunately). I was pretty hesitant to listen to it considering the cover is mildly unappealing but I gave it a shot anyway since my friend recommended it to me. I think the best way to describe this album is saying that it's essentially a post rock album with progressive leanings with shoegaze production. Kairon; IRSE! don't get lost in forming a huge wall of sound that many shoegaze bands tend to fall under. Rather, they really like to add riffs and solos to support that wall of sound to engage the listener which is how the separate themselves from all the other bands in the scene currently. Even if you're not a fan of shoegaze, there are other characteristics that you can latch onto to and find enjoyment out of it. It's possibly the best album on Bandcamp that's name-your-price as well so get listening!

Name-Your-Price on Bandcamp

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Mojave 3 - Ask Me Tomorrow (1995)

Genre: Dream Pop, Alt-Country
Country: United Kingdom

Not exactly obscure, but I suppose if you wanted more output out of Neil and Rachel of Slowdive you should listen to Mojave 3. They still build on dream pop vibes present in their work in Slowdive but the only difference is that they add alt-country elements like twangy guitars through an ethereal scope. Unless you vehemently dislike alt-country, then there really isn't a reason to dislike this if you enjoy Slowdive. Just don't expect something like Souvlaki because that would be a dumb standard to uphold. Just imagine if songs like 40 Days had a little more twang to it and you'll get this as they use more of more moody elements of their songwriting.

Download

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Ichiko Aoba - 0 (2013)

Genre: Folk
Country: Japan

Ichiko Aoba writes some of the most soothing and relaxing folk that I've heard in a while. It's a very bare bones type of thing where her songwriting is completely dependent on how well her voice complements her guitar playing. What I find interesting about her approach is that she really varies the styles she crafts and they oddly seem like they belong there. Like if you listen to the third song, roughly around the middle of the song she really shows that isn't afraid to show her guitar playing skills through some fast playing that didn't really seem to fit at first but after a few listens, you realize how well it fits the part before it. She even throws in some field recordings here and there to fill the empty space that her music tends to create and they don't take too much of the spotlight of Ichiko Aoba's playing at all. If you're just looking for something to wind down to, this is a pretty fitting album that does that but I would say there's a little more to it than that if you listen carefully.

Download

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Corea - Los peores 7 peores Km de mi vida (2004)

Genre: Screamo, Post Rock
Country: Spain

In all honesty, the whole screamo/post rock hardly does anything for me anymore. Only a few bands out there are able to capture the same spirit and vibe of earlier screamo and balance it out with emotive post rock. Every other band starts to sound like watered down post rock coupled with uninteresting and weak screamo. Corea seems to be the exception to this rule because they're able to really emulate the violent and rough aspect of screamo while being able to add post rock/ambient interludes to provide atmosphere and emotions in a different way. This sounds really rough around the edges so if you really enjoy the more violent side of screamo/post rock, then check this out.

Download

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Night School - Heart Beat (2014)

Genre: Indie Pop, Dream Pop
Country: United States

Night School is another side project from an ex-member of Whirr. I suppose if you really liked Alexandra Morte's vocals (Whirr vocalist for Pipe Dreams) and enjoy some catchy and bubbly songs, then this would appeal to you. It has some shoegaze undertones but don't expect anything beyond the influence because it's a little more than that plus the vocals aren't completely drowned in reverb this time around. Most Whirr-related side projects have been solid so far and this nice little EP hasn't broken that pattern.

Download

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Whirr - Pipe Dreams (Redux) (2014)

Genre: Shoegaze
Country: United States

Nothing too different from this and the original version but I think that the slight differences make a noticeable difference. There's no annoying hissing sound like in the buildup to "Wait" and the in "Reverse". The guitars seems a bit louder which helps bring out the vocals drowned in reverb. The most important difference is definitely the tracklist. Reverie serves as an interlude between "Bogus" and "Wait" which actually sounds better in execution than in theory while "Hide" becomes the closer. There seems to be a better balance between the faster and more energetic songs with the moodier songs on both ends of this album which works in its favour since I though Pipe Dreams was a little bit all over the place. Either way, both versions are solid but I think it's best to go with the redux over the original.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Carved Cross - III (2014)



Genre: Raw Black Metal
Country: Australia

For all "raw black metal" may imply, it is still not an apt descriptor for Carved Cross: "near unlistenable" is far more appropriate. Simply put, many of you won't enjoy this - that's the point. Carved Crosses music is not meant for those tip-toeing around black metal's depths, but those who have already taken the figurative plunge. This may come off pretentious and enormously elitist- I assure you that is not my intent. You see, to appreciate black metal of this caliber requires not only patience, but a desire to explore the truly abrasive. For those who have taken the time to understand, Carved Cross' 2014 release is an excellent example of the genre in its bleakest hour. Most of black metal's traits already make it thoroughly unenjoyable for the majority: Carved Cross takes what would arguably be the most grating of these characteristics (production, repetition, minimalism) and make them the focus of their third demo. Even seasoned raw black metal listeners will have trouble stomaching the "no-fi" aesthetic this release so heavily adheres to. However, as it usually works with raw music, the production inevitably works in its favor, perpetuating the atmosphere to reach euphoric heights. In the opening track "Only Hope Offers Disappointment", as simple guitar progressions coalesce into wintry ambiance, it's hard not to get lost in their swells of melody and dissonance. The two are one here, helping to fully realize the hypnotic standard the group was undoubtedly aiming to achieve. Carved Cross have carved themselves -pun intended - a niche in the underground black metal community, partly thanks their aforementioned penchant for raw production values, but also the use of repetition as a foundation for their sound. "Intertwined Emotions of Joy and Grief" is the greatest offender of that device here, but like Burzum, Darkthrone, or numerous other black metal greats, one of Carved Cross' greatest strengths is their ability to utilize the potential in repetitive structuring. The song is harsh and minimalistic, but memorable as well. Traversing through punk and traditional black metal influences, it's the dichotomy between the simplicity of the former, and the epic nature of the latter, that keeps the track entertaining despite its best efforts not to be. This Australian trio creates black metal at its most inaccessible, and they do it very well. Demo III is easily the group's most refined release to date, yet it sacrifices nothing in the way of quality, or aesthetic. After two years of creating blasphemous racket, Carved Cross have finally begun to gain recognition, not through a softening of their approach, but consistently delivering tortured music without compromise. As internet culture progresses, more and more unwitting metal fans take a path that will eventually plunge them into the darkest music the world has offer; there they will find Carved Cross.

Nocturnal Emissions for the Blackline Elite

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Mr Twin Sister - Mr Twin Sister (2014)



Genre:Dream Pop
Country: United States

I've been on a huge dream pop kick lately, and Long Islander's Mr Twin Sister has really been hitting the spot. Rarely has the genre been portrayed in such a sexy, sultry way; Andrea Estella's alluring, smokey vocals perfectly compliment the music that juxtaposes disco guitars with sleek 80's bass-lines and hints of electronica. The production is amazing, creating a veil of haziness that supplements the instrumentation into creating a trance-inducing atmospheres. This is definitely an album best enjoyed while relaxing, head back and eyes closed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't procure a download link, but this album is too good to go unheard, so here is the Pitchfork(ew) stream: In The House of Yes

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Dropdead - Discography (1994)

Genre: Powerviolence, Hardcore Punk
Country: United States

This album is probably one of the more furious and fast albums I've ever listened to. These guys play some extremely fast hardcore considering how many songs are below the fifty second but it's incredible how satisfying it is regardless. This contains stuff that aren't on their full-length albums (which are also well worth your time) so you get the splits and the EPs which are all essential. Anyone interested in this type of music will end up satisfied with this album.

Download

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Vaura - Selenelion (2012)

Genre: Black Metal, Post-Punk, Post-Rock
Country: United States

This isn't exactly obscure or anything, but it sure is under-appreciated and overlooked. I can see there being a lot of hype for this seeing as this has Toby Driver in the band among others, but it seems people's expectations were a little bit too high because of it. Regardless, this is an excellent release as long as you don't expect it to blow your mind. It sort of has that black metal / shoegaze feel but it's more of an influence more than it is integral to their sound. They also switch between the gruff harsh vocals and the gothic post-punk kind of vocals similar to The Cure. It's a pretty unique in its own right, just don't expect some avant-garde type of thing. It's just good for what it is.

Download

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Usurp Synapse / Hassan I Sabbah - Just Do It! (2000)

Genre: Screamo
Country: United States

If it wasn't clear already with its tongue-in-cheek title and artwork, this short split is about suicide. It seems sort of ridiculous, especially when listening to the beginning of some of the Usurp Synapse songs, but it can be forgiven when you realize how intense and raw both bands can get. There is some feeling of catharsis within these songs that really give that feeling of despair and kind of give the feeling of the artwork and title (in other words, suicide). Perhaps one of the best splits in the genre.

Download

Saturday, September 20, 2014

New Arizmenda Track - "Cum In Your Wound"

Arizmenda have a released the second track off of their upcoming full-length Stillbirth In The Temple of Venus entitled "Cum In Your Wound". It's starting to seem to me that this band can do no wrong. Continuing down the more "streamlined" path of "Rites of Deconsecration" from last year's Tliltic Tlapoyauak, the song is simpler from a construction standpoint, but still offers the visceral emotion the band has come to be known for. I think it's fantastic, but judge for yourself below:

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Planning For Burial - Desideratum (2014)

Genre: Drone, Shoegaze
Country: United States

Planning For Burial subdues the more metal aspects of his music from his debut Leaving back in 2009 in exchange for more emotive and soft drone-y shoegaze. This allows for a more focused listen rather than the all over place sound akin to his debut which was good regardless. The drone here is really engaging here despite how slow-paced the music here is. It really feels like being absorbed into nothingness which is most likely what Planning For Burial is going for.

Download

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Tardigrada - Widrstand (2012)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Switzerland

With the supposed release of a proper full length in the near future i have been retreading this release recently as part of my building anticipation.  While not being a masterclass by any means this demo shows enough potential to make me think that their first full work could turn out to be something truly special.  A great sense of eb and flow is on display with the compositions feeling very organic and carrying a varying array of emotions, a worthwhile release put out by the awesome us black metal label that is Fallen Empire.

Download (name your price)

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Paavoharju - Yhä hämärää (2005)

Genre: Psychedelic Folk
Country: Finland

This album carries a pretty dark tone but it's definitely not the menacing kind. Rather, it sounds like sitting around in a forest at night while gazing upon your surroundings. The album has that warm fuzzy feeling that even borders ethereal. The vocalist sounds quite exotic and the fact that the lyrics are in Finnish add to that feeling and may even carry some dream pop vibes. There are many unique sounds to be heard here that helps this album stand out from the rest using synths, field recordings, and other sounds that I can't really decipher. Definitely a unique album worth checking out.

Download

Friday, September 5, 2014

Endlichkeit - III - V (2014)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

Endlichkeit came into my consciousness with the release of their first demo on Fallen Empire towards the back end of last year, although not an immediate sort of project this distant hazy black metal feels like a nostalgic recollection of times gone by.  The beauty of this project is the way it stealthily worms it's way into your brain, you suddenly start recalling the hints of melody and nostalgic feeling it creates seemingly out of nowhere.  Definatley a grower kind of release, give this and their debut time and they can turn out to be quite rewarding.

Download (name your price)

Monday, September 1, 2014

Naðra - Eitur (2014)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Iceland

To be honest, apparently Iceland has a burgeoning black metal... I was, and still am for the most part, completely unaware of whatever that scene consists of. I somehow managed to stumble upon Naðra, and I couldn't be happier. This is pretty straightforward, very melodic black metal. It unabashedly celebrates all the basic tenets of the genre, while featuring a pristine production that very much works for the release. The riffs are super solid, and thanks to some great use of repetition, they are very much drilled into your head. An overall great release.

Bandcamp

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Nocturnal Damnation - Desecration, Crucifixion, Perversion (2012)

Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Country: South Korea

Hailing from Seoul Nocturnal Damnation brand themselves as "Nuclear War Metal", in my humble opinion this pretty much sums them up.  What we have on offer here is six songs of no holds barred blackened death that is the sound of a seemingly impending nuclear annihilation, maybe influenced by the chaos and paranoia brought by their despot ran neighbor to the north.  This tape is raw, dirty and bestial as fuck and feels like having an h bomb dropped on your face.

Download

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Kacica - Kacica (2006)

Genre: Dream Pop, Post Rock
Country: Japan

I think the biggest appeal for this band would be the fact that their vocalist sounds a lot like Bjork. Like the vocalist here goes for the long sprawling kind of vocals as if she's moving her body slowly to the music which I think perfectly goes well with the vibes this album. The instrumentation isn't too dramatic or complex; rather they're just simple to match the relaxed and dazed nature of dream pop. The combination of the Bjork-esque vocals and the relaxed nature of the instruments brings a very entrancing nature to just vibe with. Nothing to really think too hard about.

Download


Wolvefrost - Barbarian Hellstorm (2013)

Genre: Blackened Crust
Country: United States

Awesome blackened crust from this one man project hailing from Seattle, good blackened caustic madness.

Name your price download

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Harakiri For The Sky - Harakiri For The Sky (2012)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Austria

Harakiri For The Sky pretty much rides the whole black metal/shoegaze/post rock trend that occurred in recent years but they do a much better job at it than others by actually having substance in their music rather than sacrificing good songwriting and engaging melodies for beauty. In truth, they aren't all that special or original but when you consider how much good comes from this genre, you can say this is definitely worth a listen.

Download

Entrapment - Lamentations Of the Flesh (2014)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Netherlands

Dutch Entombed worshiping death metal lunatics Entrapment return with the follow up to 2012's awesome ...the obscurity within, modern old school death metal that adds another awesome release to the revival of the last few years.

Download

Buy

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Arizmenda - Without Circumference Nor Centre (2011)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

With the imminent release of Arizmenda' third full length i've been listening to their two previous albums in preparation, although this second full length didn't quite live up to the high standards set by the first (but really what could!?) it is still a brilliant and damn fine black metal release in it's own right.  Maligned by some because of it's bass heavy and at time washy sound and loved by others in equal measure for the same reasons, this version we have here is the pro tape version that was released by dismal cursings.  The difference that hits you when you first listen to it compared to the original release is the clarity of it all, the sound has been cleaned up a touch (not detrimentally) and has in turn breathed new life into what was already and amazing release.  Subtle hints of tortured melodies peak through the darkness of the abyss while the true nature of the compositions and arrangements become more apparent, all of this leads to a new found appreciation of an album that already had been held in such high regard.

Download

Buy

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Dommedagssalme - Terra (2012)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre:"Astral Black Metal"

I feel the need to address the cover art first- yes, it is ridiculous and terrible, but don't let that stop you from listening to this. This highly melodic and repetitious black metal meant to lull you into hypnotic states. Like Darkspace, the album steers away from the cold plains of usual black metal fare and transports you into the cold vacuum of space. The celestial atmosphere generally takes precedence over the guitars and drums, but it all kind of melds together into this beautiful white noise.

ASStral black metal

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Love Sex Machine - Love Sex Machine (2012)

Genre: Sludge Metal
Country: France

Love Sex Machine never hold anything back when it comes to their music. Extremely thick and distorted guitar riffs played between mostly a crushing slow pace and a unrelentingly heavy pace. The vocals are definitely worth a mention because they sound so pissed off it works with the dirty and heavy sound they're going for. These guys love to play loud and proud and it works for them. Not many leads to be found here though, just heavy in-your-face chugging loud enough to break your ears. They're also on Throatruiner records who always put out some great stuff.

Name-Your-Price on Bandcamp

Procession - Your Turn To Feel (2012)

Genre: Shoegaze
Country: United States

Procession is a side project from vocalist/guitarist Britty Drake from Pity Sex. It's not too far from Dark World-era Pity Sex sound-wise. All it really lacks is the strong emo influences. Procession seems to work based on making gritty and lo-fi sounds sound like comforting and soft with jangly guitar lines and a mix between clean and distorted guitar chords rather searching for emotional climaxes like Pity Sex. Nothing too different for the genre, but it's definitely executed well. I guess if you wanted Britty to sing more in Dark World she would've sounded like this.

Download

Carved Cross / Sump - Split (2013)

Genre: Raw Black Metal
Country: Australia / England

A great split release here between two awesome bands, Carved Cross open proceedings with two songs of hypnotic no-fi black metal that is as raw as it is trance inducing.  On the flip side, Sump seem to be inspired by Carved Cross' lo-fi aesthetic and opt for an even rawer than usual production style.  Churning out 4 punky black metal stomps that deliver their own charm yet somehow keeping the feel of the split cohesive.  Maybe a bit too raw for some, but if lo-fi/raw black metal is your thing you need to get this in your life.

Download

Buy

Friday, August 15, 2014

White Medal - Yorkshire Heathen Black Metal (2012)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: England

George Proctor is a name synonymous with the burgeoning underground black metal scene in England, being part of or even the sole member (as is the case here) of a myriad of projects that range in musical styles.  White Medal is one of mr Proctors solo projects and is also one of his best, this compilation release sees the Agbrigg beast & Alone As Owt demos compiled together along with the song "Northumbrian Tyrants" as well as two previously unreleased songs (that apparently came from the alone as owt sessions).  15 Songs of raw punk driven black metal that demands attention, a perfect starting place for anyone new to the band.

 Download

Buy

Monday, August 11, 2014

M. Sage - No Same River Twice (2014)


Genre: Ambient / Field Recordings
Country: United States

M. Sage has a special knack of twisting simplistic beauty into something fragile and haunting. With No Same River Twice he continues down the vein of his other releases from this year, uniting distant guitar pluckings with drones and field recordings. The music retains a fairly basic formula (excluding the track 'Stumbling Blocks, where he gets a bit eccentric on a drum kit), however Sage manages to manipulate these sounds to create a distinctive somber atmosphere which I haven't found on many other releases from the big '14. Perfect for a rainy Sunday morning or a 2 AM identity crisis.

Stream / Buy

Saor - Aura (2014)

Country: Scotland
Genre: Atmospheric/Folk Black Metal

It's been awhile since something so overtly symphonic has struck a chord with me, but Saor's second album Aura does just that. Steeped in Celtic inspired atmosphere, the melodies here are bombastic, triumphant and definitely summon the images of war and battle in your mind's eye. The vocals are more of hoarse, throaty shout than usual black metal fare, but they work wonderfully, and help further separate Saor from other folk inspired metal bands. Also, Austin Lunn of Panopticon performs on drums, so I don't even need to tell you that they fucking rule. Like I said, I don't usually go for this type of black metal anymore, but this is freaking awesome, and should not be passed up. Fucking recommended.

Get me some Haggus

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Manon Meurt - Manon Meurt (2014)

Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: Czech Republic

This is incredibly standard for shoegaze in terms of sound and songwriting but the same can be said for a lot of album in the entire genre so it would be unfair to write it off as so. Manon Meurt basically sound like Slowdive that try to emphasize on building a wall of sound instead of creating the floating feeling that Slowdive emulates in Souvlaki. Don't write this off as a rip-off but rather appreciate the fact that Manon Meurt mimic this style well and sort of make it their own.

Download

Destruction Unit - Deep Trip (2013)

Genre: Noise Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: United States

I don't think I've ever heard of a more fitting band name and album cover. This album builds a huge wall of sound capable of shattering ears and breaking faces using thick distortion and adding dizzying psychedelic effects. It's a lot more than just loud noise though; lots of tight drum playing and guitar riffs can be found all over the album. Good for anyone wanting loud noisy rock music.

Download

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Cagedgrave - Gutless (2014)

Genre: Hardcore/Power Violence
Country: Australia

Cagedgrave are a power violence influenced hardcore band from Australia currently causing a stir in the underground with their initial first demo last year and now this their debut ep.  Sounding very much like Nails for the most part, fans of them couldn't go far wrong in checking this out.  10 short, sharp, primal bursts of speed and aggression that mug you in a darkened alleyway and leave your bloodied confused mess of a self to comprehend what the fuck just happened.  The entire 6 and a bit minute flurry (as well as their other releases) are available for name your price download on their bandcamp page.

Bandcamp (name your price)

Monday, August 4, 2014

Warsore - Violent Swing Discography (2012)

Genre: Grindcore
Country: Austalia

Australia's anarcho grind lunatics Warsore blazed a violent trail for a number of years before finally calling it a day.  This is essentially a collection of pretty much everything they ever did, 110 tracks in 101 minutes of pure pissed off and unrelenting rage.  No frills, no gimmicks, no posturing, just good angry in your face grind.

Download

Buy

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Woes - Valley Of Desolation (2013)

Genre: Black Metal / Crust Punk
Country: England

Woes hail from Bradford, England and came to us last year with this their first demo.  Just under 20 minutes of raw hate filled crust punk influenced black metal which at times segues into slow trudging doom sections that carry a feeling of violent menace.  Awesome stuff for anyone who likes punk influenced black metal.

Download

Buy

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Aethyrvorous - Aethyrvorous (2009)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Australia

It's quite a shame that these guys only put out one demo before disbanding because they showed a lot of promise here. The atmosphere created here is incredibly dark and crushing created by the guttural vocals and the dark and evil tone that the guitars create. It's a short demo but what's contained in here is worth your time.

Download

Friday, August 1, 2014

Cara Neir - The Overwatch (2014)

Genre: Black Metal/Hardcore/Screamo
Country: United States

Cara Neir are easily one of my favorite bands of the past few years. Watching them develop their style has been a joy, not only because they are consistently amazing, but also unpredictable. Stagnant Perceptions was black metal with a screamo twist. Portals To A Better, Dead World was screamo with a black metal twist. Sublimation Therapy explored hardcore and all of its variants, and their splits usually fall into the "post-black metal" category, featuring some heavy shoegaze influences. The Overwatch combines the black metal/screamo style of their full-lengths with the brevity and pure aggression of Sublimation Therapy. It's gr1m and hxc all at once; the cohesion between the different styles is as fluid as always. Definitely not something to sleep on.

Portals to Sublimation Therapy

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Venus Star - Nigredo Expulsion (2013)

Genre: Black/Death
Country: Finland

Uncompromising Finnish filth. This is some great mid-paced bestial black/death metal with some serious Beherit influences. The riffs are simple, brutal, and crushing. Occasionally they delve a bit deeper into the more atmospheric side of things, and it really works out great, adding some depth to their sound. It's a pretty straightforward release, but its simplicity is part of its charm.

Venus Star

Akatharsia - Demo (2014)





Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

Akatharsia is a new project in it's relative infancy that features members of Fell Voices and Negative Standards, a really good demo that takes a relatively direct black metal approach (in terms of fell voices huge compositions) with a good punkish stomp making things even catchy at times.  Great first demo from what looks like a promising young project.

Buy

Download

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Miserable - Halloween Dream (2014)

Genre: Shoegaze
Country: United States

If you feel disappointed with the Camera Shy EP because former vocalist Kristina Esfandiari of Whirr sounds a little weak and wish to hear her in a similar as she was in Whirr, then you should check out her solo work under the moniker of Miserable. She approaches shoegaze with dark and depressing sounds and textures while still maintaining a catchy sound and sounding ethereal.

Download

Black Cilice / Dead Procession (2013)






Genre: Black metal / Ambient / Drone
Country: Portugal

Interesting split with Black Cilice providing their usual brand of raw noisy black metal alongside fellow countrymen Dead Procession who provide a side of drone/ambient with distant haunting vocals. Two brilliant projects that both deserve attention.

Download

Buy

Sunday, July 13, 2014

I Was A Cosmonaut Hero - MMXIII (2014)

Genre: Screamo, Post Rock
Country: France

Another screamo/post rock hybrid from France featuring members from Gantz and Daitro. Songs at longest go as long as 7 minutes so it never really drags at points. Musically, it sounds just like a bunch of other screamo/post rock bands (perhaps most like Envy) but it's done well and isn't completely derivative of the members' past work. Rather it sounds like an extension of it. Chords progressions sound triumphant and the screams sounds passionate. A definite listen for those looking for this type of screamo from this year.

Download

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Nahvalr - Nahvalr (2008)

Genre: Black Metal, Ambient, Noise
Country: United States

Before Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga was Have a Nice Life, they were Nahvalr. Very little similarities can be drawn from the two bands musically because one is a shoegaze post-punk band while the other is a noisy black metal band. Really, the only similarity that could be drawn are the feelings of dread that both bands evoke. The interesting thing about Nahvalr is that it's an open sourced album meaning that it takes fan made music and edits and distorts them. The beauty of this album is that despite being made from several different sounds across the globe, it still sounds like a cohesive album. Be warned because this is a really inaccessible album due to its noisy nature.

Download

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Death of Lovers - Buried Under A World Of Roses (2014)

Genre: Post-Punk, Shoegaze
Country: United States

Death of Lovers is made up of members of Whirr and Nothing. The influence from the two bands' sounds aren't completely prevalent save for a couple of parts in some songs. The cold and depressive kind of post-punk sound is what really shines here and is certainly well executed. Taking influence from older post-punk bands and adding a dash from their other bands' sounds, Death of Lovers form a cold and haunting sound using spacey synths, baritone to whisper-y vocals, bumping basslines, clean guitar picking and strumming, and tight drum playing.

Download

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Cirrhus - Cirrhus (2014)


Country: United States
Genre: Raw Black Metal

After years of demo and rehearsal tapes, CW Production's favorite group Cirrhus have finally unleashed their debut full-length album upon the world, and spoiler alert - it fucking rules. It's what you would expect; siix tracks of furiously melodic, yet raw as HELL black metal, punctuated by bursts of punk-fueled riffage.  The balance between the two is perfect, utilzing repetition, and then justifying it with hooks that you'll be humming to yourself a few hours later. The music is "epic" without the cheese usually associated with the term, and it's because of all this and more, that I think   Cirrhus may be the group's strongest set of songs to date. Fucking recommended.



 http://www.mediafire.com/?54epsw3i1zot12w
 

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Cortez - Phoebus (2013)

Genre: Post-Metal, Screamo, Hardcore
Country: Switzerland

It's a little hard to pin these guys down into a genre but really those genre tags should suffice for now. Regardless, this is one hell of a record that kind of reminds me of Amia Venera Landscape with a more atmospheric approach to it and less metalcore. It sounds incredibly intense and it's well produced as well. Plus these guys are on Throatruiner so you know it has to be intense.

Download

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Kulara - Fragmental Remembrance, a Switch of Resurrection, and My Hearing Vanished (2001)

Genre: Screamo, Experimental, Post Rock, Psychedelic
Country: Japan

I guess it should be no surprise that a really strange and experimental take on screamo comes from Japan. At times you can hear the traditional post rock/screamo similar to Envy and then they throw you off by adding some psychedelic, jazzy or whatever else genre they feel like adding. Don't go into this expecting some progressive psychedelic screamo like Gospel's The Moon is A Dead World because this is a completely different and intriguing beast of its own.

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Saturday, May 3, 2014

iglooghost & cow yote - SEWER_RAP (2013)

Genre: Hip-Hop
Country: N/A

Think Captain Murhpy (ie pitch-shifted rap over futuristic beats) except done much better. Only consisting of two songs (well, two songs with multiple songs within them) the two work together with such chemistry in its short run time. The glitch-y beats could definitely survive and live up on its own but cow yote really brings them to life here and does them justice.

Bandcamp and download within the description if you look hard enough

Friday, May 2, 2014

Vampillia - The Divine Move (2014)

Genre: Black Metal, Modern Classical, Post Rock
Country: Japan

Featuring screamed vocals mixed with soft operatic vocals while string instruments and piano play on top of blast beats and fast riffing, this will without a doubt be one of the strangest and most interesting albums you'll listen to this year. It's all about build and release here and the pay off is definitely worth it. The climaxes mix up the two halves of this album (the soft and the heavy) beautifully and fittingly. It's a fun and beautiful experience as much as it's bizarre.

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Saturday, April 26, 2014

_yi. - OTNJ_B (2013)

Genre: Electronic, Glitch Pop
Country: N/A

Using various samples from a variety of sources from jazz to J-pop, _yi. creates glitch-y, feel-good, and grooving songs that you can either chill to or dance to.

Name-Your-Price on Bandcamp