Lord Snow - Solitude (2013)

 

Genre: Emoviolence

Country: United States

I'm starting to believe that women may have a natural predisposition to be the best fucking screamo vocalists. Over the course of the this album Steph absolutely shreds her vocal chords, and her commitment and passion are a huge part in why this is one of my favorite screamo records. She jusst can't be stopped. Instrumentally, it's fucking great as well. It has the technical chaos powerviolence while still somehow remaining exceedingly melodic throughout. Even during the most aggressive parts and mathematical parts, the band seamlessly weave complex melodies through the fabric of the music. It's truly fantastic stuff. 

If you haven't heard this, you know nothing.

Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)

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

 The opening of "The Pecan Tree" leaves me in awe every time I listen to it. The best way it can be described, is a violent euphoria. I can feel it throughout my body; the tingling of my skin, the breathlessness in my chest. I get lost. Lost in the shuddering guitars, the warm smile of the melodies. Lost in a place only Deafheaven can take me. For thirteen minutes, I'm outside of myself, wandering dandelion-filled fields on the most beautiful day spring can offer. That's why I love Deafheaven; that's why I love Sunbather.

It's an album full of these kind of moments. When I listen to the title track, I want nothing more than to lay my head on a tree, and watch as the branches sway back and forth, sunlight piercing through the leafy canvas. For a song that is just as rooted in black metal as it is shoegaze, it is, at times, surprisingly laid back. Sure, there are moments of harshness - halfway through the song its weightless shoegazing melodies fall out of the sky into a pit of cacophonous blastbeat driven black metal - but here, even the cruelty of BM can't stop the album's ecstatic beauty from eventually shining through once more. "Dream House" and "Vertigo" offer more the same; jet-black walls of noise, painted with brushstrokes of shimmering guitars, both dark and beautiful. It's an album that thrives on contrasts.

Deafheaven have crafted a record that shares their inspirations and aspirations all at once. You'll get a pangs of My Blood Valentine and hints of Weakling all within the same breadth; it's a collage of influences that adds up to be a sum greater than its parts. With that in mind, I come back to "The Pecan Tree". That violent euphoria encapsulates the spirit of the band like no other track on Sunbather.  It's lush and gorgeous like shoegaze, grandiose and aggressive like black metal, and sincere like screamo; yet, it is none of these things. It's immediately recognizable and completely unmistakable  -that's why it's the perfect closer. As the album fades into blissful obscurity, it gently whispers three words into your ear; "This is Deafheaven."

Dream On

Balloon Journey - Balloon Journey (2013 & 2014)

(2013)

(2014)

Genre: Electro acoustic / noise / sound collage
Country: United States

Recordings of balloons being rubbed together and blown up. It is really unique. The 2013 tape is better than the one released last year but both are worth listening to if you are into that sort of thing.

Balloon Journey (2013)
Balloon Journey (2014)

Swan Dive - Fly Towards the Sun (2013)

Genre: Shoegaze, Punk Rock
Country: United States/United Kingdom

So Brandon Setta of shoegaze band Nothing and Joey Bayes of melodic hardcore band More Than Life got together and wrote some grungy, punky, shoegaze songs back in 2013. Expect something akin to Nothing rather than More Than Life, especially to songs on the Whirr/Nothing split. It kinda sounds like something that would be written in the 90s but by no means is it a poor form of worship from bands in that era. Reverberated vocals are still in play, a hint of angst and melancholy maybe, and some basic elements from shoegaze can be found. If you like Nothing at all, you'll probably find some enjoyment in this.

Download

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

_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

385 - Ningen (2013)

Genre: Punk, Noise Rock, Jazz
Country: Japan

If you ever wanted a Midori replacement (ie zany vocals ranging from cutesy vocals to loud screaming with aggressive jazz-influenced punk in the background) then 385 is a pretty damn good replacement. They may not be as good as Midori, even to the point you could accuse of ripping them off, they at least do their style well and have some funky basslines and nice solos here and there.

Download

Vudmurk - Sleep Until It Hurts You (2013)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

Before Shawn Kemp was rapper Lil Ugly Mane, he was a one-man black metal band under the name Vudmurk. Using only a guitar, a drum machine, a plastic karaoke mic, and a 4 track, Sleep Until it Hurts You keeps it lo-fi and raw as possible within two and a half songs put together in track recorded on Thanksgiving back in 2007.

Download

Lluvia - Premonicion de guerra (2013)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Mexico

Previously known as The Rain In Endless Fall, after a couple of great but highly limited demo tapes under their previous name Lluvia unleash upon us their full length debut.  A great atmospheric black metal album that is described by Lord Vast as anti-cascadian black metal, beautiful field recordings of storms and rainfall separate each track before flying into full throttle blast beats and vocals that could peel paint.  Textural twists and turns with rhythmic changes keep things from feeling monotonous, whilst the overall atmosphere creates a density that you can't help but become lost in.  One of the best atmospheric black metal releases in recent memory.

Name Your Price Download

Purchase

Cloakroom - Infinity (2013)

Genre: Shoegaze/Emo
Country: United States

Emo-tinged shoegaze with an overload of fuzz creating an incredibly heavy and dirty wall of sound somewhat reminiscent to doom/stoner metal bands with beautiful and melancholic passages thrown into the mix. Clocking in almost thirty minutes, Infinity is definitely not worth missing out on.

Download

Warthog - Exterminate Me (2013)

Genre: Hardcore
Country: United States

Scathing hardcore released last year. Frenzied guitar, ritualistically heavy drums and and furious vocals all drenched in a cacophony of wondrous feedback. These guys just got signed to Iron Lung records, so you know they are good.

Exterminate Me? Exterminate Yourself

Cult of Fire - मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान

Genre: Black Metal/Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Czech Republic

Just look at that artwork and tell me you aren't for kvlt trip to the cosmos. Everything is done fucking well - the production, the cool synths, the vocals, everything else. Plus the lyrics are in Hindi. This is a band worth supporting.

Download

Bandcamp/Purchase