Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(1-20) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(21-40) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(41-60) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(61-80) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(81-100) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(101-120) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(121-140) / Doom/ Sludge/ Drone(141-147) /
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Starkweather - this sheltering night
Starkweather - this sheltering night-Starkweather was formed in 1989 with founders Todd Forkin on guitar, Harry Rosa on drums, and Rennie Resmini on vocals. Even in their embryonic stage their unique collective vision was lethal. Starkweather's progressive metal precision, Hardcore grit, and Avante Garde experimentalism coalesced into one awe inspiring musical force. After releasing a demo cassette through the then fledging tape trading circuit, Starkweather unleashed their 1991 debut album "Crossbearer" onto the masses. The release became an instant crossover classic, exerting far reaching influence over the hardcore/metal world of the day. "Crossbearer" paved the way for the hardcore/metal hybrids that dominate today's music community, ultimately changing the course of heavy music as we know it. Throughout the nineties, sporadic live shows and hard to find 7"EP/Split releases and compilation appearances only added to their ever growing mysterious aura. All of it fuel to the flames of fanaticism for their followers. In 1995, Starkweather surfaced again to release their "Into The Wire" album on the Edison Recording label (also early home to Coalesce, Overcast, Converge, and more). The release once again cemented the band's reputation as visionaries, delving deeper musically and lyrically than any bands before them. Soon after they released a sought after split 7"EP with Season To Risk, and even contributed a track to the celebrated "Definitely Not The Majors" compilation before entering into a hibernation, or so it seemed... For nearly a decade, Starkweather flew just below the radar. More importantly they flew below the metallic hardcore explosion that was taking place on the grid. Not interested in running with any pack or being part of any scene, Starkweather veered and ventured out into the darkness, alone. Like the animal they are, Starkweather would still need to feed. The band made occasional live show and festival appearances before unleashing their stunning "Croatoan" album on the Candlelight and Hypertension labels in 2006. The album was ultimately celebrated by fans of all sub-genres of heavy music and considered one of the best of 2006 by countless critics worldwide. Now after four long years, Starkweather have emerged from the darkness to bring you their latest full length opus "This Sheltering Night". "This Sheltering Night" is a dizzying eleven song journey of unimaginable metallic twists and turns, Featuring mesmerizing soundscapes from Sophia Perennis and Oktopus (dalek) alongside traditional Starkweather efforts, "This Sheltering Night" is as brutal and as dynamic as aggressive music can be. Songs like "Broken From Inside" roll and mutate from crushing metallic riffs and into the serene. While songs like "Epiphany" and "Martyring" show a band as a giant at the height of their complex musical and lyrical power. Without question, after 20 years of progression and isolation, Starkweather stand alone as the heavy music world's true apex predator. -
Daughters - same
Daughters - same-Tracklist: 1. The Virgin (2:03) 2. The First Supper (3:19) 3. The Hit (3:44) 4. The Theatre Goer (3:40) 5. Our Queens (One Is Many, Many Are One) (3:11) 6. The Dead Singer (4:28) 7. Sweet Georgia Brown (3:14) 8. The Unattractive, Portable Head (4:16) -
Howl - full of hell
Howl - full of hell-Providence, Rhode Islands HOWL ushers in a new age of iron and steel with their Relapse debut Full of Hell. Wave after wave of the quartets devastating riffs pound hard as tracks 'Horns of Steel,' 'Jezebel,' 'The Scorpion's Last Sting' and the insidious crawl of 'Heavenless' make clear. Full of Hell rocks hard and heavy, and is as unrelenting as the title implies. Recommended if you like: MASTODON, BOLT THOWER, ENTOMBED, KINGDOM OF SORROW, BARONESS, CROWBAR, KYLESA, DOWN, TORCHE, MELVINS, COALESCE. Vinyl comes with Gatefold Jacket with a free Download Card! -
Black Tusk - taste the sin
Black Tusk - taste the sin-The Savannah scene has produced so many great bands you'd be excused for thinking that sludge is in the water there, but there's no excuse for overlooking BLACK TUSK. Comparisons of 'Taste The Sin' to bands BLACK TUSK considers brothers only tell part of the tale; the band's sophomore release and first for Relapse Records rips into you with locomotive riffing and powerful percussion, creating a furious display that incorporates the fury of punk and the precision of thrash metal within a familiar Southern-fried landscape. If 'Taste the Sin' is wrong, you won't want to be right! -
Counterblast - faceless
Counterblast - faceless-Endlich neue 2 Songs der arschgeilen Schweden. Ultra-intensiver, düsterer Crust-Punk in der Art von NEUROSIS. Leidenschaftlich und apokalyptisch. Das Geilste seit der "souls at zero" von NEUROSIS auf diesem Gebiet. Ein derber, brutaler und hochgradig intensiver Soundmix voller Wut, Power, Energie und Hass mit guten politischen Texten und ohne Plattitüden. Weit weg von Einheitsbrei, kein bisschen ausgelutscht, sondern frisch, kräftig und mit unbändiger Wut prügeln sich die Schweden durch ihr Set. Ganz große Band und wunderbare Scheibe! -
Iroha / Fragment - bittersweet
Iroha / Fragment - bittersweet-An original member of seminal Birmingham experimentalists FINAL (alongside Justin Broadrick (GODFLESH, JESU) and Nic Bullen (NAPALM DEATH, SCORN), Andy Swan's new project, IROHA, mixes layers of textured guitar and basslines with heartbreaking melodies and brutally slow beats to produce songs of melancholic beauty. For their first release IROHA (other members: Diarmuid Dalton from JESU and DOMINIC CRANE) team up with the very talented drone / shoegaze / ambient artist FRAGMENT. (Thierry Arnal) from france to create a stunning 6 song sound collaboration. Warm fuzzy feeling ... that's the perfect term which describes what arises in your body out of listening to these sounds... if you're hankering for some heavy blissed out dreamy chugging # shoegazey post metal, and can't wait for the next JESU record, then heck, grab one of these; The sound is of course fantastic, epic and majestic and bleary eyed, a little bit more mellow and laid back than Jesu proper, but quite similar in most other respects, the industrial pound, the layered warm guitar shimmer, the muted metallic chug, the mumbled sad boy vocals, all woven into a gorgeously blown out drone drenched epic dream metal drift." - this is what one review of the past FRAGMENT. record said ... in collaboration with IROHA, Thierry Arnal from FRAGMENT. created something which beats this description. The songwriting is excellent. Melody and melancholy start to emerge from behind the concrete foundations and work their way to a very emotional climax. FOR FANS OF: JESU, NADJA, PYRAMIDS etc. -
Wolves In The Throne Room - black cascade
Wolves In The Throne Room - black cascade-It has been five years since Wolves in the Throne Room emerged from the rain-soaked Cascadian underground with a singular musical alchemy. The band's previous two studio albums, Diadem of Twelve Stars and Two Hunters, in tandem with their incendiary live performances, have unquestionably established the band as a swiftly rising force in the extreme music world. Their latest meditation, cryptically titled Black Cascade, was released by Southern Lord in the Spring of 2009. With this record Wolves in the Throne Room wholly transcend the limitations of the black metal label to be reborn as an entity entirely unto themselves. The energy conjured by the music is a distinctive manifestation of a personal vision that is not beholden to the rules of any genre. Black Cascade is characterized by a heavy and powerful analog sound and a deft touch with songwriting and arrangement. The crumbling roar of decidedly old-school tube amps unite with layers of mossy analog synthesizer and cataclysmic percussion. Blazing and crystalline Metal riffs slowly collapse and shift into ritualistic dirges that invoke endless rain falling upon the ancient cedars of the pacific North West. It is as if the instruments are controlled by shadowy and elemental forces of nature rather than three forest-dwellers from Olympia,WA. This record is an analog monolith that does credit to an intricately layered and ever-shifting psychedelic soundscape churning beneath the unrelenting blast beats and tremolo guitar. Recorded onto 2 inch tape and mixed on a 1973 Neve Console by Producer Randall Dunn (SUNN O))), Earth, Grails), Black Cascade captures the energy of a band who has said that they would prefer that the audience at their concerts would prostrate themselves on the floor and cry. Intense album photographs, shaped into a lavish eight panel jacket design by Stephen O'Malley, were aus of owl-visaged emperors, wraith beings and mysterious sylvan rituals - hint at the shrouded intent of the band. A mythic space is conjured were the everyday is stripped away to reveal something ancient and transcendent. -
Knut - wonder
Knut - wonder-Despite gaining a steady fan base and extensive media coverage over the almost two decade long adventure of their career as well as making it to the Swiss edition of Trivial Pursuit, Geneva-based quartet Knut (russian word for "whip", pronounced "cnoot") are still occasionally filed away in the popular Metalcore-drawer. On their fourth full-length the band are now setting the record straight. Three years in the making and again culled from myriads of jam sessions, ,Wonder", released on Hydra Head in the USA and on Conspiracy Records in Europe, has turned out a monolithic album-statement between explosive Hardcore, Noise-Rock, Math-Metal and Psychedelia. It's all about knowing exactly what works and what doesn't, finding a balance between order and chaos as well as pushing your limits while staying true to your roots. Featuring notably more vocals than headline-grabbing predecessor ,Terraformer" and a more varied and refined production than classic ,Challenger", ,Wonder" has ended up a daring but entirely organic tightrope-walk between beguiling atmospherics and brutal aggression, short up-tempo miniatures and slow-grinding fuzz-epics, hoarsely screamed songs and drone-driven instrumental passages. Staying true to Knut's claim that ,over-intellectualizing harms the beauty of creation", the occasionally complex and intriguingly convoluted structures of ,Wonder" feel very much as though they had been passionately churned out in a single, liberating explosion at Serge Morattel's RecStudio in Geneva (where "Challenger" was recorded back in 2001). 2006's Remix-album ,Alter", on which various producers from the realms of experimental Sound Art (JK Broadrick, KK Null, Dälek, Asmus Tietchens, etc) had transformed some of Knut's cuts beyond recognition, has certainly not rubbed off on the new material. Instead, electronics have turned into a trippy, but subtle layer in the equally dense and spacey sound of the formation. Add to that some of the group's most immediate riffing and the outcome is a hallucinogenic journey filled with astoundingly diverse references ranging from Death Metal to the delirious blend between blissful Ambient and crushing Doom displayed on anthemic closer ,Daily Grind". Hypnotically switching between fearful intensity, dreamy interludes and massively stretched-out excursions, ,Wonder" moulds these influences into an absorbing, razor sharp and immersive experience. Knut have found their true voice after a trio of releases dedicated to carving out different aspects of their style. For a band who, at one point, felt they'd already said everything there was to say, that's a pretty powerful statement indeed. -
Ocean, The - heliocentric
Ocean, The - heliocentric-The songs, art and lyrics of this album tell the story of the rise of the heliocentric world view - the idea that the earth revolves around the sun, and that the sun is stationary and at the center of the universe. Copernicus and Gallilei were the first popular ambassadors of this idea, although ancient greek astronomers like Aristarchus had already posited this theory centuries before. The effects that this discovery had on Christian belief and occidental culture are at the base of The Ocean's "Heliocentric" album. Throughout the course of the album, the lyrics are orbiting around an astronomic and a philosophical / religious subject, whilst always keeping an essentially personal perspective. The journey starts with the creation of the firmament in Genesis 1:6-20 (Firmament) and ancient explanations of the movement of celestial bodies in 1 Enoch 72:2-5 (The 1st Commandment of the Luminaries), continues with Copernicus and Galilei, the first propagators of heliocentrism who were not yet in conflict with the church (Ptolemy Was Wrong) and Giordano Bruno, who was burnt at the stake of the Catholic inquisition for being a Heretic (Catharis of a Heretic). Arthur Rimbaud's criticism of moral law in his essay Reasons not to believe in God and Nietzsche's rejection of fundamental Christian values has inspired the lyrics to Metaphysics of the Hangman. The album concludes with the greatest achievement in the history of modern science, Darwin's theory of evolution (The Origin of Species) and ideas inspired by evolution biologist and passionate atheist Richard Dawkins (The Origin of God, Epiphany). -
Ocean, The - precambrian
Ocean, The - precambrian-Mit „Precambrian“ schaffen sich THE OCEAN nun selbst ein Denkmal - angefangen beim umwerfenden Artwork von Preisträger Martin Kvamme, über das umfangreiche Konzept dieses Doppel-Albums sowie natürlich die anspruchsvolle Musik dieses von 26 Musikern erarbeiteten Ungetüms. Zwei vollkommen unterschiedliche CDs, die den Hörer an die Anfänge von Mutter Erde zurückbringen. Amtmosphärisch, dicht, wunderschön – brutal, hart, zerstörend. So kommt „Precambrian“, der erste Abschnitt der Evolution der Erde, unterteilt in zwei direkt auf einander folgende Zeiten („Hadean/Archaean” und „Proterozoic“), die wiederum in fünf untergeordnete Äras unterteilt sind, denen die jeweils untergeordneten geologischen Perioden als Songs zu Grunde liegen. Vinyl jetzt in limitierte Nachauflage (500 Stück) . -
Kingdom - hemeltraan
Kingdom - hemeltraan-Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth - Isaiah 60:1-3......The smell of fire weighs on the stale air. The birds have fallen silent. A shiver runs through the naked skeletons of the trees. The dead river meanders aimlessly. As the sun darkens, the moon is bereft of its light. The land grows weary amidst the shadows grey, and hearts are relieved for they welcome darkness; they welcome our kingdom. Belgium's KINGDOM have started serving masses with their debut full-album; separating themselves from false prophets. "Hemeltraan" is a slow, mature work of bleak drones, epic doom and fuzzy sludge in five movements, which slowly draws listeners into an unfolding landscape of broken imagery and half-remembered screams from the past that burrow deep into the soul. Both the heavy and the droning parts serve as an audible fog that slowly creeps around and attacks your senses. Through the repetition of sludgy riffs built on sustained chords and eerie chanting, "Hemeltraan" hypnotizes its prey and conveys a brooding feeling of unease. KINGDOM create long builds that grab the listener by the throat, releasing them with a tidal wave riff that flood the mind with visions of mystery and eternal torment, repenting for the sins of mankind. With opener "Altema", KINGDOM slowly descends into a dark and cold atmosphere, and once there churning guitars, religious-like chanting and desolate drums collide into a lush mesmerizing eruption of tortured screaming and conjuring riffs. Once "Elude" fades out it becomes clear that "Hemeltraan" is a work of disturbing beauty and desperation, tension and apprehension, mystery and bipolarity. For their first official release on Hypertension Records, KINGDOM set out to document their aural vision and found solace in the helping hands of Hein Devos (HITCH) who recorded the five tracks at The Strip in Kortrijk, Belgium. For the final touch, mixing and mastering was done by Billy Anderson (NEUROSIS, OM, SLEEP,... ) who like no other could grab the huge slabs of sound and densely layer them into a heavy, tense world of climactic cacophony. "Hemeltraan" is immense yet quiet, dark yet hopeful, pure yet doctrinal, the sum is but an echo of it parts, inviting the listener to subconsciously abandon all hope. Now it's too late to pray. POINTS OF INTEREST: - KINGDOM features members of AMENRA and BLACK HEART REBELLION - Mixed and mastered by Billy Anderson, known from his work for MELVINS, NEUROSIS, OM, SLEEP, SWANS and many others - Exclusive pre-order print by Stephen Kasner, known from his work for KHLYST, SUNN O))), SKULLFLOWER, INTEGRITY and many others - Official release show with SHRINEBUILDER, followed by a slew of concerts - The track "Ruina. Where men go to die" was already featured exclusively on the international "Falling Down II" compilation . -
Burning Love - don't ever change / jack the ripper
Burning Love - don't ever change / jack the ripper-Chris Colohan (Cursed, The Swarm, Left For Dead, Ruination) and co. are back with a 7" single featuring "Don't Ever Change" from an upcoming full-length on the A-side and a cover of Nick Cave's "Jack The Ripper" on the B-side. Burning Love is definitely more punk than Cursed, but still rooted in doom/stoner metallic hardcore. -
High On Fire - snakes for the divine
High On Fire - snakes for the divine-Snakes for the Divine boosts High On Fire's strength and power while blackened lyrical tales of ancient wars, frozen planets and doomed societies emerge from Pike's bellowing barks and throaty war cries. From the moment the leviathan like title track explodes to kick off the album, it is immediately evident that High On Fire is determined to push modern Heavy Metal into new and uncharted realms. -
Shrinebuilder - same
Shrinebuilder - same- There are moments [as they are and as we configure them] strung together amidst all of our other moments of slow growing awareness, when the tectonic shifting of who we think we are gets overcome and overwhelmed by who we really are. And IF we are lucky, it happens without too much bloodshed. It births, it dies, it lives without bloodshed for the rare and sainted few. For the rest of us it happens to us [and not for us]. And it is accompanied by a quickening purpose and transcendent understanding of our goddamned place in space: we build our places of worship up on high for a reason, and SHRINEBUILDER -- created by Al Cisneros, Scott "Wino" Weinrich, Dale Crover and Scott Kelly - shares the season and the reason: because it is closer to the gods. So it was that the calling was answered as simply as a phone call could have been and was made. Cisneros called Weinrich, Kelly, and later Crover and decided, in full-blown ex nihilo fashion to make some music beyond the summed parts of all what had been done before and in doing so rediscover why it had been done in the first place. Beyond the parts, beyond beyond, and here descriptors that you will read every OTHER place but that go without saying here...crushing, killing and heavy, heavy, heavy...seem somehow too much and not enough. It is Wagnerian. It is Iommic. It is simply: SHRINEBUILDER. -
Harvestman - trinity
Harvestman - trinity-"Trinity" is a limited edition issue of the soundtrack to the Italian horror film h2odio (English title Hate 2 O). Under the moniker of his pysch-guitar based project Harvestman, Steve Von Till of Neurosis creates an equally lush and beautiful, yet dark and disturbing backdrop to this psychological thriller. Juxtaposing the beautiful remote island landscape with the tormented psyche and tension of the plot, this soundtrack creates its own epic imagery in the mind of the listener. In 2005, critically acclaimed Italian director Alex Infascelli (Almost Blue) was handed a Harvestman album while beginning his edit of his new film. Captivated by the pace, variety, rich soundscapes, and hypnotic nature, he contacted Steve Von Till to ask if he would be willing to score the film on short notice. Having just relocated to North Idaho and about to complete his home studio, the timing was perfect. Within weeks the entire score was finished and Infascelli flew from Italy to Steve's home to go over the material. The sounds vary from lush, hopeful, and beautiful guitar based landscapes to sinister visions of psychic turmoil. -
Kylesa / Victims - split
Kylesa / Victims - split- -
Pentemple - O))) presents...
Pentemple - O))) presents...- -
Capitalist Casualties / Man Is The Bastard - split
Capitalist Casualties / Man Is The Bastard - split-Early West Coast power violence classic. Split release with MITB. -
Buzzoven - violence from the vault
Buzzoven - violence from the vault-Violence from the Vault were the first recordings to follow the bands venerable Sore album (1994), and would prove to be the last with that lineup. These tracks, unearthed for the first time since their 1995 recording, are a testament to one of the most unique and overlooked bands from the US underground. -
Kaospilot - shadows
Kaospilot - shadows-