Veil - Dolor (2005)

Band: Veil
Album: Dolor
Year: 2005
Country: USA
Sometimes you come across a band where all the members themselfs seems to be fuckheads, but they have a special something making you listening to them anyway. This is the case with Veil. They're members of The Pagan Front, which is basically a pack of NSBM-bands promoting unpleasant stuff like "aryan pride". I feel quite bad for uploading Peste Noire not that long ago, who also have those kinds of opinions (though in a more provocative way), and I just have to say that it's not something we share. I am a bastard's daughter, and I definately not judge people by their skin colour, origin, or something else than their personality. With that been said, back to the album.
This album is actually quite ordinary. The guitars are very distorted throughout the whole album, contributing to a very cold and harsh mood. The drums are quite slow, and they basically just hang out in the background. The vocals are haunting and melts in with the music, making it an instrument. But some guitar riffs are really good and they do get stuck on your mind. The album cover and logo of the band are also an eyecatcher, if you compare it to other bands in the genre. So as a conclusion: If you're normally not into DSBM, you will probably not like this either. But if you are, you will probably find this a good album.

Song(s) you should listen to: Okay, first of all, the intro Suicide Winds is a good track to start with, since it sets the mood for the entire album. But tell me why they did include it another time, in pretty much exactly the same way as a fifth track? It just gets too repetitive.
There is also a Burzum-cover on this album on Ea, Lord Of The Depths. And it sounds pretty much like the ordinary cover. But it's good done, even though they didn't put any own touch into it.
The track you should start to listen to is actually the last track Endless Nights. It's the track which stand out the most on this album, making the other tracks sound like fillers. You will probably start to hum the guitar riff from this in your sleep.

MYSPACE / DOWNLOAD

Altar Of Plagues - Mammal (2011)

Band: Altar Of Plagues
Album: Mammal
Year: 2011
Country: Ireland
I've followed Altar Of Plagues since their first full length-album, and their development is so interesting to follow. Ever since their demo, when they mostly were extremely influenced by Wolves In The Throne Room, you can hear that they have the potential to make something great that's never really been done before. And for every release they've done, they've gotten closer to that.
Altar Of Plagues has their own sound, but it twists and turns a bit from every album, so you can never foresee anything. When I heard the atmosphericness in the first few seconds of the album, I could not imagine the intenseness that would follow. And those are the key words for the whole album. You'll get escorted into this repetitive atmospheric part, and then all of a sudden, you just get carried away in the speed of darkness. Some may probably say that this album is too repetitive with these parts, since the tracks are also quite long, but they haven't understood the patterns of this journey Altar Of Plagues will serve you.
I also know that some people have commented on the production of this. This album is very well produced, but they don't do it the common way. Their drums are set very high, the guitars are quite low, and the vocals are really distant. It sounds like they come from a man screaming out his desperation alone in the woods. I just think it sets the whole album.

Song(s) you should listen to: Well, I got this album yesterday, confirmed that it was really good, and uploaded it. Therefore I would say that you should just listen to the album from the beginning to the end, but some song will maybe grow you a favourite after a couple of listenings. The first track - Neptune Is Dead, will blow your mind though. The Sun Drowns In The Ocean is very experimental, with a humming and joiking woman together with an atmospheric mood. I could imagine many would skip this track, because it's very unexpected, to say the least. But the end of the song flows perfectly into the last track All Life Converges To Some Center, which I really adore. I actually got tears in my eyes while listening to it, it's really beautiful.

MYSPACE / DOWNLOAD

Deafheaven - Roads To Judah (2011)

Band: Deafheaven
Album: Roads To Judah
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Last time we wrote about Deafheaven I wished them the best of luck in the future. That was probably unnecessary, because this album just blew my mind. And last time I also said that you would get the same feeling while listening to this band as you would with Agalloch, Wolves In The Throne Room, or Altar Of Plagues. Damn you guys to hell, I have to take those words back, because I was wrong. Again.
Even though it's their first album, they already have a picture of how they want their music to sound like, and follows that thread for every second. The most impressive part is that this is unique. This is not Black Metal, Shoegaze, Post-Hardcore, or whatever. They're not scientists or such, but they've borrowed influences from so many different genres that it is impossible to fit it into anything. Stuff such as fluttering "butterfly guitars" isn't something new, but it's already the signature of Deafheaven. And damn, those butterfly guitars are great. Combined with the pounding drums they make the whole album both intense and vulnerable at the same time.
And yeah, I know that the album cover is too lame for vikings such as us, and that they're still somewhat considered as a "hipster-band". They even have a Tumblr instead of a real band page. But come on, just watch some live clips - they know what they do, and they're tight as hell. End of discussion.

Song(s) you should listen to: Violet is a perfect opener of this album. It's slow melancholic intro will certainly get you into right state of mind before it really starts. But don't let go of all your consciousness, when the song really starts, be prepared to grab on to your chair.
Language Games is a bit more aggressive and intense, such as Tunnel Of Trees. Just the way I like it. The only song I'm not very into is Unrequited, but I know that some of you would like that as well. So just listen to the whole album.

BANDCAMP / DOWNLOAD

Vestiges summer tour

Vestiges asked us if we could post something about their upcoming summertour here on our blog. And since we have a lot of american readers and since Vestiges are great guy's I couldn't resist their charm. So if you live in America or Canada you should definitely go and see them and support them. I know that they would appreciate it a lot. And while you're there you should convince them to do a Euro-tour as well.

These are the dates.

-Vestiges with Lake of Blood (Human Jigsaw Records) (facebook.com/lakeovblood)-

6/9 Olympia, WA @ TBA

6/10 Seattle, WA @ Autonomia w/Alda
6/11 Vancouver, BC @ Garbage Mountain w/Tempest and Haggatha
6/12 Portland, OR @ Blackrose Infoshop
6/13 Salem, OR @ The Wasteland w/MANIA
6/14 Medford, OR @ Music Head
6/15 Oakland, CA @ Yourhaus/Hazmat
6/16 Santa Cruz, CA @ House Show

6/17 San Fransisco, CA @ Sub-Mission Art Gallery
6/18 Garden Grove, CA @ The Cabin
6/19 San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe w/ Vessel, I

-Vestiges-
6/20 Las Cruces, NM @ Trainyard
6/21 Eagle Pass, TX @ 3759 Tina Dr.
6/22 Austin, TX @ The Broken Neck
6/23 Shreveport, LA @ Dalzell House
6/24 Chattanooga, TN @ Anarchtica
6/25 Charlotte, NC @ Lunchbox Records w/Young and in the Way

-Vestiges with Full of Hell (a389) (facebook.com/fullofhell)-
6/26 Baltimore, MD @ TBA
6/27 Doylestown, PA @ Siren Records
6/28 NYC @ Stolen Sleeves Collective w/Pharaoh

6/29 Boston, MA @ TBA w/INTHESHIT
6/30 Holyoke, MA @ The Rowhouse
7/1 Montreal, QC @ TBA
7/2 Quebec, QC @ TBA
7/3 Ottawa, ON @ Cafe Dekcuf w/ALASKAN, Loviatar
7/4 Toronto, ON @ The 460
7/5 Kitchener, ON @ The Hive
7/6 Windsor, ON @ Holden House
7/7 Cleveland, OH @ Tower 2012 w/Homewrecker

7/8 Columbus, OH @ TBA w/ Bastards, Vit

-Vestiges with Lapse (facebook.com/lapsenoise)-
7/9 Pittsburgh, PA @ Helter Shelter

7/10 Milton, PA @ The Tin Can

Drunkdriver - Drunkdriver (2010)

Band: Drunkdriver

Album: Drunkdriver

Year: 2010

Country: United States

Knee deep in schoolwork and no job for the summer. I feel like punching someone or something. But I need my hands and I would probably just get beat up if I were to take out my rage on someone. Luckily we have bands like Drunkdriver. Or perhaps I should say "had". These guys broke up some time ago now due to one of the band members going to prison or so I think. I won't speculate in any rumors, If you want to engage in such things I suggest you contact me and buy me a coffee instead. To the matter at hands, this is a album that really gets the blood boiling. Limbering somewhere between hardcore and noise, but always right in your face. There are super-fast songs as well as some slower and sludgier ones. Though I like my share of speedy songs I prefer the slower ones here. I think the sheer heaviness suits the noisy guitars and psychotic vocals more. So if you are pretty much sick of the whole world as I am then this is as good as it gets.

Song(s) you should listen to: Quality of my Life will most certainly knock you of your chair and fill you with caveman rage. Just make sure there are no sharp objects nearby.

DOWNLOAD