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

Alfarmania / Ättestupa - Stenstans Fördärv / Mitt Blod, Min Kropp (2010)

Band: Alfarmania & Ättestupa
Album: Stenstans Fördärv (Alfarmania) & Mitt Blod, Min Kropp (Ättestupa)
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
This is the spawn of the unholy union between two of Sweden's finest in minimalistic music. Together they have created a split consisting of seven songs that are darker than Dale Cooper likes his coffee and that pretty much sums it all up. Alfarmania gently kicks off the record with four murky songs of drone-like nihilism. Repetitive walls of sound mixed with vocals that could be samples from some newsreel from World War II as well. This side of the record is the most gloomy and is best experienced with the lights turned off, preferable lying in fetal position on your cold bathroom floor. The first thing that strikes me when I come to Ättestupa's side of the record is how well produced it sounds compared to their previous releases. But don't take that the wrong way, it is just as dark and harsh as before just executed with a bit more finesse. Another thing that comes to mind is that these songs are a bit more guitar-based than before and that some of the melodies has some black metal-touch to them. Especially in the first song Ett Stort Mörker Skall Komma (a great darkness shall come) where it almost sounds like black metal in slow motion. Overall i like the direction which Ättestupa has on these songs and I'm really exited to hear how the next release will sound like.

Song(s) you should listen to: I always root for listening to a record from start to finish, especially when it comes to music like this. I just think the whole experience enhances that way.

BUY/DOWNLOAD

Altar Of Flies - Eremiten (2009)

Band: Altar Of Flies
Album: Eremiten
Year: 2009
Country: Sweden
First of all I apologize for my absence here. I've been having problem with blogger and against my will I have been forced to use Explorer just to be able to use it. Feels like I'm back in elementary school again, only thing missing is the dial-up modem. Though I haven't been very active I have a lot of albums that I intend to put up for you to enjoy. Hopefully they will be up soon. First off we have another piece of Swedish noise. Don't know why Sweden seems to spit out so much good noise. Maybe it's because we're generally very miserable people. All that needs to be said about Eremiten (the hermit) is that it is a dark void where no light will ever reach, just waiting to devour you.

Song(s) you should listen to: Nobody Sleeps is the longest song and therefore the most progressing and dark. Put your speakers to max and let the sound engulf you. Perfect for when you're hungover and full of anguish.

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Prison Chapel - Total War (2010)

Band: Prison Chapel

Album: Total War

Year: 2010

Country: ?

I found out about this band through Suburban Mayhem Records where a friend of me and MORTENEE just released a debut-tape with his band Hexis (which also is a band you should check out). Absolutely no information about this band was to be found, only that they where going to release a tape limited to 35 copies and a download link to the tape. Curious as I was, I had to check out what this was about. What i got was approximeatly 4 minutes of ear-abusing torturemusic. Gnarly lo-fi punk, black, noise with extremly raw and evil vocals, if you treasure music with good production this is probably your worst nightmare. Get this now before they reach over 100 listeners on Lastfm.

Song(s) you should listen to: Since this album flies by in less than 4 minutes it's not even worth breaking it down tune by tune. If you can't manage to go through this album you're a wimp, and probably more sane than I am.

ORDER/DOWNLOAD

Sönderriket - Oktober (Slaktmånaden), October Den Åttonde Månaden (2010)

Band: Sönderriket
Album: Oktober (Slaktmånaden), October, Den Åttonde Månaden
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
If you have listened to the other album by Sönderriket uploaded here, you will probably like this album as well. But as seasons change, the mood of this album is on a completely different level. This captures the mood of autumn in Sweden. It's cold and dark, and as you continue listen you will notice that it will get worse. The last track has that almost hopeless atmosphere that the winter gives you. And if that wasn't the point of this creation, then I might as well just go catholic right away.
You will hear great industrial influences here. Monotone beats hammer in the background while the narrators starts to tell us stories, both in Swedish and in the haunting backwards-language of Satan. There's also the typical drone/noise/ambient/whatever you want to call it-vibe going on in the background. Sounds absolutely horrible when you're having some kind of otitis, but this isn't the work of that typical common beauty. This is supposed to be a bit dirty. And though it is repetitive at moments, it's also very experimental, and tries to push new buttons and stretch boundaries all the time.

Song(s) you should listen to: This release does only contain 3 songs, and these 3 songs should be considered as one song in my opinion. It will grow on you that way when have listened to it for a couple of times. And besides, one round is only about 30 minutes. If you can't handle that in one shot, you're a wuss.

BANDCAMP / DOWNLOAD

Diagnose Lebensgefahr - Transformalin (2006)

Band: Diagnose Lebensgefahr
Album: Transformalin
Year: 2006
Country: Sweden
So, last time I told you about the vocalist Nattramn from the band Silencer, and that the rumours about him was a big reason for Silencer's "fame". So, here's the story about Nattramn, according to rumours on forums and websites.
Nattramn has had psychological problems for a while, and he has been to mental institutions every now and then. Around the release of Silencer's album, Nattramn's brother (who also had mental issues) got some new medication from his doctor and got a terrible psychosis. He stabbed two little girls on a playground with an axe, almost to death. He was arrested, but since he was mentally ill, he was sended to a mental institution instead of prison. On the mental institution he comitted suicide when he understood what he had done. This was a true tragedy, written everywhere in the newspapers.
Some people believed it was Nattramn, but it clearly wasn't. After his brother's death, Nattramn spent a longer period at St. Sigfrid Mental Hospital in Växjö. There he was offered to write and record music as therapy and to help him recover. It was later on released, and this album is the result.Nattramn has also been working on a book for quite long, and under that time it has been rumoured that he is dead. But he isn't, so the book Grishjärta will hopefully be released soon.  

Song(s) you should listen to: Honestly, I've tried to listen to this album from the beginning to the end so many times, but I find it so unpleasant. There's this uncomfortable tension going on in most of the songs, like the ones in horror movies, so you're waiting for something to happen while you're not being able to even breathe. I really forced myself to listen to it before uploading it, and found mostly industrial crap influences.
But, it's still very uncomfortable. You can play this for your children when they haven't done their homework. They will be scarred for life, and they will never ever fail a test again.

(NOTE: The doctor on the very left on the album cover is VERY much alike Bestefar, the other writer of this blog)

WEBSITE / DOWNLOAD

Ättestupa - Att Korsa Den Flod Som Kommer Dränka Oss Alla (2009)

Band: Ättestupa

Album: Att Korsa Den Flod Som Kommer Dränka Oss Alla

Year: 2009

Country: Sweden

Yet another release from Swedish drone-heads Ättestupa. This came out in 2009 as a cassette on Abisko and is long out of print and quite hard to come across even in mp3-format. I came across this by accident and felt like I had to share it with you. If you have been paying attention and done your homework you know what to expect from this great band by now. I personally find this release a bit more harsh compared to the other releases, adding a more heavy and evil aura to the concoction.

Song(s) you should listen to: According to me, Åderlåtningen is the best track on this 3-piece album. It starts of with some great repetitive drumming and something that sounds like a growling monster approaching you slowly but steady. Ready to sink it's teeth in you.

HOMEPAGE/DOWNLOAD

thisquietarmy - Aftermath (2010)

Band: thisquietarmy

Album: Aftermath

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

Montreal-based thisquietarmy consists of one man and his fellow companion, his guitar. Using various effect processors and other futuristic stuff that I'm too stupid to understand he creates a soundscape that lingers in the twilight between post-rock and drone. A wall of sound with lots of different melodies hidden beneath would be the best way to describe this. In other words the more attention you pay while listening the more you discover. But if you don't feel like breaking this down to the core and write an essay on every note you can just put this on while doing the dishes or whatever, it works just as good as soothing background music.

Song(s) you should listen to: Finding the Fallen is the longest track of the record and the one that I find most appealing. Also the transition from this song to the next, Unearthing the Past, is just great. The way they just float into each other is barely noticable and makes it feel like one complete song. Perfection.

MYSPACE/DOWNLOAD

Sönderriket - Etikens Dörr (2010)

Band: Sönderriket
Album: Etikens Dörr
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
A couple of days ago I got a mysterious mail from a mysterious man, including only a mysterious link to a mysterious bandcamp site. Not even a single polite "hello"-phrase was written. Of course I got really curious, so I listened to both of the album published there. One of them was way too industrial for being my cup of tea, but this one caught my ears.
I guess some of you closeminded people wouldn't even call this music. It can be described as distorted melodies and reversed vocals, somehow managed by Mr Sandman. If you're from Sweden you will also notice this one man band's firm hand with words and wordplays. I would guess this album was made for being a complementary to his poetry, and for experimental causes.
If you're a fan of Ättestupa, the story-parts in Suffocate For Fuck Sake, or just if you're having trouble falling asleep, you should listen to this album.

Song(s) you should listen to: Jordiske Rund is a melancholic, but soothing, and very addicting song about nonsense, just like Riket Sönder. Kontraster is a darker song where the narrator is telling a story about loosing faith and being buried alive, and his discoveries while being underground.
I could write some words about every song, because each one of them has it's charm really. But I won't, just to leave you with a spark of curiousity left.

BANDCAMP / DOWNLOAD

Ättestupa - Untitled Lp (2008)

Band: Ättestupa

Album: Untitled Lp

Year: 2008

Country: Sweden

This is the debut album from Gothenburgs Ättestupa, two songs equals 38 minutes of minimalistic bliss. Listening to this makes me think of old Astrid Lindgren-movies, people hiding away in front of a fireplace in a small cabin by the woods, elders telling stories about ghosts, murderers, tragic deaths and other creepy stuff to the children, in the distance you can hear the faint sound of bells from a horse carriage plowing it's way through the thick snow. If you hav'nt been growing up in Sweden then I guess you have no idea what I'm talking about so after you've given this record a few spins you should download some Emil I Lönneberga (a popular film series based on the book by Astrid Lindgren). Then you will know exactly what I mean.

Song(s) you should listen to: The whole album, everyday, everytime, all the time. Over and over again.

HOMEPAGE/DOWNLOAD

Ättestupa - Begraven Mot Norr (2010)

Band: Ättestupa

Album: Begraven Mot Norr

Year: 2010

Country: Sweden

In Sweden there is a myth of a place called "Ättestupa", a steep were people who had played out their role where thrown to their death. Whether this really has happened or not, Ättestupa from Gothenbourg sure knows how to make music that gives you that chilling feeling that you'll most definetly feel when standing on the edge looking down into the abyss.

Begraven Mot Norr is inspired by funeral traditions and death processions in ancient rural Sweden. This album is perfect to listen to whenever you feel gloomy or just want to calm down.

Song(s) you should listen to: The whole album really, but the first song "Den Sista Tiden" that starts of with the sound of a pouring river instantly sets the mood for the whole album. Melancholic yet sothing and beautiful.

HOMEPAGE/DOWNLOAD