Sunday, October 9, 2011
40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room (2011)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Breach - Venom (1999)
Album: Venom
Year: 1999
Country: Sweden
When talking about 90's hardcore from the north of Sweden, Refused is the first band that comes to everybodys mind. Probably because of all the fuzz they created. But you see, I was born in the very south of Sweden in the very late 80's, so the Refused phenomena hasn't affected my musical manners at all. All I know is that I can get slightly agitated because there is a band that is far more valuable mentioning in my opinion...
Breach started off as a the normal hardcore band 1993, and stayed that way about 4 years. When their third release It's Me God came out, their sound changed more towards the darker direction. It was their breakthrough in Sweden, so about 2 years later, they decided to record pure madness and aggression and released Venom.
And this album is way ahead it's time I have to say. A lot of bands today would kill to have this kind of tension in their album. It sounds like your stuck in a mental asylum. The whole album is filled with very intense drumming, and heavy guitar/bass cooperations. This makes you want to destroy every piece of furniture in your apartment. The song and lyrics are also pissed off, and slightly delusional. I believe that this is somewhat of a concept album about about someone who committed murders and crimes on a regular basis, convinced that he belongs to hell. There comes a point in his life where he finds some kind of happiness, but soon all the consequences from his former actions will catch him up, making him go through hell again.
Song(s) you should listen to: I mentioned that this album was way ahead it's time. That means that it's not flawless. Unfortunately all of the songs on this album have the same elements, which makes it hard to seperate them the first times you listen to the album. They just seem to sound a bit too similar. But the most disturbing and peculiar track of this album is the last song Pentration. The song title makes a little girl like me blush, but this song will hammer into your fucking skull.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Chicagojazzen - Brachiosaurus II
Sunday, July 24, 2011
We were interviewed..
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Kristian Anttila - Innan Bomberna (2005)
Album: Innan Bomberna
Year: 2005
Country: Sweden
Okay, so after Kristian released his first album Natta De Mina, he just disappeared. The only thing we know happened then was a fight between Kristian and the record label. He therefore created his own label two years later and released Innan Bomberna there, and stated "it was the shortest way from his heart to the listener's". Innan Bomberna got praised by reviewers everywhere, and the song Paris got much attention from media since he sang about the riots in Paris imidiately after it happened.
In the process of making this album Kristian got help from other great musicians, making the sound more varied. The sound overall is softer, sugary sweet and playful at times, but still straight forward, fitting Kristian's bipolar personality. If you come across an interview of this man, you should sincerely read it. They're most often completely hilarious, and you don't really know if he's speaking the truth or if he's just making it up. To the question "What would make you happy?" he answers:
"I would probably have to re-live my life from the start to achieve that. What I miss is the ability to feel solidarity, affinity, and to have normal relationships... I don't know. I was about to move to a big house on the countryside last autumn, I though that was the solution back then. I would like to have a lot of animals. And I still have those ideas, I'm just not completely done yet. But I don't feel like any of that today. It's just because I'm horny. I've thought about neutering myself by the way. I would like to see how it is to live without the sex drive. If that's the only thing behind our motivation. To live."
Song(s) you should listen to: This album is full of great catchy danceable tracks! My favourites are probably Bland Bovar Å Banditer, where he sings about getting rid of criminals and troublesome youngsters, while realising he's one of them. I also like the super eccentric and happy Ingenting, Ingenting... Ingenting!!! where Kristian out of nowhere sings about the feeling of rejection, and suicide as the way out.
I told you before that Kristians trademark is that the last track is always the best. On this statement is actually true about the two last tracks. The track Tio is a well-written song about being an outcast, and how no one is able to help you, and it turns quite epic in the end. It also has a wonderful acoustic version, which is almost better than the "real" one. The last track Innan Bomberna is fragile, vulnerable, and heartbreaking, but just as great.
Kristian Anttila - Natta De Mina (2003)
Album: Natta De Mina
Year: 2003
Country: Sweden
Consider this as a warning, but the next four posts will not handle any pretentious metal band from hell. Instead they will be about Kristian Anttila, a peculiar outcast from Gothenburg, who decided he wanted to make music as a teenager. He tried to get into the music business somehow, but always got missunderstood because of the things he wanted to create, or by his slightly bipolar personality. He realised that he would probably have to do this journey alone, so he learned to play some instruments and wrote an album when he was 24 years old. He sended it around to some record labels, and got hooked by National, but they wanted someone else to produce the album to be able to release it. And Natta De Mina is the result of that.
Even though it's a pop album, you will get strucked be the kind of dirty and punky feel it has to it. It's very loud, and a bit hysterical and distorted at times. The lyrics are also quite extreme to be this kind of pop music. He's not afraid to say what he thinks about loaded subjects such as religion and politics, always in a very provocative way. And if that wasn't provocative enough, he most often tops it with sex, violence, and drugs. These are just some of the facts that makes his lyrics great, and if you don't know Swedish... Too bad for you.
Song(s) you should listen to: During the first two tracks Harhjärta and Hetsdöpt you will probably wonder what the fuck is going on. They're both extremely loud and eccentric. After this you will probably get your consciousness back somewhere during the rest of the album.
Kristan Anttila kind of has a trademark in making the last song of the album very soft, vulnerable, and completely wonderful. The last track is always the best when it comes to his works. And so is the case with the last track on Natta De Mina. It's a humble and sweet lullaby, making your ears a bit happier after the pop punk torture.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Suis La Lune - Heir (2008)
Album: Heir
Year: 2008
Country: Sweden
To me it feels like this really good record was released yesterday, and since we haven't uploaded it yet, I decided to do so. I got in complete shock when I realised this was released in 2008. That was like 3 years ago. And so the age crisis kicks in...
Anyways, Suis La Lune has forever been, and will always be, one of Sweden's emo sweethearts. Maybe the whole world's emo sweethearts actually, they've toured Europe and the US after two releases and have been praised since then. Even the fact that their lyrics mostly suck is forgiven. I think people look pass that in this case since you will have trouble hearing the actual words most of the time. They're most often whined or mumbled, or just drowned by the guitar. The vocals are heart aching and perfect for the genre though. They're very picky and careful with writing music, and it shows. Even though it's screamo, and very chaotic at times, their thing is to include very melodic light parts with soft sweeps of hope as well. Which actually makes it pleasant to listen to by others who don't have a sadomasochistic music taste, or like to roll around in self pity.
Song(s) you should listen to: Well, it's just an EP, so you better listen to all four songs. They all shift from soft beautiful melodies to chaotic and epileptic bunny thump parts. Just enough to keep you focused for the next 15 minutes.
Monday, July 18, 2011
I Hate Myself - 3 Songs (2005)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Terra Tenebrosa - The Tunnels (2011)
Album: The Tunnels
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Some people like to dress up as spooky creatures, run around in the woods, and rehearse in a studio full of dead rats and mould. Include a concept involving a main character with the hazardous name The Cuckoo - an enlighted spirit who tries to bring justice to this world, with help of his two assistants Risperdal and Hibernal (which are also two types of drugs used by patients with mental disorders). Didn't thought such a band existed? Well, let me introduce you to Terra Tenebrosa.
The band members have decided to be anonymous, but it's no secret that two of them were members of the old hardcore band Breach. The idea about Terra Tenebrosa actually started when one of the members rediscovered two songs he wrote for Breach that never got recorded. They experimented a lot with these songs, because they didn't wanted them to sound "too Breach". One of Breach's characteristics is still there in most of the songs though - the heavy cooperation between drums/guitar that will hammer into your head like ten thousand tanks. Other than that, it's not so easy to figure out the influences behind this. It has some really good drone-parts, but other than it's hard to categorize. The overall mood is dark and atmospheric, sometimes actually a bit disturbing. The vocals are haunting and barely there, in fact Terra Tenebrosa was supposed to be an instrumental project from the beginning.
Song(s) you should listen to: Well, if you haven't gotten into a state of apocalyptic headbanging after the first track The Terranbos Prayer, you're simply not human. But if I would have to chose a favourite track, I would probably chose The Mourning Stars, which is actually pretty pleasant to listen to during the first half of the song. Then it makes me almost a bit nauseous, but in some kind of sick sadistic good way, which develops in the following track The Arc Of Descent.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Veil - Dolor (2005)
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.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Altar Of Plagues - Mammal (2011)
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.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Deafheaven - Roads To Judah (2011)
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.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Vestiges summer tour
-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
Friday, June 3, 2011
Drunkdriver - Drunkdriver (2010)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Peste Noire - L'Ordure À L'État Pur (2011)
Album: L'Ordure À L'État Pur
Year: 2011
Country: France
Peste Noire has been a very special band from the start. They named their first demo "Aryan Supremacy", but Famine - the man behind PN, claimed that they weren't nazi's, since that's a German device. And since then Famine has provocated the whole scene with stupid statements.
The band was also been very noticed because of the fact that Neige - the man behind Alcest, were a session band member during the demo releases. He then also made some guest apperances on the first two albums, and wrote one single song during his whole time in the band. Some distros and record labels have claimed that Peste Noire is "one of Neige's bands", just to sell more PN-records. This makes Famine rage, and he says:
"To claim that Neige is an important figure in PN is the same as saying that the person who plays the triangle in SOPOR AETERNUS AND THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS is the main man in SOPOR. Our lives are different and so are our tastes, friends, ambitions, views, and so forth. I don't spend time in the same places. I don't even spend time with them. I am nothing like them. They are rich, idle, with hardly any responsibilities on their hands; they use their parents' money to pay for recording costs. I am poor, I write with a sense of urgency, I record using very crappy equipment. I don't write teenager poems from the balcony of a rich Parisian apartment, I just want to destroy all that, and I know exactly what I'm talking about. Now let me reiterate: I hold no grudge against Neige and his friends, but it just so happens that if Neige or his friends refute these facts, which are nothing but the truth, in one way or the other, I will be forced to shave their heads, take a picture of it and post it on the internet. I'd prefer not having to do that. I hate to take it out on weaker individuals, but if they choose to go against truth, I will be forced to perform such an act as I cannot tolerate lies. I therefore swear on my cat's life before the whole world: if they deny these facts I will shave their heads."
Song(s) you should listen to: This album is just fucking hilarious. So I'll just go through the songs one by one:
Casse, Péches, Fractures Et Traditions starts off kind of mysterious and medieval, as we're used to. But then I don't know what the fucked happened. They sure had a dope party with the Oompa Loompas, Mora Träsk, and the guy who wrote the French coffee song though. Just when you thought it couldn't get more awkward, Famine shouts "COCORICO!" and counts a choir in, who are all going nuts as crazy roosters. What the fuck?
Cochon Carotte Et Les Soerus Crotte is a about having sex... maybe with animals? I just don't know. Not my cup of tea at all.
J'avais Rêvé Du Nord 1 has a very electro-influenced intro, controlled by a repeated guitar riff during the first 3 minutes of the song. But it's quite interesting! Then a mellow part kicks in, and Audrey from Amesouers does some soprano vocals for a while. Then the song develops quite well, and maybe you can actually think about listen to it a second time.
J'avais Rêvé Du Nord 2 is the rawest on this album. It's focused on common dirtyness, with the smoker-on-his-deathbed-vocals, some coughing which actually makes me twist and turn a bit... But after a while you will burst out in laughter again due to the hooligan choir who shouts "LALA-LALA-LALA LAAA-LAAA!".
I don't know if you just have gotten used to the sound of the album when you get to this song, but Sale Famine Von Valfourte is actually good! It's very aggressive, and contains so much darkness that it will summon your grandmother. Just the way we like it.
La Condi Hu is actually very sweet! It's not anything like Peste Noire. It even contains beautiful cello and post-rock influences, and it's combined in a way making me get goosebumps. The only Peste Noire-thing about this is that the lyrics is mostly just words for different kinds of diseases in French, so it's not the kind of sad love song you thought it would be. But I would recommend you to download this and suffer through the whole album just to listen to this song, It's worth it, I promise.
Darkthrone - Circle The Wagons (2010)
Album: Circle The Wagons
Year: 2010
Country: Norway
Everyone knows or SHOULD at least know who Darkthrone is. They have been around since the very beginning and even if you like them or not you can't deny that they set the standard for many bands in the black metal-genre. People talk a lot about the death-era ala Soulside Journey and the black metal-era that followed but I think that people don't give the newer era the attention that it deserves. We have come a long way since Transylvanian Hunger which is and always will be a masterpiece for the genre but that is no reason to turn down on the newer albums. Maybe someday Fenriz and Nocturno will close the casket and retire to a life in piece but Circle The Wagons shows that they have a long way to go before that happens. If I were to make a list of the best albums from the previous year Circle The Wagons would definitely be in the top five. Everything about it just reeks of Darkthrone even though it sounds like a dirty and possessed version of Motörhead. The riffs are beyond great, the primitive drumming pounds you like a woodpecker determined to bash your skull in and the vocals sounds like a foul and angry drunk that just got out of bed only to find out that there's no coffee left, cursing the whole mankind for being against him. The first song Those Treasures Shall Never Befall You is about black metal never breaking any new grounds and to me that is what this album is about, breaking new grounds. But if you are contempt with treading water in the past then I really can't blame you. But at least give this record a try. You don't want this treasure to get out of hands.
Song(s) you should listen to: I Am the Working Class always gets me going. It's a real killer and whenever I try to convince people to listen to this record this is the song I always show. If there were an award for best metal-riff the price would go to Darkthrone without a doubt.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Alfarmania / Ättestupa - Stenstans Fördärv / Mitt Blod, Min Kropp (2010)
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.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Altar Of Flies - Eremiten (2009)
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.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Chicagojazzen - Misantropi För Nybörjare (2010)
Album: Misantropi För Nybörjare
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
My better half told me to listen to this, and as soon as the first track started I thought "WTF, he knows that I hate Doktor Kosmos, why does he make me listen to this?". I was too lazy to turn the music off, so the record was still playing, but I stopped listening. And all of a sudden it switched to track three - Höga Byggnader Reste Sig Ur Ruinerna, which caught my attention, and I fell in love.
You can say that this album is like a box of chocolates. If you just hold on through the up-beat electro pop song in the beginning, which is really too sweet and yucky, you will find some delicate pieces during the album. And this album really got pieces for everyone. Chicagojazzen is a one man band, and I just think this dude locked him self in into a studio a couple of days and decided to record some music, but with no genre restrictions what so ever. You will hear all kinds of instruments, used in all kinds of different ways. The songs most often has some melancholic jazzy artsy post-rock feeling to them. Except for one - Bränn Ner Jörn, which is quite noise-ish. The only thing these tracks have in common is that they're all a little Lo-Fi.
And as a bonus if you know Swedish, the tracks have awesome names such as "Ewokerna känner ingen skam" (The Ewoks knows no shame), "När Per nästan dog" (When Per almost died), and "De målade mitt tandkött violett" (They painted my gums violet).
Song(s) you should listen to: Höga Byggnader Reste Sig Ur Ruinerna is maybe not something special, if you don't get a smile on your face as soon as you hear avant-garde circus tunes from hell. De Målade Mitt Tandkött Violett is a melancholic but beautiful song that has that kind of roadtrip-feeling to it. You know, when you're half awake/half asleep and just dead looking out through the window. This song could be in a movie. In fact, all of these songs could be in a movie soundtrack.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
CELESTE - NIHILISTE(S)
Album: NIHILISTE(S)
Year: 2008
Country: France
Those who know me in real life will probably go like "FINALLY, she's uploading it!" when they read this post. I heard this album short after it's release in 2008, and since then I've been really nagging for anyone to listen to it. Everyone knows that CELESTE is one of my favourite bands, and this album is very close to my heart.
And why? It's not just only because CELESTE is formed from the ashes of Mihai Edrisch. It's also because this shit is so fucking intense that you need to grab on to your seat while watching your whole life passing by. I have no idea about how, but in some way they make the most raw and evil pieces of music I've ever heard. They use very sludgy guitars most of the time and the drums often set the intensity-level. The reason I talk about that intensity all the time is because they are masters of build ups. First of all there can be a small change of pace to a slower direction to catch your attention. Then it builds up, and creates a tension making movie writers jealous. And all of a sudden hell breaks loose and you're about to have an epileptic attack. They're not called "Hell's Choir" for nothing.
Song(s) you should listen to: Mais encore faut-il pouvoir renier tout un programme is the song that I think represents the build ups I was talking about earlier the most. It's so intense that it makes me want to slam my face to the wall until it's gone. Literally.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Dödfödd - Demo I & II
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson - Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson
Saturday, March 19, 2011
IceAge - New Brigade (2010)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hexis - Interview
Filip: We are a danish Hardcore/Black-/Post-metal band that's played together for more or less a year. In the beginning it was Simon (our drummer) and I (vocals) that formed Hexis together. We created the group due to us both being in bands that was in the midst of splitting up at the time, which led to us launching Hexis as a project. As just the two of us obviously wasn't enough Simon got ahold of a guy he knew that played guitar - Stig - and I found another guitarist (now former guitarist) - Kasper - at a danish website for musicians; and so we were four. We then got together and played a couple of months without having a bass-player, but eventually I met a guy - Tobias - which joined in the group. Some time after this Kasper decided to leave though which led to us finding our current guitarist Christian.
2. Whats the main goal behind your music? What do you want to accomplish as a band and individuals?
Filip: We just want to make a lot of music, records and tour as much as possible.
3. Your music contains a lot of diferent elements of music. Do you find acceptance from a lot of different people in Copenhagen, hardcorepunks and metalheads etc?
Filip: Since we've only played shows since August not a lot people know about us yet, but yeah, it seems like the people that's into our music is a pretty diverse group, so that's nice I guess.
4. How is the scene in general in Copenhagen? You seem to have a lot of gigs happening on a regular basis.
Filip: To be honest, the scene for our kind of music isn't very large here in Denmark at all. You need to be a bigger name (or have a lot of friends) if you want to play for bigger crowds here. It's pretty normal that we sometimes only play for 10 - 20 people at a time - but it's okay, we love to play no matter what. The reason why we have a lot of gigs is partly because I book a lot of shows here in Copenhagen so I've been able to network a lot and also put ourselves on as one of the acts on various shows when it seems fitting.
5. You recently did a short Scandinavia-tour with Celeste, was it your first tour? What were your thoughts about playing at Sweden venues?
Filip: Yes, that was our first tour as a band. For me this was probably some of the best days in my life and it was also my first shows ever outside of Denmark. On top of that it was just a luxury to be able to do a tour together with my favorite band, visiting nice places and nice people. If all goes well we'll probably be back with another tour at the end of the year, where we're going to be teaming up with another amazing band. The only negative thing about Sweden was the rules about alcohol at most places, so we had to spend a couple of hours outside each show "getting ready", haha.
6. Tell us a bit about your cooperation with Suburban Mayhem Records, how did it came that you choose them to release your s/t cassette?
Filip: First off, Jamie that's running Suburban is also a member of the band Drainland of whom I've been a fan of for many years. Secondly, a couple of weeks after we put our music up at MySpace he contacted us and told us that he was really into our music and if there wasn't any other labels that was going to release it then he was up for it, and since there was no other label, and he was a cool guy, then this was a perfect fit!
7. Where do you find inspiration to write music?
Filip: We all have very different tastes is music, but some of our favorite artists and inspirations are Celeste, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, The Arson Project, Converge and Cult Of Luna. Then coming up with riffs and such it's usually Christian or Stig that comes up with something to begin with and then I and Tobias give our input on what to change and what to keep and it goes on from there ending up with music usually sounding nothing like the initial idea.
8. I heard your going into the studio again in late march to record some new songs. What can we expect from that?
Filip: The sound we are trying to focus on with these couple of songs are doing the fast parts more intense and chaotic and the slow parts more heavy and slow and all in all a bit more the 'same' sound from each song. That's not to say that we want all the songs to sound exactly the same, but instead of taking evil, depressive and epic parts, we just focus on the evil parts this time around, so that all the songs connect better this time around.
9. Thank you for doing this interview, do you have any closing words or a question for us here on the blog perhaps?
Filip: Thanks a lot for this interview, it's the second time I've ever done one of these, it was fun.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Behzad Mehrnoosh - Reverie (2011)
Monday, March 14, 2011
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear Is On Our Side (2006)
Album: Fear Is On Our Side
Year: 2006
Country: USA
Once upon a time where internet was common, but no mp3-blogs existed, kids downloaded music with programs such as Kazaa or Napster. It was a total risk, because half of the time the kids got trojans and shit on their computer, and if your parents discovered you they banned you from the computer, because downloading was illegal and the whole family would be sentenced to death.
I was a cool kid though, so I used a program called Soulseek instead. And when you wanted to discover new music, you just went through a user's shared files until you found a cool band name. I discovered many obscure bands in that way, mostly horrible demos recorded in a cookie jar, but also good bands that I appreciate today too. One of them is I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness.
If you're the cool black metal dude that doesn't even stand Alcest, you should just wait for the next post, because this is not what we usually post on this blog. This is Post-Rock in a pretty commercial way, very well produced and with catchy tunes. Most of the songs are very light, but with a gloomy mood to it. Perfect for occassions such as when you're trying to sleep, when having friends over who has a divided music taste, or when you just want to clean your head.
Song(s) you should listen to: It may seem as a bad sign, but the best song on the album is The Owl, which is actually an interlude. It's by far the darkest track on the album, and I totally love it.
The Ghost is also a good song with a special gloomy and sad mood, though I would say that According To Plan is the catchiest song on the album.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Filigram - La Victorie De L'Homme Sur L'Homme (2008)
Album: La Victorie De L'Homme Sur L'Homme
Year: 2008
Country: France
I was reading a review on this album on some other blog, and it sounded quite interesting. Then I found out that they were from France, and my expectations grew sky high. French music has always been very close to my heart, probably mostly because they always seem to capture emotions in their music in an extraordinary way. I guess it's in France's artistic and romantic history, because no other country has such a big amount of great bands. And even though Filigram's guitarist calls himself Gaylord, their music is as serious, heartbreaking, and emotional as we're used to.
The best way to describe Filigram is to imagine a French version of the Japanese screamo band Heaven In Her Arms. They have the same concept with slow and mellow parts, combined with melodic guitar riffs. The vocals in Filigram are also very good, they top the despair factor. Filigram plays kind of slow for being a screamo band, but with these vocals they don't need to play chaotic to make it emotional.
Song(s) you should listen to: I really dig the intro of A'Louest, it pretty much makes the whole song. It starts off like an old western movie, pretty calm but dark. Then the tension grows more and more, and soon it will hoover into one of those classic Heaven In Her Arms-parts I was talking about before.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
In The Hearts Of Emperors - Tour EP (2010)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Deafheaven - Demo (2010)
Album: Demo
Year: 2010
Country: USA
I've read some reviews on this demo, and this band sounded really interesting. So I decided to look them up. And then I figured out that they recently signed to Deathwish Inc., the label that nowadays mostly seem to sign hyped bands and suck out money from kids who idolize Converge. We also have the fact that this cover is baby blue and pink, combined with a try to be trve kvlt by writing "DFHVN" instead of just "Deafheaven". This combination doesn't make sense. The third reason not to listen to this is that when you look at their live pictures on lastFM, they all have nice haircuts, everyone but one wears bright coloured shirts, and not a single goat was shedded. No fucking way that I would get involved in this shit by free will.
But in a weak moment I just happened to listen to it anyway. And my facial expression 10 seconds into the first song is probably priceless. My expectations was some kind of basement recording by young hipster boys who realized playing Emo won't get you any girls these days. I was kind of wrong.
This is a very well produced demo riding the popular wave of combined forces of Post-Hardcore and Black Metal. Since this band is from USA, you will hear that the big influence is Xasthur instead of Lifelover, which is a good thing since the Lifelover is kind of worn out these days. This is not original or evolving though, you will get the same feeling when you listen to Agalloch, Wolves In The Throne Room, or Altar Of Plagues. But on the other hand, this is just a demo, and I wish the best of luck to these guys in the future.
Song(s) you should listen to: The first track Libertine Dissolves is a good one. It's explosiveness in the beginning kind of reminds me of treasures such as Celeste. Then it calms down a bit and gets quite emotional, then it blows you away again.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Fides Inversa - Hanc Aciem Sola Retundit Virtus (The Algolagnia Divine) (2009)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Morne - Untold Wait (2009)
Album: Untold Wait
Year: 2009
Country: USA
If you check this band's profile at lastFM you will see that people think this album is either very good, or that it's just a waste of time. I like this album though (and my bunny rabbit too apparently, he jumped straight to the computer and started too sniff it when I was listening to it). Parts of this album reminds me a bit of a sludgier version of Fall Of Efrafa's Owsla, so it has some sort of rabbit connection.
Anyhow, Morne also consists of band members from former bands such as Grief, Disrupt, Filth Of Mankind, and many more. These guys have been in the game for a long time, and you can tell while listening to the music. Partly because you can hear influences from older bands, but also because they're very skilled with their instruments.
If you have a thing for heavy sludgy music, you should listen to this. I told you before that this album reminds me a bit of Fall Of Efrafa (mostly the Owsla album, when they weren't that complex), but it also reminds me of Tragedy (powerful D-Beats, and the vocals and lyrical themes are very much alike), and I Would Set Myself On Fire For You (probably just because of the the cello which is used quite regularly, but still). If you're into something of that, I could imagine that you will like this.
Song(s) you should listen to: The first track Eyes, is the perfect way to start an album. The last track Sorrow, is the perfect way to end an album. The tracks in the middle you have to decide whether they're really good, or barely worth listening to, for yourself.