Showing posts with label Metalloid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metalloid. Show all posts
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Metallic Alloys
Heeyyy, you got your Black Metal in my Space Rock! Nooo, you got your Drone Psych in my Doom Metal...
Maybe my favorite new band, from Finland: Oranssi Pazuzu. Their third album is out somewhat recently now. Somehow, it's actually cheaper to buy the physical CD.
Here's a band SoundCloud mix including earlier material.
Hey, you got your Disco Funk Metal in my Zeuhl! I would swear I've at least heard of Chrome Hoof, but there are so many similarly named bands. I definitely would not have guessed their musical style(s) correctly.
Dude, you got your complete lack of guitars in my Brutal Death Metal. Geryon is made up of Nick and Lev, the rhythm section of Krallice (#13 Metal of 2009, #21 of 2011), with assistance from Indricothere (#9, 2007).
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Bag of Hammers - The Linus Pauling Quartet (#2, 2012)
No way! It's The Linus Pauling Quartet again. (#14 of 2010, #3 of 2007, #2 Repertoire of 2005, #2 of 2003, #9 of 1995, #3 Live Shows of 2012 and #7 Live of 2010, with still more to come...)
Linus Pauling Quartet - Bag Of Hammers by audibletreats
Stream it all! Unusual for Linus Pauling Quartet, getting stuff out on the internet promptly. First they put together a media package after 5 or 6 albums, and now this! I blame/credit the PR firm.
"Victory Gin" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Rather than start at the beginning, let's start at the most recent 'single' - other than the video for the free download of the not-included title-track (#4 Free, 2012) to the late-season archival 3xCD module-set (#3 Repertoire, 2012). Wait, what was I talking about?
Ah, "Victory Gin!" Check it out live at Walter's. A good melding of 2 sides of Linus: the more upbeat garage punks & the stoner-riff monsters. The lyric explicitly namechecks Soylent Green (1973), and possibly references The Omega Man (1971) - so maybe there's an old-school Heston dystopian sci-fi vibe underneath "the black flood?" The next song, "Starchimp," also quotes 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, the book).
"Crom" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
So that's how the album opens, and the first official video (maybe ever?) from the Linus Pauling Quartet. Spoken-word intro comes from "The Song of Roland" as translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff, read by Mlee of Hearts of Animals. Additional video introductory quote from Conan author Robert E. Howard - because, as y'all know, that's where Crom (fictional deity) comes from. Wow, that's a lotta Wiki links! O yeah, also "Crom" (actual song) rocks out real good, playing to strengths like - somewhat reminiscent of their original swörd metal anthem "Waiting for the Axe to Fall."
The next song, "She Did Not Know," sings about some girl who smokes too much of the weed. All of it, in fact. I mostly like the bridge (?) with the strident metalloid riffing & sustained, climbing lead. Check out the live reference demo rarity.
"Saving Throw" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Oh, no! I'm out of YouTubes... Guess I'll have to do it myself. "Saving Throw" is a concept familiar to all table-top role-playing game (RPG) enthusiasts. "Wake up! Wake up! Raise your swords - There's a gibbering mouther among us!" Awesome blend of sizzling Cro-Magnon riffnastics & terrificly ludicrous lyrics about the Mind Flayers and psionic blasts and suchlike.
Wait, I forgot about "Rust" before that. Ofttimes mellowish & this time Mlee sings, until the levee breaks - check out the MySpace reference demo.
We're almost at the end now. First we've got "Homonculus," a prime example of what was once called: "the obligatory Linus garage rock song. Always the shortest and fastest song on whatever Linus album it resides on..." Only technically correct in a very limited sense (shortest), I just like that quote a lot. This time it's more of a restrained-yet-tense slow-burn drone-build about, uh... schizoid-dissociative disorder? Pod-people parasitic-symbiote mind-control? The cumulative psychic stress-faults driven by anomie within the modern post-capitalist world? The homonculus metaphor has been under-served by our psych-rock forebears.
And finally, the closing epic "Stonebringer." I think I first heard this one at the Khon's rooftop show in Oct 2010. Great song. But the important thing to remember here is that "Stonebringer" of course bookends (after 17 years) the Linus Pauling's debut album closer "MourneBong." These are, naturally, the two Bongs of Power in the greater LP4 Mythos.
Cool, right?!
Linus Pauling Quartet - Bag Of Hammers by audibletreats
Stream it all! Unusual for Linus Pauling Quartet, getting stuff out on the internet promptly. First they put together a media package after 5 or 6 albums, and now this! I blame/credit the PR firm.
"Victory Gin" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Rather than start at the beginning, let's start at the most recent 'single' - other than the video for the free download of the not-included title-track (#4 Free, 2012) to the late-season archival 3xCD module-set (#3 Repertoire, 2012). Wait, what was I talking about?
Ah, "Victory Gin!" Check it out live at Walter's. A good melding of 2 sides of Linus: the more upbeat garage punks & the stoner-riff monsters. The lyric explicitly namechecks Soylent Green (1973), and possibly references The Omega Man (1971) - so maybe there's an old-school Heston dystopian sci-fi vibe underneath "the black flood?" The next song, "Starchimp," also quotes 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, the book).
"Crom" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
So that's how the album opens, and the first official video (maybe ever?) from the Linus Pauling Quartet. Spoken-word intro comes from "The Song of Roland" as translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff, read by Mlee of Hearts of Animals. Additional video introductory quote from Conan author Robert E. Howard - because, as y'all know, that's where Crom (fictional deity) comes from. Wow, that's a lotta Wiki links! O yeah, also "Crom" (actual song) rocks out real good, playing to strengths like - somewhat reminiscent of their original swörd metal anthem "Waiting for the Axe to Fall."
The next song, "She Did Not Know," sings about some girl who smokes too much of the weed. All of it, in fact. I mostly like the bridge (?) with the strident metalloid riffing & sustained, climbing lead. Check out the live reference demo rarity.
"Saving Throw" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Oh, no! I'm out of YouTubes... Guess I'll have to do it myself. "Saving Throw" is a concept familiar to all table-top role-playing game (RPG) enthusiasts. "Wake up! Wake up! Raise your swords - There's a gibbering mouther among us!" Awesome blend of sizzling Cro-Magnon riffnastics & terrificly ludicrous lyrics about the Mind Flayers and psionic blasts and suchlike.
Wait, I forgot about "Rust" before that. Ofttimes mellowish & this time Mlee sings, until the levee breaks - check out the MySpace reference demo.
We're almost at the end now. First we've got "Homonculus," a prime example of what was once called: "the obligatory Linus garage rock song. Always the shortest and fastest song on whatever Linus album it resides on..." Only technically correct in a very limited sense (shortest), I just like that quote a lot. This time it's more of a restrained-yet-tense slow-burn drone-build about, uh... schizoid-dissociative disorder? Pod-people parasitic-symbiote mind-control? The cumulative psychic stress-faults driven by anomie within the modern post-capitalist world? The homonculus metaphor has been under-served by our psych-rock forebears.
And finally, the closing epic "Stonebringer." I think I first heard this one at the Khon's rooftop show in Oct 2010. Great song. But the important thing to remember here is that "Stonebringer" of course bookends (after 17 years) the Linus Pauling's debut album closer "MourneBong." These are, naturally, the two Bongs of Power in the greater LP4 Mythos.
Cool, right?!
Genre - Heavy Stoner Psych-Metal Rock-core
Official/blog - worshipguitars.org/LP4/
Myspace - myspace.com/linuspaulingquartet
Location - Houston, TX
Review - Space City Rock
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - CDbaby
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Assault on The Vault of The Ancient Bonglords
The Linus Pauling is selling Assault on The Vault of The Ancient Bonglords 3xCD + the titular Druids & Demons module (#3 Archival, 2012) on the internet. Limited Edition of 100, expanded by popular demand from the original 55.
Head on over to ***CD Baby*** as fast as you possibly can!
Linus Pauling Quartet - Drunkest Man by audibletreats
I liked these CDbaby descriptors of LP4...
Genres You Will Love
Here's what I said about it before:
New album page up at the LP4 blog.
Linus Pauling Quartet - Southern Pine by audibletreats
Check out some more historical Linus writing at my original post about the AOVOABL release in-store show (one of the #3 Live Shows of 2012).
Oh and while I was on Soundcloud, I found this super-recent live recording from Charlie Naked, 12/22/2012 with OlympusMONS: Winter Solstice live. Downloadable as 3 parts (_1_/_2_/_3_)...
Head on over to ***CD Baby*** as fast as you possibly can!
Linus Pauling Quartet - Drunkest Man by audibletreats
I liked these CDbaby descriptors of LP4...
Genres You Will Love
Rock: PsychedelicRecommended if You Like
Moods: Featuring Guitar
Metal/Punk: Stoner Metal
Black Sabbath
Monster Magnet
The Butthole Surfers
Here's what I said about it before:
3xCD career retrospective from "probably my favorite active hometown heroes." Some super-fan might quibble (more rarities! less debut!)... To which others might argue, "Shut up, their debut was your #9 album of 1995... Idiot!"
New album page up at the LP4 blog.
Linus Pauling Quartet - Southern Pine by audibletreats
Check out some more historical Linus writing at my original post about the AOVOABL release in-store show (one of the #3 Live Shows of 2012).
Oh and while I was on Soundcloud, I found this super-recent live recording from Charlie Naked, 12/22/2012 with OlympusMONS: Winter Solstice live. Downloadable as 3 parts (_1_/_2_/_3_)...
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Historical Archive of Linus Pauling, Qua.
So I'm headed up to Cactus Music for an in-store record release show from the Linus Pauling Quartet (#9, 1995). Some long-time favorites & all-around fun guys:
And I'm actually pretty excited - no tracklist announced yet, and then what about the setlist? For the comp, I'm hoping for pretty significant space for material not available on any LP4 CD's.
"Through Darkness and Distance" from the Untitled "Alien" LP (1997)
No-one expects a 22-minute "Improvise Now," but maybe the above album opener from this lost & limited vinyl-only release? They also played a ROTB-less "Luis Black is California" just last year (#13 Live Show, 2011). A little less likely would be their Italian split-7" (2002) cover of Pink Floyd rarity "Vegetable Man," but still welcome.
Or what about their cover of Kraftwerk's "The Hall of Mirrors?" Oh, I know what you're saying: "But that was on the C6H8O6 CD (2003)." To which I reply: "Not that version... the 18-minute live bonus track on the Euro/vinyl-edition of Ashes in the Bong of God (2000)!"
And that's before even touching on complilation-only tracks ("Dartania!") or live radio spots (KFJC bootleg from the mists of legendry!)... But y'know, whatever's cool with me.
The other obvious question is whether the release live show will feature any super surprises / blasts from the past...
"Astral Toads" from Immortal Chinese Classics Music (1995)
The obvious way to go would be "Linus Theme," but I'm really hopin' for "Astral Toads" to find a way. Seems like a couple of other debut album tunes have popped up live here & there... "Hamburger Girl" for certain.
"Cole Porter I" from The 26th Commandment: Thou Shalt Expand Thy Mind (Ptolemaic Terrescope #26, 1999)
Haha, I forgot that version is a non-album track as well. Seems like a pretty decent possibility, given the type of old-school callbacks of recent times. Although Linus actually played "The Colour Out of Space" as recently as 2006. So maybe it could be anything??
[Edit, afterwards: Great show! Setlist covered the whole history...
Alien Abduction / Drunkest Man / Hamburger Girl [studio] / Roll Out the Bong (w/ sax) / Beer, Women and Sunflower Seeds / Nowhere / Waiting for the Axe to Fall / Assault on the Vault of the Ancient Bonglords (1st performance ever!) / Stonebringer...
And the comp? The module looks great, and ⅔ of the music too... Hard to tell, because tracks listed are the same for Discs 2 & 3.
d1t01: "Linus Theme"
d1t02: "ROTB/Luis Black Is California"
d1t03: "Monkey"
d1t04: "Dance of the Bug People"
d1t05: "Beer, Women and Sunflower Seeds"
d1t06: "Possum Love (live)"
d1t07: "Drunkest Man"
d1t08: "Cole Porter II"
d1t09: "Cannonball"
d1t10: "La Tapatia"
d1t11: "Old Crow"
d1t12: "40 oz."
d1t13: "Southern Pine"
d1t14: "Hawg!!"
Disc 2 appears to be...
d2t01: "Penis Free Zone"
d2t02: "Class of '85"
d2t03: "Larry's Song"
d2t04: "Henry Floats"
d2t05: "Hendrix's Boots"
d2t06: "Sunn Beta"
d2t07: "Insomnia"
d2t08: "Interstellar Absolute Power Bootycall Explosion"
d2t09: "Brain"
d2t10: "Mastadon [The Dunlavy]"
d2t11: "Switzer"
d2t12: "Alien Abduction"
d2t13: "Waiting for the Axe to Fall"
d3t01: "Hamburger Girl"
d3t02: "Friendswood Development Co."
d3t03: "Through Darkness and Distance"
d3t04: "Dartania"
d3t05: "Turtle Song"
d3t06: "The Eye of God"
d3t07: "The Colour Out of Space"
d3t08: "Two Artifacts"
d3t09: "Rats (live improv)"
d3t10: "Jason Bill (live)"
d3t11: "Thorn"
d3t12: "Porno in the Sink (Rock mix)"
... Pretty sweet!!]
The Linus Pauling Quartet's Assault on the Vault of the Ancient Bonglords [Official Video] from Ramon LP4 on Vimeo.
***NSFW*** screaming & cursing intro... From the all-new Assault on the Vault of the Ancient Bonglords (2012), the 3xCD archival career retrospective compilation. Actually box-set, I guess, since it comes with a new (the 1st) Druids & Demons module! You might remember their own "D&D" from the 2010 ST37 split-7" release show that I missed. Yeah, just 2½ years between the rule-set and first module - that's Linus time!
And I'm actually pretty excited - no tracklist announced yet, and then what about the setlist? For the comp, I'm hoping for pretty significant space for material not available on any LP4 CD's.
"Through Darkness and Distance" from the Untitled "Alien" LP (1997)
No-one expects a 22-minute "Improvise Now," but maybe the above album opener from this lost & limited vinyl-only release? They also played a ROTB-less "Luis Black is California" just last year (#13 Live Show, 2011). A little less likely would be their Italian split-7" (2002) cover of Pink Floyd rarity "Vegetable Man," but still welcome.
Or what about their cover of Kraftwerk's "The Hall of Mirrors?" Oh, I know what you're saying: "But that was on the C6H8O6 CD (2003)." To which I reply: "Not that version... the 18-minute live bonus track on the Euro/vinyl-edition of Ashes in the Bong of God (2000)!"
And that's before even touching on complilation-only tracks ("Dartania!") or live radio spots (KFJC bootleg from the mists of legendry!)... But y'know, whatever's cool with me.
The other obvious question is whether the release live show will feature any super surprises / blasts from the past...
"Astral Toads" from Immortal Chinese Classics Music (1995)
The obvious way to go would be "Linus Theme," but I'm really hopin' for "Astral Toads" to find a way. Seems like a couple of other debut album tunes have popped up live here & there... "Hamburger Girl" for certain.
"Cole Porter I" from The 26th Commandment: Thou Shalt Expand Thy Mind (Ptolemaic Terrescope #26, 1999)
Haha, I forgot that version is a non-album track as well. Seems like a pretty decent possibility, given the type of old-school callbacks of recent times. Although Linus actually played "The Colour Out of Space" as recently as 2006. So maybe it could be anything??
[Edit, afterwards: Great show! Setlist covered the whole history...
Alien Abduction / Drunkest Man / Hamburger Girl [studio] / Roll Out the Bong (w/ sax) / Beer, Women and Sunflower Seeds / Nowhere / Waiting for the Axe to Fall / Assault on the Vault of the Ancient Bonglords (1st performance ever!) / Stonebringer...
And the comp? The module looks great, and ⅔ of the music too... Hard to tell, because tracks listed are the same for Discs 2 & 3.
d1t01: "Linus Theme"
d1t02: "ROTB/Luis Black Is California"
d1t03: "Monkey"
d1t04: "Dance of the Bug People"
d1t05: "Beer, Women and Sunflower Seeds"
d1t06: "Possum Love (live)"
d1t07: "Drunkest Man"
d1t08: "Cole Porter II"
d1t09: "Cannonball"
d1t10: "La Tapatia"
d1t11: "Old Crow"
d1t12: "40 oz."
d1t13: "Southern Pine"
d1t14: "Hawg!!"
Disc 2 appears to be...
d2t01: "Penis Free Zone"
d2t02: "Class of '85"
d2t03: "Larry's Song"
d2t04: "Henry Floats"
d2t05: "Hendrix's Boots"
d2t06: "Sunn Beta"
d2t07: "Insomnia"
d2t08: "Interstellar Absolute Power Bootycall Explosion"
d2t09: "Brain"
d2t10: "Mastadon [The Dunlavy]"
d2t11: "Switzer"
d2t12: "Alien Abduction"
d2t13: "Waiting for the Axe to Fall"
d3t01: "Hamburger Girl"
d3t02: "Friendswood Development Co."
d3t03: "Through Darkness and Distance"
d3t04: "Dartania"
d3t05: "Turtle Song"
d3t06: "The Eye of God"
d3t07: "The Colour Out of Space"
d3t08: "Two Artifacts"
d3t09: "Rats (live improv)"
d3t10: "Jason Bill (live)"
d3t11: "Thorn"
d3t12: "Porno in the Sink (Rock mix)"
... Pretty sweet!!]
Thursday, November 22, 2012
The Giving of Thanks
This was so fun when we did it for Hallowe'en, let's do it again...
Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving!
"Turkeey" by Ed Hall, from Love Poke Here (1990)
I never quite figured out why there are cat noises on a song called "Turkeey" [sic]... Ed Hall reuniting this weekend in Austin - so maybe I'll ask them. I expect to be talkin' about this album soon enough.
"Milking the Turkey Jam" by Grateful Dead, live at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (live rehearsal, 3/21/1975)
Or "Stronger Than Dirt," per the Blues for Allah album (1975). Jazzy, jammy holidays. David Crosby in session apparently.
No, not "Cold Turkey"... Can't find "Turkey Shoot"... No Sandler, nor that recent click-bait crap... Wow, what else is there?
"Ağlarsa Anam Ağlar" by Üç Hür-El, from 7" single (1973)
Yeah, because Anatolian garage-prog psych comes from Turkey! As usual, I'm thankful to Beyond the Wizards Sleeve for this one.
That was harder than expected...
Too late, I realized my mistake: I was focusing too much on the main dish. Where were the songs by The Cranberries? ... using green-bean casserole as a metaphor? ... on the Cornucopia [image above]?
"Thank You, Friends" by Big Star, from Third (1978)
Who needs a jazzy, jammy, Grateful holiday when you could have a sneering, sarcastic Thanksgiving? In the spirit of the season!
"Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden, from The Number of the Beast (1982)
And/or??
Not sure if advertisements and Vevo are going to make or break YouTube - not cool...
Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving!
"Turkeey" by Ed Hall, from Love Poke Here (1990)
I never quite figured out why there are cat noises on a song called "Turkeey" [sic]... Ed Hall reuniting this weekend in Austin - so maybe I'll ask them. I expect to be talkin' about this album soon enough.
"Milking the Turkey Jam" by Grateful Dead, live at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (live rehearsal, 3/21/1975)
Or "Stronger Than Dirt," per the Blues for Allah album (1975). Jazzy, jammy holidays. David Crosby in session apparently.
No, not "Cold Turkey"... Can't find "Turkey Shoot"... No Sandler, nor that recent click-bait crap... Wow, what else is there?
"Ağlarsa Anam Ağlar" by Üç Hür-El, from 7" single (1973)
Yeah, because Anatolian garage-prog psych comes from Turkey! As usual, I'm thankful to Beyond the Wizards Sleeve for this one.
That was harder than expected...
Too late, I realized my mistake: I was focusing too much on the main dish. Where were the songs by The Cranberries? ... using green-bean casserole as a metaphor? ... on the Cornucopia [image above]?
"Thank You, Friends" by Big Star, from Third (1978)
Who needs a jazzy, jammy, Grateful holiday when you could have a sneering, sarcastic Thanksgiving? In the spirit of the season!
"Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden, from The Number of the Beast (1982)
And/or??
Not sure if advertisements and Vevo are going to make or break YouTube - not cool...
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Natural Drone Building Snow
Took me awhile to get this one out, after getting a heads-up from Ba Da Bing Records. I always feel like I need to be extra diligent when someone contacts me - as if I have some major ethical obligations on my silly blog. But here's some cool drone stuff...
That's from a different release, but I liked the art better.
Kadja Bosou (Abridged Version) by Ba Da Bing Records
Or you could delve into the full 18-minute piece... Natural Snow Buildings are a French duo who drone out at length & in a variety of ways. From what I can tell from the sample, this newest one Night Coercion into the Company of Witches (2012) brings in some Near East tranceations - whirling tones in ecstasy. Read a positive Tiny Mix Tapes review - you can buy the 3xLP ($17) or a 4xLP ($40) at the label store. The CD's also at Sound Exchange here in Houston, but I'll probably own that copy by weekend's... end.
"Beyond the Veil" from Beyond the Veil (2012)
That's another one out this year too.
"Our Man from Centauri" from The Centauri Agent (2010)
Hey, look! A free digital double-album...
That net-label has a bunch of free music, including 3 sampler EP downloadables: click here to explore. You can also follow them over on Tumblr.
So not only that, but new Nadja (co-#4 Drone of 2009, #16 Metalloid of 2009, and #20 of 2010), with added The Jesus Lizard drummer.
Nadja - Dagdrøm by BrokenSpineProds
You can stream (or purchase) the whole album on their Bandcamp.
And look what else I found over there! A 2xCD collection of vinyl-only rarities?! Whoa... Also available from Important Records.
That's from a different release, but I liked the art better.
Kadja Bosou (Abridged Version) by Ba Da Bing Records
Or you could delve into the full 18-minute piece... Natural Snow Buildings are a French duo who drone out at length & in a variety of ways. From what I can tell from the sample, this newest one Night Coercion into the Company of Witches (2012) brings in some Near East tranceations - whirling tones in ecstasy. Read a positive Tiny Mix Tapes review - you can buy the 3xLP ($17) or a 4xLP ($40) at the label store. The CD's also at Sound Exchange here in Houston, but I'll probably own that copy by weekend's... end.
"Beyond the Veil" from Beyond the Veil (2012)
That's another one out this year too.
"Our Man from Centauri" from The Centauri Agent (2010)
Hey, look! A free digital double-album...
That net-label has a bunch of free music, including 3 sampler EP downloadables: click here to explore. You can also follow them over on Tumblr.
So not only that, but new Nadja (co-#4 Drone of 2009, #16 Metalloid of 2009, and #20 of 2010), with added The Jesus Lizard drummer.
Nadja - Dagdrøm by BrokenSpineProds
You can stream (or purchase) the whole album on their Bandcamp.
And look what else I found over there! A 2xCD collection of vinyl-only rarities?! Whoa... Also available from Important Records.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Years Past Matter Now
Krallice (#13 Next 10 Metal, 2009 and #21, 2011) continues to be an urban-decay, technical Black Metal super-group - to me at least.
They released their latest one a little while ago, called Years Past Matter (2012). It's self-released, so all your money goes to the band. Well, not all of your money - but all of the purchase price.
$7.00 digital from Krallice Bandcamp
$12.00 CD there or from Big Cartel.
From Pitchfork, you got yer 8.2 review and yer free preview track. From unARTigNYC, you got yer live vid of "IIIIIIII".
Digipack images from the Big Cartel.
They released their latest one a little while ago, called Years Past Matter (2012). It's self-released, so all your money goes to the band. Well, not all of your money - but all of the purchase price.
$7.00 digital from Krallice Bandcamp
$12.00 CD there or from Big Cartel.
From Pitchfork, you got yer 8.2 review and yer free preview track. From unARTigNYC, you got yer live vid of "IIIIIIII".
Digipack images from the Big Cartel.
Friday, October 26, 2012
BAN Concludes 777
So, good ol' French avant-Black Metal artists Blut Aus Nord (#1, Metal Next 10 of 2009) have wrapped up one trilogy & continued another.
The bigger news is probably 777: Cosmosophy (2012), the final chapter in the 777 series. (The previous two installments had combined for #4, 2011...)
Blut Aus Nord: 777 - Cosmosophy by Deciblog
Look, I found the full album streaming over here! And of course the new thing is to put entire album's up on YouTube...
This one definitely has the most clean, least-BM vocals I've heard from them - and probably as much of the electronic beats as any other. Although it might be the most "accessible" chapter, I've held my distance more than before. Kinda sounds like they might go into a new phase soon, and I'm unsure whether that would be to my liking (a sad refrain from me).
"Epitome XVI" from 777: Cosmosophy (2012)
The other one slipped past me, and I haven't yet found it with reasonable shipping. Back in July, What Once Was... Liber II was released - in a "fake leather rigid gatefold cover with gold hot foil print." (Liber I was #16, 2010.) Of course, I can't find any streaming of it - we'll have to see if it's good enough for the year-end lists.
So instead I will leave you with what appears to be the BAN song with the highest view count on YouTube:
"Procession of the Dead Clowns" from The Work Which Transforms God (2003)
The bigger news is probably 777: Cosmosophy (2012), the final chapter in the 777 series. (The previous two installments had combined for #4, 2011...)
Blut Aus Nord: 777 - Cosmosophy by Deciblog
Look, I found the full album streaming over here! And of course the new thing is to put entire album's up on YouTube...
This one definitely has the most clean, least-BM vocals I've heard from them - and probably as much of the electronic beats as any other. Although it might be the most "accessible" chapter, I've held my distance more than before. Kinda sounds like they might go into a new phase soon, and I'm unsure whether that would be to my liking (a sad refrain from me).
"Epitome XVI" from 777: Cosmosophy (2012)
The other one slipped past me, and I haven't yet found it with reasonable shipping. Back in July, What Once Was... Liber II was released - in a "fake leather rigid gatefold cover with gold hot foil print." (Liber I was #16, 2010.) Of course, I can't find any streaming of it - we'll have to see if it's good enough for the year-end lists.
So instead I will leave you with what appears to be the BAN song with the highest view count on YouTube:
"Procession of the Dead Clowns" from The Work Which Transforms God (2003)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Edward's Lament -
House of Low Culture (#10, 2003)
Craziness. I didn't even remember that I got Edward's Lament from spending an iTunes gift card received for Christmas 2009. And I actually made my own video from the 2001 debut album. Wow...
This one's the second House of Low Culture full-length. A little less guitar drone, and a little more field recordings (or something like that) - machine noise.
"On the Upswing" from Edward's Lament (2003)
This seems to be the go-to track off the album, which makes sense. Good entry point, pulls off the extended length, and one of two MP3's downloadable from the record label. Not much more to say...
"Off You Go" from Edward's Lament (2003)
O wait! I actually forgot that I made this video because there was so little out there from this record. (Nice save.) Cybernetic ambient droidwaves, right? Any guitars in that piece have been processed beyond their string tension horizon.
Like I said in the Top 10 list, I honestly cannot explain what about this album draws me back to it. The previous Submarine Immersion Techniques, Vol. 1 (2000) might be actually more 'likeable,' but I put this album on very regularly. And in a fairly wide range of situations - in the car, at work, on the computer, etc... It is a mystery.
"Edward's Lament" from Edward's Lament (2003)
Only a part of the song, which then gets mixed into "C.F.T. (New Circuitry and Continued Evolution)" by Isis (2000) at around the 3:30 point. Pretty cool! Have I already mentioned that Aaron Turner, singer-guitarist for Isis, is also the main dude behind side-project House of Low Culture? That's important.
I actually bought the HOLC debut when I saw Isis (#5 Live Show, 2009)...
You can stream the full version of "Lament" plus the final track ("Thank You, and Good Night!") over at Myspace. Weird, I just checked again, and there are 3 new shorter tracks showing up: "A Temporary Setback" and the 2 "Intrmssn" ones. So that's like everything but the 20-minute silence 'song!'
Looks like I've actually missed a number of Low Culture releases, so I might need to move on that - at some point...
At this point, HOLC Bandcamp only has the 21-minute "Ice Mole" from the more recent Mammifer split-LP (2010). But I thought you'd still like to know.
This one's the second House of Low Culture full-length. A little less guitar drone, and a little more field recordings (or something like that) - machine noise.
"On the Upswing" from Edward's Lament (2003)
This seems to be the go-to track off the album, which makes sense. Good entry point, pulls off the extended length, and one of two MP3's downloadable from the record label. Not much more to say...
"Off You Go" from Edward's Lament (2003)
O wait! I actually forgot that I made this video because there was so little out there from this record. (Nice save.) Cybernetic ambient droidwaves, right? Any guitars in that piece have been processed beyond their string tension horizon.
Like I said in the Top 10 list, I honestly cannot explain what about this album draws me back to it. The previous Submarine Immersion Techniques, Vol. 1 (2000) might be actually more 'likeable,' but I put this album on very regularly. And in a fairly wide range of situations - in the car, at work, on the computer, etc... It is a mystery.
"Edward's Lament" from Edward's Lament (2003)
Only a part of the song, which then gets mixed into "C.F.T. (New Circuitry and Continued Evolution)" by Isis (2000) at around the 3:30 point. Pretty cool! Have I already mentioned that Aaron Turner, singer-guitarist for Isis, is also the main dude behind side-project House of Low Culture? That's important.
I actually bought the HOLC debut when I saw Isis (#5 Live Show, 2009)...
You can stream the full version of "Lament" plus the final track ("Thank You, and Good Night!") over at Myspace. Weird, I just checked again, and there are 3 new shorter tracks showing up: "A Temporary Setback" and the 2 "Intrmssn" ones. So that's like everything but the 20-minute silence 'song!'
Looks like I've actually missed a number of Low Culture releases, so I might need to move on that - at some point...
At this point, HOLC Bandcamp only has the 21-minute "Ice Mole" from the more recent Mammifer split-LP (2010). But I thought you'd still like to know.
Genre - Ambient & Guitar Drone
Official/Myspace - myspace.com/houseoflowculturemusic
Location - Los Angeles, CA
Review - Maelstrom.nu
Download - Insound, iTunes
Purchase - Neurot Recordings
I even surprised myself with this one. Not sure I'll be able to muster a whole post about it, or even explain why I keep gravitating back to this album. One of the tracks is 18+ minutes of like almost nothing - ironically (?) called "... And Now the Man You've All Been Waiting For!" Quotation marks, ellipsis, and exclamation point most definitely part of the title. I don't want to waste too much precious opinion, but this is the 2nd side project album from one of the guitarists for Isis (#3 of 2004, #3 of 2009, #5 Live Show of 2009). It's an odd mix of guitar drone, machine hum, and some unnameable mood-cluster - doomy, dreamy, desperate, forlorn, peaceful? I shall explore my feelings in more depth...
Saturday, August 4, 2012
CROM!!
Updated release schedule for the upcoming Bag of Hammers double from the Linus Pauling Quartet (#3, 2007): now September 18th.
But in the meantime, here's the very first official (hand-made) LP4 video:
"Crom" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Debuted yesterday on Vice Magazine's video wing Noisey. All of this is from the current Linus blog, by the way...
Including recent announcements on two (or 3) upcoming Tom Carter benefit shows here in Houston:
(O yeah: new DONATION link!!)
Both look really nice - see ya there!
But in the meantime, here's the very first official (hand-made) LP4 video:
"Crom" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Debuted yesterday on Vice Magazine's video wing Noisey. All of this is from the current Linus blog, by the way...
Including recent announcements on two (or 3) upcoming Tom Carter benefit shows here in Houston:
(O yeah: new DONATION link!!)
TOM CARTER BENEFITS SHOWS
Friday 24 August @ Rudyard's
1 am Project Grimm
12 am The Linus Pauling Quartet (playing a couple Mike Gunn songs)
11 pm Dead Mineral
10 pm Hearts of Animals
Doors 9pm, Music 10pm(!!!)
21+
Pay what you can – suggested donation $10
*100% of the door money goes to to The Robert Thomas Carter Irrevocable Trust
*100% of the sales made that night of the new LP4 album "Bag of Hammers" will go to The Robert Thomas Carter Irrevocable Trust
Rudyard’s British Pub
Saturday 25 August @ The Railyard
Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith – improvised duo
Richard Ramirez / Brian Traylor (night at noon) – noise duo
FLCON FCKER – live handmade electronics interfaced with laptop
A Week of Kindness (Sean E. Matzus)
Eric Todd – solo guitar
8pm to 11pm
All Ages
$5
*100% of the money collected from the door and from the donation jars goes to to The Robert Thomas Carter Irrevocable Trust
The Railyard
Both look really nice - see ya there!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Abzu - Absu (#6, 2011)
First off, Absu opened the #1 Live Show of 2011. I know, I can't stop talking about it because... AAAOOOOORRRUUUUUGGGHHHH!!!
"Earth Ripper/Swords & Leather/Abraxas Connexus" - live NYC, 11/11/2011
O fine, here's the studio version of album opener "Earth Ripper" - I was just excited to find a such good quality live video footage, and so relevant to my purposes!
Nice "Iron Face"-style scream intro, some old-school splintering riff-shards, lots of rapid-fire blast-beats, plenty of song segments & changes. So far, so good...
I had steeled myself to be disappointed by the new Absu record Abzu. My enjoyment of the triumphant-return-from-2001, Absu (#2 Metal, Next Ten 2009), just grew & grew over time. But apparently, Proscriptor (drums-vocals-lyrics) had lost all the new members that made that album. It's one thing to rebuild a band over 8 years, but just two? Hmmm...
This new one is the 2nd in a planned trilogy of albums, all with similar pseudo-eponymous titles. Read the story so far post to learn all that's led up to now.
"Abraxas Connexus" from Abzu (2011)
Then they released that one as a preview track (still available for download on the SPIN Best of Metal mixtape), and things were looking up already. Slightly different guitar style, but still thrashy Blackened fun - with a bit of seriousness.
"Circles of the Oath" from Abzu (2011)
[7/30, post-vacation edit: video added 1 day ago!]
Hold up - why has "Circles of the Oath" been removed from YouTube and the rest of the internet? [click link to search later] Okay, let me describe it.
Got it! Just as good as streaming audio...
"Skrying in the Spirit Vision" - live Arnhem, Netherlands, 10/29/2011
"Skrying" has some pretty meaty riffing, almost like the old-school Norwegian originators.
The next track is actually named "Ontologically, It Became Time & Space" - and it has some amazing bass drumwork from Proscriptor, as well as a really memorable guitar break/drum fill part. Unfortunately, a lot of these songs have disappeared from the web. Since I have no music to play, here's some Lyrical Magick Glossary insight:
"A Song for Ea" from Abzu (2011)
When I first heard about this, it concerned me most of all. A 14½-minute Absu song? Well, at least it had sections: (a) E-A, (b) A Myriad of Portals, (c) Third Tablet, (d) Warren Of Imhullu, (e) The Waters - The Denizens, (f) E-A (reprise).
But this whole suite rocks consistently. My concerns were all unfounded! Just set aside a quarter-hour and listen. (With lyrics if you like.) Maybe a little harsh & insane, but isn't that what you've been looking for in your life? Isn't it?! Anyway, it's not like they just do the same thing the whole time - it has some of the most clearly distinct contrasts and distinctions of all Absu. The tempo shifts, the keyboard towards the end of section (a), the way he sings "a myriad of portals," the military rhythm break, the third movement (tablet) sometimes approaching doom-sludge-djent and maybe a few other subgenres, and so on...
Surprisingly one of my favorites on the album, and a surprisingly great album overall. Sometimes I'm glad to be wrong!
"Earth Ripper/Swords & Leather/Abraxas Connexus" - live NYC, 11/11/2011
O fine, here's the studio version of album opener "Earth Ripper" - I was just excited to find a such good quality live video footage, and so relevant to my purposes!
Nice "Iron Face"-style scream intro, some old-school splintering riff-shards, lots of rapid-fire blast-beats, plenty of song segments & changes. So far, so good...
I had steeled myself to be disappointed by the new Absu record Abzu. My enjoyment of the triumphant-return-from-2001, Absu (#2 Metal, Next Ten 2009), just grew & grew over time. But apparently, Proscriptor (drums-vocals-lyrics) had lost all the new members that made that album. It's one thing to rebuild a band over 8 years, but just two? Hmmm...
This new one is the 2nd in a planned trilogy of albums, all with similar pseudo-eponymous titles. Read the story so far post to learn all that's led up to now.
"Abraxas Connexus" from Abzu (2011)
Then they released that one as a preview track (still available for download on the SPIN Best of Metal mixtape), and things were looking up already. Slightly different guitar style, but still thrashy Blackened fun - with a bit of seriousness.
"Circles of the Oath" from Abzu (2011)
[7/30, post-vacation edit: video added 1 day ago!]
Hold up - why has "Circles of the Oath" been removed from YouTube and the rest of the internet? [click link to search later] Okay, let me describe it.
Pummelling thrash, with some vocal delay at the end of each verse, then very speedy unison break, unleash the velocity, staccato tremolo-picking after 4-bar riff, then a chromatic single-notes (scale) riff, with a slower syncopated drumbeat, stop., some grindage that breaks open a bit, then back to the chromatic-syncopated part, back to pummelling thrash, velocity, some other fast playing, there's a scream, the unison break happens like 4 or 6 times, solo!, it's kinda spindly, AAAAAARGH!, demon chanting, repeat, pummelling-vocal delay section, unison break, then acoustic guitar and Mellotron outro.
Got it! Just as good as streaming audio...
"Skrying in the Spirit Vision" - live Arnhem, Netherlands, 10/29/2011
"Skrying" has some pretty meaty riffing, almost like the old-school Norwegian originators.
The next track is actually named "Ontologically, It Became Time & Space" - and it has some amazing bass drumwork from Proscriptor, as well as a really memorable guitar break/drum fill part. Unfortunately, a lot of these songs have disappeared from the web. Since I have no music to play, here's some Lyrical Magick Glossary insight:
This song [lyrics] is an argument concerning the relationship between metaphysical nihilism and the 'physical' origin of one abstract occult concept. In other words, how did time and space inaugurate? Ontology. It is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations. Traditionally listed as a part of the major branch of philosophy known as metaphysics, ontology deals with questions concerning what entities (or planets) exist or can be said to exist, and how such entities can be grouped, related within a hierarchy, and subdivided according to similarities and differences.
"A Song for Ea" from Abzu (2011)
When I first heard about this, it concerned me most of all. A 14½-minute Absu song? Well, at least it had sections: (a) E-A, (b) A Myriad of Portals, (c) Third Tablet, (d) Warren Of Imhullu, (e) The Waters - The Denizens, (f) E-A (reprise).
But this whole suite rocks consistently. My concerns were all unfounded! Just set aside a quarter-hour and listen. (With lyrics if you like.) Maybe a little harsh & insane, but isn't that what you've been looking for in your life? Isn't it?! Anyway, it's not like they just do the same thing the whole time - it has some of the most clearly distinct contrasts and distinctions of all Absu. The tempo shifts, the keyboard towards the end of section (a), the way he sings "a myriad of portals," the military rhythm break, the third movement (tablet) sometimes approaching doom-sludge-djent and maybe a few other subgenres, and so on...
Surprisingly one of my favorites on the album, and a surprisingly great album overall. Sometimes I'm glad to be wrong!
Genre - Mythological Occult Metal
Official - absu.bandzoogle.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/absu
Location - Plano, TX
Review - Pitchfork
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Candlelight [CD / LP]
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Spacerock Con 2012
Whoa. Look what I just found at Aural Innovations!!
PROMO!
Might have to check out what Cullman, AL, is all about. But for now, let's stick with the music. I don't think I've heard of a single one of these performers, and we're talking Space Music from the American Deep South. Should be an adventure...
Unus Mundus - raw psychedelic space jams from from Athens, GA. As with many of these groups, it took awhile to track down any leads - and some I never found anything. These guys have the Bandcamp (bio + 2 albums), Facebook (active), Soundcloud (with some free downloads), MySpace, and some Aural Innovations reviews.
"Babblepoint" from Echobeast EP (2005)
Echobeast - Atlantean psych-guitar jams (that's Atlanta, GA, mind). They've got Cosmic Jam Live from Dec 2011, and a homemade video for "Ballroom." First band I know to use The Internet Archive for their vids, but they also have the Echobeast EP (The Movie) available for download. Mainly I've found their MySpace page and a YouTube channel.
Even more recent song as SCR promo: "Venus Ride."
"Kulisse" by Scattered Planets (2003)
Scattered Planets - "Psycho-ambient space rock from another dimension" (Philadelphia). They have an old-school website, an older MySpace page, and a more active Facebook feed. Let's see... a live set playlist, and their own YouTube channel. Yup.
They've had a coupla reviews in Aural Innovations, plus this interview.
The Subliminator at Spacerockcon (2006)
Seems like an interesting dude, from Atlanta too. Got quite a few tracks on his Soundcloud page, including the newest one "Your Monkey Needs Acupuncture" (2012). Label Bandcamp is your best bet for hearing hearing all of Recalibrated (2005) and of Rake (2008).
Likewise reviewed by Aural Innovations.
One Eyed Bishops - very possibly the only band ever to cover both the Velvet Underground and Uriah Heep - at the same show no less! Hailing from Columbus, NJ. Interesting historical official website. The Bishops folks also double up as the Hawkwind cover band Sloterdijk (Dutch name due to Holland origins).
PXL - This?? Maybe not...
"Cluck" from Quadsteak (2011)
The Maple Key - from Cullman, AL itself! This might also be them playing live, but I haven't been able to nail down too many details. Progressive metal, yeah?
Revealation X - Wait. Not the Christian nü-metal-emo band?! I might not be able to pass that up.
"Maafkan Aku" from... 2011?
Jellyfish - Kind doubt it's either the '90s band, or the Visual Kei group above... but maybe? If the Christian gothbangers & Indonesian boy-band are both playing, I will be there.
Nixon for Xmas - Literally no idea... That is, until I found this video while investigating Lysteria (below): "Jamming with Nixon," which is just generally a great name for a song.
"Star Harvesters" from Leaving the Earth Behind (2008)
Vessels of the Divine - they're "an ambient doom metal band from Cullman, Alabama. Our influences..." Then the cached preview text gets cut off!
Title track from "Leaving the Earth Behind" (2009). There's a MySpace page out there; also on Facebook.
Ooooh, you can still download Eternal Resonance (2010) for free. Also, maybe some connection to Slow Southern Steel doc (2012?) - reviewed.
"Burn" from YouTube (2012)
Brother Cloud & The Scarecrow - more doom (folk) from Cullman! I really like that one, I think the most of any bands so far. And with tags like Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Steve von Till and Rwake, you can't go wrong. 2 more: "No Souls" and "Dig It on the Hill." (Those together seem like a single, if only conceptually...) We got Facebook and MySpace too.
05 Distant Sunset by Dreamwind
Dreamwind - "electronic ambient band from Birmingham, Alabama." Mellow new-age drift... Stream & download samples from their official site.
"Holy Ground" - Directed & edited by Allen Welty-Green
This guy's name has come up quite a few places I've been looking around. Here's your portal into that strange world.
"Perelendra" by Hart Deer
Hart Deer / Dark Night of the Soul will be performing. After looking around a bit, I'm not sure what to think. I believe... that I might be missing something. I mean... I just don't... Anyway, here's his website.
Oasirubric - electronic-techno from Rocket City FurMeet 2012! (I will spare you the details.)
From this other poster and the con's Facebook, here are some more possible performers:
"Black Death" live at JC Arena, Cullman, AL (02/25/2012)
Lysteria - these metal guys? I have to assume: Cullman! Official website / Facebook / YouTube channel / MySpace...
"Suns of Forlorn" live in... concert? (2012)?
Sad Luck Dame - roots indie from north Alabama. Official / Facebook / YouTube.
Bonejackal - instrumental psychedelic Sabbath-y space classic-rock, it would appear. I'm surprised we haven't seen more local bands with Bandcamp. And of course both Facebook and MySpace. They also have some live videos on YouTube.
"Giger's Locomotive" video (2006)
High Pink Clouds - really pretty cool ambient electronicals outta Louisiana or maybe Jackson, Mississippi. There's another video for a more recent song, "Indigo Noise" (2011). Lots more that I haven't explored on their YouTube channel.
You can read more, stream & download songs over at the official site, and there's always Facebook, and MySpace, aaannd... no Bandcamp, but an Amazon micro-shop!
Viet-Zen - it is a mystery...
Now I just have to verify that it's the famous Indonesian Jellyfish and the apocalyptic Revelation X of St. John of Patmos, make some travel reservations, and get my Space Rock (c)On!
PROMO!
Might have to check out what Cullman, AL, is all about. But for now, let's stick with the music. I don't think I've heard of a single one of these performers, and we're talking Space Music from the American Deep South. Should be an adventure...
Unus Mundus - raw psychedelic space jams from from Athens, GA. As with many of these groups, it took awhile to track down any leads - and some I never found anything. These guys have the Bandcamp (bio + 2 albums), Facebook (active), Soundcloud (with some free downloads), MySpace, and some Aural Innovations reviews.
"Babblepoint" from Echobeast EP (2005)
Echobeast - Atlantean psych-guitar jams (that's Atlanta, GA, mind). They've got Cosmic Jam Live from Dec 2011, and a homemade video for "Ballroom." First band I know to use The Internet Archive for their vids, but they also have the Echobeast EP (The Movie) available for download. Mainly I've found their MySpace page and a YouTube channel.
Even more recent song as SCR promo: "Venus Ride."
"Kulisse" by Scattered Planets (2003)
Scattered Planets - "Psycho-ambient space rock from another dimension" (Philadelphia). They have an old-school website, an older MySpace page, and a more active Facebook feed. Let's see... a live set playlist, and their own YouTube channel. Yup.
They've had a coupla reviews in Aural Innovations, plus this interview.
The Subliminator at Spacerockcon (2006)
Seems like an interesting dude, from Atlanta too. Got quite a few tracks on his Soundcloud page, including the newest one "Your Monkey Needs Acupuncture" (2012). Label Bandcamp is your best bet for hearing hearing all of Recalibrated (2005) and of Rake (2008).
Likewise reviewed by Aural Innovations.
One Eyed Bishops - very possibly the only band ever to cover both the Velvet Underground and Uriah Heep - at the same show no less! Hailing from Columbus, NJ. Interesting historical official website. The Bishops folks also double up as the Hawkwind cover band Sloterdijk (Dutch name due to Holland origins).
PXL - This?? Maybe not...
"Cluck" from Quadsteak (2011)
The Maple Key - from Cullman, AL itself! This might also be them playing live, but I haven't been able to nail down too many details. Progressive metal, yeah?
Revealation X - Wait. Not the Christian nü-metal-emo band?! I might not be able to pass that up.
"Maafkan Aku" from... 2011?
Jellyfish - Kind doubt it's either the '90s band, or the Visual Kei group above... but maybe? If the Christian gothbangers & Indonesian boy-band are both playing, I will be there.
Nixon for Xmas - Literally no idea... That is, until I found this video while investigating Lysteria (below): "Jamming with Nixon," which is just generally a great name for a song.
"Star Harvesters" from Leaving the Earth Behind (2008)
Vessels of the Divine - they're "an ambient doom metal band from Cullman, Alabama. Our influences..." Then the cached preview text gets cut off!
Title track from "Leaving the Earth Behind" (2009). There's a MySpace page out there; also on Facebook.
Ooooh, you can still download Eternal Resonance (2010) for free. Also, maybe some connection to Slow Southern Steel doc (2012?) - reviewed.
"Burn" from YouTube (2012)
Brother Cloud & The Scarecrow - more doom (folk) from Cullman! I really like that one, I think the most of any bands so far. And with tags like Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Steve von Till and Rwake, you can't go wrong. 2 more: "No Souls" and "Dig It on the Hill." (Those together seem like a single, if only conceptually...) We got Facebook and MySpace too.
05 Distant Sunset by Dreamwind
Dreamwind - "electronic ambient band from Birmingham, Alabama." Mellow new-age drift... Stream & download samples from their official site.
"Holy Ground" - Directed & edited by Allen Welty-Green
This guy's name has come up quite a few places I've been looking around. Here's your portal into that strange world.
"Perelendra" by Hart Deer
Hart Deer / Dark Night of the Soul will be performing. After looking around a bit, I'm not sure what to think. I believe... that I might be missing something. I mean... I just don't... Anyway, here's his website.
Oasirubric - electronic-techno from Rocket City FurMeet 2012! (I will spare you the details.)
From this other poster and the con's Facebook, here are some more possible performers:
"Black Death" live at JC Arena, Cullman, AL (02/25/2012)
Lysteria - these metal guys? I have to assume: Cullman! Official website / Facebook / YouTube channel / MySpace...
"Suns of Forlorn" live in... concert? (2012)?
Sad Luck Dame - roots indie from north Alabama. Official / Facebook / YouTube.
Bonejackal - instrumental psychedelic Sabbath-y space classic-rock, it would appear. I'm surprised we haven't seen more local bands with Bandcamp. And of course both Facebook and MySpace. They also have some live videos on YouTube.
"Giger's Locomotive" video (2006)
High Pink Clouds - really pretty cool ambient electronicals outta Louisiana or maybe Jackson, Mississippi. There's another video for a more recent song, "Indigo Noise" (2011). Lots more that I haven't explored on their YouTube channel.
You can read more, stream & download songs over at the official site, and there's always Facebook, and MySpace, aaannd... no Bandcamp, but an Amazon micro-shop!
Viet-Zen - it is a mystery...
Now I just have to verify that it's the famous Indonesian Jellyfish and the apocalyptic Revelation X of St. John of Patmos, make some travel reservations, and get my Space Rock (c)On!
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Story So Far: Absu #6
O man, what can I say to prepare you for our #6 album of 2011: Absu's non-self-titled Abzu? Their actual self-titled album (Absu) was the #2 Next 10 Metal Album of 2009. They opened for Immortal at the #1 Live Show of last year! (So I will try to avoid covering the same ground as this pre-Immortal show post.)
Absu play an incredibly technical (well, fast) yet incredibly fun & thrashy version of Black Metal. Their lead singer-songwriter doubles as their amazing drummer, and is the only consistent member over 20 years. He calls himself "Proscriptor McGovern." Subject matter covers everything from Celtic military legends to Sumerian occult numerology. And they hail from Plano, TX!!
I haven't really listened to the earliest couple of Death Metal releases from Absu. First there were apparently some seriously-DM 1991 demo's, later released on 7" as The Temples of Offal EP (1992).
"Fantasizing to the Third of the Pagan Vision (Quoth the Sky, Nevermore Act II)" from Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (1993)
Knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone, but especially Adam seems to internet explore.
These posts do me so much good - official Absu video from 1993?!?! This is their debut full-length, and the Death Metal's pretty much gone. That's already close enough to thrashy Blackish US extreme metal, not too far from later Absu. (Maybe I'm missing some other early DM material?) Ahhhh, I was forgetting Dolmen, the pre-name-change Absu!
"The Coming of War" from The Sun Of Tiphareth (1995)
This one's the earliest release I actually have - it's really good, although with regional studio production values. Fortunately the drums came out sounding real good! Here's the full album - nice acoustics in the opener (yet another spelling of the eponymous water elemental).
Note the link to Dark Lyrics at YouTube. There's good reasons for that!
"Swords and Leather" from The Third Storm Of Cythrául (1997)
I've heard legend of a 7" single with two of these songs from 1995, but I cannot vouch for that. Nor much really, as I've never owned this record (with shame). True story: I was planning to buy this & one other at the Immortal show, but the previous 5 audiences apparently tore through all the merch for both bands - and ours was the last of the entire tour.
Once again, the entire album is available to stream. The two long-time mainstays are above and "Highland Tyrant Attack."
"Never Blow Out the Eastern Candle" from In The Eyes Of Ioldánach EP (1998)
Awesomest song!! I definitely associate this EP with Tara, because it added to later CD's, and "Manannán" would re-appear as an album cut.
O Tara, who are you?
Lemme tell ya, that's the short entry in the Glossary of Lyrical Magick. The long version is under The Third Storm Of Cythrául section.
"A Shield with an Iron Face" from Tara (2001)
Would you like some Black Metal Classics post? Best record! And here is your full-album stream.
After Tara, Absu kinda went to ground, Proscriptor auditioned with Slayer, and everything got quiet.
"The Gold Torques Of Uláid " from Mythological Occult Metal 1991-2001 (2005)
This collection includes rarities like that one, the opening track on the Gummo soundtrack (1998), a handful of live tracks... A little of that early DM material, like "Disembodied," if you're into that kinda stuff. And some covers of bands like Mayhem, Possessed, and Iron Maiden's "Transylvania."
This comp was the other album that I was hoping to buy in San Antonio. I need to get a move on, just order over the internet, etc.
"To the Gallows" from Speeds 'N Spikes, Vol. II (2008)
That there's a Morbid Scream cover from Absu's split 7" with Rumpelstiltskin Grinder. I learned about fellow Planonians Morbid Scream through Encyclopædia Metallum - and the fact that Absu covered them a number of times. "The Coming of War," embedded above for Tiphareth (1995), "Morbid Scream" from Cythrául (1997), and then that newest one. Yet another Morbid Scream song was included on an advance tracklisting for Tara (2001) as well.
The other Absu track was a 'new' original called "Thrashstorms."
After all this time, around here's where I come in - much closer to Absu in 2009, than even to Tara in 2001, much less The Sun of Tiphareth in 1995.
"Amy" from Absu (2009)
With just a split-7", who could be sure if they were truly back? Or maybe just clearing out some archives... But no! Soon came the triumphant return via the awesome self-titled full-length (#2 Metal Next 10, 2009).
Other than Proscriptor, it's an all-new band that sounds rejuvenated. And this record just blasts it out, relentlessly, but like a major raging party of good times. One more? Why not: "Girra's Temple" for ya!
The 2009 s/t record was the first of the trilogy, last year's new one was the 2nd, and we're due a final chapter sometime over the next year or so (Apsu?). Hopefully....
"Night Fire Canonization (live)" from WFMU/Aquarius SXSW 2009 Showcase
Show audio available for download at Free Music Archive!
Keep up with the Absu blog and their official website for stuff like 25 Minute High Quality Live Performance Video (Paris, France - April 2012).
Top 10 post coming soon!
Absu play an incredibly technical (well, fast) yet incredibly fun & thrashy version of Black Metal. Their lead singer-songwriter doubles as their amazing drummer, and is the only consistent member over 20 years. He calls himself "Proscriptor McGovern." Subject matter covers everything from Celtic military legends to Sumerian occult numerology. And they hail from Plano, TX!!
I haven't really listened to the earliest couple of Death Metal releases from Absu. First there were apparently some seriously-DM 1991 demo's, later released on 7" as The Temples of Offal EP (1992).
"Fantasizing to the Third of the Pagan Vision (Quoth the Sky, Nevermore Act II)" from Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (1993)
Knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone, but especially Adam seems to internet explore.
These posts do me so much good - official Absu video from 1993?!?! This is their debut full-length, and the Death Metal's pretty much gone. That's already close enough to thrashy Blackish US extreme metal, not too far from later Absu. (Maybe I'm missing some other early DM material?) Ahhhh, I was forgetting Dolmen, the pre-name-change Absu!
"The Coming of War" from The Sun Of Tiphareth (1995)
This one's the earliest release I actually have - it's really good, although with regional studio production values. Fortunately the drums came out sounding real good! Here's the full album - nice acoustics in the opener (yet another spelling of the eponymous water elemental).
Note the link to Dark Lyrics at YouTube. There's good reasons for that!
"Swords and Leather" from The Third Storm Of Cythrául (1997)
I've heard legend of a 7" single with two of these songs from 1995, but I cannot vouch for that. Nor much really, as I've never owned this record (with shame). True story: I was planning to buy this & one other at the Immortal show, but the previous 5 audiences apparently tore through all the merch for both bands - and ours was the last of the entire tour.
Once again, the entire album is available to stream. The two long-time mainstays are above and "Highland Tyrant Attack."
"Never Blow Out the Eastern Candle" from In The Eyes Of Ioldánach EP (1998)
Awesomest song!! I definitely associate this EP with Tara, because it added to later CD's, and "Manannán" would re-appear as an album cut.
O Tara, who are you?
Tara – Temuir and Temair in Old Irish. In County Meath, this main royal hill of the High Kings was regarded as the Irish capital. The name derived from the goddess Tea, wife of Eremon, the first High King Of Ireland. The ancient sites dates back to 2000 BC and included an intricate complex of fortifications. Five roads anciently led to those provinces, three of which are still discernable. Tara was finally abandoned as the seat of the High Kings in 560 AD, neither cursed nor neglected.
Lemme tell ya, that's the short entry in the Glossary of Lyrical Magick. The long version is under The Third Storm Of Cythrául section.
"A Shield with an Iron Face" from Tara (2001)
Would you like some Black Metal Classics post? Best record! And here is your full-album stream.
After Tara, Absu kinda went to ground, Proscriptor auditioned with Slayer, and everything got quiet.
"The Gold Torques Of Uláid " from Mythological Occult Metal 1991-2001 (2005)
This collection includes rarities like that one, the opening track on the Gummo soundtrack (1998), a handful of live tracks... A little of that early DM material, like "Disembodied," if you're into that kinda stuff. And some covers of bands like Mayhem, Possessed, and Iron Maiden's "Transylvania."
This comp was the other album that I was hoping to buy in San Antonio. I need to get a move on, just order over the internet, etc.
"To the Gallows" from Speeds 'N Spikes, Vol. II (2008)
That there's a Morbid Scream cover from Absu's split 7" with Rumpelstiltskin Grinder. I learned about fellow Planonians Morbid Scream through Encyclopædia Metallum - and the fact that Absu covered them a number of times. "The Coming of War," embedded above for Tiphareth (1995), "Morbid Scream" from Cythrául (1997), and then that newest one. Yet another Morbid Scream song was included on an advance tracklisting for Tara (2001) as well.
The other Absu track was a 'new' original called "Thrashstorms."
After all this time, around here's where I come in - much closer to Absu in 2009, than even to Tara in 2001, much less The Sun of Tiphareth in 1995.
"Amy" from Absu (2009)
With just a split-7", who could be sure if they were truly back? Or maybe just clearing out some archives... But no! Soon came the triumphant return via the awesome self-titled full-length (#2 Metal Next 10, 2009).
Other than Proscriptor, it's an all-new band that sounds rejuvenated. And this record just blasts it out, relentlessly, but like a major raging party of good times. One more? Why not: "Girra's Temple" for ya!
The 2009 s/t record was the first of the trilogy, last year's new one was the 2nd, and we're due a final chapter sometime over the next year or so (Apsu?). Hopefully....
"Night Fire Canonization (live)" from WFMU/Aquarius SXSW 2009 Showcase
Show audio available for download at Free Music Archive!
Keep up with the Absu blog and their official website for stuff like 25 Minute High Quality Live Performance Video (Paris, France - April 2012).
Top 10 post coming soon!
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