[2011] Horseback/Locrian - New Dominions

The new collaboration between Horseback and Locrian is here, released in no other label but Utech Records. Two tracks clocking around 20min in total; my favorite being Our Epitaph, focusing in building upon the song structure using a breathtaking layering, involving Locrian's ever present tremolo-picked chords and Horseback's galloping slow riffing, accompanied by sparse drumming turning the song in a heavy trip. The Gift goes the opposite way, setting an eerie mood with the slow, crashing guitars complementing the piano and layered harsh vocals. Short but compelling release.

Buy it directly from Utech Records here.

[2011] Whitehorse - Progression

Featuring Rob Mayson from Grey Daturas on drums, the new Whitehorse album is a departure from the live sound that characterizes them to a "cleaner", studio-produced sound, but it doesn't affect their output in the slightest, aside from making the songs less sloppy and well structured. It's a short album so the difference between this and their s/t will be highly noticeable, but it hardly makes an impact on the overall listening experience. Main highlight: Remains Unknown.

Download it here: [320][V0]


Contact Sweat Lung Records here, for purchase info.

[2007] Whitehorse - Whitehorse

Released under the Olympia-based record label 20 Buck Spin Records, this s/t is one of the few studio releases of this band since their formation, even though they've released a series of live albums before, which makes them more of a live act. It's not surprising seeing as their heavy, merciless sound in total disregard of duration is a sign of the huge focus on live atmosphere they have. Slow building structures, yet elaborate since the start (don't expect a post-rockish approach to doom metal, so common and tiresome these days), rage-fueled hardcore vocals and chaotic guitar noise are the main highlights here. They've performed with plenty of well-known bands of their genre, along with other excellent australian acts such as Dad They Broke Me and Teargas.


Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it directly from 20 Buck Spin Records here.

[REQUEST] [2008] Asva - Live In London, September 8, 2005

Latest (live) release of the most innovative drone-doom metal band of the recent times, Live In London,... is a recording of a show back in 2005, in which they performed the first song off Futurists Against The Ocean (Kill The Dog, Tie Them Up, And Take The Money) and the well-known song A Trap For Judges. Single song, 50min long.

Download it here: [192][V0]


Tour only material, limited to 150 copies.

[2011][UPCOMING] Sunn O))) - Agharhi 09-10

(Via Ideologic.org)

Just look at this beauty... Can't wait to hear it. While Monoliths & Dimensions wasn't a total favorite (an overdose of Attila Csihar, as much as I like the guy's vocals in Oracle), some of their songs were just amazing and I expect them to sound immense live, just like La Mort Noir Dans / Ech Alzette did. I guess the idea of having a live choir in some gigs couldn't materialize, but I suppose sometime in the future it'll happen.
 Only two ways to get this: through the SL Subscription Series, or Roadburn 2011. It seems like there will be a lot of speculation with the prices of this release, given the exclusivity. Quite a shame, but I'll try to acquire it nonetheless.

I think there's a typo on the official flyer on Southern Lord's site, since it says Agharhi instead of Agharthi, like in the cover shown above. It might be the actual name though, but I'll remain skeptical until I see the cover in full view.

More info on the Southern Lord Subscription Series here.

[2011] Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1

Three years after The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull, Earth finally makes a worthy comeback with what it seems it'll be the first part of a series, called Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1. Still rooted in the somewhat clean, acoustic drone and the chilled out melodies that characterize them since HEX, this album however displays a big eastern folk influence (according to them, Tuareg music), borrowing some of the heavy dark atmosphere present in HEX; Or Printing In The Infernal Method to fully illustrate a deserted landscape, in which the country setting is left behind to focus into the mystical vibe of the Middle East.
There's violins in this album (courtesy of Lori Goldston), which surprisingly gives the songs a Bohren & der Club of Gore kinda sound (mostly noticeable in Father Midnight), a jazzy feeling that it's ensured to please their long-term fans, and placing the album at a remarkable distance from the aforementioned HEX, Bees, and even Hibernaculum.
The best song in the album is, definitely, the title track. Also the longest track in the album, its bass-driven melody is a definitive must-have, soothing and overwhelming in a way not too unlike their heaviest albums, except in a more subtle way. Even though it found its way to the internet 2 months earlier to its original release, this is an album to be purchased and listened in a physical format, so I encourage you from here to do so.

Download it here: [192][V0]


Buy it directly through Southern Lord Records here.

[2005] Black Boned Angel - Supereclipse

First album of this well-known Campbell Kneale project (Birchville Cat Motel, Our Love Will Destroy The World, and many, many others), it's also their most approachable release, since it's split into three tracks instead of the 1h monolithic slabs that characterize the next releases of this drone-doom metal project.
 Heaviest and slowest than most bands of its genre, it features mostly guitars and bass, with the heavy thumping drums of the second and third track. Definitely worth a try.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Currently sold out on 20 Buck Spin.

Sunn O))) Presents: Aluk Todolo @ Roadburn Festival 2011

It's a shame I probably won't be able to attend, but this looks like a promising show:

 

If you attend Roadburn 2011, you're in for a treat. This band was a perfect addition to the lineup put together by Sunn O))) for next year's event. Hopefully, 2011 won't suffer the same natural events like the volcano eruption during the first three months of this year, which caused several bands to cancel and some others to spend extra cash on land transportation..

Read more here: http://www.roadburn.com/2010/11/sunn-o-announces-first-bands-for-their-curated-event-at-roadburn-festival-2011-winter-earth-and-scorn-amongst-others/

[2010] The Human Quena Orchestra - A Natural History of Failure

Featuring a series of guest musicians for the first time in the career of The Human Quena Orchestra, this album takes the unsettling vibe of the band to a live setting, making it seem louder and weirder than it usually is. Audio nihilism, this is for those who want to hear a band deconstructing itself in the form of sparse, heavy compositions painting nothing but desolated landscapes. Ryan Unks (Creation Is Crucifixion, Fate of Icarus) is the main musician behind this.


Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from Utech Records here.

[2009] Blood Fountains - Floods

An album that would work nicely together with any Bloody Panda album, the broody vocals and the unsettling ritualistic atmosphere are very alike these band's releases, except that in this case we have Stephen Kasner (head of Utech Records and main designer of all their artwork) handling the guitar duties, to create a heavily atmospheric album, perfect to listen in the dark with just a few lit candles around. Yoshiko O'Hara vocals, mystical as an ancient geisha, float in the air like untamed ghosts. Among the best Utech has released.
For fans of ritual ambient, drone music, and eccentric vocals in general.

Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from Utech Records here.