#26

B. Lone Engines – B. Lone Engines cd-r

Dark Meadow Recordings has recently been dropping albums from artists that are way out there, and B. Lone Engines is no exception. This has to be one of the more progressive and complicated collection of soundscapes I've heard. First off, there's a highly aggressive aspect to it, with abrasive sine wave formations and droning guitar feedback, sounds one normally doesn't associate with 'soundscape' music. This is not to say B. Lone Engines has a 'harsh' sound to it, as there's an equal amount of subdued, quiet sections. I feel inclined to file this under ambient, but there's such a cornucopia of sounds that it'd be doing the album an injustice. Recommended for those of you who want something that's going to stimulate and challenge your audio palate.

Dark Meadow Recordings


Music That Doesn't Suck #6

Cool zine here that includes all the staples of a music rag; reviews, interviews, a scene report, a tour diary, etc. The tunes covered inside are mostly punk & garage stuff from Utah, which is kinda off my radar, but there are also some random gems, like the review of an ep of 60's organ groove by the Egyptian Combo. Oh, and there some pretty rad comix too. If you're in Utah, a surrounding state, or dig garage-y punk stuff, MTDS is required reading.

MTDS


Northern Forest – Perdido No Verde Da Natureza / Winter Grey Sky cd-r

A two track ep, Perdido No Verde Da Natureza, starts off with a 10 minute piece that combines forest sounds, mellow synthesizers, blast beats, and guttural vocals. Definitely an original and unusual sound, but not something that everyone's going to enjoy. The second track is a pleasant, albeit average sounding, dreamy ambient composition. Snag it for the first track, if you're the type who likes genre-bending ambient.

Up next is Winter Grey Sky, which contains a single track of subdued, minimal soundscape. The track is interesting with it's heavy use of bells, which blend well with the synthesizers and desolate field recordings. The atmosphere created by the sound doesn't really synch up with the ep's title, but that's not a huge problem.

Smell the Stench


Old Man Forest – Maid Up Saints cd-r

Playing quirky, americana fueled pop, Old Man Forest falls outside of my usual listening rotation, but I'm really digging Maid Up Saints. Tracks run the gauntlet from a cappella southern folk pieces to haunting, dreamy pop songs. Unfortunately, the band seems to have slipped into indefinite hiatus, so there's the strong possibility this is it from them, which is a shame.

A Beard of Snails Records


Satanic Forest – Maléfica Arte De Satanás cd-r

A hurricane of lo-fi, one man, black metal hatred from Brazil, Satanic Forest is here to destroy everything and praise the Horned One. You already know if you dig this kinda stuff or not, and Maléfica Arte De Satanás wont change your opinion one way or the other. It's good for what it is, I only wish their were around five tracks, instead of just the two.

Smell The Stench

#25

Daniel Menche – Like a Ghost Singing To You c40

Now this is what I envision when I hear people use the term “harsh ambient”. Created by digitally manipulating the first vocal recording ever made, 10 seconds worth of sound from over 150 years ago, Daniel Menche has crafted two tracks of densely textured, glitchy soundscapes. It's slightly chaotic and very low-key; think the wind moaning as it blows through the chard remnants of civilization. It cost a pretty penny to get Like a Ghost Singing To You shipped over from Greece, but it was well worth it.

Antifrost


Láppide – Meu Volho Caixão cd-r

A single track of stripped-down, funeral doom, I suspect some aficionados of this genre may be turned off by Láppide's sound. Why? Well, it's slow and dirgeful enough, but where are the stereotypical melodic keyboards and trademark monkish chanting? Meu Volho Caixão is all about despair, suicide, and that distorted electric guitar. I liked this for a demo, but I want to see Láppide grow from here. Anyhow, turn this up and remember to coil that noose of yours around 13 times.

Smell The Stench Records


Make Believe Bombs/Color Rabbit – Split c62

Make Believe Bombs kicks things off with a side long track of acid kraut rock that fades out into deep space synth before jumping into a little bit of aggressive post-rock which then drifts into shimmering, atmospheric glory. Niiiiice....Now hand me that bong, dude. On the flip is Color Rabbit with eight tracks of psychedelic electronics and looped found sounds. It's kinda far out and I'm digging it. Usually when I review splits, I like to select one band as the winner, but this one will have to be a tie. Check it out.

Felt Cat Records



Misantronics – moral panic and the end of reason cd-r

Layering harsh, rhythmic soundscapes over electronic percussion, Misantronics is pumping out some menacing stuff on moral panic and the end of reason. There was a track or two where the beats got a little too drum-n-base for my taste, or where an unnecessary keyboard popped up, but it wasn't a big issue. On the whole I dug what I heard, especially the massive 13+ minute burners that bookend the album.

Dark Meadow Recordings


ORPHAN ‌ Oliver – three times away c44

For those unaware, the artist formally known as Orphan is now ORPHAN ‌ Oliver and will, allegedly, finally become Oliver. The significance of this name evolution? Iunno...I'm no psychologist, I'm just in this for the tunes. And, said tunes are magnificent. With eight tracks of dreamy, melancholy music infused with distant, echoing vocals, ambling keyboards, and sparse percussion, three times away makes you want to close your eyes and drift off into that grey nothingness. Highly recommended.

IHAA Records


Охотники за Головами – Meat of Authority cd-r

Rarely does a musical act come along that manages to leave me feeling befuddled, but Охотники за Головами has done just that. If I were to try and pigeon hole the sound on Meat of Authority, I'd say 'post-industrial', but that label sounds really dumb and is a gross oversimplification of what's going on here. The backbone of Охотники за Головами's sound is 90's industrial rock, but there are healthy doses of electronic experimentation, classical, and ambient sounds blended in. Usually when groups try this sort of thing, it results in an audio clusterfuck (see Demetrius Grave), but here the music is surprisingly well played and both the songs & album have a solid sense of cohesiveness. While not a genre of music I'm particularly into, I'll wager fans of industrial music will eat this up. If this is your scene, better get get a copy 'cause Meat of Authority is a limited release.

Dark Meadow Recordings


Scumbag Summer #4: The Sound of Sadness Silence is Golden

Slick little art and poetry zine here from Germany. Seeing as I nein sprechen Deutsch, I cant tell you anything about the poetry. What I can tell you about is the art, which is a collection of mixed media collage pieces and drawings. As the title of this issue of Scumbag Summer suggests, there's an element of isolation and gloom about the works. Worth checking out if you dig art zines or can read stuff in kraut.

Scumbag Summer


sLoth – BUBbling over! 7'

Venturing off into garage-y noise rock, no-wave territory, sLoth serves up two tracks of audio dissonance. While I'm digging what I hear, you've got to remember I spent large sections of my youth going deaf to the likes of godheadSilo and Happy Flowers, so this isn't for everyone.

Self released