#31

Epocha Tristèsse – Epocha Tristèsse cd-r

A collaboration between two of the underground's more prolific musicians, Brazil's Kavara (Satanic Forest, Northern Forest, Láppide, etc, etc) and Germany's F (Svartalvs, Todessucht, Black Werewolf, etc, etc), Epocha Tristèsse pumps out some raw, depressive black metal. It's good stuff; a little slower than I was expecting, but it works out well. Hopefully this isn't a one time deal, as the single eight minute track on here isn't enough to satisfy my eardrums.

Bosque Produções


Flower Man – Inversion Fortuite 10" lp

Distorted strings, chirpy electronics, flanged ambiance, and the occasional disembodied voice is what you can expect to find on this one sided 10 inch ep. It's a weirdo release, but damn if Flower Man doesn't manage to pull it off and leave you wanting more. There's a playful, lighthearted nature about the unconventional sounds on Inversion Fortuite, too. Recommended for those of you looking for something a little eccentric, but accessible.

Monofonus Press


Ralph White – The Hanged Man c40

Ralph White is an impressive musician. He plays the banjo, accordion, and is a fiddler too. Unfortunately, what he's not as skilled at is song writing. The tracks on The Hanged Man seem to ramble and meander aimlessly to the point of annoyance. Further irritating is White's nasal, yodel-y vocal style, which misses the mark throughout the album. With as much as I've been getting into americana and folk, I was excited about getting my hands on this slab of 'acid bluegrass', but instead find myself sorely disappointed. I've come to appreciate this a little more with each listening, but not enough for me to recommend it.

Sloow Tapes


Sloth/Hogra – Split 7″

If I were still into noise, I'd probably be going apeshit over this ep. Sloth starts things off with a totally chaotic slab of harsh sound, that includes a frenzied sax. Hogra rounds the release out with two tracks of static pulsations, noise, and visceral growling. Worth checking out if you're into sonic dissonance.

Self released


Strings of Distorted Doom – The Winter Demos 2008 – 2009 cd-r

While unable to usurp Necrosadik's title of “shittiest sounding band ever”, Strings of Distorted Doom is definitely churning out some terrible, terrible music. A two man, black-noise-metal-whatever group, three of the four tracks are train wrecks that consist of vocal and guitar racket. The last track switches things up with a marginally listenable track of dark ambient. There is no reason for you to own this.

Bosque Produções


Xladnokrovie 616 – Gorod cd-r x2

This is fucking massive; four tracks split over two cds that clock in at over an hour a piece. The basic element of Xladnokrovie 616's sound is quiet, rumbling soundscapes that are overlaid with minimalist instrumental drones and rhythmic field recordings. While, at first, I found myself enjoying Gorod, I quickly began to find the music boring and monotonous. There's definitely a progression in the sound over the four tracks, but it's rather minuscule. I can't help but feel like this was a single track about 25 minutes longs, that was stretched out to fill up two hours. The only audience I can see enjoying this are the most fanatic drone enthusiasts.

A Beard of Snails Records

#30

Dark Isle – Poetry By An Open Fire cd-r

Collecting two eps and some unreleased work, Poetry By An Open Fire is 25 tracks of experimentation with electronic beats, neoclassical keyboards, and ambient soundscapes. With as many tracks as there are on the album, there's a fair amount of variance in Dark Isle's work. Some of the pieces were basic triphop stuff, while others were interesting, genre blending tunes. While this isn't really a style of music I'm into, I found myself enjoying the album. This will be appreciated for those who enjoy more progressive ambient or dub.

Dark Meadow Recordings


Grasshopper – Miles In The Sky c20

I've been digging the Grasshopper cassette I reviewed a few posts back so much that when I saw this limited, tour only release was reissued, I had to snag a copy. The boys kick things off with a side long track that starts as really harsh drone and ends with trumpets and electronic ambiance. The B side is more trumpet drones and synth pulsations, but a little more laid back. Cool stuff.

House of Alchemy


Permafrost – End of Humanity cd

I get the feeling that End of Humanity is a collection of Permafrost's odds and ends packaged together. The five dark ambient tracks stand well enough on their own, but when listened to as a whole, they lack a sense of cohesiveness. The two songs which are continuations from other songs on other albums particularly stand out, as the atmosphere they create is noticeably different from this album's other tracks. It's not a bad album, but the inability of the songs to mesh and create a shared ambiance is frustrating.

Invisible Eye Productions


SSSTORMSHELTERRRR – s/t c22

You can't get any more rad than this right here. Playing something akin to 'sludge gaze', SSSTORMSHELTERRRR manages to churn out a heavy, dreamy, doom-pop sound. You only get three tracks, but it'll keep you till they release a full length. Soooooo recommended.

Monofonus Press


These Feathers Have Plumes – all cats are grey by night c22

Composing bass driven drone that's skillfully interwoven with field recordings, These Feathers Have Plumes has a mysterious and elusive sound. With each listening of all cats are grey by night, something new presents itself and you're absorbed deeper into the music. This is an essential addition to the collection of any serious drone aficionado.

//cae-sur-a//