#48

Alaskan – The Weak & The Wounded 12" ep

Originally released two years ago on cassette, The Weak & The Wounded is once again seeing the light of day, this time on wax. If you've heard the Split 12" with Co-Pilot you'll be able to tell right away this is an earlier release. The sludgy ambiance on that ep is noticeably absent here, with Alaskan playing a far more generic style of post-metal. The vocals also sound off, like they would be more suited for a hardcore band. I suspect if I had heard this before their more recent work, I'd be more favorable toward it. The Weak & The Wounded isn't a bad album, by any means, just that I prefer the sound the band has evolved into.

The Treaty Oak Collective

Kösmonaut – Emanations c60

I can't believe I'm only now discovering Kösmonaut. A one-man, electronic krautrock unit from my home state of Texas, I should have been all over this from day one. Better late than never. Anyhow, saying that Kösmonaut is “krautrock” is a little bit of an oversimplification. There's a lot of stuff going on in Emanations, solid undertones of drone, psych, and industrial, so you can't pigeon-hole the sound. There are even tracks like "Triad," which has a mutant italo disco, 80's club vibe to it. Emanations is an all around rad album, that pushes the boundaries of what you think of as kosmische musik.

Jozik Records

Mark Bradley – Radiant c21

Combining minimalistic bass, chiptune percussion, and electronic sounds, I'm digging what Mark Bradley's served up on this little tape. Starting off stark and simplistic, Radiant's sound grows and evolves with each track, becoming a new beast entirely by the end. If you're into unusual electronic compositions as much as I am, you're gonna want to snag a copy of this while you still can.

A Beard of Snails Records

Qwertzuiop/i AM esper – Split cd-r

Rad album right here that's both a split and a collaboration. Qewertzuiop kicks things off with a track of interesting neo-classical stuff, followed by a track of simmering, ethereal ambient. As a transition between the artists, the two worked together on a song, creating a stunning composition that blends the best of both bands. Seriously, it's pretty damn amazing. i AM esper rounds the cd out with two pieces of stellar, hypnotic guitar drone. Highly recommended.  

Frozen Tendril Records

Sam Pink – i never liked my dad c58

Aside from a few Henry Rollins and Jello Biafra tapes I owned in middle school, I've never really listened to spoken word stuff. And, while I might not be a connoisseur of the genre, I can tell you what I do like and what I don't like. This falls into the latter category. As if the rambling, pointless, slice-of-life material wasn't enough, Sam Pink's monotonous tone and choppy speaking pace make i never liked my dad an incredibly frustrating listen. Sorry, no thanks.

Tent Revivalist Tapes

#47

Bad Creeps – Make Us Proud c26

Abrasive and disjointed, Make Us Proud reminds me a lot of the noise rock AmpRep was pumping out some 20 years ago. But, you can't pigeonhole Bad Creeps' sound down to just that. There's a little bit of a powerviloence undertone and a totally snarky feel to it all. It's fucking rad. My only complaint is that mix seems a little muted, especially on the vocals. I'd have liked to hear those shrieks and barks louder. It's not that big a deal. What is a big deal is that this is limited to 50 copies, so you better keep your fingers crossed there is one or two still left for you.

Tent Revivalist Tapes

Mt. Tjhris – Amethyst Cave c44

Remember back in high school when one of your pals dropped blotters for the first time and was all “Dude...The colors, I can hear them!” Well, now you too can finally hear that chromesthesiatic trip, thanks to Mt. Tjhris and this tape. It's a prismatic spray in the audio spectrum, the sound of light refracting through a million crystals. I won't lie, Amethyst Cave's whole new age, purple crystal healing sounds vibe is way too Hearts of Space for me, but the actual music is solid. Bubbly, synth ambiance, with some trance-y drone tossed in for good measure. Recommended, especially for all you clairvoyants who want a soundtrack to your crystal gazing.

Holy Page Records

null – Miasma cd-r

All to frequently “post-black metal” is code for hipster dicks playing at some bullshit, ironic, art school, quasi-black metal sound. Thankfully, this is not the case with null. Consisting of 4 massive tracks blending vaguely melodic black metal and guitar fueled dronescapes, Miasma is totally overwhelming. I can see a lot of black metal purists being turned off by this, but fuck them, it's their loss. Required listening for anyone who enjoys progressive and creative black metal type stuff. The only unfortunate aspect about Miasma is that it marks the end of null. Oh well, better to go out with a bang, right?  

Frozen Tendril Records

Slaw – Slaw c45 x2

Make sure the Pabst is ice cold and that sweet wizard-shaped bong is packed, 'cause it's time to pop this monster into the tape deck. Totally pummeling, crushing sludge spaced out over two 45 minute cassettes, how the fuck could you not love Slaw? The production is surprising clean for music that sounds so grimy, but it works. These dudes have a kind of minimalistic sound going; no psychedelic guitar solos or southern rock action, it's just a pulverizing wave of sludge. Why the fuck are you still reading my ramblings and not out snagging a copy?  

Headway Recordings

V.A. – Duets c100

Ok, so this is a totally rad idea. Put together a huge comp that consists entirely of two-man bands. Duets is 16 bands and over an hour and a half of tunes. Mostly synth and electronic action from the groups, but there's some other styles thrown in as well. All fairly solid tracks, standouts for me were the rumbler from Brother Raven, the meditative guitar drones from Century Planet, and a plodding rock instrumental from Big Sky. And that's just the A side; on the flip there solid tracks from Blood on Tape, Sundrips, & Grasshopper. Diggin it.  

Tranquility Tapes

#46

156 – Frontyard/Backyard c42

I'm not quite sure if the 156 fits the definition of musique concrète, so I'll use the more generic 'sound collage'. It's not really a genre I'm particularly interested in and the truth is I snagged this tape not knowing what I'd find on it. I was down in Fort Lauderdale digging though the local section of an indie record store when I stumbled upon Frontyard/Backyard. I didn't know anything about the project or the label, but the man behind 156, Adel Souto, is a name I recognize. For those unaware, Mr. Souto used to publish the Feast of Fear and Hate zine (remember when people did paper zines?), which I read voraciously back in high school. Anyhow, this is a collection of field recordings and musical-ish sounds created with tools, metal scraps, and whatever else, that have been interwoven. As I said before, this type of stuff doesn't really pique my interest, but I did find the album to be strangely hypnotic. Listening to it in a noisy, metropolitan area, Frontyard/Backyard didn't blend in, but rather stood out as a different, but similar, set of sound. I found myself trancing out in a strange place in between what was the white noise of the city and the music from 156. Does that make any sense? Anyhow, if you're into unusual sound collages and experimental field recordings, check this out.

Acid Casualty Productions 

Dragon Turtle and Eric de Jesus – The Second Summer of Love/The Leaves on the Trees were Green with Youth 7"

I feel like this is one of those 'good idea in theory' type of things that doesn't manage to pan out in reality. You've got a spoken word dude reading over a band's music; sounds interesting. The main problem is that the vocal levels are botched and Eric de Jesus sounds staticy and muted, especially on The Leaves... side. On top of that, de Jesus' prose doesn't particularly appeal to me; it's not bad or anything, just not my deal. I did find myself enjoying Dragon Turtle's kinda shoegaze-y, mellow math-rock; but that wasn't enough to save this ep. I wanted to like this, but it left me rather underwhelmed.

La Société Expéditionnaire

Lunar Miasma – Managing The Dream c28

If you've been jonesing for some synch action, Lunar Miasma has got what you need. This rad little tape kicks off with a massive track of shimmering electronics. All crystal visions and tigers floating in space, you know? The next track takes it down a notch, with this mysterious, low key vibe going. On the flip there's another impressive piece of sci-fi sounding weirdness and finally a calm journey delving deep into the id. Managing The Dream is an astral burner, a soundtrack for the unconscious mind.

Tranquility Tapes

 Rose Cross – Rose Cross 7"

I'm not big into either punk or garage rock, but I'm finding myself digging this ep. Rose Cross plays short songs of fuzzy punk rock about ghosts, the apocalypse, and relationships. The really stand out aspect about Rose Cross is the shout/sung female vocals, which gives the band a particularly unique sound. I'm diggin' it, go snag a copy.  

Drugged Conscience Records

#45

Force Fed Life – Reminiscent Nostalgia cd-r

Billed as “depressive black metal,” a more accurate description of Force Fed Life would be “repetitive guitar riffs and incoherent mumbling”. The first half of the Reminiscent Nostalgia's four tracks consist of an acoustic guitar and a dude whispering about pain or something, while the final half is an electric guitar and laughable black metal style vocals. To top it all off, the last track is an agonizing 14 minutes long. No thanks.

Smell the Stench

Fossils From the Sun – Blood '08 c38

Blood '08 begins with a sidelong jam of barley audible rhythmic pulsations, glitchy vocalizations, and, towards the end, some metallic sine waves. Not a promising start for the album. On the flip things are slightly more interesting, but really the three tracks there are just variations of what you heard before. It feels like Fossils From the Sun has the potential, but it just never manifests. All and all? Meh.   

//cae-sur-a//

i AM esper – Sun & Moon: Between Dimensions cd-r

Damn, this is a massive slab of drone right here. Broken up between “day music” and “night music”, the sun portion is strummed guitar riffs that have been looped and layered creating tracks that slowly unfold, while the moon half utilizes low note reverberations for melancholy pieces. With each song clocking in at around 10 minutes, by the time Sun & Moon: Between Dimensions concludes one can't help but feel overwhelmed and engulfed in an ocean of sound. While the cd-r version has sold out, you can buy a digital copy from i AM esper's bandcamp or wait for one of the two cassette reissues. Either way, just make sure you get you hands on a copy of this.    

Vomit Bucket Productions

Northern Forest/Pandemonium – Là où la Nature Reflète Sa Majesté cd-r

This split gets kicked off with four tracks from Northern Forest of mixed synth action and nature recordings, with a bit of black metal for good measure. These are decent enough, but I've heard better stuff from Northern Forest. The album is rounded out by an impressive track of drone from France's Pandemonium. Consisting of looped ritualistic chanting, electronic rumblings, and an unknown stringed instrument, it's completely mesmerizing. Worth checking out if drone and dark ambient is your game.

Bosque Produções

Pan – Pan c60

Pan's a tough nut to crack. The songs here range from chaotic electronic soundscapes to folksy, pop psychedelics and a fair share of things in between. I find myself more drawn toward the psych tracks than the sound collage & electronic antics, but to each their own. Pretty impressive that such a diverse array of music was created with just a synthesizer, electric guitar, and vocals. For whatever reason, I feel a little out of my element with this one. I'm liking Pan, but it's not the thing for everybody. If you dig odd birds, Pan will be right up your alley.

Haute Magie

#44

The Hare and The Moon – The Grey Malkin c41

I'm not particularly well versed in folk music and what's in my record collection is all stuff from this side of the Atlantic. So, I had a little trepidation about snagging a copy of The Grey Malkin, unsure as to how much I'd like contemporary British folk. It turns out that fear was completely unfounded; The Hare and The Moon is fucking incredible. Dark, doomy, and vaguely psychedelic, I'm loving everything about this album. The ghostly female vocals are the icing on the cake, creating a completely forlorn and haunting ambiance. This is one of those releases that no amount of my babbling will do it justice, you've got to hear it for yourself. Highly recommended.  

Haute Magie

i AM esper/Synkretismos Mutare – Astral Dream of Nature's Ashes cd-r

You get used to split albums having each artist's tracks grouped by themselves, so to hear them juxtaposed like they are on Astral Dream of Nature's Ashes shakes you up a bit. Add to this i AM esper is guitar driven drone, while Synkretismos Mutare crafts bass & beat heavy soundscapes and you've got the recipe for some interesting sonic interplay. Top notch drone from two impressive acts, presented in a way that keeps you on your toes...Why haven't you snagged a copy yet?

Bosque Produções

Obscurer – Shining Arbors cd-r

So, I can't really decide if I'm on board or not with Obscurer. A single track that is broken down into three movements, Shining Arbors is a strange beast. Wailing theremins, undulating electronics, distant guitars, and spectral vocalizations mingle together to create an album in a constant state of flux. Where Obscurer is going, who knows? You're just along for the ride. There's no way to just passively listen to this, as it demands your undivided attention. Like I said, I'm not sure about Shining Arbors, but if you like things a little more unusual, it'll be right up your alley.  

House of Alchemy

Occult Vomit – Anti-Human Devotion c90

Playing “black n' roll,” Occult Vomit is raw, blackened thrash style stuff, with the addition of southern fried, 70's rock guitar riffs and a lot of that buzzsaw bass sound. I'm honestly less than impressed with Anti-Human Devotion, but maybe I'm just not kvlt enough. It's not terrible or anything, but the album starts to drag and the songs begin to sound interchangeable with one another. It is what it is, and if you're a fanatic for thrash-y black metal, you'll dig it.   

Smell the Stench

Panopticon – Kentucky lp x2

Wait...Appalachian black metal? Yeap, thou it's not quite what you might be expecting. Kentucky is split pretty evenly between tracks of atmospheric black metal and bluegrass. So, if you were hoping for banjos and fiddles in your black metal, you're out of luck. About as folksy as the black metal stuff gets is the inclusion of some flute action. I actually found myself liking bluegrass songs the best, though the black metal tracks were highly enjoyable as well. Honestly, this isn't an album for everybody. In fact, I suspect many people will actively dislike it, but whatever, I can't get enough of it.

Handmade Birds Records

Twin Polygamists/Pacific Mausoleum – Split c8

This little split kicks off with a sidelong burner of mechanized drone and rhythmic pulsations from Twin Polygamists. It's dark and menacing with kind of a space-y feel, like the soundtrack to exploring a mysteriously abandoned spaceship adrift in the Kuiper belt. On the flip Pacific Mausoleum lets loose with a track of soft, rumbling electronics that suddenly morphs into low frequency squeals. Not bad, but it doesn't really stack up against the Twin Polygamists track.   

A Beard of Snails

#43

1%er – Tomorrow Will be Worse c32

A live recording consisting of a malfunctioning synthesizer, tape noise, and what I assume is someone dragging around heavy furniture (there are a lot of *thuds* and scraping noises), Tomorrow Will be Worse is a colossal yawn inducer. I get the feeling that 1%er consists of arty types who would just argue that I can't appreciate their creation and entirely missed the “metamorphosis of sound” on the album. Nah, I got it dudes; it started off with a bunch of blip sounds and ended with rumbling noises. Freakin' sonic wizards, right here...

Green Records and Tapes

Black Velvet Stereo – Destroy This Town cd-r

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for Black Velvet Stereo to release a full length album. BVS has quickly risen to be one of my favorite groups and Destroy This Town does not disappoint. The dark, harsher drones of Iron Trees are not as prevalent here, with most of the tracks being crisp ambient waves that evolved out of Metal Rain Machine. It's incredible. There's a massive sci-fi vibe throughout the album, like it's the soundtrack to a Philip K. Dick novel. Unfortunately physical copies of this were limited to some ridiculously small number like 15 or 20, but luckily for you Black Velvet Stereo has made the album available digitally on it's bandcamp. This is a must have.

A Beard of Snails

Nyx – Obnubilato Incesto Semen cd-r

Damn, Obnubilato Incesto Semen is going to plow into you like a bulldozer. Playing fast, thrashy black metal, I'm digging what Nyx has to offer. Surprisingly, they incorporate the occasional melodic breakdown in a song or two, but it actually works really well, adding some complexity to their sound. The skilled level of musicianship and good production makes this feel like a professional label album rather then a demo release. Keep an eye out for these guys, I have a feeling they're gonna be making a name for themselves real fast.

Bosque Produções

Pizza Hi-Five/Powercup – Split 10'' 

Fuck yeeeees! First up is Pizza Hi-Five who rip through 12 tracks of blistering grindcore. I wont play the “reminded me a little Agathocles” card, but there's definitely some mincecore influence in there. I'm diggin everything about Pizza Hi-Five, right down to the song that has goofball hand clap solos. On the flip is Powercup, who is apparently all about power tools, home improvement, and contractors. Yea, like all 13 of their songs mention those topics. Their sound is a little more simplistic, straight forward style of grind, but it's just as fast and sick. You like grind? Then why haven't you snagged a copy of this already?

Hurts To Hear

#42

Afterlife/Dry Valleys – Split c39

Good vibes all around on this sweet little cassette. Afterlife kicks things off and fills up their side with a polyphonic synth burner. Cosmic pulsations drift over hypnotic drones to produce the most scintillating of soundscapes. On the B, Dry Valleys serves up three meditative electronic pieces. Very minimal and relaxing, it's the type of ambient where you lay back and drift away. Why don't you have a copy of this yet?

sacred phrases

Alaskan/Co-Pilot – Split 12"

Being a native Houstonian, I can authoritatively tell you the music scene here sucks. So, when I found out this  incredible  vinyl split was released by a local label and included a local band, I was shocked. Canada's Alaskan is up first with a massive track of progressive sludge with distant, growled vocals; the track has an intense foreboding ambiance. On the flip is Houston's Co-Pilot with a slab of masterfully crafted instrumental post-metal. Everything about this is fuckin rad, go get your hands on a copy.

The Treaty Oak Collective

Cogs and Sprockets – Town That Dreaded Sundown c9

I really haven't listened to much noisecore over the past few years. Somewhere along the line I just got tired of untalented “musicians” trying to be more offensive than Anal Cunt. So, when I popped Town That Dreaded Sundown into the cassette player, I was fucking blown away. It's loud, chaotic, & brutal stuff that's well played and lacking any of the bullshit. At 13 songs in just under 4 minutes, it pulverizes you and leaves you wanting more. If you're at all into noisecore, you need a copy of this.

Hurts To Hear

Nostalgia – A 512 devil music Vol. 2 cdr

Huh, this is a strange one here. The first two tracks are industrial metal, the sort of thing that was big back in the mid '90s. Sounds pretty ok, just not a style of music I'm really into. With each subsequent track, the industrial element fades and Nostalgia moves toward a more traditional black metal sound, but there's always an undertone present. Decent enough album here, but definitely not what I expected from a band labeled as dsbm.

Bosque Produções