Raven "A Disease Called Man" cs

Raven

A Disease Called Man

Lave Church

Another image I had to borrow. My camera hates everything about me. 

damn. I am so excited to check out the other Raven cassette I have to review after hearing this. Brutal noise in the vein of Blue Sabbath Black Cheer or maybe Deathroes. It's almost like a love song as sung by the engine of a 747. It's intense and cutting and good. I recommend this for anyone that likes being fucked with aurally. 

     It looks nice. In a chipboard O-card that looks as if it was xeroxed but in the best possible way. In fact the whole thing makes really good use of photocopying. Nicely handled text and decent art.

Yup. 

Highgate LP

Highgate

s/t 

Vendetta Records

The first thing I heard from Highgate was their excellent split 7" with Ghast on Pesanta Urfolk. This is a much earlier album but it is no less heavy. Epic blackened doom tracks with completely deranged vocals. Lots of space and texture made with only two guitars and a drum set. I think most people who dig Mournful Congregation, Neurosis, Grief and Shining Ones will find something to really enjoy here. Not to say they really sound exactly like any of those bands. It's quite unique. Good riffs and good taste. 

     Pretty much standard heavy music layout. Nothing really jumps out as outstanding or horrible as far as the text and artwork goes but little details like having the inside of the jacket be solid black is nice. This is just the beginning.

Start here with this band. Available here as well. 

Vasculae "Receding Stasis" cs

Vasculae

Receding Stasis

Monorail Tresspassing

I had to borrow this image. My camera hates me. 

Fuck. Amazing epic HNW. One side is blistering cold and the other side is pure terror. This is so undeniably good that my three year old daughter asked:

 "Daddy? What's this sound?"

"It's a tape. Does it bother you?"

"No… It's cool tape."

So there you go. Evidence I have ruined my child. 

     It's packaged in a bag with an abstract image covering the insert. It really is a cool tape. The type is small and usually people make their type too big but this is a little too small. Still good but 4pt type is a bit too small. 

Still, get this right away. 

Myrrh "Hymns" cs

Myrrh
Hymns

Lightenupsounds

I had to borrow this image. Having issues with my camera. 

It's nice to get something from this label again. They did some rad stuff that i reviewed a year or so ago and it looks like they haven't stopped. Excellent. The recording on this is raw as fuck. Luckily it works really well for this instrumental band. I guess to describe this I would say that recent Earth and early Sunn 0))) and mix in a strange amount of Tangerine Dream and you have something about right. It's unique and pretty killer. 

     Nice packaging. Pro-printed cassettes and nice looking j cards. I like the display font they use for the band name as well. Type in general is handled quite well. It looks like they really care and I dig that. 

Grab one. 

Seagull Overseas "Last Train Home" cs

Seagull Overseas

Last Train Home

Besotis Besarmatis

Not a bad combination of drone/noise and electronic music. The first and second track are so different I had to take notice. The first song has a Cocteau Twins sort of vibe while the second track feels a lot more like a sad drone that falls into the type of noise wind on a microphone makes. I wanted to write it off at first as something I wasn't' into but after hearing the first few tracks I could easily see this being released on Brave Mysteries of one of those labels with a wide variety of sounds. This is not a bad release and maybe the first thing I have reviewed from Lithuania. 

     The packaging is not bad. I can tell this is a memorex tape or something but they did something different. They printed a sticked that covers almost the entire tape from the bottom, over the top and back around. They even put information on that top "spine". They also made a j card that goes almost all the way around and then closed it so the pegs from the case burst through the paper. Punk but not that attractive and also it seems out of place. 

I would pick this up though...

Messiah of Evil cs

Messiah of Evil

s/t 

Center for Disease and Control

I don't really have the patience for this. Silly 8bit beats with a guy singing in a super high falsetto voice about who knows what. It's very, very silly. It's the type of music you would sing to your cat when no one is around. I appreciate that but you don't have to record it. As I get towards the end of this cassette I am sort of appreciating the lunacy but I really hope I don't have to hear this again anytime soon.

     The artwork is terrible but kinda awesome. A drawing of a pig crying after beheading a man that had just decapitated another pig. The j card is too small for the case though and the type is too small and the hand drawn text is just forgettable. I guess silly is my description in general. 

Silly. 

Ballerina in Blood // Vasectomy Party split 3"cdr

Ballerina in Blood // Vasectomy Party

Forever Escaping Boredom Records

There is almost nothing in this world as therapeutic to me as harsh noise. Nothing reminds me that everything in my life could be so much worse. It's like audio perspective. It's the worst part of all of us and that makes me feel so good. It's like a blanket of hell. Ballerina in Blood has made me feel quite a bit better today. $1000 bill from the IRS? Well, that is a distant memory for at least 3 min. Vasectomy Party also brings the HNW destruction and I love them for it. I am not as into the very long sample from some movie about crime at the beginning that I can't quite place but it is handled pretty awesome. I guess it works pretty well, so I will give that one to them as a decent use of a sample. 

     It looks okay. I have never really been into the splits where the front and back covers are basically just two disparate front covers. The inside is fine. Nothing special. 

HNW this brutal is worth hearing… 

Amalgamated "Spark II" 3"cdr

Amalgamated

Spark II

Intangible Cat

Amalgamated is pretty fucking awesome but it is a little heavy on the beats for me. This sort of twisted and warped industrial is perfect for fans of The Bug but it's not totally my bag. There are actual saxophones on this and the part of my brain that really enjoys Jim Thirlwell is really into that. I think if I sit with this a bit it may really work for me but right now I am thinking this would be the best soundtrack to the rumored Blade Runner sequel but not something I would spin too often. 

     The layout is beautiful. For a 3" they really went above and beyond. A die-cut vinyl  sticker is attached to the poly sleeve that barely show you the full color photo of circuitry. It doesn't seem like it cost a lot of money to make but the way they put this together, it looks very expensive to make. They real hit it out of the park.

     It is hard to say entirely if I would buy this or not. I wouldn't buy this if I heard the first track but on the packaging alone I would have. I am going to come back to this one...

Nagual s/t cs

Nagual

s/t

Pidgin Records

Lovely. Just lovely. This is like the songs of ice giants. It sounds like a howling, cold wind lulling you into your final sleep before freezing to death. The subsequent tracks range from guitar layering to feedback nurturing but all with the same icy cold intensity. This artist does some really excellent work and I am ashamed it took me this long to get to it. 

     The package is nice. Weird collaged face on the cover with a matte black inside. There is a separate info card that is also numbered. This is an edition of 100. 

Worth tracking down.

Disthroned Agony // Grain Belt // Ice Volt split/collaborative cs

Disthroned Agony // Grain Belt // Ice Volt

Live at the Book House

Small Doses

This live recording was captured in an actual bookstore in Minneapolis a couple years back. It took me awhile to get to it but it put it in during a good part of my life. I am kinda getting into noise recordings that use no pedals or real effects. Just pure sound. This release is just that. Three artists using found and organic objects to make their sounds. Scraping metal, glass, stones, or even the human voice creates a weird painting of the evening captured on cassette. I really wish I could have been there but this will have to do. 

     The simple, clean layout using mostly text look nice. Not much else to say but the pro printing is always nice.

The Black Scorpio Underground/Werewolf Jerusalem split 12"

The Black Scorpio Underground/Werewolf Jerusalem

split 12"

Husk records

Very strange and unnerving. I don't think I have actually heard The Black Scorpio Underground before this but it is a damn fine hunk of off-putting doom and swirling hell. Peppered with desperate sounding vocals and harsh drones you will find yourself a bit nervous listening to this one. Werewolf Jerusalem, besides having the world's toughest name, is always good and this is no exception. Super harsh and cutting noise that slowly moves up and down the terror scale of intensity. What a weird thing to write…  

     It's a pretty simple layout and I am not in love with how the text on the back was handled. It's not bad but it's kinda huge. that is really my only issue. The logo on the back is also crooked and it doesn't really look intentional. The cover art is somehow psychedelic yet pulled from the gutter. It's a sort of sloppy collage that has so many strange digital cuts and weird choices that I kinda love it. The bugged out colors on the front perfectly match the crazy colored vinyl that comes with this. Husk Records always puts out releases you should buy and this is no exception. If you could just subscribe to Husk you would not be disappointed. 

Buy.

Actuary/Juhyo split flexi disc

Actuary/Juhyo

split flexi

Love Earth Music

This is surprisingly satisfying for such a short release. Actuary puts forth one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard them do; the track sits somewhere between Nadja and Yellow Swans. Juhyo's track sounds like an automated abattoir warming up for a horrible day. Both tracks are quite short but totally well worked out. I am quite pleased. 

     Although I do wish they had put together some sort of packaging. This could really have used some artwork of some kind. Maybe next time. 

You should hear this. 

Bad Algorithm "D.o.a.R./(l)" cs

Bad Algorithm

D.o.a.R./(l)

Self Released

It's nice to start out 2013 with a massive dose of HNW. Bad Algorithm has always down this genre of anti-music white well and this new effort is no exception. There isn't much to say than "thank you" to B.A. for this excellent release. I have to point out when people use samples since it's become something that I usually don't like but the execution is abstract and interesting enough that I don't find it very jarring. Nice work.

     Looks okay. Not really into the black boxes around the logo and text but it works okay. Needs a little work.

Still, totally worth it. 

Sunn0))) "Rehearsal Demo Nov. 11th 2011" lp

Sunn0)))

Rehearsal Demo Nov. 11th 2011

Southern Lord // Ideologic Organ

This is my favorite sort of Sunn0))); Atilla is incredible, I love when Steve Moore or Bill Herzog join the fray. I can get behind Joe Preston or Tad Doyle adding chaos but when it comes down to it Sunn is best when it is just two guitars in a big room. This rehearsal demo sounds much better than any rehearsal demo I have ever heard and I wonder if they didn't actually intend from the beginning to release this but it's great. This is the type of piece where two guys playing guitars simultaneously, with riffs that span minutes and rarely repeat in any noticeable way, can really impress you with their ability. I think some people believe Sunn is just random chords and a whole lot of drama to cover over the "trick" but I think this record should be able to prove most deniers wrong. In fact there are a lot of kids who worship Sunn and think that they can do it if they just buy a bunch of Model T heads and have the audacity to play this loud but they are also wrong. This takes skill, taste and talent and I think this may be one of my favorite releases from Steve and Greg. The only unusual thing is that there are samples at the beginning of every track. I don't usually get with samples but I have to say that these rule. A lot.  

     The packaging is simple and perfect. Excellent image on the front, handled well with mostly handrawn text on the back. Foil stamped number on the cover along with a solid black record devoid of any printing. Perfect. 

I would buy this. 

Limbs Bin "Primitive Response" 7"

Limbs Bin

Primitive Response

Familiar Combatants/Tickled Meat

This 7" has an awesome Man is the Bastard vibe that has totally reminded me how much amazing shit is sitting in my record collection right now. Limbs Bin may belong right next to it. Harsh noise with lots of heavy beats are accompanied by some very intense vocals. Definitely singing about something horrible. There are a couple minutes when the drums sound a little weak but all in all I think this is a killer 7" well worth your time. 

     The packaging itself looks great. They were able to take a simple xeroxed card stock paper and make it into something much more. It unfolds into this cross shape that is pretty inventive yet simple. I am looking forward to more releases from the Western Massachusetts artist. 

 
Get one. Here.

Nite Shadz "Black Holes for the Face and a Graveyard" cs

Nite Shadz

Black Holes for the Face and a Graveyard

Out of Body Records

I just watched that documentary Scratch last night, and although I enjoyed it, I felt it was missing out on a lot of the more experimental and original sides of the genre. Nite Shadez is more about synth music with synth pad beats but it definitely reminds me of what I would like to hear from turntablism or whatever it's called these days. It's dark, noisy tones with super harsh and cut apart beats beneath it. It has a mass to it that feels like there is now a weirdo standing in my living room staring at my children when I play it. I have to keep checking. It's weird. Inside it says "play loud with sunglasses on. Dark day, Bright Nite". I think that about covers it. It's awesome. 

     It has that cool cohesive look with all the other Out of Body Records look but this cassette also has a transparent outer sleeve with wild drawings. Inside is a separate info sheet and a sticker of a marijuana leaf. Oh yeah, pot is legal here now. 

I would buy this.

Michel Idehall "So" cs

Michel Idehall

Sol

Belaten

Sometimes I listen to some of my items to review in format of my children. Usually I pick things that I don't think will creep them out or turn them into psycho killers. I am usually pretty accurate with that. This cassette, while not immediately creepy, gave my 12 year old step daughter the heebie geebies. It's super competent and pretty interesting but it has this Front 242 sexy vampire trip hop sound from the early 90's that is… inappropriate for holidays and children. It's actually a little too industrial for me. It sounds like Merzbow meets Tricky at times though. So if that appeals to you I would rock this because it doesn't sound like a weak release at all. Just not for me. 

     It looks brilliant. Excellent minimal design that brings to mind some excellent swiss grids and the illustration on the cover is beautiful. This label does beautiful work. 

Justin Marc Lloyd "Year of the Water Dragon Vol. 1" cs

Justin Marc Lloyd

Year of the Water Dragon Vol. 1

Rainbow Bridge 

Another huge journey of the back of a mighty noise serpent from Justin Marc Lloyd (Dim Disk Moving, Pregnant Spore, False Flag…) and it's real good. When I say journey I really mean it. Putting this on headphones and laying down in a dim room will take you places far away. You can smoke some pot or get drunk if you want but you don't need to. This is drugs enough. I like that line. This is drugs enough. Yeah. i am going to remember that. Anyhow, the peaks and valleys of this experience are wild and scary. It's insane and wonderful all at the same time. It's a long trip but it's worth it. 

     I love this simple packaging. Crooked ancient text, strange abstract drawings and odd color choices make this a beautiful little artifact. Nicely done. 

     I would buy this if I were you. 

Pentacene cs

Pentacene

Small Doses

I think I say this a lot but this band really started out giving me a strong Birchville Cat Motel vibe. Which is great but what is better is that they slowly move away from that, incorporate some live drums and get on this ambient, junk jazz groove that totally works for me. The second side has this massive piece that sounds like that one song Explosions in the Sky plays all the time but backwards. All in all, it is an interesting and varied effort and I totally dig it. 

     Solid design and execution by Small Doses as usual. Screenprinted arigato pack from Stumptown Printers. Along with a small insert sheet that I immediately lost. As in I just had it…  dammit. Anyhow, It's good.

     Real good. 

Internet is down and posting on my phone is... difficult. I should be back up soon. Maybe a week.

Hooves demo cdr

Hooves

demo cdr

self released

There are a couple bands named Hooves but this is the only real one you need to care about right now. This is a two piece from Spokane, Washington that play a very psych heavy version of instrumental rock. Having just a guitar and drums can pose some limitations but these gentlemen seem to really be able to play with those limitations in a way that uses space as another instrument. It doesn't hurt that the guitar player is able to fine tune his sound in a way that creates tons of extra movement and layers. Lots of chorus and phaser adds a subtle rhythm that allows the drums to play a role that is more than just a backing one. The drums, played by Joe Preston of These Arms are Snakes fame, are heavy, intricate and interesting. He is an extremely competent and artistic player and this band is an excellent showcase for his abilities. Fans of Mono, Pelican, Tool, Mogwai and Isis would probably do themselves well to own this. 

     The layout is amazing, mainly because Joe Preston is also an accomplished graphic designer and screen printer. I would recommend just heading over to their bandcamp page to check out the pictures of the layout. The type is minimal but handled perfectly. The images are well printed and the whole thing just feels professional. It's pretty awesome just to hold. 

     I would buy this. Here.

Fecalove

Void, Chaos an Cum

Crucial Blast

So one of the first things I hear of this, is of course, a sample, and it's some weird porn thing and i hear the guy say "oh yeah, I've been walking in dog shit all day". You have? Where the fuck do you work? Well, maybe a kennel but is that a thing? Fecalove is from Italy and apparently super crazy. This type of crazy isn't really shocking anymore though. It actually feels sort of adorable and quaint. Aw, you like torture, sex, excrement and noise? Aw, get in my pocket you adorable little man. It's pretty amazing power electronics though. I was actually excited to write this off as trying too hard, drama queen noise but this is some expert work. I am pretty damn impressed with this hour of noise. It's brutal and noisy of course but it's the contrast in the noise that makes it so amazing. Highs and lows, piercing feedback then distorted walls… it's all done so well I can only assume the taste level of this artist is almost being covered up by the schtick. 

     The packaging is all schtick. Inside, what I think is supposed to be an amray dvd case (my promo version was just in a bag) is a button, three black and white folded poster and a 20 page zine of artwork. It's pretty awesome. The artwork of course is pretty dumb but it's also perfect. It reminds me of a naive Ted McKeever and for that I appreciate it. Drawings of girls missing limbs, covered in poo and apparently cumming, photos of guys eating shit (maybe), and lots of cum. It's pretty juvenile but like I said, it's adorable. 

Theologian "The Chasms of My Heart" cd

Theologian

The Chasms of My Heart

Crucial Blast

Fucking gigantic. This is music set to the surveying of a massive planet, bent on destroying our earth. It's all encompassing. Huge distorted notes, buried rhythms, and strained, distant vocals create an amazingly dark and rich landscape to ponder all of your life's choices. I love this. This is like a huge sleeping bag of pain for me and I could just listen to this in the dark until my sad little heart just melted away. 

     It's packaged in a dvd sized digipack… it's weird to say that. "Dvd sized". At this point, with cds going the way they are, it's not really important to have a packaging like it used to. So for those of us that really appreciate packaging, anything outside the norm is welcomed. This is a gorgeous tri-folded package. I am really digging the packaging itself. The artwork is also really well done but it's a little on the goth side of things for me. The inside artwork looks like something from Hellraiser and the outside looks like a cross between Dave Mckean's post Cages work and a yoga flyer. For some reason though I still really dig it. The type is not really handled in any interesting way–just center justified on it's panels. That doesn't kill it but I think something much more interesting could have been done. In fact the type is so large on the panels itself I bet it was designed by someone with a small monitor. I have similar problems myself and that is often the issue. Either way the music is awesome and the packaging is the beginning of the way all cds of music that matters will look. 

Moving this week.

Sorry for the delay this last week. My wife and I have been moving things around and getting rid of things in order to keep us from being horders for at least one more year. In that time I lost my office so work has been difficult but I am back up and running and I will have new reviews up shortly. Even some of these ones that are way behind... Thanks for reading and thank you for your patience.

Demian

The Binary Marketing Show // The New Diet split 7"

The Binary Marketing Show // The New Diet

Already Dead Tapes

  

I have been trying to figure out how to start this review for a few weeks now. It's actually created a mental block for me. I want to talk about how both bands play a type of music that would fit well on Anticon records. I want to mention that are serious comparisons that can be made with Why? and that is a good thing. The Binary Marketing Show has amazing beats that really had me impressed. The New Diet is a bit dirtier and harsh but with really lovely vocals. Both bands have their own sound but they work so well together. I really want to express how nice and odd the artwork is but I just don't know how to start this one… I will figure it out. 

Whitehorse "Live Ritual" cd

Whitehorse

Live Ritual

Small Doses

This must have been one hell of a show. Whitehorse is a band I still have yet to see. I have designed a couple flyers for them but I still haven't made it to a show. Until I heard this cd I didn't really mind. I miss a lot of good shows and I have to hear about it is some friends with questionable tastes telling me I "totally missed out". This cd though, this cd lets me know two things. They are rad and I am totally missing out. Super heavy riffs that just destroy my desire to play guitar, because what's the point? The recording on this is pretty raw, not great but completely fucked in a good way. 

     Nice design. The best part is the killer cover art though. Seriously. 

     Buy this. 

Gnawed "Terminal Epoch" cd

Gnawed

Terminal Epoch

Phage Tapes

Gnawed should be hired to make ever creepy soundtrack forever. This is dark and grim industrial noise that has a very particular soundtrack quality. It's intense and brittle hell that just feels so damn comfortable to sit in. I have been following Gnawed on and off for a little over a year and it's always been brutal but this record has a new maturity, or maybe, depth to it. If you haven't had a chance to check them out yet this is as good a place as any to start. It's good. It's a bit long. That may be my only issue is that it gets a bit long near the end but it's not much of a complaint as it's all real good. 

     It's a simple look. Center justified text in a big bold font makes sense but I think they could do a lot more with it. I'm not a fan of the text with the opacity turned down so the images behind it come through. It's a little rookie and kinda screams photoshop but all that aside it still works okay. I think this kind of design is often handled pretty well by people like Feeding. It's not horrible at all, but it could really be more. 

     All that said I still very much recommend hearing this album.

Indigents "Bottomless Sinking" cs

Indigents

Bottomless Sinking

Sincope

This is harsh and strange. Lots of loops with unknown horn piercing over the top. Bits of synth squelching taking on the capacity for me to sit here with headphones on. It's pretty brutal and very piercing. It's very difficult for me to sit and take this damage to be honest. I respect and fear this but I don't think I am really enjoying this at all.

     It looks a little weird. I am not impressed with the layout although it's handling of the text is pretty nice. Nothing ever wrong with a little simple helvetica.

     I don't think I would pick this up. 

I Want to Kill Every Human cs + 7"

I Want to Kill Every Human cs + 7"

Bill Murray Tapes

I Want to Kill Every Human sounds like somewhere between nails on a chalkboard and the sweetest lullaby. The nails on the chalkboard part is pretty much expected for a noise band but the melodies and swells of notes buried below are very much a surprise. It's like finding a child sweetly crying at the center of a hurricane. I like this. It feels a little like Birchville Cat Motel at times and that always jives with me. 

     The tape is super minimal. Almost white on white cover and sticker on the case to let you know who it is. The 7" is destroyed in an awesome American Tapes/Soccer Mom Ebonics sort of way. Also pretty great. They don't go together but I am not sure they are supposed to. 

     I endorse this. 

Wretched Worst "Funeral Burning" 7"

Wretched Worst

Funeral Burning

Husk Records

Imagine you told someone with a really good imagination and an excellent pool of references to pull from that this record is the heaviest, noisiest, dirtiest, brutal thing to be imagined by four dudes that you have ever heard. Maybe you were able to hum a few parts (although I can't imagine what that humming might sound like. Maybe a stabbing through a gag), and maybe your general tone or arm movements were able to pretty accurately describe this record. Even then, after all that preparation, the sheer magnitude of this 7" would be a total shock to the first time listener. I think this may be one of my favorite entries into the best of 2012 I am putting together…  Get this. 

ASVA & Philippe Petit "Empires Should Burn" cd

ASVA & Philippe Petit

Empires Should Burn

Small Doses/Basses Frequencies

Holy shit. This is not what I was expecting but it was what I was hoping for. Deep horrifying bass frequencies match with piercing and maniacal percussion. This is heavy. Really heavy. There are five tracks on this one huge opening doozy and four follow ups that are short, sweet and brutal. The opening track has vocals by Edward Ka-Spel so I know all of you Legendary Pink Dots fanatics will be owning this right away. You also get vocals by Stuart from ASVA, Jarboe and Bryan Lewis Saunders. It's good and well worth owning.

     The layout is a simple yet effective combination of textural photographs–fire, broken wood, Bosch paintings, warped film–and Trajan Pro. Well done.

Sujo "Kahane" 12"

Sujo

Kahane

Fedora Corpse Recordings

This took me a few listens to get my head around but I really love it. It may sound weird but I think this sounds a little like Emeralds meets KTL with a little touch of Pyramids thrown in. By that I mean I really like it. Epic, almost black metal, movements cover barely audible drum machine and buried shrieks. A huge wall os distortion is obscuring something sad and forgotten. This could take the place of Tangerine Dream's soundtrack for The Keep in some places (I have been listening to a lot of Tangerine Dream lately, bare with me). It's good. 

     I like Fedora Corpse's look. Chipboard sleeve with stamps along with nicely colored vinyl is great. The postcards for the inserts doesn't really fit though. They should have just gone to a Kinkos and run off a bunch of low quality xeroxes. Honestly I think that would have been more cohesive but it is a minor thing on an awesome record. 

    Excellent work. Buy. 

Tovarish "Red Hearts in a Dead World" cd

Tovarish

Red Hearts in a Dead World

Nefarious Industries

This is some very dark and fearful industrial from Russia. It's hauntingly scary. It gets a tiny bit heavy on the samples for me but they are usually being used in such a cool subtle way that it doesn't really bother me…  This is good. It's dark and deconstructed in such a way that no song feels formulaic but nothing seems totally improv either. It's pretty impressive. As a listener I will say that the cd is a little on the long side but it's so massive I doubt you will mind. 

     The layout is pretty standard fare. A pretty 90's cover with some random text on the inside. It's not bad but you can tell it was done by someone who probably doesn't really know or care about graphic design but they do seem to have pretty good taste. 

     I would probably skip over this based on it's looks but its a huge gritty slice of insanity on the inside… I would hate to have missed out on that.

Vasculae "Cultural Primitivism" cd

Vasculae
Cultural Primitivism
Monorail Trespassing

Fucking holy Harsh Noise Wall. This is a fifty plus minute pro cd of very blistering noise. Like a shower of blisters in your ears for almost an hour. There is really only one moment of rest near the end of the 20+ minute second track. Otherwise this is just a disc full of brutal. I can definitely get into this. My listening to things like this so much has pretty much ruined all other genres of "extreme music".

     There isn't much about the artwork that isn't minimal and bleak. Dark and textured photos with minimal text. It works great.

The DRX "The Deepening Hole" cd

The DRX

The Deepening Hole

Nefarious Industries

I think more new genres may have been invented recently. I am having a hard time placing this one. Somewhere between rock, hardcore, screamo, prog rock, and doom. All with a healthy dose of horns. It's very strange. It really sounds like something I would hate but you know what? I kind of like the music and the screaming. It's really different to me. I think if I had to compare it to people I might say Muse meets Frodus and Quicksand with a strange touch of A Perfect Circle. I can see this getting pretty huge actually. I have to say that I am not super into the "nice" singing voice. It's good singing and hits the notes really well but I just don't like the sound. It's all over the songs too. Which I actually respect, I hate when people scream 90% of the time and then do the obligatory "singing" part over the awful hooky chorus. I'm looking at you, every new metal band I seem to hear these days. I bet some people love the singer's voice and I get it but it just doesn't sit right with me. It's not bad at all. Really, it's actually pretty brand new and I sort of love it for that but at the end of the day I don't think I really love the vocals. That's a big part of music like this. Whatever kind of music this is.

     It looks pretty cool. I think the whole of the art and text was cut from a wood block so they pretty much win in that category. I am impressed with the packaging in general. I would probably pick this up based on it's looks and how much effort obviously went into this. Overall this is a success but it is just not one for me. 

The Cherry Point "Black Witchery" cd

The Cherry Point 

Black Witchery

PacRec

Did you ever see “Season of the Witch”? I did, it was fucking terrible. Because it’s such a piece of shit movie, it felt long, and tortuous, and the entire film left you with that sinking feeling in your gut that there’s really no escaping what’s about to happen next.

     This "The Cherry Point" thing is a lot like Season of the Witch. Sure, it’s got a track actually titled “Season of the witch” but that’s too easy. Like the 95 minutes I wasted watching a rotted pile of Nicolas Cage’s smeg, This record feels long, and torturous, and there’s actually no way of escaping. I tried to pause it at one point and it didn’t work. This is most likely related to the fact that this computer is shit and can’t handle the size of my outlook penis, but I’m just gonna blame it on impressive Cherry Point witchery.

Unlike the film, this thing is fucking rad. HNW tearing at your eardrums like a horde of hungry earwigs. I’m never going to listen to it again because I like not having that feeling of being strangled by an oscillator, but you should totally check it out.

     The cover art is of a pretty lady, she looks classy. I dunno if she’s a witch or what, maybe she’s tied to a stake or something, I can’t tell. I’m pretty sure she’s not black though. The back looks like utter shit, but that’s probably the point. 

     Oh, you can visit them at www.bloodmania.com,
Awesome name noise bros. (RS)

Crown of Cerebus "Her Strength" cs

Crown of Cerebus

Her Strength

Cult of Craft

Another killer release from Cult of Craft. This time it is a selection of the most melancholy drone and soundscape work I have heard in a long time. Sigur Ros would love to put out a record that sounds like this. There are some samples (I think from What Dreams May Come) at the beginning and that usually bums me out but this time around I think it's perfect. It still bums me out but in the way the artist intended. I really like this album, it feels like it really was written for someone. Someone who needed a little strength. 

     This is going in the Dead Formats book. The oversized plastic bag is kinda crappy but I think I will just regard that as protection and not packaging. Like a mylar sleeve around Action Comics #1. A screen printed* wrap around sleeve with a purple ribbon holding the whole thing together. It somehow makes this whole cassette seem that much more personal. 

     I would recommend this.

*turns out this is a block cut which is 400% cooler than a screen print. I am very impressed. 

Æther & Trepaneringsritualen "Edifice of Nine Sauvastikas" cs

Æther & Trepaneringsritualen

Edifice of Nine Sauvastikas

Belaten

This is so well done that I feel like I need to be very respectful in my review. Both acts do an all encompassing drone made up of instruments and voices doing something I don't think I have ever heard before. This is so alien and strange that I almost felt high listening to it. I think the only thing I would say against it is that I wish it were about two hours longer. Really, really good. Both artists fit perfectly together and compliment each other in a completely awe inspiring way. 

     Everything from this label–and I have about three more to review–looks amazing and cohesive. Beautiful Tibetian artwork on the cover with swastikas floating around the artwork. Very nice design. Reminds me a lot of European design from the mid 60's. 

     Find this and buy this. 

Deism cs

Deism 

Self Titled

Spring Street Records

Wow! Holy shit. I wasn't expecting this at all. This reminds me of Warsaw meets Born Against. Deism is an intense noisy punk-noise-hardcore-rock explosion with just the tiniest touch of krautrock. It was not what I was expecting but it's real good. I am actually a little bummed this is so short. I think this is a c10. Fuck it. It's rad. 

     It looks great. Includes a sticker and full lyrics along with some grim images. The type is handled very well so you know I am happy. It's really the full package. 

     I would buy this, thinking I was getting some Sunn0))) inspired drone, but I would be very happy to own this.

Worn Vessel "Creatures of Decadence" cs

Worn Vessel

Creatures of Decadence

Worthless Recordings

Well done. This is an epic piece of noise. It has this beautiful lo-fi sound that brings to mind nights when I was a child trying desperately to find music buried below the white noise. This is more of a swirling, twitching drone with moments of electrocution speckling the waves. It's ominous. That's the word I wanted to write. Ominous. 

     It looks pretty cool. Normally I yawn at the dead girls-sexy violence noise thing but this is done in a very cool handmade way and it looks legit. Nice. 

     Yeah, buy this.