Elder - Elder (2008)

Country: USA
Genre: Sludge/Doom


This album is quite possibly some of the grooviest, and most solid sludge/doom that has ever entered my ear canals.
Lyric excerpt:

earth behind me
universe in front
so grab your matches man
and take a hit of the cosmic blunt

I think I just blew a megaup"load".

Torture Chain - Humbling Isolation Terror (2008)

"Humbling Isolation Terror" consists of 3 great compositions filled with aggression, some melody and spectral atmospheres, in which music and emotion interweave overwhelmingly. This band does an exceptional job at creating fast paced, 2nd generation Black Metal experiences while adding hints of modern Raw Black Metal to the already tasty recipe. All 3 tracks are garbled with blast beats and completely restless guitars leaving you very little time to breathe before the next onslaught tears your pansy ass ear drums apart. The vocalist bleeds it all out with his trademark scare-the-shit-out-of-your-parents gargling rasp, which fits very well in with the music and adds to the general mood." - The Funeral Stench


Mediafire

Darkcreed - Dark Regions (2008)

Artist: Darkcreed
Album: Dark Regions - EP (2008)
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Mexico

Darkcreed, a relatively unknown Death Metal band from Mexico, formed in 1994, their latest offering is this, the Dark Regions Ep.

This Ep sounds really promising, crunchy riffs throughout the album and probably the best part about it, these guys have pulled of a tight record, the production to my surprise is crystal clear, the vocals are unique and pretty different from a standard Death Metal record, 25 minutes of total Death Metal awesomeness, with just 75 odd listeners on Last Fm & just a couple of ratings on RYM, these guys certainly deserve more attention.

Ps. Also for all the motherfuckers who think Death Metal is not a cup of their tea.

Megafuckingupload!

Azarashi - アザラシイズム (2008)

Band: Azarashi
Album: アザラシイズム(Azarashiizumu)
Year: 2006
Country: Japan
Genre: Post-Punk/Crust/Grunge

This all female trio from Japan really knows how to pack a punch. Alongside nearly blazing d-beats, sneakily catchy melodies singe your aural peripheries at every turn.

1. 少女椿 (Girl Camellia)
2. 白痴 (Idiocy)
3. アザラシイズム (Azarashiizumu)
4. アザラシイズム (Imagination Pregnancy)
5. 残刻 (Remaining Carving/Moment)
6. 呪怨ノ唄

Get this album.

Equus - Eutheria (2008)

Genre - post-rock/prog/doom

Genre blending happens everyday, but how often do you hear it done perfectly? Judging by the outrageous number of artists that attempt it, probably fairly seldom. However, 'Eutheria' by Equus is an honest to goodness masterpiece. The listener will notice a full minute of silence, with some nearly inaudible culminations brewing just before the first note. The evil tension that builds in this 30+ minute epic is deceptive, because it is also oddly beautiful.

Now I could go on about this album indefinitely, so lend an ear, and enjoy!

Megaupload

Adversarial - Thralls (2008)

Just a demo today, folks, but this is some prime shit. Adversarial are a band I hadn't even heard of until a friend of mine on RYM recommended their first, and only demo, "Thralls." This hit me like a sack of bricks, as it deftly combines practically every awesome element of modern and old school death metal into a three track block of excellency. Tempos shift from groovy midpaced riffs into frantic (but controlled) blasts of semi-melodic frenzy, and then into a fierce whirlwind of dissonance reminiscant of The Chasm or Immolation, two of the most prominant influences here, yet others shine through (evidenced in an homage to Suffocation's "Torn Into Enthrallment" on the second track.). Even the production shines, being incredibly above average for a demo. About the only flaw I see here is that there isn't more from this band, so drink up what you can now.

Harassor - Harassor

Genre – Raw Black Metal / Hardcore Punk

Country – U.S.A.

So GRIM OBSCURE and KVLT, that there isn't an album cover for Harassor, instead there is this

Remember Lord Foul ? A supposed "joke project" by Roach, the guitarist/vocalist for the old underground grindcore band, Son of Dog, the funny part was Kanwulf (Nargaroth) actually covered a song called "I Burn For You" in his Black Metal ist Krieg album from Lord Foul’s Killing, Raping, Burning demo.

Harassor is the project of Roach from Lord Foul along with Pete Majors and Sandor GF, so do we expect another joke over here ? No not at all or wait, Yes! A song titled She Who Makes Dogs Shiver makes you feel that this is where Lord Foul left off and Harassor picked it, but this is rather upto you how you take it, something very original and is a treat especially if you are game for some Raw Aggressive Music.

Talking about the music, it is something in between raw black metal and hardcore punk, the riffs are catchy and the production isn’t too muddy neither clean, the vocals aren’t your trademark Black Metal vocals but the vocalist maintains a raspy sound which goes very well with the music, the drumming is done exceptionally well , especially when you play Raw Black Metal, the drum production in some cases are bound to be sloppy but it is done pretty well over here, right from the intro riff in Marching Abomination to various chaotic and noisy passages this album lives upto my expectations and please don’t let the Hardcore Punk tag bother you, just get it.

Leech

Pharaoh - Be Gone (2008)

Riff-tastic progressive/power metal featuring the vocalist of Control Denied. I was never a fan of that project, and luckily where it failed to exceed Pharaoh accomplishes perfectly. The melodies are memorable, and every song stands apart from the rest. When I used the phrase riff-tastic, I was really doing the band a disservice, because the flow of every song, the arrangements, the transitions, practically every aspect is spot on. It may take a while to become used to some of the production quirks (pitifully absent bass sound, for example) but the payoff is far more than worth the effort.

Megaupload

Ascended - The Art of Necromancy (2008)

Genre - Death Metal
Country - Finland!
Review - I dont really need to do this, Why?

1) They play old school death metal.
2) They are from Finland.
3) A sick and horrifying artwork to boast of.
4) Abhorrence + Cartilage + Convulse with modern production.

Enuff said, they are one of the sickest outfit from the country among the recent crops of bands. And I have already praised them a lot in my previous review of Swallowed. Just get THIS!
-EyehateDoG
Mediafire

Swallowed - Discography

Genre - Old School Death Metal, Death/Doom
Reviews - There has been a surge of new bands that worship old school death metal bands and try to play in their vein. I tried more than hundreds of them but to be honest, I wasnt impressed much by any of them (excepting a few like Dead Congregation, Deathevokation, Necros Christos, Maim, Excoriate and of course Swallowed).

This band is a massive Autopsy worship and thats why a cover of "In The Grip of Winter" doesnt quite come as a sweet surprise. The band picks up right from where the album Mental funeral had ended. Though Autopsy have been a source of inspiration for many death/doom bands but most of them fuck it up entirely by adding melodic/synth element. But some of the bands who are intelligent and talented enough are able to sound at least partly like Severed Survival. But in the case of Swallowed we are talking about "Mental Funeral" worship. Yes, you heard me right! Its really a collosal task to create slow doomy music yet sound massively brutal. Thats what Autopsy had achieved with that towering release of theirs which other bands cant even dream of.

Swallowed employs the same slow, crushing, doomy guitars with bluesy touch of Sabbath. It sounds heavy enough to devour you into its choking strangehold. The vocalist sounds as he is himself is Chris Reifert. You can almost touch those similar growls and high pitched screams when he goes berserk. The production is a bit iffy but its quite alright considering its a demo and almost all instruments and just listenable. And "In The Grip Of Winter" is probably one of my favourite Autopsy covers. Watch out for these guys and the band does need some attention so that they get signed and release a full length which I can hardly wait for.

To sum it up this "Epitaph of Nauseation" is like three unreleased tracks from Mental Funeral" unleashed upon you after 16 years.
The tape is long sold out from Detest records but the band may still have some copies left with them. The first demo as well as two rehearsal tracks are provided free on their website, The first demo is more like your usual death metal.

Other bands to be checked out on Detest Records - Miasmal, Abhorrot, Stench of Decay, and more recently the finnish maniacs "Ascended". I hope you guys have heard of the demo "The Art Of Necromancy" by Ascended which was released on Enucleation Records. They are coming up with their new EP "Temple of Dark Offerings" which will also be available on Detest Records.

-EyehateDoG
Megaupload

Black Sheep Wall - I am God Songs (2008)

Genre - Sludge
Review: I Am God Songs is steadily becoming one of my favorite records of 2008. This record took a few listens to click, but it when did... oh my god! greatness.
Now, I'll look at the production.
The guitars have an extremely thick layer. I don't even know how they get this sound. It sounds extremely unique, but raw, but refined at the same time. absolutely crushing.
the bass is there, and to mention that, the guitar(s) are EXTREMELY down-tuned. sounds even lower than an A-tuning...but they really do pull it off.
the drums serve their purpose. good mid-tempo drums. nothing too special but good nonetheless. the vocals are rather impressive too. very tortured hardcore screams.
This is an essential sludge album. A breath of fresh air, to say the very least.
The lyrics focus on nihilism (how fitting with the first track entitled "Nihility"), hate and all that good stuff.
My one problem with it is that three of the tracks are essentially nothing. not a big deal though. they don't detract from the record at all.

-Contributed by - Mastod0nman
Get Your MP3
Flac If you are interested

Mitochondrion - Archaeaeon (2008)

Contained within the meager frame of this 70 minute long album is a barrage of sound, fury and calculated aural abomination which puts the previous efforts of many bands to great shame. Twin vocal attacks bludgeon and pierce as a wall of dissonance and percussion paint landscapes of torment and decimation. Fleeting acoustic passages create contrast and offer slight respite from the wailing, atonal opuses, and indeed on first listen this album seems almost entirely and incomprehensibly chaotic, drawing equally from Canadian War Metal and the unique, horrific soundscapes of Portal, but after prolonged exposure patterns begin to appear, not just within the songs themselves but their progression throughout the album. The first several tracks are whiplash assaults of sonic violence, offering little breathing room for melody or tonality. "The Eternal Contempt of Man" marks a shift in Mitochondrion's attack, slowing down to assail the listener with truly twisted riffs which harken to the likes of Ved Buens Ende or Enslaved, and by the time "Oath in Defiance" rattles its dying breath, a near total transformation has occurred. "Wraithlike" relies less upon the constant cacophony of the earlier tracks, and more upon the build and release of epic, melodic crescendos. Still other tracks showcase such influences as doom metal and harsh noise, to one extent or another.

Despite this staggering sum of influences, Mitochondrion manage to create one of the most cohesive listens in recent memory, stringing together riffs, songs and styles as expertly as French innovators Magma did when creating the genre of Zeuhl. My only hope from this point onward is that more begin to pay attention to this and other bands, not content with perpetuating the same tepid sound until no one remains who is willing to pay attention. Without innovation or progression, the essence of art is dead. I for one hope this to mark a new beginning, rather than be a tragic swansong, falsely prophesying what could have been.

320
FLAC

Putrevore - Morphed From Deadbreath (2008)

Jesus Christ, wanna talk about heavy? One of the more pleasant surprises I've come across recently, Putrevore make their own brand of sludgy, brutal (not the genre) death metal that is reminiscent, strangely, of the more recent Denial, except with a much more prominent bass sound. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does smash it to pieces and burn the remains rather efficiently.

Mediafire

Akphaezya - Anthology II: Links from the Dead Trinity

Genre : Avant-garde Gothic/Progressive Metal with Jazz and World Fusion influences.

Country : France

Hailing from the highly innovative French Metal scene is Akphaezya combining Progressive Metal with some very enjoyable soft Jazz, samples of instruments from across the world and some harsh vocals for aggression and packing it all tight into one album. The album almost effortlessly shifts genres, be it piano driven easy listen jazz to distorted guitars with harsh vocals and back, every track on this album has something new to offer.
One of the reasons why this album is so interesting is the vocalist and painist Nehl Aëlin who can pull of growls, extemely fast high pitched singing, operatic yet non sopranoish vocals, broadway vocals, eastern tone and whispers and utilizing them at precisely right time to perfectly complement the music played.
As far as the music goes, at some points your not quite sure which instrument is being played and the transitions between some bass and drum thumping to a sweeping melody with piano and guitars to a very catchy chorus is executed flawlessly. The inclusion of samples from various cultures to their music has not been overdone and is an added advantage to their music. Well fitted and memorable solos, a very clear bass tone, joyful piano and complementing drums make this album a memorable listen.
Approach with an open mind and you should love this.

Enjoy!

Darkspace - III (2008)

To begin I am going to steal a review from a fellow Behold the Blogtopus and last.fm user Mr DarkRadu;

"Darkspace are back, doing what they do best: they shut the hatch, depressurize, and eject your ass into space, only to be saved by aliens who want to test their new anal probes on you. It's pretty much the same raw atmospheric black metal, with blunt riffs and hypnotic leads that project your consciousness beyond the Gates of the Silver Key."

This album is an unrelenting assault on the audio receptors, there's hardly any time for rest as this album plows through dark matter. It's not a particularly easy listen and it's not exactly optimistic or uplifting either, so if you're not used to long 10 - 16 minutes tracks that in general keep the same structure, than this may not be the album for you but I suggest you give the album a few spins, just so you can begin to understand it.

However, if this sounds tempting to you then seriously check it out, this really is a surreal album, an album that hypnotizes the listener that grabs you by the hand and leads you into the dark and bleakness of space.

Also little (un)interesting fact for you, the sounds in the background of 3.15 are taken from Danny Boyle's, sunshine.




Download: Megaupload
Disclaimer: None of the albums I add are uploaded by myself and are intended for promotional purposes only, if you enjoy the album please support artists by buying records.


- RTG

Cosmic Atrophy - Codex Incubo (2008)

From Myspace: "Cosmic Atrophy started in the very beginning of 2008 with the rather simple and straightfoward idea of "playing some metal". Cory and Juan met and decided to see if they could get something to work for them, and came to the conclusion that playing oldschool influenced death metal with a bit of otherworldly touch to it is what they wanted. Fast forward half a year and 6 songs later and their debut full length album is complete. A deal was struck with both Suffering Jesus Productions and Metalbolic Records to release this album which is quite frankly a huge blessing to the CA duo; to have a distribution deal this early is just unspeakably excellent! Now the only thing to do is wait to see what the future holds for Cosmic Atrophy, who are still hard at work writing new material."

I am amazed (and jealous) that these guys already have such a great release under their belts (with only two members no less). I wish that me and my friends were this musically gifted/productive... *sigh*

Cosmic Atrophy pick up where Demilich left off. Dissonant guitar noodling abounds. Don't get me wrong though, there is no sweep picking here.

The drums rock, surprisingly considering they don't have a full time drummer. Tons of tasty fills and grooves, along with the occasional blast. They have an organic flow though, and never overpower the guitars.

Great stuff. Not as crazy as Demilich, but still pretty damn crazy.

Codex Incubo (2008)

Subheim - Approach (2008)

Now for something completely different. First of all this album contains some amazing artwork that really gives off a sense of what to expect in the music.

Subheim is a one man IDM project from Greek electronic artist Kostas K. The music on Approach is amongst the most peaceful and relaxing music I have ever heard, mixing in soft ambient tones to an overall glitchy IDM sound and accompanied in parts by the ethereal almost world music like vocals of Katja who's vocals bare a similar resemblance to that of Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance. Creating an overall sound that is equal parts depressing as it is melancholic as it is uplifting

I highly recommend this album to anyone and everyone it truly is a wonderful insight into the creative mind of Kostas. The only negative thing I can say about this album is towards the end the album does phase out a bit, it's finer moments definitely come in the first 7 tracks.



Download: Rapidshare
Disclaimer: None of the albums I add are uploaded by myself and are intended for promotional purposes only, if you enjoy the album please support artists by buying records.


- RTG

TOMBS

Tombs is a pretty new band (formed in '07)that has been generating some buzz lately, but has yet to get picked up by the hype machine and really blow up.

Pretty grim a crushing, but sludgy and atmospheric at the same time. They vary between modern style sludge atmospherics and heaviness, and full-speed-ahead modern crusty sections, bringing mad guitar textures and layer the whole time. Faster parts bring a heavy black metal influence as well.

Mike Hill (ex Anodyne) brings the Boston noise/metal/hardcore influence, and Andrew Hernandez (ex A.S.R.A.) holds it down with the drums.

I'm going to put up their new album Winter Hours along with a split they did last year with the melodic, Tragedy style crust band Planks.


Tombs/Plank split [2008]

Winter Hours [2009]

Tombs last.fm
Planks last.fm

Hooded Menace - Fulfill The Curse (2008)

This, like Acid Witch, needed some blog cover too. Razorback Records released lots of great materials last year, this being one of them. Taking cue from the "Tombs of the Blind Dead" series, where eyeless zombie templars chased young women in slow motion on rotting horses, to perform exsanguination rituals on them, these old-school loving freaks are sepulchral, skull-crashing old school doom/death. You could cite Winter or Asphyx as influences, but I think it does a good job of standing on it's own two feet. It's got lots of riffs, melodic soloing, dual guitars and tempo shifts to provide an interesting listen, though if you're into the SAW movie series, fancy caffe lattees and/or rampant male buttfucking, you'd better try to find something else.

Download

BONUS
What's that you say? You haven't seen the Tombs of the Blind Dead? Well, aren't you lucky today! 'Cause I've just happened to upload the first movie of the series! Enjoy "La Noche del Terror Ciego"!

Download

-Radu

Fullmoon Bongzai - Noisense (2008)

Look at the cover motherfucker it's a bunch of motherfucking goats and a pink motherfucking black metal logo. Fuck.
I gave it a spin, and, maaan, was my habit of downloading bands with weird names rewarded! Hipsters are gonna cream their collective 120$-a-pair underpants when they'll hear this. I guess I could say it's idm/ebm/power electronics/psychedelic trance/any other bullshit electronica subcategory I've never heard of, but, in essence and structure, it's black metal with quite a sense of humor, played with atypic instruments for black metal. Shitting at the end of the rainbow is an "interpretation" of Ved Buens Ende..., the guy from Varathron provides vocals for three tracks, and various samples from artists such as Diamanda Galas and Screamin' Jay Hawkins are deformed for your entertainment. I feel somehow guilty for liking this a lot, I feel like I should wear tight, Armani t-shirts, memorise the initial cast of "Cats" on Broadway, and try cocaine at rave parties. It's not a true album, but it's a very, very entertaining listen.
Get this if you're a fan of unique sounds or any music with a sense of humor.

Download

-Radu