Trist, "Hin-Fort" (2007)

Band: Trist
Album: Hin-Fort
Year: 2007
Country: Germany
Genre: Ambient Black Metal, Ambient
MySpace

This is a classic ambient-black metal album by the German band Trist (NOT the better known Czech Trist). Trist is the project of Benjamin König, also known as Aran from Lunar Aurora. Quite simply put, this is one of the best albums that I have ever heard, as it entirely transcends anything in the physical or aural realm; it beings me to a place that I can't quite describe. It's not an escapist venture, necessarily, though it certainly functions that way. It's a two-disc set - the first disc contains the hour-long ambient black metal track "Hin," while the second holds another hour of pure ambient bliss. I realize it's a lot to sit through, and it will take up a good deal of your time, but I really do think that it will be worth it. I don't personally like to listen to this as background music while I do other things, but I won't tell anyone else how to listen. Trist has made a bunch of great albums, but this one is certainly Mr. König at the height of his craft.

It's a fairly large file; I apologize for the assault on your hard drives.

Mediafire

Electrozombies & Hellborn Messiah [Split]

If you don't know Electrozombies yet, this split it's the best way to start. They play a style of primitive death/doom or doom/death (not sure :P) on this split. They used to be more sludgy on their previous album, which also kicked ass, but I think this may be their best work so far! Hellborn Messiah is good, metallic crust from Germany (?), but I've been too hooked on the 'zombies side of the split to get into more detail.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mjjuwzyakey

Twenty Sixty Six and Then - Reflections on the Future (1972)

Genre - Krautrock, Heavy Psych, Progressive Rock.
Review - According to ProgArchives.com "Krautrock (also called "Kosmische musik") is a German avant-garde / experimental rock movement that emerged at the end of the 1960's. It was intended to go beyond the eccentricities developed by the wild psychedelic rock universe of the US, by giving a special emphasis to electronic treatments, sound manipulation and minimal hypnotic motifs (continuing the style of "musique concrete" and minimalist repetitive music but within a more accessible environment)."

Nevermind the pretentious band name, Twenty Sixty Six and Then play a unique brand of krautrock (but then, Isnt Krautrock all about experimenting with your usual Psychedelic rock sound which was so famous back in the days). THis album will go down the throats of most of you guys here. I know there a lot of hard rock, psychedelic rock (?? Space rock too) loving crowd in this group (I am looking at you feather, ethan, Rectal, Poseidonx, Funeralmass). But this will also find favours with guys who like bands that like to experiment with their music.(I know a lot of you guys hate the experimental tag here). I remember someone posting a Randy Holden album here and it was well received by the truly grim crowd. Well this band is like a few steps of ahead of what Randy Holden did on Population II. The guitar tone is thick and heavy with too many melodic overtones to handle. While you are being bombarded with bluesy Jimmy Hendrixesque riffs, you also find slowly ascending spacey passages ala Nektar (Hey Hawkwind have become a household name in this group yoy know! but seriously this reminds me more of Nektar than Hawkwind). The vocals are husky and raw which will force you think of Garage rock movement of the 60s and is one of the reasons why I like this album so much. So if you love to dig the vocals of Blue Cheer and the legendary "The Electric Prunes", there is no reason why you wont love it. The drumming is immaculate and the fills and rolls along with long guitar leads impart a progressive touch to the music ala King Crimson. The bass is pretty much audible and particularly great on the title track.

The production is kinda poor, but I like it somehow because its the production that imparts an even thicker sound to the guitar tones and makes it sound closer to the garage rock/hard rock than your usual German Krautrockers. Oh and why the heck I was forgetting about incredible flute playing on the albums.

Krautrock was one of the most abused genre in the 70s, Infact the krautrock albums that came in the mid 70s made a mess of the legacy left by the early bands. But this is one of the early gems from a band that had a rather shortlived career.

I absolutely love the song BUTTERKING here, cheesy lyrics with incredible vocals (there are times when all you can hear is the vocals and the vocal tones are matched incredibly by the geeeetars!). I would say that go for this album just for that fuckin' song.

PS - The Link contains 8 tracks, The actual album has 5 tracks only (the first five ones) the rest are BONUS!
Your choice baby!

Gräfenstein – Death Born

Genre – Black Metal

Country – Germany

Just about when I thought that “Well I had enough of Black Metal” as nothing seemed to click with me from the past few weeks, I gave this band a random try to rejuvenate my love and fondness for this genre which had always amazed me and surprisingly it clicked.

Yes, Gräfenstein is one of those bands who play a rather modern style of Black Metal with a bit of Thrash influences here and there without clinging away from the roots. A bit generic and monotonous (but that’s where my interest in Black Metal lies) so it was never a problem with me.

So what do we expect from Gräfenstein ? These guys play No Nonsense Black Metal and this an out and out 46 minutes of Non-stop Black Metal onslaught, yes the riffs are there and they are right in your face one after another leaving you wanting for more, Very Very Impressive. Talk about the drumming, again very good. I always had this insta-connection with German black metal bands right from mighty Katharsis to Zarathustra, Gräfenstein is the latest addition, so get it here.

Ps. I find it a bit similar to Witchmaster, i don't know how though. =\

Lunar Aurora - Ars Moriendi (2001)

With over 7.000 listeners on Last.fm, one wouldn't exactly call Lunar Aurora an underground black metal band, but it sure pisses me off when people don't mention them when talking about quality, worthwhile black metal.

Every other black metal band nowadays seems to have the "symphonic" moniker attached to it's genre description, simply by using keyboards in the music. Lunar Aurora do use synths, but I'm not gonna be all cliché and tell you that their sound is majestic or whatever. I'll try to be brief and just say this:

They kick ass.

Instead of lumping a brick on top of certain keys to hummm some repetitive sounds in the background, they sporadically appear throughout the songs, bitchslapping the guitars to STFU while they do their thing. Fuck coexistence and supporting roles, this is a war now! Yet do not think there's some bitchin' 70s guitar solo going on, and then the synth comes in, unplugs the guitar's amp and goes off in one of Chopin's "Etudes".

No sir, everything fits nicely, thanks in no small part to the exquisite drumming. It's not 399,999 bpm fast, there aren't tom rolls every split second and I don't think you can find 7/3,14 beats here. However, it's varied, the drums themselves have a nice crunchy sound, and they're angry as fuck. You can feel the misanthropy dripping off every cymball crash, forming a pool of AIDS for all humanity to drown in, ignorantly screaming, begging to be forgiven for their intransigent ways.

To expand on the aforementioned guitar-synth interplay, I'll say that these two do a good job at complementing each other. While the former buzzes along nicely and ever so abrasive, spewing out good, somewhat standard black metal riffs, the latter varies from droning, selenial, Beherit-esque electronic sounds to short orchestral bits, keeping the tracks fresh and entertaining, but never restraining you from headbanging. And speaking of "selenial", no wonder that adjective came up when referring to a band named Lunar Aurora. However, instead of using the moon as some sort of gloomy feminine symbol for flowery sonatas and bukakke rose petal fetishes, you feel as if Aran and the gang are outside in the middle of a wintery night, striking the Abbathian "storm summoning" pose on top of a cliff somewhere, declaring their distaste for mankind while lightning flashes behind them in a dramatic scene, after which they retreat to their medieval, tastefully-decorated castle found somewhere in the mountains of Germany to sip wine and listen to Wagner or Beethoven. And maybe give each other foot massages.

It's an album that reveres nature and psychotically laughs in the face of modern man. You can try to remember it by its lycanthropic nature, it's misanthropy or it's kick-assity. You can put peanut butter and anchovies on it and place it between your thighs, for all I care. Just get it if you're a fan of wintery, atmospheric black metal akin to Paysage d'Hiver, german black metal, in general, or this interview. If I've over-hyped it, go complain to your boyfriend, your mom, or your pet weasel.

Download

-Radu

The Ruins of Beverast - Unlock The Shrine (2004)

Well, boys and germs, here's The Ruins of Beverast's debut LP, Unlock the Shrine. It's a one man band, the genius responsible for this being Alexander von Meilenwald, the drummer for the late Nagelfar. He plays every instrument here, and I gotta say, more drummers should be guitarists. There's an uncanny sense of groove for a black metal record, here, and it doesn't feel out of place at all. The musical synesthesia is just astounding, even though it's quite a thick and layered album. Electronics intertwine with guitars, drums and movie samples to create something new on each track. From the progressive headbangable riff on The Clockhand's Groaning Circles, to the bitter atmosphere of Unlock the Shrine, and even the trip-hop sounding synth on Between Bronze Walls, this album puts most black metal bands to shame in terms of diversity. And, also, it does much more than make you bang your noggin and tap your foot...the artist(yeah, I used this word, Alexander is a true artist, something very rare these days) connects to you on a personal level. Read the lyrics. Bask in the album's atmosphere. It's a moving piece of art that will not leave you indifferent.

Download

-Radu