Pause!

Christmas truly is the worst of times. Regular activity will resume in 2014 as I work on the design and future plans for the blog.

No top x of 2013 here either, there are plenty of those around.

Happy holidays.

This week in news

Though there have been some releases this week I haven't paid much attention to them, so I can't really vouche for that. Here's a few memorable things:

Announcements

Birds Are Indie - Love Is Not Enough

Birds Are Indie are a small portuguese indie (surprise!) band that make the sort of campfire-singalong-love-tunes that would make you cringe if they weren't so mind-bogglingly adorable. Their new album should be out on their bandcamp on January the 8th. Meanwhile you can either get their older stuff or just loop this song to eternity.

Reverend Bizarre - So Long Suckers (4LP)

Doom bannermen Reverend Bizarre are issuing their last album on vinyl and they have something to say about it: "Reverend Bizarre's final opus is a 130 minute juggernaut, thought by many as impossible to fit on vinyl. Well, you thought wrong." This made me laugh, and they had to fit the damn thing on a 4 LP release to prove everyone wrong. Comes out on January the 17th, you can preorder it here.

Interesting shit

"Blackened Everything" is a must-listen CVLT NATION mixtape. One hour of terror? Sign me in. Check it here.

Church of Fuck Mystery Box is a special christmas promotion by Manchester blackened hardcore band Church of Fuck. Also the main reason I'm featuring this here is to celebrate that Church of Fuck Mystery Box is an actual thing that exists. Life is good.

SotD: Julia Brown - i will do this for the rest of my life

Julia Brown is a noisy indie pop act that I've been listening to recently, they are catchy enough to appease the masses while seeming to me innovative in the way that they fill the simple guitar chords with layers of dream pop and shoegaze elements. I has that "work of passion" feel to it and it shows both in the carefree aesthetics of their bandcamp and in the groovy flow of their songs.

The thing about making noisy sound, the trick, or rather the thing that has some noise stand out in relation to other cases, is whether or not it sounds "natural". Noise can't be forced into a music through either technique or a sort of mathmatical precision. In my mind, it eases its way into your brain as it would ease out of the musician's - an organic communication through the medium of sound.

Though not without its less exemplary moments, Julia Brown seem to understand this and their brand of noisy lo-fi pop can really hit the nail when they build up for it (check out "i was my own tv show..." as another song that stands out).

SotD: Diane Cluck & Jeffrey Lewis - Travel Light

Diane Cluck is a personal favourite. I love her music, her voice and her lyrics; this Jeffrey Lewis guy, I don't know who he is. But I've found this bandcamp and it has three nice little songs from both her and him, they're light and amusing songs that seem to have been recorded on a binge. Here's one of them, check out the bandcamp for those other three:

SotD: Earth - His Teeth Did Brightly Shine

I love Earth and I love Angels of Darnkess, Demons Of Light. There's nothing more to that. What a kickass band, damn.

SotD: Dead Combo - Aurora em Lisboa

Today I'm bringing you a song by the portuguese band Dead Combo - mostly because I was thinking hey, shouldn't I feature some good portuguese bands? Of course I should. Meet the jazzy-bohemian-western-spaghetti-fado-playing duo:

This week in news

It's been a slow week, but here are some highlights:

Interesting shit

Nefarious realm are compiling 666 songs from 666 bands in a free playlist for the masses. Check it out here.

Releases

Mammatus - Heady Mental

The new album by rock psychonauts Mammatus is now available at stores. You can buy it here. Listen to the bands s/t here.

Announcements

Bossk - Pick-Up Artist/Albatross

Bossk are a post-metal ("post-everything, it says) band that have paved a solid path in the scene these past years. An EP is announced to release December the 13th this year. Check it out here. 

Conan - Blood Eagle

What I believe will make the top releases of 2014, Conan's Blood Eagle now has an official (awesome) artwork and tracklist. Check it here. 

SotD: Drudkh - W Krainie Drzew

A song of the upcoming split between Drudkh and Winterfylleth (which I covered already I think) has been released for streaming at Stereogum: it's a cover of a song by an obscure Polish band called Hefeystos. You can check it out at the Stereogum website alongside a bit of a background into this split, here.

Also, that cover is pretety fucking badass, isn't it? Damn!

SotD: Thee Silver Mt Zion - Austerity Blues

I noticed I never got to post this song, I just shared the news that the album is coming up. So here it is. Austerity blues are, after all, what make our everyday lives here in the margins of Europe nowadays.

SotD: Alcest - Opale

Today I bring you Alcest's latest song/videoclip Opale, off the recently released single vinyl by the same name and also from the upcoming album Shelter. They are coming to Portugal next February, I hope I get to catch them then.

Embedding has been disallowed for blogs, so here's a link to the Vimeo page. 

SotD: Josephine Foster - Good News

Yes, there is a bandcamp. Enjoy!

SotD: Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day

I have mixed feelings towards Sufjan Stevens, his music is to me the whole range between "oh hey this is pretty nice" and "ok that's just too indie for me". Truthfully, I grow easily tired of his albums, they start to blend in and sound mashy and confusing.

It's not really my genre anyway. This song is pretty nice though, so here's to Sufjan and to me giving another shot at Illinoise.

SotD: Dakota Suite - A quietly gathering tragedy (Hauschka remix)

There are few things sadder than Dakota Suite's music. The one time I saw them live was a treat; though a distance away from the technical quality it could have had (Chris Hooson looked smashed drunk and played as if he was) it was a pretty unique experience.

Here's a song remixed by piano experimentalist Hauschka, another artist that I've been looking into. A nice relaxing little tune.

SotD: Drop Nineteens - Winona

Today I'm featuring a shoegaze classic, after all not everything has to be obscure around these parts.

Drop Nineteens aren't obscure, are they?

As would be with older songs, I doubt there's an official version so here's a youtube version of the videoclip:

SotD: Hollow Sunshine - Here for Now

If the words "sludge pop" don't leave you curious enough then Hollow Sunshine is not for you. In all fairness, the genre sounds a bit silly, and in the end Hollow Sunshine doesn't actually stray very far from early 90's shoegaze bands. It drips MBV all over the place, but it does have this jesu'ey heavyness that draws it close to the "doomgaze" fashion of the 00's. "Sludgegaze" sounds even weirder and I will bet that particular tag is still open for takers.

It's an interesting project and in a time where genre fusion seems to be the hype, these guys actually do it well. Take it for a spin:

Release round-up

So I compiled a list of good news and interesting shit that's been announced throughout the week, in case you missed it. I can't in all honestly claim that it's comprehensive as much as it is the things I have come across. Enjoy:

Released:


Year Of No Light – Tocsin

Post-metal masters Year Of Ni Light added their upcoming album to bandcamp so you can listen and prepurchase. Releases on November 29th, available here http://dmp666.bandcamp.com/album/tocsin

A Perfect Circle – Stone And Echo

The story is that literally every available copy of A Perfect Circle's "Stone and Echo", a new compilation of all their things plus an exclusive live album by the same name, ran out on pre-purchase. So they decided to release the said live album for other people to listen - neat! Releases on November 26h, available here http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/11/stream-a-perfect-circles-new-live-album-stone-and-echo/

Geryon – Geryon

New bass and drums duo from members of the black metal band Krallice. Heavy duty stuff for the strong-hearted. Available here http://geryon.bandcamp.com/album/geryon

Announcements:


Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything

The new album from post-rock activists Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra has been announced together with a nice little trailer and a figment of a song called "Austerity Blues", which rings close to my home. Release date is January 21st 2014, read about it here http://cstrecords.com/new-release-thee-silver-mt-zion-memorial-orchestra-fuck-off-get-free-we-pour-light-on-everything/

Bohren & Der Club of Gore – Piano Nights

The dark jazz band announced on facebook the date of release and the name of their upcoming album. It comes out on January the 24th 2014, and you can read the announcement here http://www.facebook.com/bohrenofficial/posts/583364855070754

Drudkh/Winterfylleth split – Thousands of Moons Ago / The Ages

I knew of this upcoming split but I wasn't aware of the release date until I read this. Drudkh is an amazing black metal band that recently turned to a more post-y sound, Winterfylleth are brittish black metal masterminds with a soft spot for their heritage. The split is out on January 17th – preorder here http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/en/items/drudkh-winterfylleth/thousands-of-moons-ago-the-gates/lp/36874

Kampfar – Djevelmakt

Kampfar play the kind of vicious black metal that demands a beard. A soul beard. New album will be out on January 27th, announced here http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152000691270490&set=a.440340655489.233530.343342075489&type=1
 

SotD: Wooden Wand with The Omen Bones Band - War Star Days

It seems that the deeper you dig, the bigger the names become. I'd draw the correlation on a graph if I had the will to.

WWWTOBB is us going back to Three Lobed Recordings. It reminds me of an earlier devendra banhart: carefree, simple and treading on the fine line between silly and serious. I particularly like this song, the closing son for the album Horus Of The Horizon.

SotD: The Long Winters - Stupid

Woah there throwback thursday. I should really post other Three Lobed Recordings' songs like I said I would but seriously, I broke that chain like tuesday or something so I just don't care at this point.

The song Cinnamon by The Long Winters has been stuck in my head for the past days for no good reason other than it suddenly popped. When I Pretend To Fall was an album that I listened through to exhaustion back in the day, a - possibly - underrated gem of the sort of naïf indie/high school rock that you'd find on an American Pie'esque OST. Except John Roderick's lyrics are very much self-aware, and halfway through the album you'll realize that you're no longer home, you're at that class reunion loathing the same people and feeling glad that it's all over and you've moved on. Yep, the past is well off over there in the past.

Which incidentally is the theme of the song Prom Night At Hater High, from the same album: "I used to love them all, but they burn me up."

Here's Stupid. It's linked from their website that by the way, kinda asks people to link to the mp3 list rather than the actual mp3's, so here it is.

SotD: Year Of No Light - Stella Rectrix

Hold the fucking phone because the new Year Of No Light album is up on bandcamp:

SotD: Six Organs of Admittance - Stranded on Io

While I figure out a way to feature whole bandcamps here on this blog in a manner that's not so time consuming that it becomes viable procrastination, I'll be posting songs from Three Lobed Recordings that I find standing out.

Ben Chasny always stands out for me so here is one. Straight out of a collective work by eight guitar players, go listen to the whole album if you have the time.

SotD: Process of Guilt - Fæmin

I'm posting as I hear great news of an upcoming split between Process of Guilt and Rorcal. Vilagvedge by Rorcal will most likely be my "album of the year" if I ever come to that assessment, and Process of Guilt are one of my favourite portuguese bands, so this can only be good. Right?

Here's the closer for Fæmin, Process of Guilt's latest album.

SotD: Chuck Johnson - On A Slow Passing In Ghost Town

A late post noting this particularly good bandcamp page, from Three Lobed Recordings, which has some pretty great stuff in it. For no real reason I picked this guy, might post some more in the next couple days.

SotD: Electric Moon & Papir - The Circle

Resharing a recommendation from the Roadburn blog because I can't think of anything interesting right now.

Straight to the source at The Obelisk here.

SotD: King Dude - Hello Mary

King Dude has a) the best name and b) a great neofolk album up for stream on bandcamp. I'd share "Lucifer's The Light Of The World" but everyone shares that one, so here's an even more offensive song by him.

SotD: Ebon Lore - Flying

This 20 minute long EP is a haunting neo-folk experience, more voiceless than this music type usually gifts us. It's a nice companion for some writing work, I can tell you that, though very short for its worth.

SotD: Lucy Patané & Marina Fages - K

Stumbled across this album while browsing folk songs in bandcamp. Very, very nice and relaxing music by these two argentinian women.

SotD: Emyn Muil - Death of Glaurung

See when I read Tolkien, they called me a nerd. Little did I know I could have become a self-publishing badass. This one man atmospheric black metal band Emyn Muil has "work of passion" written all over it and it shows as you listen through. Certainly a great listen, the full album is on soundcloud and the cover art is amazing, makes a great t-shirt.

SotD: Wodensthrone - First Light

Nice atmospheric black metal from the UK. First Light is the third song form the album Cursed, which is streamable here.

SotD: Tombstones - King of Daze

Let's crack open this monday with some nice stoner metal hailing from Norway. Also, is this song a reference to High on Fire's "King of Days"? Perhaps.

buioingola - Dopo l'Apnea

Came across these dudes today and immediatly thought they deserve more exposition, even if it is the little next to none that it gets here. The italian four-piece buioingola (man that takes a while to type) unleashed a special brand of apocalyptic... sludge? Kind of yes, though CVLT NATION calls it crust and somewhere else I've seen it tagged as blackened post-metal. There is certainly a lot of that, also these nice industrial-y segways between the noisier segments. The noise is of course the tone for most of the album, which manages to pull a decent degree of dissonance although still being very pleasant to listen to, it's not anything too gritty.

They do sound like a kickass band to experience in a live act, too. There's a nice wall of sound effect going on. I have doubts about some of the most post-rock-y segments, they don't often sound like they fit very well. You can notice that along the album but the most flagrant seems to me to occur around the seven minute mark on the song Oceano. Nothing too bothersome, though, and overall an amazing album to listen to.

They're trying to raise 300€ to fund their album here, if you have the spare change. 

SotD: Do Make Say Think - Greed Waltz

Did you know Constellation Records has a whole soundcloud page full of great stuff? Well, now you do.

SotD: Patrick Walker - Open My Eyes

I don't know who hurt Patrick Walker but I'm selfishly glad that they did.

SotD: Smashing Pumpkins - This Time

Once in a while I come down with a serious case of the 90's and fall back to listening the things I loved when I was a teenager. Like these guys. I still think Machina was an amazing album, though heavily overshadowed by Billy Corgan's superimposing voice (and ego). Tune down those vocals, tune up that noisy instrumental, and you have some pretty serious and noisy rock.*

*technically it was out in February 2000 but fuck that it's still 90's my blog my rules

SotD: Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning

Mandatory Lou Reed is dead post, might as well. Someone in the comments is pointing out the significance of him dying on a sunday morning... I don't know, man, did he? Timezones are a bitch.

SotD: jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came

Song from the recent album with the same name, great stuff too!

SotD: This Is The Kit - Waterproof

I love Kate Stables' voice, its sweet natural and effortless tune. Also watching TITK on one of those several youtube videos we can come across, it's only soothing. Definitely these are the songs we should pull when reading a book, or having a beer.

SotD: Deafheaven - The Pecan Tree

I've seen them live this past weekend and I absolutely loved it. Most importantly though is that the opinions on the concert went from love to hate, as if there's no possible middle ground when approaching Deafheaven. I can understand how that can be the case, theirs is the music of bittersweet extremes. Love them or hate them, it seems to me to be increasingly undeniable that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Here is the closing song for Sunbather, their latest album.

SotD: Alela Diane - The Way We Fall

This album is pretty good and it can fool you when listening for the first time. It fooled me for how good it is. Also Alela Diane sings an awful lot about being drunk in these songs, I can get behind that too.

Now Streaming: Black Hearted Brother - Stars Are Our Home

The debut album of Black Hearted Brother, band composed of members from Slowdive, Mojave 3 and Seefeel, is streaming on NY Times' Press Play. Sounds interesting so far, like some form of relaxed showgaze with electronica added to the mix. Check it out.

SotD: Mark Eitzel - I Love You But You're Dead

One might think this kind of song that doesn't fit with what's been posted here so far. One might be right. Might. But me, I think I am right, and that's what counts. It's mellow, it's well executed and it reeks of heavy drinking and second hand smoking - I'm fine with that.

Amplifest

We'll be here during the weekend and it will be rad:

SotD: The Ruins of Beverast - God's Ensanguined Bestiaries

Soaked in the profane, The Ruins of Beverast throw canon out the window and that's just the way I like my metal: filthy and mean.

SotD: The River - I Only

Doomgaze coming in strong straight from 2006.

SotD: Sun Kil Moon - Space Travel Is Boring

Speaking of masterful covers, this one raises the bar all the way up to impossible. Youtube Dude also did a great job at picking Metropolis as the background visuals, they fit perfectly.

SotD: Wino - Nothing

There's something about artists covering songs that fit them like a glove. Yet that's what happens on Songs of Townes Van Zandt: if Wino wrote a country song, it would certainly sound something like this:

SotD: Rorcal - D

Rorcal are fucking amazing and I'm not just saying this because they have their whole discography up for download here, even though they do which in itself is another kind of amazing but damn, man

this album is just

ugh

SotD: Chelsea Wolfe - We Hit A Wall

Counting down the days until I get to see her live. soooooon

SotD: Mojave 3 - All Your Tears

I expect to run through every Mojave 3 song on these songs of the day. Cheesy alt-country for the masses, to each according to need.

(my need is intense)

SotD: Bardo Pond - Limerick

I expect to feature Bardo Pondo at our songs of the day often because
a) they're pretty fucking awesome
and
b) I can't unhear the devastating concert they performed a couple years ago.

This is common stuff for me to bring along in my car for when I'm on a trip of some description and Limerick, being the first of their Amanita album, is usually the song that starts it all. So for me it has that added "on the road" bonus.

You can hear Limerick here, straight from their official website.

Now streaming: Pelican - Forever Becoming

Straight out of Pitchfork Advance, link here. Sounds good so far!

SotD: Gipsy Rufina - About the desert wind smashing my camera down

We met this guy after he played at a local bar, had a drink and I ended up buying his slightly crooked vinyl. We also shared a similar love for Townes Van Zandt, which was cool. That was a good night.

SotD: Songs: Ohia - The Black Crow

A beautiful song combing through sadness, regret and all that self-deprecating goodness that Jason Molina so expertly put into his lyrics. May he rest in peace, I guess.

I'm getting weaker 
I'm getting thin
I hate how obvious I have been

Now streaming: Earthless - From The Ages

Oh man and it kicks some serious ass too. Check it on SPIN here.

Great pop songs: Elton John - Rocket Man

Song: Rocket Man

Writers: Bernie Taupin, Elton John

Interpreter: Elton John

Rocket Man is a song about drugs, as was costumary in the 70's. I particularly like this one, though not a fan of Elton John per se - he put out some dreadful stuff. 

The song features some key elements I'd like to point out. 

Firstly, the ballad chorus progression that is characteristic of pop songs, contrasted with a very interesting (easy listening) piano work complemented by added effects that bring the song a little closer to psychedelic/space rock that was also popular at the time.

Secondly, the lyrics are deceiving in several layers. They relate to drug experimenting but they also tell us a great story of separation, loneliness and acceptance. 

In a way, the lyrics go beyond the old "song about drugs that doesn't sound like a song about drugs" that most bands write still today. Instead, they tell us the story of a rocketman; that story is an allegory for drug use; the drug use brings us back to the original story and talks to us about human experience. 

The deceptive simplicity of the song seems to me to be also connected with the song structure: a ballad made space-rock made ballad. The same way the added effects bring us closer to the psychedelia of 70's music, they do at the same time reinforce the song's identity as a pop song. 

In a way, Rocket Man is to me a thematic triangle made of lyrical imagery resonating with its structural elements and composition. Funnily enough, one person who sees it as I do was William Shatner: "rock it, man!". 

Rock it, indeed.

Hexvessel - Dawnbearer

...and that wraps it up as far as old reviews go. Now I can focus on actual content! By the way, the album is still 10€ (8€ digital copy on bandcamp, which I'll link below) but I'm not sure whether the shipping is still free, I caught that last year so I was pretty pleased about it. Also this review is more in line with what I like to write, technical and concise. 

Previous archived reviews here, here, here and here.

Hexvessel - Dawnbearer (2011)

Arguably among the best releases of 2011, Hexvessel’s Dawnbearer is a psychedelic folk gem with superb ambience and progression.

Hexvessel were created by Mat McNerney (aka Kvohst), a black metal vocalist from England who moved to Finland, where he would unite with several other musicians (including people from the great Dark Buddha Rising) and build this project.

There’s nothing particularly innovative about Dawnbearer but again, there’s really not much more one can stretch within this particular genre. But what they manage to do, they pull it off with skill and feeling. The composition is strongly based on melodic repetitions, acoustic wanderings and of course background psychedelic noise, either by a distorted guitar or a dragging violin. There are of course some more folk instruments thrown in, such as the banjo, but the bulk of the music is centred around those elements. The vocals are impeccable and the album itself is very fluid and constant, perfect for those with a taste for more ambience-driven soft tunes. Its fluidity doesn’t compromise the creativity of each song however, and that’s probably one of the strongest points about this album, which is particularly difficult to pull off since it is a 15 (!) song composition.

At the time of my writing this review, the album is on sale for 10€ with free shipping – so there’s another reason why you should buy it. It’s totally worth it. Give it a go.

Ufomammut - ORO Opus Primum

I have one more review after this one and then I'll get to some actual content. This review isn't half as bad as the previous others - that's good. Also I've seen Ufomammut two times already since I wrote this and shit's pretty intense, they are an amazing band live.

Previous archived reviews here, here and here.

Ufomammut - ORO Opus Primum (2012)

Italy’s spawn Ufomammut are as good as it gets when it comes to heavy music. This special blend of atmospheric doom and psychedelic/stoner metal will have you gaspless for quite some time, or at least until you feel like snacking. The munchies, man.

I will admit that I had been awaiting this particular album to come out for some time, now. Their previous installment (a sludge masterpiece called Eve) had already rotated far beyond whatever threshold of unhealthy obsession you might imagine, and knowing that this Italian trio had signed up with Neurot Records, it had to be good. So my expectations were pretty high.

First things go first though, and for those out of the loop Ufomammut can best be described as psychedelic doom, with some slabs of post-metal thrown in. Their sound is often heavy and slow, whose noise is highly centered around a distorted bass and drums, with psychedelic guitar effects and clean vocals. This may not sound particularly new; however, they pull it off with great originality and feeling. One of my favourite aspects is how their music stands out by having the instrumental bits go way over the vocals. Expect walls of sound – in fact, during the most heavy sections of their music you will be trying to dig through a powerful sense of noise while catching a glimpse of voice, covered by heavy riffs and an ungodly bass.

In that sense my album choice would still be Eve, mostly because I’m soft for sludgey post-metal and that album is filled with it to the brim with it. ORO is more of a return to the earlier Ufomammut it seems, slower and more minimalistic when it comes to noise. More doomy but less “dirty”, as it were; less physical but more psychological; less imposing, more destructive. It’s a trip and quite a big one too.

The album is great. It’s split in two (Opus Primum being the first, Opus Alter will be the second, set to release sometime around September) and reviewing this first instance alone is quite incomplete, I feel. But either way it’s probably going to be one of the greatest releases this year – or at least it’s got my sure vote.

A great album and a must have for anyone with decent music taste.

High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

Third review on the backlog, this time for an album that quickly faded after its hype. All in all, looking back, I think I might have overestimated how good it was, seeing as I never actually picked it up again. It's an ok album. King of Days is still a kickass song though, I'll link it below.

Check out my other archived reviews here and here.

High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis (2012)


The kings of electric stoner metal are back, and their latest album is a slap to the face and a punch to the groin. The good kind.

For those not living under stone, High on Fire is the influential metallic child of Matt Pike (who played guitar in Sleep), and can be best described as “Stoner Metal meets Motörhead”. It’s frantic, it’s heavy and it’s fun. It’s also pretty unique, in that great way where you can recognize a High on Fire song from a mile away.

Now a careful listener might think High on Fire went as heavy as it could get – maybe Matt is getting older, man, calm it down a bit. Nope. De Vermis Mysteriis is strong, powerful and metal in every way you grab at it, as its opening statement “Serums of Liao” clearly shows. Trash ain’t dead, people.

But even though its four first songs are the gist of what High on Fire is all about, it’s from then on that De Vermis Mysteriis gets interesting for me. “Samsara”, song number 5, is an instrumental piece that carefully introduces us to the next half of a slower, heavier, fuller album that really gnaws your teeth in. Madness, man – I really do love this second half. More so than the first, if only because this is where King of Days –a brutal, brutal song – really finds its place.

I can’t wait to see this bad boy in action. By which I mean watching High on Fire play this album live. Also, if you’re not sold on the hysterical experience that is Matt Pike, I still say that the slower second half makes up for an album just on its own – and you still get that delightful trashy four-track goodness up front.

Great album overall. Grab it while it’s hot – If only for King of Days*.

*Don’t buy it just because of this song; that would be pretty stupid. The other songs are great too. 

Corrupted - Garten Der Unbewusstheit

Second in my small list of backlogged reviews, this time I had picked up Corrupted's latest. Rereading this, I don't think it does justice to how good the album really is so I consider it a poorly achieved review. I also don't like the writing style, nowadays I'm more inclined towards something a little more technical and descriptive than this pseudo-poetic nonsense that I'm clearly not very good at. All filler is good filler I suppose, though.

Check out my previous backlog review here.

Corrupted - Garten Der Unbewusstheit (2011)

So after some phasing out I finally had myself listening to this album and let me say I was more than happy that I did.

Well, if by happy you mean stripped down of all hope and reason, screaming inside as each riff tore my soul apart limb from limb (o for all the limbs my soul possessed) and all that other cliché’d nonsense you usually get when listening to good doom. Yeah, happy in that sense at least.

But first, the basics: Corrupted are far from being strangers to the doom scene. They’re a Japanese band that more often than not sing in Spanish and are known for breaking the canon to a slight degree, bringing bagpipes and other folk elements to their music as well as a sense of “calmness” from times to times. All with a surprising coherence to it, not being one of those bands where they add things that don’t make sense and it’s your fault for “not getting it”.

…which brings me to this unpronounceable gem. Garten Der Unbewusstheit is a funeral doom masterpiece with delightful tones of atmospheric sludge that progresses slow but steadily into contemplative beauty. It starts out with a minimalist approach, teasing with slight tones and variances that set a great mood; it transforms itself acoustically while never failing to maintain the proper ambience; it explodes finally in destructive bliss, a catharsis you’d expect to witness at the end of the world.

Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say that it brings anything new – the melodies are your textbook doom riffs, the rhythm is as slow as you’d expect and the voice doesn’t really set itself apart from any other doom that you’d get. Its halfway song – Against The Darkest Days – is an interesting acoustic skit but again this is not novelty in the genre so if you’re expecting groundbreaking extravaganza you got your wrong pick.

However, if you’ve been craving your doom fix and like me think standard is pretty much awesome too, then I couldn’t recommend this enough. It is indeed a great album, both for chronic listeners and people new to the music genre.

Just get the damn thing already.