Euthanizer "Permanent Damage"

Viscerally raw and brutally noisy black metal, this basically sums up Euthanizer's "Permanent Damage". In just 5 minutes, the band blasts our eardrums into blood with some corrosive low-fi black/punk metal. I love this kind of sound, i mean, it's raw to the core, evil, violent, loud but honest. The songs have a simple and basic structure where three or four notes are played repeatedly and the next song sounds just like the previous but played backwards! Euthanizer's sound is not meant to be sophisticated or beautiful. No. It's meant do be dirty, aggressive and to be played really, really loud. I believe the tape is no longer available at the "Ataque Jovem" cartel but i still believe you can buy/trade through Discogs.

Link provided from the mystical SVN OKKLT.

Urgh

Flagellant "Monuments"

Here is an album i've been revisiting a lot lately, "Monuments", the debut album of Sweden's Flagellant released back in 2010. Carrying 6 tracks only, which in my opinion is the only flaw on this album, "Monuments" delivers with success pure straightforward black metal forged within the fires of Hell. If you're looking for some comparisons, well i could say it resembles with Watain, Sargeist or even Valkyrja, sharing the same frozen melodies in total celebration of evil. "Monuments" is quite good and a strong debut album, the good news is that the band is working on a new album as you read this, you can preview a new track here,  just hope it doesn't come out as they say on their Bandcamp, in 2037... well at least they have a sense of humor. If you dig the traditional Swedish black metal, then this an album for you to check out. The work here is done right, melodic yet harsh guitars and a voice spitting poisonous words of blasphemy on every refrain. You can buy this here or in a dozen other distros out there.. just google it.

listen | ashes of Eden

Hetroertzen "Exaltation of Wisdom"

Amazing dark, ritualistic black metal from Chile. Hetroertzen's "Exaltation of Wisdom" has everything that a true Black Metal should have: decent compositions, excellent musicianship, thoughtful lyrics and serious approach to the recording and mixing process with the retention of characteristic rawness of the sound and the creation of great magical atmosphere that will give you some chills on the back of your skull. I never heard of this band before, found them while i was shopping on the web.. really shopping, yeah i buy albums too. I was totally blown away by the quality of this, only took a few listens to the track "Like the Serpent" for me to be totally surrendered to this mystical and occult Black Metal preached by Hetroertzen. Absolutely brilliant. Recommended to everyone into serious occult Black Metal. You can buy this wonderful Digi-CD, which have been remastered, with 24 page booklet with Lyrics and Art here. Highly Recommended.

listen | the exorcism of light

Skinfather, The Hunger & They Are All Dead

In for more of that dark hardcore? Yes? Ok, let's go.

From Orange County, California, come Skinfather. This quintet delivers 5 tracks of the most evil and furious hardcore, each tracks weights like a fuckin' ton and leads us into the realms of that abyss where the most vicious hardcore lies hidden. It reminds me a lot of Integrity but with more elaborated passages or a slower, sludgiers version of All Out War. So i guess that's cool.. uhn? 

listen & download

The Hunger is a relatively new hardcore band from the north of the Netherlands. Their sound can be best described as extremely heavy hardcore with a rocking twist. Influenced by bands as integrity, Ringworm, Cursed, Converge, Entombed and much, much more, you surely can get an idea. This band has been around for a couple years but i only discovered them a few weeks ago. I must confess i really enjoyed this 7''. Their sound reminds me a lot of Black Ships, Black Haven or even Rise And Fall. I just wish they would launch some new stuff soon.

listen & download

Next are They Are All Dead. A more heavy and powerful proposal. These guys come from San Francisco and this "Corporate EP" was launched in April 2011. These guys deliver Grind, Crust, Hardcore, you name it.. they will do it, really heavy. That's the key ingredient to their formula. Grind all the way...

listen & download

All of these releases took time, passion and money from all of the bands. So if you please, go to their shows, buy some tees, support them in any way you can. Do not just love Music, live it!

Knelt Rote "From Without/Insignificance"

Knelt Rote is a band that mixes a lot of genres, from Death Metal, Black Metal, Noise, Crust and Grind,  that in the end, forms this huge wall of vicious sound. It's two releases in one. You get the first one, "From Without" that came out in 2008, filled with short and furious songs, it's a more powerviolenced crust/grind that bring to my mind acts like Man Is The Bastard, Raw Radar War and early Napalm Death, but in a more incisive way... "Insignificance" (tracks 11, 12 and 13) sound more into Death Metal, the first two, "Immeasurable" and "Age" sound almost kinda like Flourishing material while "Constituent Of Oblivion" is a more darker, evil as fuck track... It may sound a little bit inconsistent, or not. You judge it. But i think these fellas are still testing the waters. I prefer a lot, i mean, A LOT, what they have created with "Constituent Of Oblivion". Fuckin' awesome track. You can get Knelt Rote stuff at Parasitic Records although "Insignificance" will be launched this year through NWP. Stay alert on these guys. Sorry about the low quality on this one, but it was all i could get... think that in this way, its sounds more kvlt.

listen | kneel before the wolves

Rorcal "Heliogabalus"

Rorcal's "Heliogabalus"... this isn't particularly new, but i was asked to review it some time ago. What's the concept behind "Heliogabalus"? It's based on the life of a young Roman emperor that ascended to the Imperial power at a very early age, fourteen years old, if i'm not incorrect. He ruled until he was murdered at eighteen years of age. Although short, his imperial reign was considered very controversial due to religious/sexual issues. 

Rorcal are, for those who never heard about them, a Sludge/Doom band from Switzerland, that in pair with AmenRa, i must confess, are one of my favorite European Sludge bands. With "Heliogabalus", Rorcal bring us a colossal one hour track filled with great epic moments and some interludes that perform their task of almost dividing the track in "acts". So this could be almost a musical, where Rorcal interpret the ascension and fall of that young emperor. 

It takes about 1 minute until the first riff completely smashes us, and from there on, a slow funeral march takes its place along with anguished screams of pain and despair. The use of samples/synthesizer reinforces even more that dense atmosphere that transports us back to the Roman Empire years. Heavy riffs are thrown into the air and fall in a very slow motion, i mean, very slow. This slow and grieve march continues until a musical interlude that takes place just before the next "act" of the story. The kind of music the interludes brings us, sound very tribal, making me think how would ancient Roman music sounded like? I bet it would sound just like this. "Heliogabalus" has it's own unique character, the kind of character that we might consider timeless.. people years from now will still speak of this and how epic it was/is. The more we sink into this track, the thicker the environment gets, and more and more and more, almost suffocates us. Many of you might run away from a track this long, but i can assure you that this is a real masterpiece, something like you never heard before, it's true that isn't no easy task, but effectively, Rorcal did their task very well. Take my advice and head dive into this one. You won't be sorry. The album is available to purchase through the bands website here, although, as a nice band these guys are, they also provided the album as a Free Download. But nothing beats a physical copy.

thrown to the lions

Turdus Merula "Herbarium"

Having released last year a new album, i decided first to revisit Turdus Merula first full length, "Herbarium". This is a one woman (yes... i said woman) Black Metal project from Sweden, that basically does everything, from vocals to all the instruments. “Herbarium” is a concept album about hallucinogenic and poisonous plants. The latin word “herbarium” refers to a collection of dried plants. Each of the song titles refers to a plant with both hallucinogenic and toxic qualities. There is a distinctly ritualistic dimension to the music, from the hypnotizing blast beats to the dissociative melodies, all the sounds are oriented toward cultivating an altered state of consciousness and that raw production really accentuates the delirious theme of the album, that enhances what i really like about this album, the sound of it, not perfect, but good. “Herbarium” is an enrapturing album that is bound to please ambient black metal fans. Like consuming one of these plants, and being unsure if you have taken too much or just the right amount, “Herbarium” is both a haunting and inspiring experience.

listen | black thorny flowers

At The Graves "II"

Another great slab of Sludge/Doom to cheer you up in this Thursday... At The Graves consists in a two piece sludge band from Arnold, Maryland. They have released two EP's (that you can download for free at their Bandcamp) and i believe that, at this point, they are preparing new material for their first full length, which is wonderful news. At The Graves play this thick and heavy sludge, and the result is pretty good. I'm sure it will please every sludge fan out there, if you're one of those, you must check this band immediately.

listen | looking at an open coffin hole

The Pledge Of Cain "We...Martyrs"

Another awesome band hailing from the old mighty Europa. The Pledge Of Cain are a french sludge/doom band from Strasbourg. "We...Martyrs" is their first album, and i can describe it to you in just two simple words: Slow and Heavy. As soon as you enter the cold and dark quicksands that "We...Martyrs" is, you will began to sink in a very slow and painful way... just wishing that death arrives soon to end all of that suffering, but no.. The Pledge Of Cain gets some sick pleasure in making you drown in a very horrific way. I dig the sound and that harsh voice, so good man. In overhaul, "We...Martyrs" is a sick album and a great debut from this french quintet. Get into it now! Highly Recommended!

listen | in sludge we drown

Sleepwalker "Demos"

Sleepwalker is the side project from Mike, the drummer of Fell Voices. It has released two Demos so far, one in 2009 and another one in 2010. The sound that Sleepwalker presents us is a misty and murky post rock influenced BM, with repetitive and hypnotic riffs that leads us into some sort of trance. The production is as raw as you can get. This is good material though. These guys are playing now on the Gilead Media Festival, so if you're near it, check out Sleepwalker live in one of its rare live appearances.

listen | shady sounds

Cemeteries "Speaking Horrors"

Now here is something out of hand from what i usually post here on FxC. Only by holding a name like this, Cemeteries, they sure deserve some highlight here. Don't you agree? Not always i'm in the mood for some metal. Cemeteries is a dream pop/shoegaze band from Buffalo formed by one man only, Kyle J. Reigle, who writes and records music under the name Cemeteries. "Speaking Horrors" is a sonic book compost of 10 ghost related tales. The sound of it reminds me a bit of Pygmy Lush, even the voice is, at some point, familiar. "Speaking Horrors" introduces lush soundscapes filled with dreamy vocals, reverb, and poppy guitar and piano riffs. A mix of folk, shoegaze, and electronic music Cemeteries is nothing if not pleasant to listen to. As the track "Watch the Skies or Walking Home On October 31st" starts, i get surrounded by a dream world of sound, surrounded by bedsheet ghosts. Lock up the doors and windows and turn the lights out.

listen | we only come out at night

Hell

Today i bring you a late Christmas gift... the second release of Hell, simply entitled "II". For those who don't know this beast, i suggest you to first pass by through my first post (still in my native tongue) about this horribilis band. I don't need to say that i totally dig this band's sound. Doom, Sludge, Drone and Black Metal all in one? Oh my God... Yes!! I find "II" to be quite different from "I", it's more atmospheric, filled with some acoustic parts. But don't expect it to be something pleasant.. no, Hell brings anything but pleasure to your ears. It will fill them with the most vile blackened and putrid sludge doom you ever even dreamed of. And that bass... man.. the BASS!! Those chords must reach the ground to make a sound like that.. This is so good man. This is a personal cassette rip of mine so i hope you enjoy it like i am enjoying every note, every detail of "II".

You can achieve this cassette here but the best news is that the boys at Pesanta Urfolk have already forged this beast in wax, so what are you waiting to get your claws on this outstanding piece of pure evil? Support Hell and also the hard working guys at Eternal Warfare and Pesanta Urfolk, all great guys to deal with. Don't need to say that this is Highly Recommended..

forged in Hell

(link updated! Now for a better sound quality and correct song split, enjoy!)

The Funeral Pyre

A kick ass album, this "Vultures At Dawn". Coldness evil is majestically served in furious riffs, crushing drumming and soul freezing screams. "Vultures At Dawn" is the forth release of american Black Metal band The Funeral Pyre, it doesn't sound like the usual Black Metal with corpse paint and cold low fi tremolo picking sound.. it's more of an brutal-evil-as-fuck-death-influenced-black-metal.. so let's just call it Blackened Death Metal. This band is really good, and in case you didn't know, their vocalist John Strachan, recently revealed that he has joined Early Graves as their new vocalist. Strachan is going to replace Makh Daniels, who passed away in a van accident (may his soul rest in peace). So expect an extra dose of brutality that he has in TFP in Early Graves. Meanwhile check this out and destroooooooy!!

myspace | under the shadow of the vulture

Torture Chain

Torture Chain is a Raw American black metal band that is totally gnarly. They came out with one of the raddest demo tapes last year, called "Across Great Landscapes to a Legacy of Blood". This tape has the perfect balance of blackened punk & raw heavy black metal. With all of their epic chaotic feedback & twisted distortion, they find a way to have a layer of deranged melody in their tunes. Torture Chain’s production has that lo-fi sound that almost acts as another instrument. The singer’s voice is raspy and diseased-sounding, and totally off the hook. Their guitarist brings the tempo of their songs almost down to a doom sort of pace. When he is not doing that, his riffs just sound like unearthly screams of sonic beauty. Check them out!

drawing landscapes of blood

Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk is one of those bands that have been here for years.. have a bunch of albums but, for some reason i can't explain i never listened to them until their 2007 release "My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment Of What My Love Could Be", although this release didn't grew on me the same thing didn't happened with 2010's "A Small Turn Of Human Kindness".. the sound of this specific record, man.. The riffs, that howling voice in despair... damn. I really love this album, some might hate it.. but that's life. This album just made me look back in their discography and dig deeper to their sound. "Small Turn.." riffs are thrown into the atmosphere like some funereal doom chords that hang in the air like stink and just stay there while frontman Creston Spiers, with his unique and recognizable voice tone, strange howls reaches heights of lowness. Too bad Preston is out but still, with this album, the band continues to refine their mixture of heavy riffage, sheer noise, and unexpected detours into introspection and delicate, emotional instrumentalism. I'm prety sure that this album will please every sludge fans who aren't familiar to the band's work.

myspace | wrong turn

Ossarivm

It's time to demonstrate some of my patriotism and share some of the best that is made here in Portugal. This came as a request from the underground label Latrina do Chifrudo (in english it means something like Latrine of the Horned One) and little did they know that we speak the same language. Ossarivm is a one man band hailing from Porto, Portugal and in this EP "Emanation" we are unblessed to have 3 themes forged by the horned beast itself. Three darkened ritualistic songs to summon the Lord of Darkness. Indeed some of the best material ever made here... worship the beast! 666!!

listen | black boned devil

Celestiial

Celestiial are an unusual beast. Their latest release, "Where Life Springs Eternal", is a fascinating mix of heavy, droning funeral doom guitars, tortured vocals, and glacial percussion. Somehow they’ve managed to take the usually oppressive and choking tools of the funeral doom metal trade to evoke an almost soothing animistic atmosphere of forests and streams and mist on the air. It’s a strange and impressive achievement. It took me quite a few listens to get the point of this release. At first I felt the compositions were dry and unimaginative. The guitars are hazed in delay and fade which gives them a dreamy, airy feeling, very unusual for doom, but I thought that perhaps the music was just using this production tool as a gimmick to hide a limited creative vision. Likewise the many samples of water, wildlife, and forests. Celestiial embraces the inspiration flowing from his surroundings and injects them into an inspired and uniquely challenging/spiritual expression. This album features the talents of Tim Glen (percussion) and Jason Walton (bass) from Agalloch. "Where Life Springs Eternal" is a vibrant exploration of beauty from within and its reflection upon the waters streaming from the woodlands. Buy here or here.

there's something in the water

Kingdom

The smell of fire weighs on the stale air. The birds have fallen silent. A shiver runs through the naked skeletons of the trees. The dead river meanders aimlessly. As the sun darkens, the moon is bereft of its light. The land grows weary amidst the shadows grey, and hearts are relieved for they welcome darkness; they welcome our kingdom. Belgiumʼs Kingdom, featuring members of Amenra and Black Heart Rebellion have started serving masses with their debut full-album; separating themselves from false prophets. “Hemeltraan” is a slow, mature work of bleak drones, epic doom and fuzzy sludge in five movements, which slowly draws listeners into an unfolding landscape of broken imagery and half-remembered screams from the past that burrow deep into the soul. Both the heavy and the droning parts serve as an audible fog that slowly creeps around and attacks your senses. Through the repetition of sludgy riffs built on sustained chords and eerie chanting, “Hemeltraan” hypnotizes its prey and conveys a brooding feeling of unease. “Hemeltraan” is immense yet quiet, dark yet hopeful, pure yet doctrinal, the sum is but an echo of it parts, inviting the listener to subconsciously abandon all hope. Now itʼs too late to pray. Buy this magnificent album here.

myspace | kingdom comes

Lords of Bukkake

No, don't expect to see some weird japanese gangbang here. Although their name makes you imagine some gross shit in that fucked up head of yours, Lords of Bukkake "Desorden Y Rencor" is a fuckin' mandatory album for any sludge fan. In fact, "Desorden Y Rencor" is a shining example of modern sludge, no track ever becomes tedious despite their wholesale worship of the riff. They build and decay, rise and fall with a great feeling of momentum. The vocals are coughed out in distorted, the production is big and clear with each instrument prominent in the mix. The guitar tone is heavy and thick while remaining clear and is a refreshing change of pace in a genre where burying the instruments in distortion is the norm. The drums pop, snap and swing with plenty of creative fills and imbue the songs with a sense of motion and dynamism. A must have for fans of sick, noisy metal.

myspace | i cum sludge

The Soft Moon

Today I'm in the mood for other sounds besides metal.. today is non-metal day. The Soft Moon is the one-man project of Luis Vasquez, The Soft Moon gives the darkly hypnotic sounds of Suicide, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and Krautrock new life with a stripped-down, lo-fi approach. I found this last year, thru a blog from a musician/designer i follow daily, it was on his Best Of 2010 list, and of all the names he mentioned, this was the only was that was not familiar to me.. so i decided to investigate. And it was love at first sight, or in this case, audition. It was perfect, i passed it into my iPod and when left work to catch the bus it was already dark, it had been raining so the reflections were multiplied by the lights coming from the cars headlights. The decaying city, the dark and dirty subway station... the silhouettes of junkies and prostitutes, the dirty neon lights... The Soft Moon provides the perfect soundtrack to all of this environment. Recommended.

facebook | drugged on the moon