Though I’m not much of a metal guy, I have grown fond of things like desert rock, stoner rock, drone metal and other variants. The online label Weedian has been releasing free (or pay-what-you-like) compilations of bands in local scenes, and this one covers Germany in 62 tracks. Most of Continue Reading
Metal
Antiq – Ilbeltz / Hanternoz / Anceisural Eritance – D’Anjou en Vasconie
This was a combination I didn’t expect. It’s not uncommon for, say, black metal musicians to integrate their music into pagan folk and make a good hybrid, but this is something different. Antiq combine soaring traditional Basque and Breton vocals with a proper metal backing, and somehow, by some strange Continue Reading
Autumn Tears / Zeresh – Widowing / Possessing
What a strikingly good album this is. Autumn Tears is a collective of musicians from Billerica, Massachusetts who make an ethereal sound that blends the best of bands who would have fit well on 4AD Records during their 1980s heyday and progressive rock, especially for those who are fans of Continue Reading
Azure – Amor Fati
Azure are a post-rock band out of Aviles, Spain, who produce an atmospheric instrumental vibe on this EP. It has a familiar sound to those who like a bit of metal inside of their post-rock, so it’s a worthwhile pickup. Also, for those of you who love using Bandcamp, this Continue Reading
Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Worlds Within Live
Raphael Weinroth-Browne is a fine cellist from Canada. He weaves together contemporary classical music, post-rock, post-metal and even some hints of ambient. From Raphael’s Bandcamp site: “Realizing Worlds Within in the studio was more of a process of discovery rather than one of conscious creation. Long after its release, I Continue Reading
Igra Staklenih Perli – Igra Staklenih Perli
Igra Staklenih Perli were one of the greater monster progressive/psychedelic rock bands to come out of Yugoslavia (the band themselves were Serbian) during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and though some of their work could be seen as taking cues from legendary western groups like Pink Floyd, I hear Continue Reading
Xerxes The Dark – Soundtrack To The Blind Owl
I feel a bit silly admitting this, but for some reason, I thought I had Soundtrack To The Blind Owl previously. Iran’s foremost dark ambient composer Xerxes The Dark has been active for many years now, and is part of a pretty amazing scene developing in one of the least Continue Reading
Various Artists – Doomed & Stoned in Chile
Doomed & Stoned is a series of compilations covering the best of doom metal and stoner rock all over the world. This comp covers the scene in Chile, which is surprising rich. There are 99 tracks of surprising variety, including one that left me mystified: It’s a track by Heraldica Continue Reading
Domkraft – Seeds
Today seems to be an important day, at least as far as I can read. It’s apparently a pot holiday, and as such, though I can’t stand the smell of the stuff, I figure posting a sludgy piece of metal would be appropriate. The Swedish band Domkraft roar with one Continue Reading
Onségen Ensemble – Fear
I wish to thank my friend Slava, who is based in Kazakhstan, for introducing me into this avant-prog treasure. The Onségen Ensemble are a Finnish group who have a rather open personnel, which is in keeping with their mission statement. The sound is a mix of heavy progressive, psychedelic rock Continue Reading