Art of Blasphemy

I found this at The Celestial Manifest...
Made me fucking laugh!
Perfectly fits into my place don't you think?

Punk selection .4

Classic

REFUSED - The Shape of Punk to Come :
A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts - 1998
www.myspace.com/refused
www.burningheart.com/refused


Download

Swedish legendary hardcore/punk band formed in Umea in 1991.
They broke-up in 1998 after the release of this awesome and revolutionnary album. After this, members went to form other bands ; Singer Dennis Lyxsén is actually with The (International) Noise Conspiracy...

The Shape of Punk to Come just made a fucking revolution, at the time, with its scholar mix of hardcore and punk including some electronic elements into it. More than ten years passed but I strongly feel it still sounds fucking actual today.

Well, if you don't know this great band yet, you're seriously missing out something. Don't waste more time and go for it!
This is fucking unique and classic.
Essential.

I heard actually some rumors about a possible reformation?
I don't really know if that's true or not.
But it would be pretty awesome!

"We made this album wanting to challenge peoples preconceptions of what a Punk band could be and what it could play, because Punk is the most conservative musical form there is. Even in Hardcore, there are so many rules about what is and what is not acceptable, and that completely negates the whole spirit of the original idea."
- Dennis Lyxzén/Refused.
www.burningheart.com/refused

Doom selection .17

DOOM

ALDEBARAN - Dwellers in Twilight - 2007
www.myspace.com/aldebaran


Download

Formed in 2003 in Portland, USA.
This one is their first full-lenght.
Sludgy, Funeral Doom at his best.
Somewhere between Yob, Sleep, Cough or Asunder...
Amazingly dark. Incredibly heavy. Damn-fucking evil.
This is highly recommended.
Don't miss it!

"Admittedly, this is a difficult and painful album to endure. Its frustrating funeral doom pace doesn't allow you to get over the agony easily and in fact only seems to highlight it. I can't fathom how they are able to inflict so much suffering by using relatively dry and bare doom riffs without relying on keyboards and other such instruments to create an emotionally manipulative atmosphere. Dwellers In Twilight is for those hardened doomsters who are able to find sweetness in unbearable pain and pleasure in timeless suffering."
http://diabolicalconquest.com

Hardcore selection .6

I'm having a really bad day so that's the right moment to post this evil shit.
This is the soundtrack to the end of the world.

DISCORDANCE AXIS - The Inalienable Dreamless - 2001
www.myspace.com/discordanceaxiss


Download

Discordance Axis was a three piece grindcore band that started in New Jersey, USA around 1992 and broke-up in 2001.

No longer descriptions for today. Search the web if you want to know more about them. I'm feeling fucking angry. Hate people.

"Ugly, brutal, uncompromising, unsettling, and - though definitely not least - very, very angry are just some of the components for Discordance Axis’ final opus. Yet, with all the dark psyche flying about, the listener will undoubtedly feel the same way about the music this album beholds as they might have with the picture: this is elegance, this is what I will treasure forever, this…this is ecstasy. The disharmony, the slow crushing-ness, the apocalyptic insanity…. If you were ever angry, even for once, in your miniscule, monotone and dead life, you will relate to this album. From the ethereal screaming of Jon Chang, to the jagged, discordant chugs of madness by Steve Procopio, and the blast beating suffocation courtesy of Dave Witte, you will find some part, if not the whole record, that represents your depression, anger, insanity, and even your love. You will relish it, indulge in it, become addicted. And you will truly see what it means to be thoroughly disgusted with yourself for not taking every chance, every moment, good or bad, for yourself and your life."
www.sputnikmusic.com

Video selection .18

Six great animations for the weekend.
Cheers.

LOGORAMA
Short animation film by French collective H5
(François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy & Ludovic Houplain)
www.h5.fr

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

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FRENCH ROAST
Short animation film by Fabrice O. Joubert
www.frenchroast.fr

French Roast from Piokaz on Vimeo.

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THE HEAD
Hand-drawn animation short by Podoboo
www.podoboo.com.ar

TheHead / hand-drawn animated short from podoboo on Vimeo.

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QUIMBY THE MOUSE
Animation by John Kuramoto
www.phoobis.com

Quimby The Mouse from This American Life on Vimeo.

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THE FATHER
Animation by Sticky Monster Lab
www.stickymonsterlab.com

The Father from fla on Vimeo.

+ another one by the same guys+
\/

THE MONSTERS

The Monsters from fla on Vimeo.

Black metal selection .8

Darkness and Sorrow.

WOODS OF DESOLATION - Sorh - 2009
www.myspace.com/woodsofdesolation


Download

Australian two-man band formed in 2005.
Featuring the vocalist of Austere.
Sorh is their last release to date.
Raw, Atmospheric, Depressive Black Metal.
Recommended.

"Simply titled Sorh (meaning Sorrow in Modern English) this new EP features 3 tracks of Raw, Atmospheric Black Metal from one of the most underrated Australian bands. A new path has been carved for Woods of Desolation, the cold void growing ever closer, unveiling the only true answer : "Misery will await, alike the seasons and the tide, so shall death await." Woods of Desolation is a band that doesn't stray far from the beaten path, but they apply the formula better than most bands on the list of the so called depressive/atmospheric black metal. This is truly a moving work, one that will be remembered for its sheer emotion and deep atmosphere!"
www.eisenton.de

Video selection .17

CREATIVE ADVERSING
by Denis Kamioka (CISMA)
www.cisma.tv

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FUSE "THERAPY"

Fuse "Therapy" from CISMA on Vimeo.

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THE FLY AND THE EYE

The Fly and the Eye from CISMA on Vimeo.

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LE SENS PROPRE

Le sens propre from CISMA on Vimeo.

Doom selection .16

Enter the ritual.

BLOOD OF THE BLACK OWL - A Banishing Ritual - 2009/2010
www.myspace.com/bloodoftheblackowl


Download

Formed in 2004 as Svart Ugle in Washington, USA.
This one is their third full-lenght.
Ritualistic doom.
Ambient. Tribal. Progressive.
Truly captivating.

"With Blood of the Black Owl’s 3rd full-length opus, A Banishing Ritual, the experimental and the inner journey once again unite for 41 minutes of a pure outpouring of emotions and cleansing of past stains on ones life. With the union of crippling doom and more ambient segments of travel meant to reach the gods, B.o.t.B.O. will once again amaze and enchant with conviction and a pure heart to cleanse ones inner demons with focused and inspired ritualistic sounds. Featuring one long track, this massive creation has been guaranteed to be "nothing like anything anyone has ever heard before". Once again mastered by the ever impressive Mel Detmer (Earth, Wolves in the Throne Room), "A Banishing Ritual" is a full and all encompassing release that will blur the lines between music and ritual."
http://bindrunerecordings.com

Instrumental selection .6

SHELVING - Mécanique Sessions - 2005
www.myspace.com/shelving


Download

Shelving are a Swiss band formed in 200? in Delémont.
Originally as a side-project of people from Unfold, Forceed, Art of Falling and some other great bands from the place.
This one is their very first release.
Less dreamy and ambient than the last one I posted times ago.
A bit more "metallic".
Just check by yourself.
I recommend.



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RUSSIAN CIRCLES - Enter - 2006
www.myspace.com/russiancircles


Download

Instrumental three-piece formed in Chicago, USA in 2004.
This one is their very first full-lenght. My personal favourite of what I heard from them until now.
Progressive, epic and heavy.
Great post-hardcore with some good post-rock moments.
Highly recommended!

"Russian Circles are a post-rock band that isn't afraid to pack in the energy. Their debut album, Enter, proves just how heavy the often slow-and-whispy post-rock genre can really get. Russian Circles provide a surprisingly thick-sounding, layered instrumental attack given their status as a three-piece outfit. This is due to guitarist Sullivan's ability to loop and layer guitar licks and effects, a trick that bassist DeKuiper joins in on occasionally. And as odd as that may sound, the band never fails to keep a song rocking. This album lacks the slow build-ups common to bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mono, opting instead to focus on making songs flow dynamically through several sections. A great deal of this band's heaviness is due to the skill of the drummer, who plays very dynamically and provides fills, tempo and time signature changes at all the right moments. Their style is very melodic and majestic, yet undoubtably dark and a little sinister."
www.progarchives.com

Hardcore selection .5

THE SECRET - Desintoxication - 2008
www.myspace.com/thesecret


Download

Formed in Trieste, Italy in 2003.
I just discovered them with Desintoxication, their second album, when I read that they were going to sign with the amazing people of Southern Lord.

I was definitelly surprised when I read that news about their upcoming album. Surprised cause, in my sense, their music doesn't really fit the doom/noise/black/drone/etc. orientation of the label... But that's just my opinion.

Anyway.
Desintoxication is a pretty solid album.
Nothing here really surprising, for me personnaly. But that's ok.

Converge-oriented hardcore.
With great down-tempo parts and some good blasts too.
A good chaotic-but-not-too-much-hardcore album.
You better try it and get an idea by yourself.

Prog selection .4

Dude! This one is pretty good!

VULTURUM - Vineta - 2009
www.myspace.com/vulturum


Download
Special thanks to Post Engineering for this one!

Vulturum are a three-piece band formed in Milan, Italy.
Featuring two drums, one guitar and one throat.

Vineta is their very first effort.
Makes me think of Junius at some moments...
With great tribalistic double-drum-parts.
Really heavy and epic. Psychedelic and loud.
But also sweet and calm when expecting for the next explosion.
Definitelly a great class album.
Intelligent and sesitive.

By the way just check that wonderful package:



Trully fucking-damn recommended!
Don't miss this great band!

"Their sound comes from the same psychedelic depths of Boris and Earth combined with heavy tribalistic drumming in the style of Breach or early Neurosis, yet they add a gloomy, melancholy touch which puts them a few steps beyond the standards of the genre. Something like watching an aurora borealis drinking cheap scotch with a hungry wolf sitting by your side. A moment of grace going to end in blood very soon."
www.roboticempire.com

Sweet selection .5

Electronic psychedelia.

THESE NEW PURITANS - Hidden - 2010
www.myspace.com/thesenewpuritans


Download

Four-headed band formed in the UK in 2006.
This one is their second and last album to date.

Maybe you can classify it somewhere between Prodigy, Fever Ray and Radiohead... I don't know...
I'm pretty bad into descriptions, sometimes.

Killing rythms and drumbeats, a lot of mysterious atmospheres, loud basses, lots of epic and majestic orchestrations...
Definitelly a rich album.

Epic. Majestic. Dark. Heavy. Psychedelic.
These are just some words that come to my mind.
Much recommended, even if you're not so much into electronics.

A great Masterpiece!

"Hidden announces its extravagant aspirations on the opening track, ‘Time Xone’, where somber classically-arranged oboes, clarinets and bassoons act as an overture to the upcoming ten-track symphony. The instrumental piece makes a hasty exit for the aptly entitled ‘We Want War’, which sets the stage for the darkly romantic production you’d expect to soundtrack the cinematic battlefields of Middle-Earth. Big drums reverberate and ominous keyboards lay the groundwork for a struggle of epic proportions. Barnett’s vocal cadence alternates between rapid-fire urgency and world-weary sighs. Choral harmonies, majestic horns and plinking pianos complement the latter half of the song perfectly and despite this brilliant introduction, the best is yet to come."
http://drownedinsound.com

"Don’t let the name throw you. On Hidden, These New Puritans show an enthusiasm for sound so intense it suggests a band in the fullest throes of gluttony or lust. Check out “We Want War”, the first complete song on Hidden. It’s anchored by a huge and ornate percussion arrangement combining bass-heavy hip-hop beats, Japanese Taiko drums, and mysterious metallic scraping noises. The main harmonic element is a horn and woodwind ensemble weaving ambiguous harmonies in a neo-romantic, almost classical style. Also present are synthesized horns, squelchy dancefloor bass, strings, a choir, distorted voice samples, and probably six or seven other improbably awesome things harder to pick out of the mix. Over the course of seven and a half minutes, these sounds bleed in and out, interacting in obscure ways before leaving surreptitiously, sometimes to return at an unexpected point later on. It’s a stunning way to kick off an album; as a statement of intent, it’s incredibly ambitious, serving notice that no sound is off-limits."
www.popmatters.com

These New Puritans - We Want War from Raf Rennie on Vimeo.

Punk selection .3

FLYING DONUTS - Renewed Attack - 2006

www.myspace.com/flyingdonuts


Download

French punkers formed in Epinal in 1996.
This one is their second full-lenght after a serie of splits.
This is a fucking great Punk-Rock album.
With a big Rock n' Roll and Stoner feeling.
Catchy as fuck!

Don't miss it!

Doom selection .15

Two instrumental Sludge/Stoner/Doom pearls.

ATOLAH - Relics - 2009
www.myspace.com/atolah


Download

Check some more great shit at Doomloads!

Three piece band formed in Perth, Australia in 2006.
This is their first and only release to date.
Instrumental Sludge/Doom at his best.
Crude, Raw and Crushing as fuck.
Highly recommended!

"Relics, is without a doubt, a record for pure Sleep and Electric Wizard fans. Brutal low end howls, bad ass bass driven bowel moving crushing riffs, thick heavy pummelling drums and a dirty heavy fuck off fuzz that would destroy speakers in seconds when cranked to 11."
www.planetfuzz.net



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SARDONIS - Self-titled - 2010
www.myspace.com/sardonis666


Download

Cheers to Stonerobixxx for this one!

Guitar/drums duo formed in Belgium in 2006.
This one is their first full-lenght.
Instrumental Stoner/Doom at his best.
Much recommended.

"We're pretty skeptical of the two man band, a lot of the time we end up wishing a bass/drums duo just had a guitarist, or that a guitar/drums duo had some more low end. There are of course exceptions : Godheadsilo, Om, Ruins, and you can now add Belgian duo Sardonis to the list. The latest blast of kick ass heaviness from MeteorCity. So Sardonis are a guitar and drums duo from Belgium, who traffic in epic, heaving, monstrous instrumental metal, equal parts classic stoner rock, old school doom and post rock/post metal or whatever you call it. Needless to say, you won't even notice the lack of bass here, the sound is massive, the low end crushing, and the riffs killer. We'll be the first to admit that instrumental rock can definitely get boring, often sounding like it's unfinished, where you're constantly expecting the vocals to kick in at any minute, but Sardonis solve that problem by crafting super catchy songs that are as much about texture and timbre and mood as they are about rhythm and riffery. Slipping from slow motion lurching crush, to wild frantic blasting, to woozy meandery drift, to full on Sabbathy dirge, this is some seriously heavy, seriously atmospheric shit, the chords not always predictable, the melodies veering of into strange directions, the band sometimes locking into totally mesmerizing trancelike jams, but just as often, exploding into bursts of in-the-red downtuned psychedelia. It's hard to say exactly what it is about these guys, it's a little bit of everything, some sort of alchemy between the two, and their ability to conjure these songs, riffs, this tone, the overall sound, whatever it is, it fucking rules, and we find ourselves unable to stop listening. Which is always a good sign..."
www.aquariusrecords.org

Psych selection .6

YOUNG WIDOWS - Old Wounds - 2008
www.myspace.com/youngwidows


Download

Formed from the remnants of the amazing chaotic hardcorers Breather Resist in Louisville, Kentucky, USA in 2006.
Old Wounds is their second and last album to date.
Heavy, Hypnotic and Groovy as fuck.
Recommended if you liked my post about Pissed Jeans...
Cheers and Beers!

"Young Widows have progressed from their noisy hardcore roots into something truly their own : a sinister, hypnotic rock band with a mind-blowing live show and a stunning attention to detail. With their bone-rattling rhythms and their sprawling wall of matching custom-designed amps, Young Widows kill the fashionably bored and resurrect the evil dead."
http://temporaryresidence.com

"Young Widows originally sounded like yet another Jesus Lizard clone on their debut 'Settle Down City', but with 'Old Wounds' they have crafted something between the stolid side of Fugazi and repetitive style of groups like the Melvins and Big Black."
www.sputnikmusic.com

Old Skin - Young Widows from Jeremy Johnstone on Vimeo.

Video selection .16

Some videos for the weekend.

CYCLES
Animation by Cyriak
http://cyriak.co.uk

Beware : Teddy Bear invasion.



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MAESTRO MOUSTACHE
3D Animation by Florian Girardot, Béranger Roussel & Omar Meradi
www.florian-girardot.com

One guy is getting bored of watching TV, when he suddently discovers he's got some kind of super-powers...

Maestro Moustache from Girardot Florian on Vimeo.

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SKATEBOARD ANIMATION
Paper animation by Tilman Singer
http://vimeo.com/singer

Paper skaters.

Skateboardanimation from Tilman Singer on Vimeo.

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THE PEN STORY
Stop-motion video made for Olympus Pen photograph 50th Anniversary
www.olympus.eu/penstory



This seems largely inspired by this one below.
\/

STOP MOTION WITH WOLF AND PIG
Stop-motion story by Takeuchi Taijin
http://dokugyunyu.boo.jp



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HEMLOCK
Short animation film by Tyson Ibele
http://tysonibele.com

Will you drink at the Fountain of Youth?

Hemlock from Tyson Ibele on Vimeo.

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ARK
Short animation film by Grzegorz Jonkajtys
www.3dluvr.com/jonkajtys

"An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population. Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land. So begins the exodus, led by one man..."

ARK from grzegorz jonkajtys on Vimeo.

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CHAIR AMIE
Short animation by Pierre Adrien
www.pierrad.com

"A woman has a one-night love affair.
The next morning, she is brutally awakened by... the bed."

Chair Amie from Pierrad on Vimeo.

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PIRATES!!! THE CURSE OF THE EVIL EYE
Short animation by Rémy Tornior & Yves Geleyn
www.remy-tornior.com + www.yvesgeleyn.com

"A tale set on the high seas, about an epic battle of good against evil."

PIRATES!!! "The Curse of the Evil Eye" from Rémy Tornior & Yves Geleyn on Vimeo.

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VIDEOGAMES
Animation by Musclebeaver (Andreas Kronbeck & Tobias Knipf)
www.musclebeaver.com

I am a geek. Do you?

Video Games from MUSCLEBEAVER on Vimeo.

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ELK HAIR CADDIS
Short animation cartoon by Peter Smith, Magnus I. Møller, Alice Holme and Anders Brogaard Jepsen
http://elkhaircaddis.com

A funny cartoon-like animation to close this selection.

Elk Hair Caddis from peter smith on Vimeo.

Hip-hop selection .5

BLEUBIRD - RIP-U$A (the Birdfleu) - 2007
www.myspace.com/bleubird


Download

Bleubird is originally a rapper from Florida, USA.
This great album is his last full-lenght.
Just try this one if you dig the likes of Sole and Sage Francis style.
I saw this guy live a few times and it was amazing.
Highly recommended.

Also remind the one I posted a few times ago :
BLEUBIRD - Street Talk 2 - 2008




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BUCK 65 - Talkin' Honky Blues - 2003
www.myspace.com/buck65


Download

Buck 65 is Ricardo Terfry from Canada.
This one is his 7th album under that name.
Cannot tell you a lot about him...
You can situate it somewhere between Folk and Hip-Hop.
Just try it if you liked my last hip-hop selections.
I personnally recommend.

"I want you to try a little visualization for me. Imagine if Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan were actually one person, and this one person was a rapper. Now imagine if this person had a musical vision just as indebted to DJ Shadow (and even Tom Waits) as it is to Cash and Dylan. Wierd picture, no? Thing is, it paints a perfect picture of Buck 65."

"Allegedly written in Paris, Talking Honky Blues is Buck 65's 7th album (at least, under the moniker of Buck 65, it is). He debuted in 1997 with Language Arts, after spending years working his way up to the dubiously specific crown of Halifax, Nova Scotia's most notorious b-boy. After running a radio show for a while, he scored a record deal, and found himself as one of the most critically acclaimed, if overlooked, rappers of the last 90s. Vertex, his 3rd album, almost gave him a breakthrough in its hilarious cult hit The Centaur, but it didn't. Nevertheless, more and more people found out about him thanks to his membership in various underground rap collectives (most notably the awesome Anticon). Talkin' Honky Blues represents his attempt to break out to a new crowd - it's his most expansive, immediate, catchy, and outwardly distinctive album yet. He's also employed a band for the first time, meaning the album doesn't rely so heavily on his own skills as a DJ and producer, and that he can focus on his lyrics more. The effort shows - these are his best lyrics, ever. It also means the album is more guitar-driven in places than anything else he's done, all of which makes it one of those albums will happily settle into any record collection while remaining at odds to everything around it."
www.sputnikmusic.com

Punk selection .2

Classic.

SLAYER - Undisputed Attitude - 1996
www.myspace.com/slayer


Download

No need to introduce this legendary band.
Formed in California, USA in 1981 and still active.

Undisputed Attitude is their seventh album. Released between Divine Intervention and Diabolus in Musica. The second featuring the amazing Paul Bostaph behind the drums.

Pay attention : Undisputed Attitude is not pure Slayer Thrash.
It's an album of punk covers where the kings of Thrash pay a tribute to some bands that influenced them : Minor Threat, D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles), T.S.O.L. (True Sounds Of Liberty), D.I., Verbal Abuse, Dr. Know and The Stooges. You will still find three great original Slayer songs inside : Gemini, Can't stand you and Ddamm.

This album is quite special for me in the sense it was the first CD I ever bought.

A must-have for true oldschool hardcore punk lovers.

Read more about Undisputed Attitude here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undisputed_Attitude

Dead links .1

Hi there!

Some links were dead. I just arranged it.
It's the right moment to check back some great old selections.

Black metal selection .1
Temple of Baal, Glorior Belli, Stortregn, Altar of Plagues

Hardcore selection .1
Knut, Nostromo, Fragment, Shora, Lost Sphere Project

Instrumental selection .Sax
Lilium Sova, Zu

Cheers and Beers!

Doom selection .14

This is raw as fuck!

COUGH - Sigillum Luciferi - 2008
www.myspace.com/cough666


Download

Extreme Sludge/Doom trio formed in 2005 in Virginia, USA.
This one is their first full-lenght.
Somewhere between Sleep, Electric Wizard and EyeHateGod...
Raw. Damn Slow. Heavy. Evil as fuck.
Highly recommended!

"Slow. Heavy. Raw as fuck. Not super polished like some of the new breed of stoner/doom/sludge bands that are getting a little too pristine with their recordings. This is rough, pure, and heavy as balls no frills sludge metal."
http://badyearmedia.blogspot.com

"This comment on Cough's excellent Sigillum Luciferi says it all : Now that doom has largely moved on to artier pastures it's nice to hear something raw and dirty like this, more at home in the welfare line then the art gallery (courtesy Dave Don't Try). That's pretty much what this six song slab of slow n' heavy is : guttural sludge-doom that's stripped down and primal, tapping into the same raw energy that made Buried at Sea's Migration, Weedeater's Sixteen Tons, and Electric Wizard's Dopethrone the classics they are. There's a bit of each three of those albums in Sigillum Luciferi : the crushing, seething rage of Buried at Sea, the crushing grooves of Weedeater, and the crushing stoner-atmospheric doom riffs of Electric Wizard. That's a whole lot of crushing going on and in lesser hands the songs would decompose into one loud, turgid morass of ungainly riffs - especially since half of the tracks creep past the ten minute mark. Not so with Cough. It may be raw and dirty, but it's also smartly done. Recommended."
www.stonerrock.com

Psych selection .5

SISTERS OF YOUR SUNSHINE VAPOR - Self-titled - 2009
www.myspace.com/siksiknation


Download at their place

Formed as Sik Sik Nation in Detroit, USA.
Cannot tell you a lot, unfortunately.
But this is Psychedelic as fuck!
I strongly recommended you to give it a listen.

"This Detroit band's self-titled album is seriously deserving of more than just a listen or two. It is one of those albums where, the more you listen, the more you hear, and the more you are absorbed, and the more you are amazed."
http://dirtysexykarma.blogspot.com

"Sisters of your Sunshine Vapor are bluesy, heavy, spacy and punky at the same time. It’s all dark – those guys are serious – and noisy with lots of reverb, and they are very psychedelic."
www.last.fm

"With an instrumental sound that is something akin to Deep Purple meets Motorhead meets Black Mountain meets Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with a huskier Jim Morrison on vocals, Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor rocks hard and deep."
http://citizendick.org

Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor - "Slow Suicide" from High Frequency Media on Vimeo.

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MASTERS OF REALITY - Deep in the Hole - 2001
www.myspace.com/mastersofrealityofficial


Download

Formed in 1981 in New York, USA by singer and guitarist Chris Goss. Mostly known as the producer behind bands like Kyuss, Stone Temple Pilots and Queens of the Stone Age, among others.
This one is their fourth album. My personal favourite.
The line-up here is kind of a dream team, composed of Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, The Desert Sessions), Nick Oliveri (Kyuss, Mondo Generator, Queens of the Stone Age), Mark Lanegan (Sleeping Trees) and John Leamy (Surgery).
This is a Desert Rock must-have!
If you still don't know this great but underrated band.

"I can’t really call the Masters of Reality a band. It’s a guy. But singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Chris Goss has managed to surround himself with an ever-shifting array of wicked little sidemen, and has crafted some of the best new classic hard rock of the past two decades. Every album is different, and every song is different, from party-time hard rock to gentle ballads, from psychedelic sonic tapestries to jam-based guitar freakouts, and also a song about riding a bicycle around at night."
http://weathereye.wordpress.com

"All the classic elements are here : obscure and funny lyrics ("now I am a cat/what you think about that/nerve unraveller"), precise vocal harmonies and the trademark guitar of Chris Goss. Paired down to a duo of Goss and Surgery's John Leamy on drums, the band is joined by Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, and many others. Always one of America's most criminally underappreciated bands, Masters Of Reality here bring their A-game to the plate, with solid songwriting, and strong performances. Highly recommended for fans of stoner metal (Queens, Kyuss, etc.), and a great way to discover the peculiar genius of this wonderful band."
www.cjay92.com

Video selection .15

DanseDance
Interactive video by Julien Vallée and Nicolas Burrows
www.jvallee.com + http://nicolasburrows.co.uk
http://dansedance.com

"This is the making of the interactive video that was originally made for If You Could Collaborate exhibition. Each object is assigned to a letter on the keyboard, and can be activated or deactivated at any time. The online version is available to play with at dansedance.com"

DanseDance from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

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INSTRUMENTAL VIDEO NINE
Experimental video by Beeple (Mike Winkelmann)
http://beeple-crap.com

instrumental video nine from beeple on Vimeo.

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NOISIA - Machine Gun
Video-clip by Superelectric for Noisia
www.superelectric.nl + www.myspace.com/denoisia

Machine Gun from superelectric on Vimeo.

Sweet selection .4

Sadness

CHOKEBORE - Black Black - 1998
www.myspace.com/chokebore


Download

Formed in Honolulu, Hawaii in early 1990's, then moved to Los Angeles, USA around 1992 in hope to get a larger exposure.
Just to situate it, with their first full-lenght Motionless, Chokebore toured with Nirvana and Today is the Day, among others...
They started playing wild grunge rock but their music turned much more instrospective and somber through the years.
Black Black is their fourth album, my personal favourite.
If you liked my last post about Sophia and Codeine, you may probably like this great record too.
I strongly recommend.

"If you ever heard Chokebore, you'll never confuse them with another band. No other vocalist sounds like Troy von Balthazar. His words are strung out, slightly distorted, and in a pitch that's hard to describe. Sometimes it's a mumbling drone, other times it's a soaring bird..."
http://shinygreymonotone.blogspot.com

"Chokebore sound is mostly slow, fragile, dissonant and intense, conjuring mostly darker atmospheres and textures. Troy von Balthazar sings channelling his pain and suffering, and the songs irregular and down-tempo structures often reinforce the melancholic feeling. Black Black is the absolute high point in the development of the band, a portrait of the band’s darker side; loneliness, depression, death and sadness being recurring themes. The feeling and power behind this masterpiece is pure and genuine - a perfect combination of strength, subtleness and versatility. On this album, Chokebore goes as deep as any band could possibly go. Suffice it to say, Black Black is a very personal record. This is not only music to listen to, it's something to identify with - something to FEEL."
http://lifeferocity.blogspot.com

Black metal selection .7

Blaaaaaaack

OSKOREIEN - Illusions EP - 2009
www.myspace.com/oskoreienband


Download at their place

BM one-man project hailing from California, USA.
Everything composed, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jay Valena, featuring Matthew Durkee on harsh vocals.
This is Atmospheric/Ambient Black Metal.
Makes me think of Wolves in the Throne Room sometimes.
Much recommended.

"In Pagan lore, the Oskoreien (loosely translated "The Wild Hunt") were the only connection between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. Led by Odin, the Norse God of poetry and war, the souls comprising the Oskoreien would travel the land bringing both joy and sorrow, as it was deserved, to the realm of humans."
www.metal-archives.com

"The music is thick with atmosphere. There is a subtle beauty to it and each song is a journey on it’s own. At first I felt like I was alone in the forest, or climbing to the top of the mountain to look over land. Then the music took me into a dark city with empty streets. The ground was wet and the lights were reflecting and bleeding into one another. Does anyone else listen to music this way? If so, put this on and let me know where your mind wonders."
http://keepitmetal.com

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EXILED FROM LIGHT - Descending further into Nothingness - 2009
www.myspace.com/exiledfromlight


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Depressive Black Metal haling from New Zealand.
This is, again, a one-man project. Lead by a guy called Mort...
This one is his second album under this name.
Recommended only if you dig this kind of Black Metal.
I do so.

"New Zealand's most prolific black metal musician Mort (Winds of Sorrow, When Mine Eyes Blacken) has created a mesmorizing, truly expressive piece of musical art in the form of an intelligent depressive-black metal album that feels both genuine and musically-accomplished. Six great tracks of pure melancholy spreading around 50 minutes of music, and released in a standard jewel-case with an 8 page booklet, this is highly reccomended for all fans of Depressive Black Metal art!"
http://depressive-black-metal.blogspot.com

"Hailing from the unlikely shores of New Zealand Exiled From Light is depressive and atmospheric to the extreme. The synths and slow atmospheric riffs have shades of Burzum though Exiled from Light is far more expressive in its despondency. After the ambient intro, the title track corrodes any semblance of hope that lays within you. Slowly drifting riffs, and sorrowful shrieking vocals scrape away all positive emotions while haunting synths lurk within dense clouds of depression on the track. Lurking Within Twilight has the pacing of a funeral procession, lethargically advancing with grief as its sole concern, periods of tragic synth atmosphere break through the relentless march towards the damp earth. Possessing an almost gothic, new-wave feel, Suffering Waits With Wide Open Eyes is the most oppressive of the songs on the album. The riffs are heavier and darker lending an ominous tone to the depression meanwhile the song in its entirety is monotonous and repetitive instilling a hypnotic effect to the music. A moment of tranquility settles in towards the song's middle with twinkling keys and whimsical drums. If you like your black metal atmospheric and melancholic, Exiled From Light will extinguish all warmth and light from your shivering, naked body."
www.nocturnalcult.com