Devil - Magister Mundi Xum

*Year : 2010

*Country : Norway

*Genre : Stoner/Doom

Tracklist :

1. The Arrival (intro)
2. At the Blacksmith's
3. Spirit of the Cult
4. Time to Repent
5. I Made a Pact...
6. Welcome the Devil

*******

Total playing time : 23.28

Comment:

I discovered this band through Electric Wizard's tour, really good fin. This is the first demo/act of the band and they are working on their debut full length album which should see the light of day in April of this year (I can't wait!). This music is really easy to describe: Pure retro rock that plunges you in the 70'! 

Great potential.

Magister Mundi Xum in 3 words: Occult, Retro, Authentic

For fans of: Witchfinder General, Electric Wizard, Count Raven, Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath

Myspace

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Heretoir - Heretoir

*Year : 2011

*Country : Germany

*Genre : (Post) Black Metal, Depressive Rock and some element of Shoegaze

Tracklist :

1. The Escape I
2. Fatigue
3. Retreat to Hibernate
4. 0
5. Weltschmerz
6. Graue Bauten
7. The Escape II
8. To Follow the Sun
9. Heretoir

*******

Total playing time : 50.40

Comment:

Music that searches the emotion, beauty, and purity, first I would say it's rather successful. Melancholic and minimal riffs, diversified content, nice clean vocals part and beautiful melodies. Not revolutionary, but a solid release.

Heretoir in 3 words: Depressive, Pleasant, Nostalgic

For fans of: Tränenkind, Austere, Lantlôs

Myspace

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Darkspace - Dark Space I

 

*Year : 2003

*Country : Switzerland

*Genre : Ambient/Psychedelic Black Metal

Tracklist :

1. Dark 1.1
2. Dark 1.2
3. Dark 1.3
4. Dark 1.4
5. Dark 1.5
6. Dark 1.6
7. Dark 1.7

*******

Total playing time : 1.17.38

 

Comment:

The best album ever made! There is no word to describe this troubant and mezmerizing music; more than music, an unique experience through the abyssmal nothingness.

This hypnotic and glacial music guides you in an endless darkness. You realize you're out of time, completely lost.  In Light years of any life you fall in an everlasting vacuum, your soul has left your body. In this magic, mystical atmosphere comes from nowhere icy cries that gnaw your soul and take you deeper into the void of space. Zahraal and Wroth bring all their genius, the guitar riffs hypnotize you while terrible screams (everything except human voices) are taking you in the depths your being. Then suddenly Zorgh emits a so insane scream that literally freezes your blood. The music is sometimes rapid and violent, sometimes slow and atmospheric. Reached the end of the 79 minutes you come round, your mind slowly regains the earth as if your soul comes back into your body after a mysterious journey in this timeless vacuum named nothingness.

Dark Space I: in 3 words: Mezmerizing, Mystical, Pure, (cold, magistral, perfect, hypnotizing, unique,...)

For fans of: Paysage d'Hiver, Sun of the Blind,... 

 

Myspace

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Dragged into Sunlight - Hatred for Mankind

*Year : 2009

*Country : UK

*Genre : Blackened Sludge/Noise/Death/Doom Metal

Tracklist :

1. Boiled Angel / Buried With Leeches

2. Volcanic Birth

3. To Hieron

4. Lashed to the Grinder and Stoned to Death

5. I, Aurora

6. Totem of Skulls

*******

Total playing time : 51.37

Comment:

This music can't be classified in one defined genre but the main influence comes from Black Metal mixed with the most insane elements of every genres that exist in extreme music. This first full length effort reverberates in my ears like the most blasphemous sound I've ever heard. Especially insane, oppressive, extremely dark: The total depravity.Really impressive.

For fans of: Anaal Nathrakh (for the brutality and sickness), Coffinworm

Hatred  for Mankind in 3 words: Insane, Tortured, Brutal

Myspace

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Dark Castle - Spirited Migration

*Year : 2009

*Country : USA

*Genre : Sluge/Stoner with post-doom influences

Tracklist : 

1. Awake in Sleep
2. Into the Past
3. Spirited Migration
4. Growing Slow
5. Weather the Storm
6. Flight Beyond
7. Grasping the Awe
8. A Depth Returns

*******

Total playing time : 46.24

 

Comment:

Dark Castle’s first full length is the first stone of a great castle. The first specificity of the duo is the vocals ( low, visceral growls, perfect for the music) performed by a woman. Too heavy to be dynamic and at the same time powerful enough to make us travel.

Spirited Migration in 3 words: Monolithic, (very) promising, mesmerizing

 

Myspace

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Skagos/Panopticon (split)

*Year : 2010

*Country : Canada/USA

*Genre : Atmospheric Black Metal

Tracklist : 

1. Smoldering Embers (Skagos)
2. Anamnesis II: A Dry, Sterile Thunder, Without Rain (Skagos)
3. A Message to the Missionary (Panopticon)
4. ..Seeing.. (Panopticon)
5. Watching You (Panopticon)

*******

Total playing time : 52.16

 

Comment:

Without doubt one of my favorite split. The Skagos side is the obvious highlight, with two incredible compositions of atmospheric black metal: two outstanding titles, perfect performance. The Panopticon half is not as good as Skago's part in the sense that Panopticon's titles aren't perfect but only brillant...

highly influenced by the wilderness, with Memorable riffs, samples and vocals.

Skagos/Panopticon in 3 words: Nature, Organic, Cascadian

Myspace (Skagos)/Myspace (Panopticon)

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Lifelover – Sjukdom

*Year : 2011

*Country : Sweden

*Genre : Depressive Black Metal/Rock

Tracklist : 

1. Svart Galla
2. Led By Misfortune
3. Expandera

4. Homicidal Tendencies
5. Resignation
6. Doften Av Tomhet
7. Totus Anctus
8. Horans Hora
9. Bitterljuv Kakofoni
10. Becksvart Frustration
11. Nedvaknande
12. Instrumental Asylum
13. Utdrag
14. Karma

 *******

Total playing time : 56.10

Comment:

Varied and "desperate" vocals, beautiful piano melodies, guitars more in the spotlight and the drum machine sounds good. The hopelessness surrounds the listener and soon a state of high-anxiety is upon you. More agressive, more psychotic, more varied and less depressive than Konkurs. Every Lifelover’s ingredients are there, a formula that works so why change it?

For fans of: Sancta Poenas, Hypothermia, Shining

Sjukdom in 3 words: Tortured, Melancholic, Sweet

Myspace

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Halo Manash - Language of Red Goats

*Year : 2008

*Country : Finland

*Genre : "Shamanic" Dark Ambient

Tracklist : 

1. Through the Gate of Horn - Slithering Spiraling Fluttering - Shrouded Messengers Gather

2. Feast on the Bitter Fluid - Flowing Through the Lips of Her Vulgar Womb - Ingest Inebriate Initiate

3. Earthen Wheels Turn - Shifting Chariots of Moon - Drawn by Red Goat

*******

Total playing time : 50.38

Comment:

Language Of Red Goats deploys only acoustic instruments, including gongs, singing bowls, bells, and wind instruments, as well as field recordings of birds. There are no keyboards or synths here. This is an entirely organic trip. Hermetic and Esoteric music like no other.

For fans of: Zoät-Aon, Aeoga, Arktau Eos

Language of Red Goats in 3 words: Ritualistic, Dense, Occult

Myspace

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Panopticon - Collapse

*Year : 2009

*Country : USA

*Genre : Atmospheric Black Metal

Tracklist : 

1. The Death of Baldr and the Coming War

2. Aptrgangr

3. Merkstave

4. Idavoll

*******

Total playing time : 46.24

 

Comment:

Fantastic one man project: Beautiful mix between Black Metal and acoustic/instrumental passages. Rich and Varied, emotional but also agressive, really experimental (even banjo part). And about the lyrics: philosophy, anarchichy, downfall of civilisation and norse mythology. The best anarchist black metal band nowadays. Don't pass it by! 

Collapse in 3 words: Powerfull, varied, unique

 

Myspace

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Coven - Witchcraft Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls

*Year : 1969

*Country : USA

*Genre : Occult Psychedelic Rock

Tracklist :

1. Black Sabbath
2. White Witch of Rose Hall
3. Coven in Charing Cross
4. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
5. Pact with Lucifer
6. Choke, Thirst, Die
7. Wicked Woman
8. Dignitaries of Hell
9. Portrait
10. Satanic Mass

*******

Total playing time : 45.55

Comment:

Without doubt the basis of the "occult side" of Metal (Black & Stoner). In some ways against the current of their times (Flower power, peace & love,...) and on the other hand it's typical Psychedelic Rock. In any case a band that can't be ignored, a trve reference!

WDMARS in 3 words: Occult, Psychedelic, Witchcraft

Myspace

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Russian Circles - Geneva

*Year : 2009

*Country : USA

*Genre : instrumental post-rock/metal

Tracklist : 

1. Fathom
2. Geneva
3. Melee
4. Hexed All
5. Malko
6. When the Mountain Comes to Muhammad
7. Philos

*******

Total playing time : 55.34

Comment:

The Russian Circles are one of the rare driving forces in post-rock that manage to keep things relatively simple while unfolding enormous, striking landscapes of composition. Not quite post-metal, and not quite post-rock, it's the kind of music you can't classified, it would be too reducing. This CD has left an indelible mark in my mind.Such a solid release.

For fans of: Isis, Pelican, Mono & Mogwai

Geneva in 3 words: Iintense, varied, refined

Myspace

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Black Autumn - Rivers of Dead Leaves

*Year : 2008
*Country : Germany
*Genre : Ambient Black/Doom Metal
Tracklist :

1. Rivers Of Dead Leaves
2. A Darkness Profound
3. Ashes
4. Oath
5. A 1000 Years In The Water
6. Ophelia

 *******
Total playing time : 33.36

Comment: 

This music leads you into an universe where no colors exist, everything is ashes and blackness. "Rivers of dead leaves" has many references to the character of Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet, this young drowned has probably inspired a lot Krall on this album full of melancholy and darkness. Rich music inspired by many genres: Black Metal but also elements of Shoegaze, Funeral Doom, Industrial Black Metal, Dark Ambient, Folk.

Rivers of dead leaves in 3 words: Melancholic, Spellbinding, Beautiful

Myspace

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Triarii - Muse in Arms

*Year : 2008
*Country : Germany
*Genre : Industrial/Martial neo-classical
Tracklist :

1. Birth Of A Sun
2. Muse In Arms
3. Europa
4. Les Extrêmes Se Touchent
5. Fatalist
6. Legio I Martia
7. Sonnenwalzer
8. Ode To The Sun
9. Muse In Arms II
10. The Final Legion
11. Wir Kommen Wieder

 *******
Total playing time : 50.44 
 

Comment: 

Triarii music is very epic-sounding, and creates a truly powerful feeling and atmosphere. "Muse in Arms" sounds the same like "Pièce Héroïque", Triarii plays Triarri, nothing really new, but even fucking good (in my own opinion the best release of the band). Highly suggested to people who want to get a great new piece of martial music.

For fans of: Sophia & Karjalan Sissit

Muse un arms in 3 words: Martial, Bombastic, Orchestral

Myspace

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Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today

*Year : 2007
*Country : UK
*Genre : Stoner Doom
Tracklist :

1. Witchcult Today
2. Dunwich
3. Satanic Rites Of Drugula
4. Raptus
5. The Chosen Few
6. Torquemada 71
7. Black Magic Rituals & Perversions
8. Saturnine

 *******
Total playing time : 58.53
 

Comment: 
I think there's no better way to begin this blog. This album is simply essential and indispensable. Electric Wizard is a well-known band, this is certainly the figurehead of Stoner and their success is entirely deserved. You need to hear this at least once in your life.

Witchcult Today in 3 words: Occult, Vintage, Fantastic

Myspace

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