Red Desert Orgy by Mudbath (2012)

Kind of Like: Gloomy Sunday, Ufo Gestapo, Electric Wizard

Genres: Stoner Rock, Doom, Metal

Preview:

It's been awhile since I have posted/listened to some heavy doom stuff.  This band hailing from Avignon, France put this EP last year and it trudges along like a giant behemoth destroying everything in its wake.
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Fade by Cloudkicker (2012)

Kind of Like: Russian Circles, Scale the Summit,
Genres: Post-rock, Metal, Post-hardcore
Preview/Buy:


 Cloudkicker consistently puts out great albums.  That is what you tend to get when you have a talented one man show that can put everything together on his own.  Sure, playing with other people has the perks of adding up people's different styles and perspectives together, but Ben Sharp seems to have enough styles/perspectives in his own head to make up for that.

Last year's Let Yourself Be Huge saw Cloudkicker get dialed back a little bit, it was less heavy but still great.  This newest album so far seems to be the best of both worlds again.  And like always, he provides the digital downloads for free.

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Pervertor by Lord Mantis (2012)

This has nothing to do with the band, I think.  It is a cool picture nonetheless.

Kind of Like: Bolt Thrower, Dethlok, Indian
Genres: Metal, Sludge, Doom, Noise Rock
Buy: Candlelight Records
Preview:
I am not huge on metal like this, but it's been awhile since I posted something of this nature, especially something sludgy.  This is visceral and gritty as hell and I love it.  As someone from Sputnik put it: "The atmosphere is doomy and grim, kind of like a big black tornado swooping you (and your house) away."

What pulled me in initially was the album art; it is dark and awesome-looking.  Also, these Chicago natives got this record produced by Sanford Parker, who has produced albums by Indian and Pelican.  Both of which have been featured on here in the past.

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Skullgrid by Behold...The Arctopus (2007)

FUCKIN' NERD!

Kind of Like: PsyOpus, Dysrhythmia, Between The Buried and Me
Genres: Metal, Mathcore, Experimental, Instrumental, Post-rock
Spotify: No
Preview:

"Behold... The Arctopus play instrumental music inspired by both metal and 20th century classical music. This technical and progressive style is executed on a regular electric guitar and drum kit but involves a 12-string Warr guitar, an instrument that covers the range of a bass and guitar and is generally played by tapping with either one or two hands. Their music often includes dissonance, polyrhythms and jazz-like elements."
-Wikipedia

Another oldy that resurfaced in my collection.  If you want to be blown away by three musicians and are into really technical music.  This shit is hard to digest, but if you are into that kind of thing, then you will really love exploring this album.  "Canada" has one of the best flowing transitions into one of the most metal solos ever. This album is short, but extremely mind-bending.  Last news from this bands was that they were getting a new drummer and going to release new, even more extreme material from scratch.  That was back in 2009, so I am wondering if they ever will come out with something else.

We have a radio show tonight!  Remember?

UPDATE:  Someone posted a youtube link in the comments below of a live set from last month of BtA playing all new material.  Click Here.

Listen Here:

Stream Pad: Behold...The Arctopus - Sensory Amusia

Palo Verde - Zero Hour [2012}

For Fans Of: Black Sabbath, Shellac, Jucifer

Genres: Metal, Noise Rock, Sludge

Spotify: Yessir

Preview:

Palo Verde is a highly improvisational all-female, metal/sludge/noise duo from Portland, OR. The band initially formed as experimental double-drum duo called Stick-It-In, but evolved into the current improvisational guitar/drums incarnation. Since 2006, they have performed extensively in the Northwest and throughout the U.S., sharing the stage with bands such as Jucifer, Thrones, Black Elk, Japanther, and Kusikia. Drummer Lauren K also plays guitar in the blistering LKN. We rarely ever get to witness women participate in metal music, and it always makes me happy to see talented women musicians make a name for themselves. Here's a review from Bitch Magazine:

"If you like dark, pared-down, and unapologetic un-catchy music check out Palo Verde, a two-piece powerhouse of a band. Lauren K's smashing drums and Terrica Kleinknecht distorted guitar are like a metal show that could fit in your living room. Don't expect some pop song that will be stuck in your head. Their songs grow slowly and organically, turning into a swirling growl of psychedelic guitar and mesmerizing drumming. Streaming their songs online just barely do justice to their sound, and if you get the chance to see them live you'll be treated to some of the most intense drumming of your life. (Don't forget to bring your anti-face melting serum)." -- Bitch Magazine

burundanga by FACT (2012)

Kind of Like: Dragonforce, A Wilhelm Scream,
Genres: Post-hardcore, Emo, Pop Punk, Metal
Spotify: Not as of this posting, they do have previous albums though
Preview:

I posted their Eat Your Words EP here, way back in March.  It became a sort of guilty pleasure for me. I am not a huge fan of pop punk in the clean and bubbly sense, but the combination with post-hardcore and fast metal riffs did me in.  These guys have that pop punk feel at timse, but they are also fast, and just really, really easily accessible.  They blow their melodies to epic proportions, have lazer, Dragonforce-esque riffs at times, and even the occasional breakcore electronics.  This is certainly something that will not sit well with a lot of people that read this, but I am posting this on the off chance that it might with a few. However, there are even parts of this I just plain don't like, like the beginning of "Pink Rolex".

I would also recommend trying out their original self titled LP on Spotify if you like this.  It is most people's favorite.

I got a 94% on my first exam (so psyched).  Two more to go tomorrow. Back to the books, but expect news on the radio show later and other things that will be worked on after this slew of exams.

Listen Here:

StreamPad: FACT- GSMD

Equal Minds Theory by Equal Minds Theory (2011)

Kind of Like: Ed Gein, The Crinn, Bears in Ushanka, The Locust

Genres: Post-Hardcore, Mathcore, Chaotic Hardcore, Metal

Buy: Bandcamp

Preview: 

Haven't really given too much love to Russian bands on here, but after seeing that video I got to rep this band.  These guys are a bone-crushing/face-melting mathcore bands.  They have a lot of unique sound effects and filters going on throughout this album that not only add to the intense sound but are pretty unique and keeps it from becoming redundant.

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Imprecari Island by Barrows (2011)

Kind of Like: Russian Circles, We Made God, Telepathy
Genres: Metal, Post-rock, Instrumental
Preview:




This is Barrows, not Barrow.  I actually stumbled upon these guys while I was looking for press/pictures/songs for Barrow.  I would say that these guys need to tour together but that might be kind of hard seeing that Barrow is from North Carolina and Barrows is from Los Angeles.  I think they would complement each other very well even though one is instrumental and the other isn't.  They both have that post-rock feel with that heaviness at the same time.  Remember how I said that the Hunter Gatherer band had a great sense of direction?  Well these guys do too, but in a little bit different way.  Transitionally, Hunter Gatherer flowed between their ideas.  This band here has great direction, but that are are fairly quick and deliberate, but still have longer ideas that take a bit to develop.  At times, their music reminds me so much of Russian Circles closer to their Station days, and I love that. Especially the song "Red Winds".  Goddamn, I am on a roll tonight.

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Let Yourself Be Huge by Cloudkicker (2011)

Kind of Like: Owen, Russian Circles, El Ten Eleven
Genres: Post-rock, Ambient, Math Rock, Metal, Progressive
Preview/Buy: Bandcamp

"Cloudkicker is one man progressive metal project from the artist B.M. Sharp, heavily influenced by math metal and post-metal. Sharp utilizes drum machines and custom tuned guitars in his recordings. progressive and instrumental influences are also obvious in his music."
-Last.fm

I didn't think of a progressive metal album when "Welcome Back" started.  In fact, the first thing that came into mind was Owen.  For the most part this is an acoustic/clean album that has various elements of metal/progressive music incorporated into it.  The result is a pretty...pretty album, that feels perfect for the last throws of the fall.  It's quite cozy.

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The Journey is Over Now by Comity (2011)

Kind of Like: Ken Mode, Converge, Starkweather
Genres: Experimental, Mathcore, Chaotic Hardcore, Metal, Sludge
Preview: Bandcamp
Buy: Throatruiner

"The Journey Is Over Now", their first full-length in five years, shows a band more ruthless and musically ambitious than ever before. Four tracks delivering 52 minutes of an oppressive but finely worked chaos : a maze of winding riffs and unique melodies. Recorded and mixed between Laval and Paris by sound sorcerers Amaury Sauvé & Sylvain Biguet, mastered by Carl Saff, this fine-cut monolith of darkness shows a band in constant soul-searching and who has been able to push their art in ways they never would have dreamed possible. Exhausting in their ability to bring fluidity and atmosphere to their extremely dense compositions, "The Journey Is Over Now" reminds that COMITY is, more now than ever before, a band impossible to pigeon hole. This is extreme rock'n roll, and nothing else."
-Bandcamp

The hardest thing I have been listening to lately is screamo, which is certainly violent and chaotic, but not necessarily hard.  So finding this, was a breath of fresh air of sorts.

These guys are from France, and they rip it like they are from New York.  The quality is great, and it is just the kind of mathcore I love.  The layout of the album is unique; it is split into four parts ranging from 8 minutes to...22 minutes.  Something you are more likely to see out of a post-rock band, not a mathcore band that can easily cut down songs into specific parts.  That is probably the only problem with this album, and it isn't something I neccesarily have a problem with.  I just have a feeling this layout could only hurt the accessibility of this music instead of helping it.  I'm sure this band wasn't expecting to get radio plays, but there are small stations out there that play music like this that may be less willing to seeing that the shortest song is 8 minutes.  A lot of people don't like to be force-fed big hunks of music you know? I really don't mind it, the music  makes up for the odd layout.  These guys are really talented, and even though the song length may seem intimidating, start the album up and see if you stop it.

On a side note, this is another release by Throatruiner Records; a small time label from France that is run by one guy.  I am seeing more and more of their releases come my way, and I continue to like what I hear.

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(Classic and New) Enter (2006) and Empros (2011) Russian Circles

Kind of Like: Red Sparowes, Pelican, Isis
Genres: Post-rock, Math Rock, Metal
Preview: Spin


Enter is the classic.  When I first heard it, it blew my mind and it made me so excited for this band and what would come next.  When I heard Station was being released, I was looking forward to their next step.  But, when I finally got my hands on their sophomore effort, I was left disappointed.  There were a couple good songs, but overall it was not nearly as memorable and intricate as Enter was.  Looking back, I think this was directly attributed with the lineup change that happened during the time frame Station was released.  Brian Cook (Botch, These Arms Are Snakes) was inducted into the band after their bass player left.  The band started writing material for Station shortly after, and I really don't think the chemistry of the trio had been solidified.  That's my theory anyways.  Geneva came a couple years after and I found that to be an improvement from Station.  Now we have their latest release, Empros.  I am only a couple songs deep, but so far I like it about as much as Geneva.  I have a hard time thinking there will ever be material that compares to Enter, but at least they are taking steps forward from Station.  So, I decided to not just include Empros,  but also Enter.  It's their newest release and their greatest release, respectively.  But I will keep listening to this album in it's entirety, as hopefully you will too.  Their albums are best listened to as a whole.  Thanks to Music as Heroin for the Empros link.

Buy Here

Listen Here:

Enter (2006)

Empros (2011)

Of Whom I Always Think by Damascus (2011)

Kind of Like: Explosions in the Sky, GY!BE, Talons, Russian Circles
Genres: Post-rock, Ambient, Shoegaze, Metal
Preview: Bandcamp

This link popped up in the Turntable room I was in yesterday, and I tried them out.  They are like a lot of post-rock bands but they have more of a metal feel to them at times. The album, loosely based on the striving and struggles of Nikola Tesla, is available for free stream and download on their Bandcamp page.

Listen Here

Fracture EP by Telepathy (2011)

Kind of Like: Russian Circles, Red Sparowes, Pelican
Genres: Metal, Post-rock, Ambient
Preview: Bandcamp

"Telepathy formed in the summer of 2010, aiming to create a fresh and interesting take on modern heavy music. Combining elements such as complex time signatures, ambience, dynamic textures, post rock guitars and unrelenting heaviness to create a fresh and exciting sound."
-Last.fm

I wouldn't necessarily say this is a very fresh new sound; there are many bands that go for this sound.  Just take a look at the "Kind of Like" part, and there are a bunch more that fall into the whole "post-metal" genre.  That being said, I really dig this EP a lot.  It reminds me of Russian Circles before they started to drift away from what they did on Enter, which is still an amazing album.  I really hope they keep going in this direction in future efforts.

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Anatema by Afrontar (2011)

Kind of Like: No Omega, Black Tusk, Von Wolfe
Genres: Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, Punk
Preview: Bandcamp

From what I can tell these guys are from El Salvador, or somewhere from Latin America.  Heavy ass riffage going on right here; the music ranges from fast and chaotic to slow, heavy and brutal.  I like the album art too.  I'm not big on the metal-esque fonts, but the whole decomposing body in a pool of water is pretty intense.

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Aesthethica by Liturgy (2011)

Kind of Like: Raien, Orchid, Black Metal

Genres: Metal, Post-hardcore, Screamo

Preview: Soundcloud

Ken showed me this band a little bit ago and I've taken the time to give it a listen.  This is a proclaimed black metal band.  There is definitely a black metal foundation (thrashing, blast beats, boiled-pitch screaming), but I think that this album really has a lot in common with screamo/post-hardcore bands like Raien in a really good way.  There is well over an hour of material on this album, so I could see it getting redundant, but there are some really great ideas going on here and this could be a great album to help kids not normally accustomed to black metal get a introduction to something like it.

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Passage Through Purgatory by Black Tusk (Remastered) (2011)

Kind of Like: Zoroaster, Howl, Bison B.C.
Genres: Sludge, Hardcore, Metal
Preview: Bandcamp


This a remaster of Black Tusk's 2008 effort, Passage Through Purgatory that includes two bonus tracks as well.  This album is an absolute stoner rock/metal beast with hints of post-hardcore, punk and southern rock.  This image will show you why you should give this album a listen:

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(Classic) Miss Machine by The Dillinger Escape Plan (2004)

Kind of Like: Converge, Botch, The Chariot, The Number 12 Looks Like You

Genres: Chaotic Hardcore, Hardcore, Mathcore, Experimental, Metal

Preview: Myspace

For the most part, I try to put new released up on this site, but I decided every now and then it would be good to put up a classic album every now and then.  I bought this compact disc when I was first getting into the hardcore genre.  I actually didn't like it, but I ended up revisiting it years later after I had acquired the many different tastes of metal/hardcore.  I realized I had made a huge mistake.  I ended up listening to their other albums, but in my opinion this is their strongest release.  This is mathcore and some of it's finest; it will take awhile to learn all the rhythms of this album (I still can't act out poly-rhythms for the life of me), but when you do you will be rocking out to this album in your car like no other.  This also was the last album Chris Pennie was featured on and even though he is with Coheed now, I think he is one of the best drummers out there still.  This showcases a lot of talent from him, not to mention all of the other members.

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Starkweather/Overmars Split (2011)

Kind of Like: Rorschach, Deadguy, Amenra, Icos
Genres: Sludge, Doom, Metal, Post-hardcore, Hardcore
Preview: Website

Overmars is a 7 piece sludge band from Lyon, France. Starkweather is a metal/hardcore group that formed in 1989 and would go onto influence such bands as Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Mastodon by pioneering the cross-over between metal and hardcore music.  They wrote two long songs each to make a pretty brutal split that was released by, you guessed it: Deathwish.

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The Gorgon Tongue: Impale Golden Horn & Forbidden Planet by Horseback (2011)

Kind of Like:  Merzbow, Stars of the Lid, Jodis
Genres: Sludge, Ambient, Metal, Drone, Doom
Preview: Bandcamp

"HORSEBACK’s ‘The Gorgon Tongue: Impale Golden Hom and Forbidden Planet’ brings together a reissue of Jenks Miller’s 2007 offering, ‘Impale Golden Hom’ with the new work of the ‘Forbidden Planet’ Lp. ‘Impale Golden Hom’ is a work of lush, blessed out drone a la Flying Saucer Attack and Loop. It’s beauty is in stark contrast to ‘Forbidden Planet’; a decidedly harsh record with its sinister tones and abrasive, distorted black-metal vocals."
-rlslog

Get ready to zone out.

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Guiltless by Indian (2011)

Kind of Like: Zoroaster, Weedeater,
Genres: Doom, Metal, Sludge, Drone, Hardcore
Preview: Indian's Myspace

"A truly uneasy listen that will drag you into the abyss and spit you out of the other side shaking, confused and very much an Indian fan. Brave it to the end and you'll be rewarded. Absolutely fantastic."
-OneMetal.com

"One thing I dig throughout the album are the vocals that sound like the death calls of ten thousand ghosts. The sludge & crusty drumming is off the chain. Plus, the guitars create this wall of drone that act as a layer of tension between all the other sounds. There are moments on Guiltless where the band finds this space of sinister emotion that actually energizes the listener."
-CVLTNation.com

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