PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[Zeno Marx]

http://merlinsnoserecords.bandcamp.com/album/ritt-durch-den-hades

Gulaab - Ritt Durch Den Hades 1979 - 2014 reissue - like a Manuel Gottsching/Ash Ra/Sergius Golowin/Popol Vuh folk trip - very nice album - NEED A COPY! - hoping someone knows a closet USA distro that sells Merlins Nose Records...anyone?

Metal Church - s/t 1985 -  side A is almost as perfect as a side of music can get - the opening sequence of "Beyond the Black" could be an audio storyboard for a very fine war flick; horses reared, and the calvary charges...

[Andrew McIntosh]

BRIGHTER DEATH NOW "Obsessis" LP
Cold Meat
One of the less listened LP's of BDN for some reason. But it is actually very good. Noisier, more aggressive than his classic death industrial milestones. But very strong album now when listened with years of distance.

When I first put in on and heard "Now Is The Time" I had rather hoped that it would be just this track for the entire album. Imagine a full fourty or so minutes of just that...

[bile]

Sort of a varied playlist the past few days...

Wiatyk "Tron Wlen"

Initially I did not plan to include musical releases (let alone tapes from defunct, "ancient" projects...) but I have caved. Oh well. Wiatyk is a moderately unknown group from Poland that existed between the years of 1994-1996/1997 (unsure at what point exactly operations ceased for the band). "Tron Wlen" was released in 1996 and is the final chunk of recorded works from this Polish outfit. Eight brilliant pieces of Polish Black Metal with (surprisingly) very solid production value! An absolute gem from the mid-nineties Polish scene...gorgeous interludes, light keyboards, winding riffs, stellar spoken vocals, blistering drums, and an overall mystique that is uniquely Wiatyk (while remaining very "true" to the style of their country).

Cannibal Ritual "Nudo E Selvaggio"

Devastating HNW from the master himself. "Nudo E Selvaggio" CD is presented marvelously inside of an oversized DVD case (an enclosure that contains a wood burned "Cannibal Ritual" miniature plaque). The cover features a digital collage...usually I am not one to be enthralled by artwork done in this fashion but in this instance it looks brilliant. Very bold! Two untitled tracks (the first being just under nineteen minutes and the second being over twenty) are included on the disc and a download code for the "Return Of The Shamatari" release is included as well. The walls on "Nudo E Selvaggio" are some of CR's best work. Continuing with the classic dirt-encrusted sound he is most known for I believe this may be his most impenetrable work yet. Unmoving seances destined to take a listener to a new place. Great!

Swollen Organs/Aqua-Eroticum "Split"

In the past I have had the opportunity to play alongside Swollen Organs (Industrial/Power Electronics artist from New York City) and do split releases with Aqua-Eroticum (hyper-sexual Power Electronics from the southern United States). Through these experiences I have not only become close with the aforementioned artists, but I have watched their sounds and styles grow into fully grown fixtures within the US Power Electronics field. This split (released courtesy of Urgent Telepathy) is a c30 with some of the best material taken from each artist. Beginning with Swollen Organs, I am greeted by a synthesizer oscillation and a sample. The sample builds up to a screaming climax and the track finally bursts into a crunching loop (one so disguised in distortion it is nearly an orthodox Harsh Noise backdrop!). The vocals are punishing and blend into the harsh textures very well...the entire side (two tracks from Swollen Organs) is well executed Power Electronics with a very faint Industrial undertone (something I much prefer...love the heavy, dirty direction SO has gone in with this split!). Aqua-Eroticum is on the opposite side and contributes three tracks. Very disgusting sound here...ugly synthesizer work, gross loops/metallic distortion at times, and putrid vocals. Feedback fights in and out of earshot while the tracks push onwards with an uncanny accuracy. Like in the case of Swollen Organs, there is a slight Industrial edge to this material (mainly in its use of modest rhythmic elements). Usually these influences turn me off from material, but in this case they work phenomenally. Great tape.

[jadderly]

http://merlinsnoserecords.bandcamp.com/album/ritt-durch-den-hades

Gulaab - Ritt Durch Den Hades 1979 - 2014 reissue - like a Manuel Gottsching/Ash Ra/Sergius Golowin/Popol Vuh folk trip - very nice album - NEED A COPY! - hoping someone knows a closet USA distro that sells Merlins Nose Records...anyone?

Metal Church - s/t 1985 -  side A is almost as perfect as a side of music can get - the opening sequence of "Beyond the Black" could be an audio storyboard for a very fine war flick; horses reared, and the calvary charges...

http://merlinsnoserecords.bandcamp.com/album/ritt-durch-den-hades

Gulaab - Ritt Durch Den Hades 1979 - 2014 reissue - like a Manuel Gottsching/Ash Ra/Sergius Golowin/Popol Vuh folk trip - very nice album - NEED A COPY! - hoping someone knows a closet USA distro that sells Merlins Nose Records...anyone?

Metal Church - s/t 1985 -  side A is almost as perfect as a side of music can get - the opening sequence of "Beyond the Black" could be an audio storyboard for a very fine war flick; horses reared, and the calvary charges...

http://www.forcedexposure.com/SearchResult.html?SearchType=Basic&Type=label&Key=merlins

Looks like FE is their only U.S. distro...

[FreakAnimalFinland]

MASONNA "Passion Of Rubbers" LP
Urashima
Great to see Urashima expand his reissue programs beyond Slaughter productions and endless amount of MB... Of course they did other things too, but for example bunch of great Japanese noise reissues would be nice for a change. This originally 2xC-10 tape of Masonna presents the mid 90's Masonna style. Less vocal heavy, more tight and sharp electronic noise. One of the tracks odd "ambient" piece of heavy delay and possibly clinging glasses with something. Almost melodic tone to it. Best track is the final one, with full on noise frenzy! Great 20 mins of noise what most likely could have needed more than edition of 99?! Who knows..

RAIONBASHI "Chloral Works I & II" 12"
Entracte
Yodeling and experimental sounds, animal sounds etc. Very much the exact style what I associate Raionbashi to be. Not sure whether they have more approaches that would be dramatically different from what I've seen band do. It's good, but also very much focusing on few typical things what one could perhaps call "gimmicks". Perhaps one can also just call it style, but for me repeating as distinctive things as animal sounds and yodeling over again, even if "composition" is different, pushes material to be samey.

OVMN "III" LP
Urashima
Older Urashima title. I think the first OVMN release, that was reissued by Industrial Recollections, is killer stuff. It's like definition how noise walls are made strong. Rest of OVMN appear to me much less interesting. Some moments even dull. This is ok, but appears very far the highlights of band. For HWN fans it should work nevertheless.

SLOGUN "A Breed Apart" LP
Urashima
Despite I just mentioned it would be good to have other things than MB and Slaughter Prod reissues, I won't obviously protest when good stuff is done. Example could be that instead of yet another Atrax Morgue vinyl would be something like this. Almost all Atrax Morgue has been good. It's not the point. Point is more about how many should come one after another before it gets more into flooding than sensible pace? Re-issues might have that problem. Think about Slogun doing all his old works as CD's. Artwork looking just about the same, and disc after another seemed like it could never have same impact like tapes did when they came one by one, with slower pace. This LP is good example, how reissue with original tape artwork and just as single LP works well. No never-ending series of stuff, no revisioned graphics. Just here it is, pretty close to what original tape was. And it works. It's Slogun before his "shouted vocals" era. Grainy synth noise patterns with buried whispering/talking vocals processed to become part of sound texture rather than clear lyrics. What it loses in sheer aggression, it wins with detail and texture of noise. Still linear, bleak and grim stuff.

MAGMAX / DES ESSEINTES split LP
Formosan Rec
I guess I do have pretty much all Magmax what was release. This, for some reason, has been in my shelves for ages without being listened. Litarally. Came out 2001, I guess I bought this 2005 or so, and listened last week most likely first time. And it's actually among better Magmax. One of the double vinyl boxes is very good, other one just so-so. Or even partly crap. This is decent. Perhaps it is the same as MSBR. He could do killer stuff, but then again also let rubbish pass into releases.
Des Esseintes is more industrial sound. Perhaps pretty accurately followed the Swedish dark industrial atmosphere of the time. 3 tracks which are surprisingly good. Much better than what I remember about their other stuff. LP is packaged into big sheet of offset printing plate. It's like 13"x15" or so, brutally sticking out from LP shelves...

[tiny_tove]

Several Cock Sparrer records. Damn I still love them so much after so many years... and even latest records are so good.

[jadderly]

STROM.ec - Dogs of Total Order LP

I continue to be impressed with everything I've bought by this group. This is like Neural Architect, but rawer, very different from the later recordings. Perhaps not as unique either, but this is a powerful, well done LP that I'm glad to have.

SCHLOSS TEGAL - Oranur - The Third Report LP

I guess there are certain elements of this album that are now considered "dark ambient cliches" as they've appeared all over the place since the turn of the millenium. Still, I like this album. Good texture in the drones, not too long, doesn't overstay its welcome. I see this has been reissued on CD as a remix/remaster thing, wonder what the differences are or if they are obvious enough to notice?

STEVE ROACH & VIR UNIS - Blood Machine

Straight up, this sounds nothing like anything I've heard from either artist, though both have big discographies at this point and I haven't heard everything. This is basically a chill-out ambient techno album. Something say, Global Communication might have done if they did a proper follow up to 76:14 and went a little darker. Some good skittery beats in there, not too obtrusive or cheesy sounding either. Really good stuff.


BIOSPHERE - Substrata

Had to re-buy this after being without my copy for awhile. Still sounds great. Can't really say much else about it, everyone should know this by now.


THE KLINIK - 84-91 8XCD Boxset

I splurged on this, and probably shouldn't have but oh well. It does look great and you get almost everything (I think) the band put out before it's gone and out of print again for another 10 years or whatever. I've listened to the first 2 disc so far...first disc is like a deconstructed experimental version of EBM or whatever you'd imagine the Klinik to sound like. Dated, but if you like this stuff, you like it.


CON-DOM - Shards of Ordnance 2xCD

Lovely package with the book and all. I'm not wild about the plastic sleeves for the CDs, but whatever. Listening to this, it's interesting to hear the diversity in his sound from track to track. A lot of it is quite lo-fi as well, but I guess that comes with the territory. Well done overall. I'd like to see more reissues like this (compiling compilation tracks and hard to find material) on IR, whether Con-Dom or some other project.

TERRA SANCTA - Exile

Like everything else I've got by Terra Sancta, this is well done, I enjoy it quite a bit while it's on, but none of it blows me away or leaves a big impression. I wouldn't call it mediocre or substandard in any way though, those are just my thoughts.

[Ashmonger]

De Blenders/Agathocles - Plooisessions/Alcoholica (CD, Vleesklak Records & some other labels): De Blenders is a rather new noisecore band from my friend Nikos (mostly known from VRV) & Brame (also playing in bands like Anxiety Disorder, Bite Down...). I believe this is only their second recording. This is the kind of sound I really like, chaotic, harsh, in your face, especially the drums. Lyrics aren't serious, some kind of inside joke, which is funny for me, but not for most other people, especially not if you don't understand Dutch. But for people into noisecore, I'd certainly recommend this.
Can't say too much about Agathocles since I don't know a lot of their stuff. As the other stuff I've got from them, this is certainly not bad, but I never feel like checking out a lot more...

Saastaa Suomesta II (LP, Obscurex): Got this because I quite liked the 7". First of all, again a nice layout. When I first saw the cover online, I was disappointed by the lack of cocks. To my joy, I did discover them when I got the actual LP, haha. After the first listen, I think Siviilmurha, Funeral Mongoloids, Nihilist Commando (although on first impression it's not the best NC material) & Unpeace. As always, there's some stuff that I don't like, mainly due to the weak sound. Noisecore only works for me when it really does sound harsh.

Kam Hassah - Information Priority (C22, Throne Heap): I think I can be short about this, by saying that it is recognizable style of Kam Hassah and it's good!

Iron Clad - Strike to Kill (C15, Filth & Violence): Minimalist power electronics, mainly consisting of delicate feedback & metal bashing & aggressive hateful vocals on the first track. Works well. I don't know the original No Remorse track, so can't compare. Anyway, again the hateful vocals, nice sounds again, except for the higher sounding one that sounds like some kind of instrument, don't like that sound. Nice layout as well.

Fetish Ritual - F & R (C12, Synthetik Assembly): Short tape of minimalistic Power Electronics with aggressive vocals. Nice layout with the 3 inserts. Not bad, but judging on a first listen  not exactly great either.

Wolves of Heaven/Nyodene D (LP, Anthems of the Undesirable): Wolves of Heaven (first release from this side project of Column of Heaven) starts with calm sounds before bursting out in rather dense PE, with a bit of Ambient underneath. Nyodene D sounds a bit different than at his other recent recordings, I think. Sounds almost like a Harsh Noise layer, with beats and other sounds underneath and an aggressive voice. Especially the 2nd Nyodene D track is very good, with its atmospheric synth layer. Interesting LP

Stillingskerrkozletskynystrompetrus - Death Instruktions (LP, Malignant Records): Not too familiar with the work of most of these people, except for the Steel Hook Prostheses guys. And some tracks certainly remind me of this, other tracks are a bit different. Certainly not bad, but aside from some moments I expected something more opressive & malicious...

[jadderly]

Stillingskerrkozletskynystrompetrus - Death Instruktions (LP, Malignant Records): Not too familiar with the work of most of these people, except for the Steel Hook Prostheses guys. And some tracks certainly remind me of this, other tracks are a bit different. Certainly not bad, but aside from some moments I expected something more opressive & malicious...

You've never heard Megaptera? I never liked that project too much based on the higher-profile releases but Peter Nystrom's side projects  and post-Megaptera recordings have had some good stuff, at least IMHO. I liked the KNO albums and some other things. Bought this album (also sold under the name of KSKNP) largely due to my positive experience with those. Thought it was good, but it comes across as some guys paying tribute to the general sound/aesthetic of their heroes rather than anything earth-shattering or original.

[urall]

Can't say too much about Agathocles since I don't know a lot of their stuff. As the other stuff I've got from them, this is certainly not bad, but I never feel like checking out a lot more...

I encourage you to definitely seek out their older stuff:
agathocles/disgorge 7"
agathocles/m.o.m. 7"
agathocles/psycho 7"
agathocles/blood 7"
.......

the poblem with agx is that they rehash their songs too much

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Most of old AGx is worth getting. One good thing is to buy first full length as CD, and it came with lots of tracks from 7"s as bonus. Another good way is just grab some parts of "Mincecore history" CD series. Several discs worth of old Agathocles stuff. Should be easy and cheap to get.

[Zeno Marx]

Agathocles - Agarchy 7" is kind of perfect.  That's not where I started, but that is where I'd recommend starting.  Or at the beginning.  Those Selfmadegod Records CD collections are great.

Extreme Noise Terror - A Holocaust in Your Head
Napalm Death - Peel Sessions
Napalm Death - Scum/From Enslavement
Repulsion - Horrified 2CD - CD2 only
Nausea - The Punk Terrorist Anthology V1 - played very loudly - love the drumming so much - they could write a song, too.

Are there any good early live recordings of Napalm Death? Or live videos with good sound?

[jadderly]

Napalm Death - Peel Sessions

Best thing the band ever did. Saw a recent LP reissue - very expensive, especially when the Grind Madness 3xCD is very cheap.

Nausea - The Punk Terrorist Anthology V1 - played very loudly - love the drumming so much - they could write a song, too.

Never bought those anthology reissues...didn't they put the tracklisting on those completely backwards from the old Extinction CD?

[Zeno Marx]

Nausea - The Punk Terrorist Anthology V1 - played very loudly - love the drumming so much - they could write a song, too.

Never bought those anthology reissues...didn't they put the tracklisting on those completely backwards from the old Extinction CD?

Yes, the Nausea V1 doesn't make any sense.  They shattered the Extinction album into pieces and threw it all over the disc.  Makes zero sense the way it is tracked.  You're better off listening to the Extinction The Second Coming collection on Selfless Records, but the Punk Terrorist V1 has 3 or 4 tracks not found on the former.  Punk Terrorist V1 also omits one track, the final track, from Extinction proper.  In other words, if you want the Extinction album, you need the Selfless Records comp or Extinction on its own, which was only released on LP/cassette.

[Ashmonger]

You've never heard Megaptera? I never liked that project too much based on the higher-profile releases but Peter Nystrom's side projects  and post-Megaptera recordings have had some good stuff, at least IMHO. I liked the KNO albums and some other things. Bought this album (also sold under the name of KSKNP) largely due to my positive experience with those. Thought it was good, but it comes across as some guys paying tribute to the general sound/aesthetic of their heroes rather than anything earth-shattering or original.

No, haven't heard Megaptera or the other guys projects yet. Too much music/too little time, as always...

Thanks for the info about Agathocles, will ask a friend if he can let me hear some of that stuff once, since he's got quite a big Agathocles collection.