PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[ConcreteMascara]

There was quite brutal thunderstorm outside so instead of dancing in the rain I decided to go through my tape collection and see what there is. The first tape I spinned was Arv & Miljö's collaboration with LR, which AM composed by using sound sources from LR. Really nice tape with interesting mix between noise electronics and field recordings from a church. Then I spotted that my "This Sickness Faith" tape had been left on side B so instead to winding it up I decided to spin it and soon realized that I had forgotten all about the mightiness of Con-Dom. Really strong material with loud electronics and well processed vocals. Maybe I should revisit the other CD tapes as well! Then I stumbled upon Concrete Mascara's latest tape, "Excess Takes Its Toll", which is a tape I absolutely loved already on the first listen and it still sounds absolutely amazing. Definitely one of the best new PE releases. Very strong & piercing synth work, amazing vocals and everything sounds perfect to me. Excellent way to stop my little listening session. Saving the private live tapes of CM & BU for later this evening.

thanks for the kind words. glad you enjoyed it. I think you'll enjoy the newest stuff even more. Electronics are sharper, vocals are better and the songs are more structured and intricate.

[ConcreteMascara]

Watain - Rabid Death's Curse CD - just picked this up the other day. the only thing I had heard by Watain was Sworn to the Dark which I got when it came out, and that album left me cold. I could never understand why this band was such a big deal to people or considered so great. Having listened to their first album all the way through, I can see sorta understand why people like Watain. I need to give this more listens, but it's certainly a million times more enjoyable than Sworn to the Dark after just the first listen.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think second album is why band became what it is.
If that doesn't do anything to you, then one can just give up..

I think Watain came in right time, doing good live gigs and giving good and arrogant and populist interviews, and it stood out easily from crappy live shows of bands who are not really live bands and interviews of all sorts of metal dorks who had nothing to say. I'm quite sure appreciating them depends also when one started to listen metal.

[ConcreteMascara]

I'm quite sure appreciating them depends also when one started to listen metal.

I think this probably has a lot to do with it. I didn't get into metal until 2004 so I can't claim much in the way of time in the scene, and growing up in the suburbs I can't claim much experience either. Plus I think metal culture is just different in many ways in the US than compared to Europe, which probably colours my perceptions as well, even if I don't identify with most metal heads here.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I mean, for guys who heard Watain in 2000 or 2003, this might fall in moment where vast majority of old Swedish bands had ceased to exists, or watered down. Watain might have not been revolutionary, but simply hardened some aspects of Swedish sound and came into good moment in BM scene.  Now, lets say you hear bands works in 2013, not only it is genre saturated by hundreds of bands influenced by Watain (or the same bands as they were), but then you basically compare these old albums to "history of genre" that happened sometime before your time. Importance of Watain in early 2000's might be hard to see now...

My recent metal & related playlist has been OHTAR, THOTH (members of Ohtar/Dark Fury + Darken of Graveland in keyboards), DARK FURY, JEX THOTH new album. And from noise been listening my own recent releases, hah... Vanhala, Budrus,.. just too good!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Yeah, that style of vocals is among my least favorite ones. Basically all bands influenced by vocal style of early Burzum are quite dull.. But Thoth was musically much better and more interesting than many of this "suicidal" / "depressive" kind of bands.. So I did get over the vocal style!

VIDINė RAMYBė / HASSOKK "vilnius"-tape
Terror
Ah great!! It's one of those examples that you don't always need to aim for revolutionary different. Simply do things well. VR starts with such a blast and great high pitched, yet not screamy vocals that it hits my sweet spot of PE worship instantly. Hassokk is mr. Body Cargo, who has done a lot of great stuff during recent years. Sound quality remains quite same overall, but there is some compositional difference. 

[Lust]

Fat Tulips-Starfish

Great and joyful pop music to listen to when there's a great thunderstorm going on outside. I love this band.

[Scat-O-Logy]

I'm completely out of "nowadays BM scene" but I was listening to the latest Clandestine Blaze album from YouTube and thought it sounded quite interesting. Soon after I got inspired to search some other interesting BM acts through the web and stumbled upon Svartidauði and their "Flesh Cathedral" album. Really interesting sound, very monotonous and "dark". Didn't really like the sound of their vocalist but quite strong album nevertheless, especially the last track, "Psychoactive Sacraments". And then, since Svartidauði reminded me a little bit of DsO, I decided to check their discography once again. DsO is definitely one of the most interesting BM bands around (even a douche like Phil Anselmo agrees, hah!) but I personally dislike "too fast" BM tracks. Still, I can't but admire the way these albums and tracks are composed. I'm especially in love with the slower, more atmospheric parts and the variation of the vocals. There is so good balance between everything, the composing is amazingly executed and everything seems to have their place. Damn, I think I just found my new favorite BM band!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

A lot of people have complimented Svartidauði, especially live shows. I've had some of their stuff in distro, but never listened...
CB album on youtube.. I think has just couple of tracks? Out of all albums, this is meant to be "album oriented recording", so listening is advised in full album length rather than individual tracks.

Zetazeroalfa Divisione Rumore / MMLTX ‎"Acca Larenzia" 10"
Extremocidente
Not sure if this caused any polemic within industrial movement when it came out? Same label put out Death In June, Sol Invictus and various others, but certainly many should recognize name Zetazeroalfa, official band of CasaPound Italia. Two tracks of bounding drum percussion and humming sound and voice with frantic crowd shouts. If there is modern fascist music that doesn't only attempt to toy around with provocative themes, but actually represent currently flourishing fascist organization, this must be it?  Not sure how many "legit" political activists on this field has been creators of experimental music? Perhaps Robert X. Patriot a.k.a. founder of American Front?

IRON FIST OF THE SUN 12"
Cold Spring one siders, this is first I actually got. Very good stuff and kind of unfortunate that it would end up disappearing in shelves of ltd vinyl collectors!

IRON FIST OF THE SUN "Who will help me wash my right hand" LP/CD
Good stuff. I think I actually preferred the 12" over this in first listening, but we'll see. There is more harsh sounds besides the electronic signals in this album. LP is neat and has thinner, more fierce sound compared to heavier CD sound. Up to taste which one prefers..

[Scat-O-Logy]

A lot of people have complimented Svartidauði, especially live shows. I've had some of their stuff in distro, but never listened... CB album on youtube.. I think has just couple of tracks? Out of all albums, this is meant to be "album oriented recording", so listening is advised in full album length rather than individual tracks.

Yeah, only couple of tracks. I had problems forming a reasonable sentence, hah! The new CB definitely feels like an album that should be listened at one sit, I like that. "Wings Of The Archangel" (see link) is my current favorite. The quality of that upload is quite shitty so I can't really comment on sound but I really like the drumming techniques and the guitar work is very smooth. Very interesting and unique BM composition in my opinion. I also absolutely love the end part of "Autumn Of Blood And Steel" (see link) with great short solo and "emotional" (heh) shrieks. Should order it next month along with the monstrous DsO box set. Yeah, I really like all those bands that have performed at Nidrosian Black Mass throughout the years. Actually that fest got me introduced to Mare which produced one of my new favorite black metal tracks, "Nachtmahrwalzer - Invocation Of The Succubus" (see link). Since you have yet to hear Svartidauði, I would recommend you to check "Psychoactive Sacraments" (see link), especially from 6:30 onwards. Amazing atmosphere and vocals really stand out on that track. At the moment my absolute favorite DsO track is "The Crackled Book Of Life" (see link). No vocals but the composition is just so damn stunning and the sound quality is superb. Loving the tight bass & drum sound so much and the sort of "mysterious" (hah) guitar work is too amazing.

[Mikerdeath]

Taint - dau ghter : VICTIMOLOGY 2
"The community support has been like angel wings under our feet"
"We're all praying for her"
"She was so much fun"

[Scat-O-Logy]

Taint - dau ghter : VICTIMOLOGY 2
"The community support has been like angel wings under our feet"
"We're all praying for her"
"She was so much fun"

Such an amazing album! I'm a proud owner of the vinyl version and will be keeping it to myself. I love THIS part in particular.

[Ashmonger]

A lot of people have complimented Svartidauði, especially live shows. I've had some of their stuff in distro, but never listened...

Svartidauði was indeed great on NBM in Brussels a couple months ago.
There's one part in The Perpetual Nothing which really makes my blood pump (or to say it in NWN! terms, which makes me fall to my knees due to intensity). Any album which can do that, receives high praise.

[acsenger]

The Hafler Trio - A Thirsty Fish (Korm Plastics, 2005, 2CD)

I've decided to finally properly listen to the Korm Plastics reissues of Hafler Trio albums. A Thirsty Fish is from 1987 and it's pretty good: distorted and manipulated vocal/speech samples feature prominently along with electronic drones and ambient parts at times. The general confusing and enigmatic atmosphere of a lot of Hafler Trio stuff is present on this album too. There are weaker & somewhat boring parts, so one CD with the best material would've been better, but it's still a nice listen.

Thorofon - Final Movement (Klanggalerie, 2007, CD)

Ordered this due to its low price and based on what I've read about the group in the German PE/industrial thread. After one listen, it's a bit too rhythmic and too "electro" for me; perhaps I should check out their first album and the earliest vinyls for something different. Still, I liked the album to an extent and will definitely give it more time.

Massimo - Hey Babe, Let Me See Your USB and I'll Show You My FireWire (Mego, 2001, 3" CD)

Digital and rhythmic noise and it's a blast, with the perfect length too; it might become boring if it were longer. A very entertaining yet pretty extreme CD from a time when, I believe, computer noise was pretty new.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Thorofon - Final Movement (Klanggalerie, 2007, CD)

You should give a try to debut LP "maximum punishment solutions"! It's re-issued on same label. More of german heavy electronics in GO / Operation Cleansweep / Dagda Mor / etc kind of way than the later works that are towards old style rhythmic industrial.
For anyone interested check out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIceCBILecQ
Not far from GO "White Power Forces"

Or:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJb-v7_NNJA

Much much stronger than Final Movement....   LP is great purchase even these days, but CD re-issue include bonus tracks from old 7"s...