/r/RABM/

Monday, October 31, 2011

Woccon - "Through Ancestral Fires" (2011)


WOCCON "Through Ancestral Fires"

Year: 2011
Genre: Death/Black Metal
Country: USA

Track List:
  1. Veneration
  2. Berkutchi
  3. Nomadic
  4. Jhator
DOWNLOAD

Woccon are a new blackened death metal project featuring at least one former member of Peregrine. Their sound was described by K.Tucker (Peregrine) as "Nile meets Panopticon", but I think it's also very similar to the latest releases by Peregrine. The ideology is the same (black and green). Very good EP, definitely recommended!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Harrow - "Wanderer" (2011)


HARROW "Wanderer"

Year: 2011
Genre: Cascadian Black Metal
Country: Canada

Track List:
  1. Into the Valley
  2. Vast, Unending Lands
  3. In the Shadow of the Stone
  4. Journey Under the Mountain
  5. To Weather the Storm
  6. Snow Falls on the Night of the Solstice
  7. Exile & Rebirth
Another release from Harrow - this time a full-length album, not EP. "35 minutes fusing black metal and ritual folk music. A journey into the self and the conflicts and dualities which reside inside us all" (c). For me, it's pretty good album, but not enough "Cascadian"... don't know how to explain it properly. 


Line-up:
  • I. Campbell - guitars and voice
  • K. Brickell - drums
  • C. Hellvomit - session drums
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Harrow and C. Hellvomit in The Lair, April/May MMXI

bandcamp

Spires of Belziar - demo (2011)

SPIRES OF BELZIAR "demo"

Year: 2011
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Sweden

Track List:
  1. Inverted cross and burning pentagrams
  2. Red dust and blood
  3. Nocturnal revenge
  4. Through the oceans of sorrow
  5. Great Zimbabwe
  6. The return of the black king
  7. Heathen invasion
  8. Desert mist
DOWNLOAD


Here's a myspace rip of demo tracks by another Swedish BM project, which appears to be an one man band led by Eric S. Spires of Belziar may be not an explicitly RABM project, but Eric definitely knows about our movement, and he even posted a link to SoB's myspace in our facebook group. Moreover, it indeed looks like African history and mythology could provide a lot of potential source material for BM lyrics - some of these tracks are obviously inspired by African history (namely Great Zimbabwe and Namibia). The music is your typical Scandinavian BM, quite good for a first demo.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Seeds In Barren Fields - "Sounding the Siren Song in Vain" (2011)

SEEDS IN BARREN FIELDS "Sounding the Siren Song in Vain"

Year: 2011
Genre: Black/Death Metal
Country: Sweden

Track List:
  1. Sounding the Siren Song in Vain
  2. To Feel
  3. Tomorrow Black Birds Fly
  4. Pastures of Plenty
  5. Destroy the Machines
  6. Leviathan
  7. I Natten den Kalla och Klara
bandcamp
A first full-length album by SIBF, a black&green metal band from Göteborg, which was released several months ago on Lundr Records. Musically there's a mix of melodic death and black metal (which is quite typical for the Gothenburg metal scene), except for the last track. Comparing with their first demo, this album is much more "metallic" and less "crusty". They're also about to release a split LP w/ Marnost on 12th of December (Marnost's side is already available as a preview). 

A Cloud Forest - "These Mournful Days" (2011)


A CLOUD FOREST "These Mournful Days"

Year: 2011
Genre: Atmospheric / Depressive Black Metal
Country: USA

Track List:
  1. Lost in the Fog of Mourning
  2. With One Last Breath
  3. The Smile of Suffering
  4. The Dark Wings of Hate
  5. The Blooming of an End
  6. Into the Silent Land
DOWNLOAD

The newest full-length album from A Cloud Forest - now it isn't a CD-R, but a professional release by Silence and Solitude Records. Like the earlier albums, it's available as a free download, but  if you're interested in supporting/buying the album you can get it direct off the official site for $7 plus postage (it's also available off bandcamp in physical CD form and digital download as well).

Temple Av Lidelse - "Sesiones en el Infierno" (2011)


TEMPLE AV LIDELSE "Sesiones en el Infierno"

Year: 2011
Genre: Raw Black Metal
Country: Argentina

Track List:
  1. El último de los Romanov
  2. Han Som Reiste
  3. Sistema de Opresión Social
  4. Chainsaw Gutsfuck
  5. Penumbra
  6. Temple Av Lidelse
  7. El Fin de los Tiempos
DOWNLOAD

Well... here's another Argentinian band. Temple Av Lidelse started in 2010 as just another underground BM band playing covers of Burzum and Mayhem (as well as their own material in the vein of early Norwegian BM scene). However, their vocalist became interested in radical leftist politics, that's why they made songs like "El último de los Romanov" or "Sistema de opresión social", dealing with political/historical subjects (not to mention they're against the nazi scene). Apart from this demo, they have released two more demos (which I can upload, if you're interested... but they contain mostly different versions of the songs from this demo). They even put the R&A symbol on the back cover of their demo "jævla tortur" to demonstrate that they're on our side:

Monday, October 24, 2011

Emerson Dracon - "Mañana Lloverá En Buenos Aires" (2011)


EMERSON DRACON "Mañana Lloverá En Buenos Aires"

Year: 2011
Genre: Martial Industrial
Country: Argentina

Track List:

I - Los Himnos
  1. A Las Barricadas
  2. Reign Forever? (Blood Axis re-cover)
II - 1955 / 1956
  1. Fusiladora
  2. Operación Masacre
III - Love & Doom
  1. Sear Me MMXI (My Dying Bride cover)
  2. They Walked In Line (Joy Division cover)
DOWNLOAD


Just another demo found in my mail... but it turned out to be absolutely not what I expected. I expected to hear some metal (not nesessary black), but it turned out to be martial industrial/neofolk/post-punk. However, I really liked this EP after a few listenings. It's maybe the first example of leftist martial industrial I've came across, and it's quite good, despite more than half of these tracks being covers. I'm not sure if I understood the concept of this EP correctly, but looks like it's inspired by Plaza De Mayo events. Here are the release notes (in Spanish):


"Este proyecto musical es algo que estaba en mente, pendiente, desde hace bastante tiempo.
Vamos a intentar ser simples.


Dentro de una escena, nos guste o no, inestable, se intenta aportar un grano de arena
dentro del concepto de 'contra-cultura'; creando espacios culturales y artísticos, históricos y sociales.
El trabajo a lo largo de estos años y el camino recorrido nos dice que hay muchas cosas por decir y hacer.


Desde ya, y no hace falta profundizar mucho, NO estamos de acuerdo con los productos culturales y artísticos hegemónicos, como se entiende socialmente en los medios de comunicación, masivos.
Por eso elegimos 'ésto'. Y no es moda, ni religión, ni nada de eso. Es una participación activa dentro de la lucha por el florecer en el under.


Como el punk años atrás, hijos de ese espíritu, con consciencia, dialéctica y respeto, presento este humilde EP a los 16 días de Junio de 2011.


¿Por qué esa fecha? Por el bombardeo que sufrió Buenos Aires un 16 de junio, pero en 1955; contra un gobierno, nos guste o no, elegido democráticamente; masacrando intelectuales y trabajadores comprometidos antes y durante la dictadura fusiladora, anterior a la que todos nombran.
Ante todo, defendemos la libertad. Cueste lo que cueste, por eso, el 'himno' "A Las Barricadas", canción popular de fin de los años 30's en la España de la Guerra Civil. Por eso, un no-cover de Blood Axis, volviendo el sampleo de Sergéi Prokófiev a su real lucha, cambiando las líricas.


Por eso también, un reconociemiento a las bases artísticas que el amor a la libertad nos implica pensar que no estamos solos en un mundo mal contextualizado históricamente, con mala memoria, con una verdad a medias y con justicia para pocos, sea social o cultural.

Espero les guste el proyecto, o aunque sea, les llame la atención...
Emerson Dracon"


myspace

Incipit - "½" (2011)

INCIPIT "½"

Year: 2011
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Argentina

Track List:
  1. Live - Die
  2. The Fire and Time
  3. Time Wheel
  4. Mulanima
  5. Hymn III (Ulver cover)
DOWNLOAD

The only member of this San Juan-based black metal project has contacted me on youtube and asked to check out his music. Well, I'd say it's very good for a 1st demo, and despite the lyrics aren't political or religious (except maybe for track #5, which has anti-Christian lyrics), it's definitely an anti-nazi project.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Agonia - "No Respiraremos El Aire Muerto" (2010)


AGONIA "No Respiraremos El Aire Muerto"

Year: 2010
Genre: Blackened Neocrust
Country: Mexico

Track List:
  1. Intro
  2. Dragon Negro
  3. Batalla Perdida en el Subsuelo
  4. Ausencia
  5. Intermedia
  6. Llamada Brutal
  7. La Memoria no se Borra
  8. Satanico Trampa
  9. Hijos del Trueno
DOWNLOAD

A question that has been asked several times: "Are there any Mexican RABM bands?" Well, looks like there's no RABM in Mexico yet, but there's at least one blackened crust band whose members are aware of the RABM movement. Agonia define themselves as a "mexican black metal punk crust band with indigenous pagan anarchist ideals", and while their music is mostly neocrust with little BM influences, several tracks on this album (especially "Hijos Del Trueno") sound much more like black metal than punk. The quality of production is far from perfect, but it isn't a big flaw...

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Drear - "We'll Use Your Blood For Fertilizer" (2011)

DREAR "We'll Use Your Blood For Fertilizer"

Year: 2011
Genre: Blackened Doom/Sludge
Country: UK

Track List:
  1. Finally
  2. Madness And Civilisation
  3. Capturecultivateconsume
DOWNLOAD

As I have promised before, I'm posting the latest release by Drear. Can't say it's very "blackened" stuff, but it's still very solid sludge/doom metal influenced by eco-anarchist beliefs... and this demo is definitely better than the 2007 one.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Oakhelm - "Echtra" (2011)


OAKHELM "Echtra"

Year: 2011
Genre: Folk/Black Metal
Country: USA

Track List:
  1. Into the Unknown Wilderness
  2. The Way of Bleeding Bark
  3. Children of the Glade
  4. Lady of Three Faces
  5. Echtra
DOWNLOAD

I already have the demo and the debut LP of this band on my blog, so why not to post their latest release? They may have no direct relation to the RABM movement, but they have people like Pete Jay (ex-Assück) and Kody Keywoth (L'Acephale, WITTR (live), ex-Fall Of The Bastards), and their music is really good. They often were labeled as a "viking metal band", but looks like their main source of inspiration is Celtic mythology, not Norse...

Monday, October 17, 2011

Gottesmorder - "Gottesmorder" (2011)


GOTTESMORDER "Gottesmorder"

Year: 2011
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Italy

Track List:
  1. Winternight
  2. Abyss Of Throats
DOWNLOAD

One more band from Italy, playing atmospheric BM in the vein of Cascadian scene (the ideology behind the music is pretty much the same as well; main lyrical themes are nature and sorrow). Just like in case with the majority of recent posts in my blog, this download link is band-sanctioned.

Larva Ov Cum - "Odio" (2011)


LARVA OV CUM "Odio"

Year: 2011
Genre: Black Metal (with clean vocals)
Country: Italy

Track List:
  1. Elemosine attue a gratificare il sottoposto
  2. Spresonificazione della risorsa produttiva
  3. Teorema dell'eterna sottomissione alla mansione lavorativa
  4. Deumanizzando nel nome della meritocrazia monetaria
  5. Pretendere cortesemente l'estinzione del padrone
DOWNLOAD


Another band from Italy, playing "Hysteric & Epic Modern Black Metal" (according to Evrom's blog). The vocal style is rather unusual (however, it doesn't ruin the music). I don't understand their lyrics, but according to the Italians in our Facebook group, Larva Of Cum are an anarcho-communist band. "Odio" is their first release, published under Creative Commons license (see their jamendo page).

Noscrape - "Soundtrack to a Post-Atomic Landscape" (2011)


NOSCRAPE "Soundtrack to a Post-Atomic Landscape"

Year: 2011
Genre: Post-Metal/Sludge
Country: Italy

Track List:
  1. Soundtrack to a post-atomic landscape
  2. Hic sunt leones
  3. Concrete
  4. Annihilation
DOWNLOAD

Noscrape are a band from Italy playing psychedelic sludge-metal with some ambient influences. This EP (EP? it's actually a quite lengthy release, despite having only 4 tracks...) was sent to me by Dario, their vocalist, who is a friend of Adam (Adamennon). I tried to write a review of it, but apparently I can't write anything better than this review (a very detailed one, I must say. It also contains links to the band's facebook, myspace, and bandcamp pages). 

Nachzehrer - "Pestilence Hungers in the Shadows" (2011)


NACHZEHRER "Pestilence Hungers in the Shadows"

Year: 2011
Genre: Black Metal / Blackened Thrash
Country: USA

Track List:
  1. The Awakening
  2. Bärsärkar-gång
  3. Howling and the Imminent Stench of Decay
  4. Black Order of the Goat
  5. Incestual Demoncy
  6. Atavist 
DOWNLOAD


Short bio: black metal/black thrash band from Boston, MA (USA). A Nachzehrer is a type of vampire in German folklore; the name literally translates to "afterwards-devourer" (nach-zehrer). Labels: Demons Gate Records (UK) / Tombs In The Valley Productions (UK). Contacts: facebook / email.

Actually, they're not a political band, but they know about my blog and have played with such bands as Morne, Ramlord and Infernal Stronghold. Their sound might be not very original, but who cares? The quality of production is nearly excellent for such kind of music, the songs are fast and aggressive... what else to wish? Definitely recommended.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Necrohell - "Where Solitude And Coldness Unite" (2011)


NECROHELL "Where Solitude And Coldness Unite"

Year: 2011
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Greece

Track List:
  1. 38 Millimeter
  2. Where Solitude And Coldness Unite
DOWNLOAD


Another Greek band - this time BM, but not RABM... anyway, this release may be interesting for my readers because the 1st track is a cover version of a song "38 Millimeter" by Adiexodo, one of the most prominent Greek anarcho-punk bands from the 80s. According to 7inchcrust, the lyrics are:


"Blood, of innocent thousands I want, to pave the roads
Blood, of innocent thousands I want, to run for revenge
Innocent journalists, innocent cops,
Innocent judicial officers, innocent decent citizens .
Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.
... Blood, the horrid memory of a night on Stournara street
Blood, the last image before the dominion of silence
Executioners journalists, executioners cops,
Executioners judicial officers, executioners decent citizens .
Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.
Not alone was the one who shot
He had other, hidden hangmen
He had with him the virtuous
He had with him the decent
He had with him the noble
He had with him the fair
He had with him the peaceful.
The hangmen are innocent. The hangmen are innocent.
The guilty lie dead. The guilty lie dead.
Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.
Blood, of innocent thousands I want, to pave the roads
Blood, of innocent thousands I want, to run for revenge
Executioners journalists, executioners cops,
Executioners judicial officers, executioners decent citizens .
Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.
Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge"


However, I still have some doubts about this 7'', because it was also posted on some Greek NSBM blog (won't give a link here, but it can easily be found via google)... but let's trust 7inchcrust, he never recommends any wrong stuff!

Pornostroika Dadaifi - "Pornotroika: Erotas Sta Hronia Tis Porneias" (2011)


PORNOSTROIKA DADAIFI "Pornotroika: Erotas Sta Hronia Tis Porneias"

Year: 2011
Genre: Industrial / Cyberpunk / Dadacore
Country: Greece

Track List:
  1. Anodos ton Pithikanthropon
  2. Naraxia
  3. Robocop
  4. Astikos Polemos
  5. Ta robot
  6. Pyrinikos Minotauros
  7. Pyriniko Pornokaytoma
  8. Skylia tou Paulof
  9. Regges Anthrwpoi
  10. Anthropinoi donites
  11. NWO Νo Οrder-GAP
  12. Zambo (cut version)
  13. O nearos kapitalismos
  14. Adiaforia
DOWNLOAD

First of all, let's be clear: it isn't metal or rock music at all, but if you're into dadaism, industrial music or avantgarde art in general, you may find this release interesting. According to the official biography,

"Pornostroika Dadaifi is a cyberpunk group formed in 1999 in Lesvos (Greece), an island located at the North-East part of Aegean Sea, from marginalized individuals that united to have their musical revenge. Pornostroika Dadaifi is a politicized band that does not aim for money or fame but to give clearly messages to the listeners. Pornostroika Dadaifi belongs to ZAM (Zero Artistic Movement). ZAM’s influences are: Futurism, Dadaism, N.S.K.(Laibach’s Art Collective), Bertolt Brecht, W.Burroughs, Soviet Realism and the fantastic-horror cinema... Main purpose of Pornostroika is to destroy the capitalist art. PORNOSTROIKA DADAIFI OFFERS THEIR ALBUMS FOR FREE DOWNLOADING"

"Pornotroika..." is a strange-sounding release from a band with even more strange name (in Russian it means something like "pornographic building site"... don't know what it means in Greek, though) - but I guess that's what dadaism is all about. The music primarily consists of repetitive patterns of electronic sound with voice samples over it. Sadly I can't understand their message (probably very interesting), since I don't know the language. I absolutely can't guarantee that you'll like this album (as it sounds very different from all what I've posted here before, except maybe Struck 9), but if you like cyberpunk and industrial music, then I'll recommend to give it a try.


HCCE Orwell - "Que la Muerte Retroceda" (2011)

HCCE ORWELL "Que la Muerte Retroceda"

Year: 2011
Genre: Death Metal / Blackened Crust
Country: Spain (Catalonia)

DOWNLOAD

The first full-length album by HCCE Orwell ("Hordas Chakaloides Contra la era Orwell"), received directly from the band. The tracklist is pretty much the same as in here, with addition of two new songs: "Lobos" and "Que la Muerte Retroceda". Complete D.I.Y. production, strictly left-libertarian and anti-NSBM.

Tussock - "Devastation Of Nuclear Proliferation" (2011)


TUSSOCK "Devastation Of Nuclear Proliferation"

Year: 2011
Genre: Crustgrind
Country: Malaysia

Track List:
  1. Have You
  2. Macheni, This Is Grindcore
  3. Devastation Of Nuclear Proliferation
  4. This Is What I Thought About Government
  5. Authority
  6. Politician Scum
  7. There Is No Fucking Alient
  8. Definasi Emo Dan Grind
  9. Hash Feelings Hash Extreme
  10. So Effective
  11. Grindlove
  12. Where The Truth
  13. Scenester Hierarchy Fuck Off
  14. We Are Poser
  15. Not The End
DOWNLOAD

It's not really blackened crust, rather grindcore/crust - but it's the first band from Malaysia who has contacted me and asked for a review, so why not to post it here? Looks like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have a big crust/grindcore scene, but the majority of bands from that region are relatively unknown outside South Asia. The only Malaysian crust/political grind bands I know (besides Tussock) are Torture Incident and Mass Separation. BTW, I've heard that black metal is officially banned in Malaysia, but I have no idea if it's actually enforced or not...

Tussock biography:

"TUSSOCK Originally formed by Acad in late 1999 with two other members, Hafiz and Bujal in Muar, Johor. These Muarian crustgrinder later on invited Fadzee/Ganga (VIOLENCE) to joined the band’s. In 2001,TUSSOCK participating a compilations project and with the absent of Bujal ( bass ) due to his commitment to his new job in Shah Alam, Selangor. They vomiting 4 tracks for JOHOR HARDCORE COMPILATIONS ( BROKEN NOISE ).

Line-up 2001. Acad (vocal), Hafiz (drums), Fadzee/Ganga (guitar). TUSSOCK were invited to entering studio in 2002 to record an EP. The EP will be released by GRUNDAR PRODUCTIONS owned by Prop (ARGON/PARKINSON) and Fadzee with Acad decided to recruit new comrade and Sopex (SACR) to fit in. But two week after before the recording begin, Hafiz leave the band without giving any reason. Luckily they found Fauzi (NARSAMUM/DAMOKIS) that willing to help thru the recording process.2003, Out Of Rhyme EP’s was released.

Line-up 2001. Acad (vocal), fauzi(drums), Fadzee/Ganga (guitar), Sopek (guitar)
TUSSOCK journey not so well. After two year the EP’s was released, Acad the last and only former member quitting the band and a year go by TUSSOCK was put to his sleep.

The return..2010 Fadzee/Ganga decided to reformed the band back with help with Bob (NAVRATHOS), Moha (EYES POPPING OUT), Akmal (VIOLENCE). As a result 15 tracks of Sarcastic violence of hate crust grindcore ready to blown your mind !!!

Line-up Fadzee/Ganga (guitar), Akmal (vocal), Moha (guitar),Bob (drums). Influences: CARCASS, ASSUCK, SPAZZ, CHARLES BRONSON, BATHTUB SHITTER, AGATHOCLES, CRIPPLE BASTARDS, DISCORDANCE AXIS, GRIDLINK etc…"


blog

Barren Waste - "Divine Intervention" (2011)


BARREN WASTE "Divine Intervention"

Year: 2011
Genre: Blackened Hardcore/Grind
Country: USA

Track List:
  1. Self Examination
  2. Dominant Hand
  3. Of Flesh And Decay
  4. Bronze Bull
  5. Collection Codes
  6. Last Gasp
DOWNLOAD


This band was suggested to me about 4 months ago, but I had little free time back then, so I forgot to review it... But well, better late than never. Barren Waste are a 4-piece band from Milford, NH, whose sound can be roughly classified as blackened grindcore/hardcore: "Barren Waste came together in late January of 2011 in response to an unimaginative local metal scene. All four members wanted to make something exciting and have so far done just that. Genre conventions were dropped. Instead the songs dictated where the songs would go. Not only are the usual elements of Death, Black, Thrash, Grindcore, and Hardcore used, but they are coupled with noise, classic rock, and free jazz influences..." Their music is also remarkable for a lot of melodic solos.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Sheer Ignorance - "Conditioning" (2011)


SHEER IGNORANCE "Conditioning"

Year: 2011
Genre: Blackened Crust
Country: UK (Scotland)

Track List:
  1. Pay Your Dues to Punk
  2. Social Conditioning
  3. Blood Sludge
  4. Militant Zombie Deathsquad
  5. Mind Control Airwaves
DOWNLOAD

Another loud and uncompromising crust punk/black metal band whose members know about my blog. One of them also plays in a death metal band Nerrus Kor. Their debut EP was released in September 2011, and I'm posting it here along with booklet (containing all the lyrics). You may also purchase it from bandcamp.

Aspera Ad Astra: another band from Germany

From our group on Facebook:

"I'm radical left and vocalist in a black metal band from germany. The band and lyrics are apolitical, but sometimes libertine and got intertextuality with left art like from the Situationist International."


Vidargängr: German punks playing black metal


As far as I know, they're a RABM-friendy band featuring members of such Leipzig-based punk and metal acts as Rattenpisse and Distinct Cult. Their main lyrical themes are disaffection, hate and anti-Christianity. They plan to record a demo this or next month.

Shapeless - "Non-Aretaic Dimensions" (2011)


SHAPELESS "Non-Aretaic Dimensions (of misery and freedom)"

Year: 2011
Genre: Raw Black Metal / Dark Ambient
Country: Australia

Track List:
  1. Boner of the Fallen Satyr
  2. Putres Motuos et Leviathan
  3. An Introverted Journey Through Worthlessness
  4. Non-Aretaic Dimensions
DOWNLOAD

Another demo made by one of my readers. According to him:


"I just finished my solo demo. It's pretty shit, but it combines some elements of DSBM, inspired by the horrid society we live in. There's also a track inspired by Against His-Story, Against Leviathan! and although the lyrics might be a bit vague on exactly what I'm trying to get across, the gist of it is Anarchism and the rejection of modern society...
I'm currently working on another EP. I'd be happy to send it along when it's done. Unlike Non-Aretaic Dimensions, I'll be putting more time into it - though hopefully it will still retain the raw quality"

Well... the 2nd track is good enough for a first home-made demo. Reminds me of L'Acephale and Mania (and maybe also Burzum's "Det Som En Gang Var"). Tracks #1 and #3 are just electronic interludies, nothing really remarkable. The 4th track is also not that bad, but the sound is much more raw and noisy. Overall, the music is as minimalistic as the cover image, but I'm not saying like it's a bad thing. Let's wait for a 2nd demo...

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Forge of Customs - "Zeitgeist" (2011)


FORGE OF CUSTOMS "Zeitgeist"

Year: 2011
Genre: Negative Hardcore/Metal
Country: Russia

Track List:
  1. Break It Down! (Intro)
  2. Endgame
  3. Zeitgeist
  4. Social Package
  5. Simply Fashion
  6. Last Generation
bonus
  1. Black Monday
  2. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum!
DOWNLOAD


As you may have already noticed, I'm interested in metal and other underground music coming from the regions like Middle East. It's relatively easy to speak against Christianity while residing in already secular countries like Norway, but it takes a lot of courage to be critical of Islam in Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Speaking of Forge Of Customs - well, I don't think having one member in their lineup originally from Derbent (south Dagestan) makes them an "oriental metal" band, but it's hard not to notice that their music is heavily inspired by the political events in that region. Forge Of Customs is an anti-NWO, anti-consumerist, anti-religious fundamentalist metallic hardcore band with female vocals based in Moscow, and "Zeitgeist" is their first full-length release. While the music is somewhat repetitive and unoriginal by Western hardcore scene standards (plus I didn't like some clean vocal parts), it's already a promising release for an young Russian band. Leaving aside the black metal scene, we don't have that many political metal bands, and I hope FoS will eventually become one of the leading bands on our scene, along with Slaughter 2017.

The lyrics are overtly political, dealing with such subjects as terrorism, Moscow Metro bombings, consumerism, religious fanaticism and human stupidity. While their position is slightly more socially conservative compared with most other bands on my blog (as far as I understand, they mostly adhere to the sXe ethos), their lyrics are still honest and inspirational, and their music makes me feel real passion and anger. The archive includes 6 album tracks and two more tracks from their early demos, with slighlty different sound. As for me, "Sivis Pacem, Para Bellum" is the best track they've ever recorded, and I have no idea why it wasn't included in the album...

Friday, October 7, 2011

Kalendae - live set (from "Evenings of Forests and Sorrow")

The 3rd event in the series of "Evenings of Forests and Sorrow" will take place in SPb on 19th of October. Line-up:

  1. Kalendae (atmospheric black metal\ post-)
  2. ... и возвел их на гору (ambient)
  3. Gray Bastion (death/doom metal)
  4. Virosa (post-metal)

info

Two tracks from the first live show of Kalendae (not even a demo, just a live recording; the upcoming demo may sound different. I'm putting it here only to give you an idea of what kind of music they're playing):

DOWNLOAD (UPD: the demo is officially out)

And some more photos (credits to Julia Buryakova):


Fregoli Delusion - demo (2011)


FREGOLI DELUSION "demo"

Year: 2011
Genre: Funeral Doom/Black Metal
Country: Lithuania

Track List:
  1. Flight
  2. Epiphanies
  3. Monochrome
  4. Revolve
DOWNLOAD

"The Fregoli delusion is a rare disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise"


Fregoli Delusion is an one-man project from Lithuania,  featuring a member of such bands as Jane Doe Drowned and Vėžys. I'd label his music as funeral doom with some BM overtones, obviously influenced by blackened crust and Cascadian black metal. Reminds me of Mania and The Austrasian Goat (both musically and ideologically).

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Harrow (ex-Wraith) - "Forest Altar" (2011)


HARROW "Forest Altar"

Year: 2011
Genre: Cascadian BM
Country: Canada

Track List:
  1. Balance
  2. Wraith
  3. Watcher
DOWNLOAD

I hope you remember a demo called "Unending Lands" by Wraith, which I've posted here year ago. Now they're a full band and no longer a one man project, and they changed the name to "Harrow," though the band is a continuation of the themes and music from those Wraith demos. Their music is still very decent atmospheric BM, though the vocals aren't quite "black metal"-ish. And some words directly from the band (about their concept):


"Harrow is the struggle for understanding of the self and of the Earth. It is coming to terms with accepting the truth of being human and then learning to live in our world with that knowledge. We exist in a time when two forces are beginning to clash and the outcome will determine the fate of all life. One side seeks harmony and understanding with the Earth and its habitants. The other seeks dominance and gain for itself. “Forest Altar” sets out this opposition as a foundation to build upon. At this point, we walk through an obscuring fog, only seeing small parts of a larger whole. When the fog clears, the truth has been reached"

bandcamp

Shaytankutak - "Жаз" (2011)


ШАЙТАНКУТАК "Жаз"

Year: 2011
Genre: Post-Metal
Country: Kazakhstan

Track List:
  1. Шу
  2. Актобе
  3. Жок
  4. Жаз
  5. Аспан
DOWNLOAD

Shaytankutak (Шайтанкутак) is a duo from northern Kazakhstan which was formed in 2007 as a political/satirical grindcore project. The band name can be literally translated as "Satanic Penis" or "Satanic Dildo". After releasing some noisegrind demos (which, to be honest, are just unlistenable), they finally recorded a "serious" 5-track album, the music on which is relatively far from grindcore. I'd say it's rather post-metal with strong BM and sludge influences, and some acoustic parts. Finally, a really interesting metal release from Kazakhstan! Recommended to everyone who likes progressive metal, post-hardcore and post-black metal. Sadly I can't understand the lyrics, but I guess they're political (at least track #3 is claimed to be about Domodedovo airport bombing).