My bud Haider's stoned out Beowulf Review
This was written to me in an email and is presented un-edited
STOP press!!!...fuqing stop mushy, BB and n.sharif fighting amongst each other cuz beowulf 3d is here......and it has truly blown me away....bloody hell...suls if there's one thing u should do before u die its watch beowulf 3d at ur nearest IMAX cinema....
even though its been out since 2 weeks but i just saw it yesterday and it fuqing literally blew me away.....i never knew man had made so much progress in 3d films....fuqing awesome, mind-blowing mate...it literally blows u away.....this is dragon slaying taken to another level mate......god it was good...even though i had stoned my brains out before watching it....i was literally gasping alongwith the rest of the audience at the effects....they really were something....and the monsters....bloody hell i'll have to see again it again today....i still cant believe what i saw yeasterday night ...it has literally blown me away....i wasnt prepared for it
and before u think i'm a big fan of such commercial, high -budget movies please bear in mind that i have worked for odeon cinemas for almost a year now and so far i have only watched 4 movies..thats 4 in a year and yes i am free to watch as many movies at any time as i want and can bring along 4 free guests per month....
this is '300' meets 'conan' meets ancient nordic legends directed by a fuqing genius......my new favourite movie of all times.....and the only and i mean the ONLY movie i have ever watched where the fuqing demon is actually scary...not some fuqing cartoon...but a real violent scary
freak...brilliant...5 stars...the new benchmark....
but then again a lot of my colleagues dont agree with me and say it was only average so maybe i really was stoned silly but still some parts are downright unbelievable and the dragon slaying bit ..mate i wasn't the only one ducking and diving all over the cinema...there was others as well...and some bits were downright embarrasing where i felt i was the only who literally jumped out of his seat at the chilling screams......wow....its left me gasping for breath need i say more...
take ur wife and child out this weekend to ur nearest IMAX....i'm sure sheikh whatever bin whoever owns a fuqing IMAX near u as even India has got fuqing 3 or 4.....and no i havent seen 'chota chetan' which was the first ever bollywood 3d film but i'm sure it didnt have the budget or the expertise that was available to beowulf...magnificent
watch the trailer at:
http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_info/s7/Hatfield/m100008/Beowulf_3D/
and read the reviews...they're hilarious
but be warned...what u see is certainly not what u get in this case....this is a film specifically developed for the imax 3d system and watching it on a normal cinema screen or worse a pc will prompt u to say' "what the hell was he on about?"
so suls forget the fact that its got angelina jolie in it and just fuqing watch it...i guarantee u 110% it will leave u breathless....
man there's something here ...have u ever seen me praise a film so much???....i was even fuqing dreaming in 3d yesterday night and today before the cinema had even opened i was there to watch it again....its such a different experience.....and the scenery and the settings...it was just like a dream.........finally some imaginative cunt has set a story in a land far, far away where slaying monsters (or 'muns-therz' in the old saxon
accent) is the order of the day....and the accent is surely the best bit of the movie.....authentic 5 stars mate
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Burzukh - Industrial City (2004)
Burzukh_Industrial City
2004
Industrial Dream Rock
http://www.zshare.net/download/5147568d4df3c7/
36.21 MB
Recorded : Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, 2004
This is cold and dark and a bit too slick for Burzukh, but neverthless a recommended listen....
A lot of substances (yep, in saudia !!) and alienation went into making this.....enjoy fuckers!!!
2004
Industrial Dream Rock
http://www.zshare.net/download/5147568d4df3c7/
36.21 MB
Recorded : Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, 2004
This is cold and dark and a bit too slick for Burzukh, but neverthless a recommended listen....
A lot of substances (yep, in saudia !!) and alienation went into making this.....enjoy fuckers!!!
Zia gets whacked on INLAND EMPIRE
INLAND EMPIRE
you expect a david lynch film to be strange and wierd, this film gives you strange and wierd in generous proportions. you wont really form an overwhelingly strong love or hate emotion to the film. in the last mail i used the word magnum opus in an off the cuff manner but guess what. it really is. he channels motes from all of his established films here. from the electric wierdness of eraserhead to emotional intensity of blue velvet to disturbingly colorful charachters from wild at heart to red curtained dreamscapes in twin peaks to the depravity and sexual tention of lost highway and slef awareness of mullholland drive. to say the film is self refrential is an understatement. the film in construct is obtuse, labrynthine and in way over the top narcisstic. the film no doubt is an ego trip for lynch but i guess he has earned it over the years. and yet there are just a couple of things that didnt work for me in the film. a sideplot set in poland and in polish, (with polish subtitles, so that doesnt help much) scenes that go on and on just for the sake of going on , meta over artistic high rbow stuff sprinkled here and there, and elements taken from hardboiled soaps. so many irrelevencies that in my boredom i skipped them (yes i shoulkd have more patience) but it stil works. this film has some of the most trippiest sequences i have ever seen and some of the most unsettling and scariest. and boy is laura dern a fine actor. the performance itself blows u away and this isnt a tagline from any other tom dick harry film review. nothing of what i say here is. as an added treat david lynch gives two of his own songs in the soundtrack. and if u have read about the film already there is the rabbit sitcom connection in the film which starts off as an uneasy surreal distraction but builds up to something else yet remaimning a distraction.
i was getting bored of lynch and didnt quiet as much revel in lost highway and mullholland drive as i shud have had but dang he's the mannn. u owe urself to see this film cheekoo and yeh guess who else is on the soundtrack...Beck?! (maybe u saw it coming from odelay)
you expect a david lynch film to be strange and wierd, this film gives you strange and wierd in generous proportions. you wont really form an overwhelingly strong love or hate emotion to the film. in the last mail i used the word magnum opus in an off the cuff manner but guess what. it really is. he channels motes from all of his established films here. from the electric wierdness of eraserhead to emotional intensity of blue velvet to disturbingly colorful charachters from wild at heart to red curtained dreamscapes in twin peaks to the depravity and sexual tention of lost highway and slef awareness of mullholland drive. to say the film is self refrential is an understatement. the film in construct is obtuse, labrynthine and in way over the top narcisstic. the film no doubt is an ego trip for lynch but i guess he has earned it over the years. and yet there are just a couple of things that didnt work for me in the film. a sideplot set in poland and in polish, (with polish subtitles, so that doesnt help much) scenes that go on and on just for the sake of going on , meta over artistic high rbow stuff sprinkled here and there, and elements taken from hardboiled soaps. so many irrelevencies that in my boredom i skipped them (yes i shoulkd have more patience) but it stil works. this film has some of the most trippiest sequences i have ever seen and some of the most unsettling and scariest. and boy is laura dern a fine actor. the performance itself blows u away and this isnt a tagline from any other tom dick harry film review. nothing of what i say here is. as an added treat david lynch gives two of his own songs in the soundtrack. and if u have read about the film already there is the rabbit sitcom connection in the film which starts off as an uneasy surreal distraction but builds up to something else yet remaimning a distraction.
i was getting bored of lynch and didnt quiet as much revel in lost highway and mullholland drive as i shud have had but dang he's the mannn. u owe urself to see this film cheekoo and yeh guess who else is on the soundtrack...Beck?! (maybe u saw it coming from odelay)
Movie Reveiws by my Freind Zia (urf Cheeko)
Zia lambasts KHUDA KEH LIYAY (FOR GOD)
(I DONT AGREE)
Khuda kay liye is a substandard film. Its not really the kind of film that merits critical attention or if that is not important for some ppl dismissing it as an irriation the film simply fails to lodge a place inside of us as should all good films. demonizing american authority (the american imposition) after 9/11 isnt exactly the most original of ideas. as for the honest portryal of pathans, by the same token we have seen plenty of these portrayals on good ol PTV. the brutal interrogation of the shan charachter (aptly named mansoor) is not as much as a liberal and frank and balanced view of interogation methods as it is sensational call for sympathy for the proud eastern hero (a part and parcel of our heroworshipping heritage) Shoib mansoor goes a bit more on than assigning his name to the hero , in his website he refers to the falling out he had with juniad jamshed over the same argument shan and his brother (not named jamshed) had in the film which in turn inspired the film. 9/11 is a topical subject that is hard not to get away from. just that everyone's making a film bout it even someone from bhutan or peru but a pakistani til now is .....not really an occasion to rejoice. other than that the girl from england mainplot/sideplot is soooo derivative, i'm sure it happens but ptv dramas of all kinds have already mined the topic and now we get a cinematic depiction.
where i charachtersitcially flinched at most of the (make it all) songs from the soundtrack, i admit the score was something of a rarity, sparse and atonal. the photopgraphy was impressive as well save for the sepia tinged look reserved for the pakistan portions of the film. the courtroom scene went on and on and on and on and with shah jee (read nasiruddin shah) coming off as the good maulvi to rashd naz's bad maulvi lecturing and lecturing, always a deathnail for any film. though he justified booze to an extenet (or maybe that was my selective interpretation) the characthter made some good points properly refrencing, just feel that particual scene was heavyhanded and at6tempted to justify all the undoings happen ing til that moment throughout the film in one big scene. cinema's way of giving us easy answers.
rashid naz was excelent though giving equal measures of soft spoken charm and unsettling threat so commonly associated with charismatic maulvis. shan managed to put a bit just a bit of proper restraint and that girl was just plain aweful, being sexy helps a little but not much in a "meaningful" film. other good actors were underused, ayub khosa was only given one scene and one expression. wtf
though the film with all its apparent failings has managed to do one thing that no other pakistani film, including jionaah has ever done. it has generated polarized opinions and sparked off a debate. i sure hope this launches way for other pakistani films that womnt be labeled lollypollywood.
and lastly, before i had seen the film, just by reading the synopsis of the film i had already declared the film to be an apologetic excersice on part of pakistan on the 9/11 fiasco. so maybe that was undue but watching the film only strengthened my criticism. the good pakistani boy shan is beaten to the brow and yet he declares his love for usa chalking it through his dingy cell. with all the beatings and abuse and humilaition and the stench of piss it only takes the vile abomination and loathing of swinemeat to make him love usa-ma. last straw some wud say.. puh-leeez
(I DONT AGREE)
Khuda kay liye is a substandard film. Its not really the kind of film that merits critical attention or if that is not important for some ppl dismissing it as an irriation the film simply fails to lodge a place inside of us as should all good films. demonizing american authority (the american imposition) after 9/11 isnt exactly the most original of ideas. as for the honest portryal of pathans, by the same token we have seen plenty of these portrayals on good ol PTV. the brutal interrogation of the shan charachter (aptly named mansoor) is not as much as a liberal and frank and balanced view of interogation methods as it is sensational call for sympathy for the proud eastern hero (a part and parcel of our heroworshipping heritage) Shoib mansoor goes a bit more on than assigning his name to the hero , in his website he refers to the falling out he had with juniad jamshed over the same argument shan and his brother (not named jamshed) had in the film which in turn inspired the film. 9/11 is a topical subject that is hard not to get away from. just that everyone's making a film bout it even someone from bhutan or peru but a pakistani til now is .....not really an occasion to rejoice. other than that the girl from england mainplot/sideplot is soooo derivative, i'm sure it happens but ptv dramas of all kinds have already mined the topic and now we get a cinematic depiction.
where i charachtersitcially flinched at most of the (make it all) songs from the soundtrack, i admit the score was something of a rarity, sparse and atonal. the photopgraphy was impressive as well save for the sepia tinged look reserved for the pakistan portions of the film. the courtroom scene went on and on and on and on and with shah jee (read nasiruddin shah) coming off as the good maulvi to rashd naz's bad maulvi lecturing and lecturing, always a deathnail for any film. though he justified booze to an extenet (or maybe that was my selective interpretation) the characthter made some good points properly refrencing, just feel that particual scene was heavyhanded and at6tempted to justify all the undoings happen ing til that moment throughout the film in one big scene. cinema's way of giving us easy answers.
rashid naz was excelent though giving equal measures of soft spoken charm and unsettling threat so commonly associated with charismatic maulvis. shan managed to put a bit just a bit of proper restraint and that girl was just plain aweful, being sexy helps a little but not much in a "meaningful" film. other good actors were underused, ayub khosa was only given one scene and one expression. wtf
though the film with all its apparent failings has managed to do one thing that no other pakistani film, including jionaah has ever done. it has generated polarized opinions and sparked off a debate. i sure hope this launches way for other pakistani films that womnt be labeled lollypollywood.
and lastly, before i had seen the film, just by reading the synopsis of the film i had already declared the film to be an apologetic excersice on part of pakistan on the 9/11 fiasco. so maybe that was undue but watching the film only strengthened my criticism. the good pakistani boy shan is beaten to the brow and yet he declares his love for usa chalking it through his dingy cell. with all the beatings and abuse and humilaition and the stench of piss it only takes the vile abomination and loathing of swinemeat to make him love usa-ma. last straw some wud say.. puh-leeez
Monday, October 22, 2007
Burzukh mp3
Some nice ass dude has uploaded the old Burzukh at:
http://cointech.net/~theotherside/sound3/Burzukh/
Enjoy !!!
what a sweet guy !!!
Respect!!!
http://cointech.net/~theotherside/sound3/Burzukh/
Enjoy !!!
what a sweet guy !!!
Respect!!!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Cover to Orion
The soon to be classic cover to Burzukh _ OrionJust so you know the whole labum is available for download at:
http://www.zshare.net/download/29189248ea2fd4/
Burzukh _ Orion
Self Released
2007
Awaken Orion
Death By Starlight
Goth Machi
Grover
Lying
Metamorphosis
Monday, October 15, 2007
Death Music
at least six releases (mp3) for free download (we are not worthy) from the genious behind Meads of Asphodel
http://www.deathtomusic.com/releases.htm
Check out the rest of his site too...I tottally agree and endorse his veiws on the fukin record industry !!!
enjoy fuckers!!!
http://www.deathtomusic.com/releases.htm
Check out the rest of his site too...I tottally agree and endorse his veiws on the fukin record industry !!!
enjoy fuckers!!!
Check out the Bastion of Cutting Edge Metal !!!
http://www.avantgarde-metal.com/
a site that yours truly writes for, amongst a horde of wonderfully enlightened metallers, all with a single purpose : to spotlight the advance guard of metal.
check it out !!!!
also check out this great place to dsicover new industrial metal bands :
http://www.industrializedmetal.tk/
ALSO Thy Catafalque ENTIRE album (in mp3 form) for download available at
http://www.shockmagazin.hu/english/download/download.htm#t
this shit is genious !!!
support the underground NOW!!!
a site that yours truly writes for, amongst a horde of wonderfully enlightened metallers, all with a single purpose : to spotlight the advance guard of metal.
check it out !!!!
also check out this great place to dsicover new industrial metal bands :
http://www.industrializedmetal.tk/
ALSO Thy Catafalque ENTIRE album (in mp3 form) for download available at
http://www.shockmagazin.hu/english/download/download.htm#t
this shit is genious !!!
support the underground NOW!!!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Entire UMBAH Dicorgraphy plus interveiw!!!
The complete UMBAH discography is available for free download here
This is some of the sickest industrial death / grind you will ever listen too...seriously it is the shit...............it shows lame bands like Bezerker and Mortician what can really be done with an axe and a drum machine.....This guys riff / lead work ánd songwriting prowness has to be heard to be believed.....
and heres an interveiw with guitarist/ soundscaper extraordinaire Cal Scott (by yours truly) :
Finally here is an interview with the insanity that is Umbah aka Cal Scott. This man is single handedly pushing industrial-cyber extreme metal into new and strange realms with each new release, all without proper distribution. Therefore he remains very much a true underground phenomena, not to mention completely DIY in action and philosophy. So open your ears, eyes and mind to the sound of the beyond.
When did you start mangling the axe (playing guitar)?
I was 15 and picked up a homemade sharkfin.
What were the main forces behind Necrosanct's breakup ?
The rhythm guitarist left then we carried on for a while as a 3 piece but it had lost its momentum so it just wound up.
What was the original idea behind Umbah's inception?
After recording some riff ideas to a mates drum machine I just thought that is a cool thing to do. So I got a 4 track and just started. It was different from being in a band, it was more rewarding. With every new track I discovered I could do something better and different, things that a real band couldn't do. So the idea behind it was to see where that could go.I was and still am very curious to find out.
Inspirations for Umbah?
All the mysteries, complexities and weirdness and insanity of life.
What convinced you to go the DIY route, instead of the standard studio/label contract and distribution shebang?
Never had money for studio time for Umbah so the default route is DIY. Anyway I prefer recording alone when I have a good head on. Of course having a label and distribution would be great, cause more people would listen.
Who is / are the primary influence(s) in your guitar playing?
Originally inspired by the old deathmetal scene, but when started listening to guys like King Crimson and Mahavishnu it opened my eyes to other awesome styles.
Your all time favourite bands and artists?
So many including Cynic, Meshuggah, Suffocation, Gorguts, Ulver, Roni Size and some weird classical shit aswell.
Your current play list favorites?
Monstrosity, Dillinger Escape Plan, Origin, Morbid Angel.
What does Umbah recording rig consist of?
I have been using a Sharkfin guitar, and now have the old bass guitar from Microcosm... cheers Ben. Also a fantastic Digitech GSP2101 guitar preamp. But have been experimenting with some GuitarRig for the last few tracks. I used a Rode NT2 mic for vocals on most Umbah tracks.Always record with AcidPro these days. I used it since V1 now its on V6 so I know it inside out, its got rewire capabilities so now I can run softsynths and drumsoftware inside Acid, a true symbiosis. And the various fx come from either plugins or a rather fine ChaossPad II.
Is playing live ever going to be an option with Umbah?
That would be total dream... can you imagine. If I could find the right drummer and bassist I would love to, but so far not been that lucky.
Where do the gothic overtones in Umbah come from i.e is Bauhaus or Killing Joke responsible for inspiring some of this?
Not sure really cause I never had much gothic in my collection, Tristania are good, and I liked some of The Fields of Nephlim stuff (the cover of Elysium does weird things to my head), and also had a cool Killing joke tape once.
What does the future hold for Umbah?
... a journey into new worlds, imagine what it will sound like in 10 years time, I guess I have to continue or we'll never find out.
Any chance of more conventional distribution, because this sound deserves to be heard by as many as possible?
Err.. Its something I have not really looked into yet, and I do no promotion/distribution so i guess its no surprise Umbah is a complete unknown.
What is the idea behind Microcosm and are their any other projects underway?
Microcosm was a 3 piece group back in the mid nineties, I played guitar and did vocals. It was one of those cool rare vibes, we played with no rules. Did some gigs and after one demo we moved to different places so it finished.Live stuff is always a laugh so I always have side projects with mates, at the moment I play drums in a more psychedelic band and play guitar for a local hardcore band. Also engineer some demos each year for local bands for a bit of fun. What is your view of the current metal scene and the future?
Theres always a lot of bands I keep discovering fresh music and dont see that ever changing.
Last but not least the ever helpful Cal has uploaded the complete Umbah discography of the last 10 years in mp3 format on his website. Run now to the site http://www.umbah.co.uk/ to get the goodies. This is music to disintegrate in hyperspace, and its yours now for FREE.Truly an icon making music for art's sake. Respect.
This is some of the sickest industrial death / grind you will ever listen too...seriously it is the shit...............it shows lame bands like Bezerker and Mortician what can really be done with an axe and a drum machine.....This guys riff / lead work ánd songwriting prowness has to be heard to be believed.....
and heres an interveiw with guitarist/ soundscaper extraordinaire Cal Scott (by yours truly) :
Finally here is an interview with the insanity that is Umbah aka Cal Scott. This man is single handedly pushing industrial-cyber extreme metal into new and strange realms with each new release, all without proper distribution. Therefore he remains very much a true underground phenomena, not to mention completely DIY in action and philosophy. So open your ears, eyes and mind to the sound of the beyond.
When did you start mangling the axe (playing guitar)?
I was 15 and picked up a homemade sharkfin.
What were the main forces behind Necrosanct's breakup ?
The rhythm guitarist left then we carried on for a while as a 3 piece but it had lost its momentum so it just wound up.
What was the original idea behind Umbah's inception?
After recording some riff ideas to a mates drum machine I just thought that is a cool thing to do. So I got a 4 track and just started. It was different from being in a band, it was more rewarding. With every new track I discovered I could do something better and different, things that a real band couldn't do. So the idea behind it was to see where that could go.I was and still am very curious to find out.
Inspirations for Umbah?
All the mysteries, complexities and weirdness and insanity of life.
What convinced you to go the DIY route, instead of the standard studio/label contract and distribution shebang?
Never had money for studio time for Umbah so the default route is DIY. Anyway I prefer recording alone when I have a good head on. Of course having a label and distribution would be great, cause more people would listen.
Who is / are the primary influence(s) in your guitar playing?
Originally inspired by the old deathmetal scene, but when started listening to guys like King Crimson and Mahavishnu it opened my eyes to other awesome styles.
Your all time favourite bands and artists?
So many including Cynic, Meshuggah, Suffocation, Gorguts, Ulver, Roni Size and some weird classical shit aswell.
Your current play list favorites?
Monstrosity, Dillinger Escape Plan, Origin, Morbid Angel.
What does Umbah recording rig consist of?
I have been using a Sharkfin guitar, and now have the old bass guitar from Microcosm... cheers Ben. Also a fantastic Digitech GSP2101 guitar preamp. But have been experimenting with some GuitarRig for the last few tracks. I used a Rode NT2 mic for vocals on most Umbah tracks.Always record with AcidPro these days. I used it since V1 now its on V6 so I know it inside out, its got rewire capabilities so now I can run softsynths and drumsoftware inside Acid, a true symbiosis. And the various fx come from either plugins or a rather fine ChaossPad II.
Is playing live ever going to be an option with Umbah?
That would be total dream... can you imagine. If I could find the right drummer and bassist I would love to, but so far not been that lucky.
Where do the gothic overtones in Umbah come from i.e is Bauhaus or Killing Joke responsible for inspiring some of this?
Not sure really cause I never had much gothic in my collection, Tristania are good, and I liked some of The Fields of Nephlim stuff (the cover of Elysium does weird things to my head), and also had a cool Killing joke tape once.
What does the future hold for Umbah?
... a journey into new worlds, imagine what it will sound like in 10 years time, I guess I have to continue or we'll never find out.
Any chance of more conventional distribution, because this sound deserves to be heard by as many as possible?
Err.. Its something I have not really looked into yet, and I do no promotion/distribution so i guess its no surprise Umbah is a complete unknown.
What is the idea behind Microcosm and are their any other projects underway?
Microcosm was a 3 piece group back in the mid nineties, I played guitar and did vocals. It was one of those cool rare vibes, we played with no rules. Did some gigs and after one demo we moved to different places so it finished.Live stuff is always a laugh so I always have side projects with mates, at the moment I play drums in a more psychedelic band and play guitar for a local hardcore band. Also engineer some demos each year for local bands for a bit of fun. What is your view of the current metal scene and the future?
Theres always a lot of bands I keep discovering fresh music and dont see that ever changing.
Last but not least the ever helpful Cal has uploaded the complete Umbah discography of the last 10 years in mp3 format on his website. Run now to the site http://www.umbah.co.uk/ to get the goodies. This is music to disintegrate in hyperspace, and its yours now for FREE.Truly an icon making music for art's sake. Respect.
Some Reviews
since i started posting reviews on : http://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/index.php
i thought it would be a good idea to have them here as well...
BLACK ALBATROSS The Green Walls
Release: 2007 Label: Self Released
Avantgenre: Post-Drone Narcotic Space Rock
Origin: Pakistan / USA
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/blackalbatross
The first album proper (self released that is) from a meeting of young yet prodigously talented minds, this is indeed as avant garde as they come. Starting with a backward guitar melody that morphs ito the opener "In a Garden", here is some seriously eerie and trippy music. It is essentially Saqib Malik's soundscapes and strange textures married to Howard Eichenblatt's stream of consiousness poetry. From the opener onwards, the agenda gradually unfolds to demonstrate reverb laden guitars and drums, creepy drones, disturbing samples all topped by vocals recalling a teenage Morrison on crack. Reference points touched upon include modern drone masters (Sunno, Boris et al) to indie (old Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground) to experimental black metal (Blut Aus Nord), but without resembling any one band or genre. The production is intentionally lo-fi, keeping clarity of instruments and vocals without sounding immediate at all.Infact, the mixing of the distant reverb laden sound with the odd lyrical and vocal gist makes this the very epitome of narcotic post rock/metal. Thankfully this completely avoids the Grateful Dead-with-Distortion structuring or the chugga-chugga generic chunks of many post-metal luminaries. Instead it delves into the underside of rock (and no I don't mean the sleazy redneck kind either), and comes up all aces. Very occasional touches of a more extreme metallic element (witness "At Dusk We Returned" and "Dark Language") show metalheads swimming somewhere in the murk.This is cosmic music but its the very anti-thesis of what "cosmic" usually means when applied to metal. Instead of rage and pomp this is the moan of a feeble, drugged out and decaying cosmos. Honestly speaking, after the first 6 tracks I lost conventional conciousness and was floating away blissfully on a narcotic cloud. And I have not used any mind-altering substances in a long time.This is to post rock and metal what Radiohead's Kid A was to modern indie pop rock. I am scared of thinking what these guys would do with a bigger budget and a slicker studio.
UMBAH _ 7 Days Of Horror
Release: 1999
Label: Self-Released
Avantgenre: Tech-Industrial Goth Grind Metal
Origin: UK
Official site: http://www.umbah.co.uk/
The second release from the insanity that is Umbah, this is more of the same yet with a difference. There is distinct chunkiness in the riffing, aligning this release closer to the death/thrash camp. Some of the riffs here can cause a disjointed mosh (spastic zombie slam-dance!!!) to descend upon the listener unaware.Another notable difference is the more expansive and free-form lead work which now sounds like an unholy communion of Alan Holdsworth and Azathoth. The drums are also more pounding, resulting in a more aggressive sound (not unlike Ministry doing death metal in some sections, albeit a Ministry in the death-throes/seizures of a ketamine overdose.)The vocals are as sick as ever, but show definite confidence, while still being brilliantly manic (infact in places sounding like Maniac being buggered by Al Jougersen). There is also a slight dramatic edge to some of the vocal utterances (I would kill for a lyric sheet).Once again the album has a cohesive feel, with each song being a complete unique entity without relying at all on the same bag of tricks. A single song can run the gamut from thrash to death to black to industrial to gothic within minutes yet sound natural doing it. And Umbah has brilliant songwriting, vaguely churning within a cyber-grind context yet never catering to the cliches.The best bit here is that it all sounds disturbing and dark, even the ultra-fast spacier instrumental moments,coming across like a spaceship entering a cosmos populated enitrely by the elder ones.Hats off to Cal for continually being ground-breaking with each succesive album and managing to sound unlike any band you can think of. This is another stake through the heart of conventional metal mediocrity.
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD City
Release: 1997
Label: Century Media Records
Avantgenre: Industrial Thrash Power Metal
Origin: Canada / USA
Official site: http://www.strappingyounglad.com/
With this one it's hard to know where to begin. How about "the heaviest finest angriest slab of cyber metal ever”? This record came, conquered and remained on the throne. It pretty much defines what can be accomplished with the proper amalgamation of extreme metal and industrial music (along with Ministry and Red Harvest, of course).Opening with a flooring but short intro in "Velvet Kevorkian” which segues into the face-ripping "All Hail the New Flesh”, the record quickly and explosively establishes its sound and identity. The song that follows up the intensity another notch is the headbanging anthem "Oh My Fucking God”. Thrash (and some Death/Grind) riffage layered with all manners of samples and synths, backed by the rhythm section from hell (how can you go wrong with Gene Hoglan on drums?) races along, all topped off with some of the most original vocals in metal (Devin Townshend is a phenomena unto himself, going from tough guy vocals to screeches and screams to heart wrenching wails and singing, all in the same song and all suitably reverbed).It is a winning mix, especially when the brutality is contrasted by slower, more atmospheric and intensely emotional sections, where the synths, guitars and vocals make a strangely ambient melodic mix creating a wall-of-sound that became Devin’s trademark. Another ace of the band is the lyrical contact, which is angry and direct (to the point of almost being punk/hardcore) and clearly understandable, thanks to the amazing production job (courtesy of Devin himself, with engineering by Daniel of Meshuggah fame).All the songs here are killer, catchy and epic at the same time (something which is very hard to achieve). They flow seamlessly and the sequence makes perfect sense. As Devin has repeatedly stated in interviews, it is his catharsis and it shows. Many of the themes here are developed further on subsequent SYL and DTB releases, but none comes close to the sheer insanity of this record. The Cop Shoot Cop cover is a great choice and brings variety to the record, while still sounding like a SYL tune.All in all, this is one of the top metal releases of all time, and still sounds as refreshing and vibrant today as the day it was released. If you haven’t had the pleasure, pick it up today for a truly cerebral yet vicious metal experience.
i thought it would be a good idea to have them here as well...
BLACK ALBATROSS The Green Walls
Release: 2007 Label: Self Released
Avantgenre: Post-Drone Narcotic Space Rock
Origin: Pakistan / USA
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/blackalbatross
The first album proper (self released that is) from a meeting of young yet prodigously talented minds, this is indeed as avant garde as they come. Starting with a backward guitar melody that morphs ito the opener "In a Garden", here is some seriously eerie and trippy music. It is essentially Saqib Malik's soundscapes and strange textures married to Howard Eichenblatt's stream of consiousness poetry. From the opener onwards, the agenda gradually unfolds to demonstrate reverb laden guitars and drums, creepy drones, disturbing samples all topped by vocals recalling a teenage Morrison on crack. Reference points touched upon include modern drone masters (Sunno, Boris et al) to indie (old Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground) to experimental black metal (Blut Aus Nord), but without resembling any one band or genre. The production is intentionally lo-fi, keeping clarity of instruments and vocals without sounding immediate at all.Infact, the mixing of the distant reverb laden sound with the odd lyrical and vocal gist makes this the very epitome of narcotic post rock/metal. Thankfully this completely avoids the Grateful Dead-with-Distortion structuring or the chugga-chugga generic chunks of many post-metal luminaries. Instead it delves into the underside of rock (and no I don't mean the sleazy redneck kind either), and comes up all aces. Very occasional touches of a more extreme metallic element (witness "At Dusk We Returned" and "Dark Language") show metalheads swimming somewhere in the murk.This is cosmic music but its the very anti-thesis of what "cosmic" usually means when applied to metal. Instead of rage and pomp this is the moan of a feeble, drugged out and decaying cosmos. Honestly speaking, after the first 6 tracks I lost conventional conciousness and was floating away blissfully on a narcotic cloud. And I have not used any mind-altering substances in a long time.This is to post rock and metal what Radiohead's Kid A was to modern indie pop rock. I am scared of thinking what these guys would do with a bigger budget and a slicker studio.
UMBAH _ 7 Days Of Horror
Release: 1999
Label: Self-Released
Avantgenre: Tech-Industrial Goth Grind Metal
Origin: UK
Official site: http://www.umbah.co.uk/
The second release from the insanity that is Umbah, this is more of the same yet with a difference. There is distinct chunkiness in the riffing, aligning this release closer to the death/thrash camp. Some of the riffs here can cause a disjointed mosh (spastic zombie slam-dance!!!) to descend upon the listener unaware.Another notable difference is the more expansive and free-form lead work which now sounds like an unholy communion of Alan Holdsworth and Azathoth. The drums are also more pounding, resulting in a more aggressive sound (not unlike Ministry doing death metal in some sections, albeit a Ministry in the death-throes/seizures of a ketamine overdose.)The vocals are as sick as ever, but show definite confidence, while still being brilliantly manic (infact in places sounding like Maniac being buggered by Al Jougersen). There is also a slight dramatic edge to some of the vocal utterances (I would kill for a lyric sheet).Once again the album has a cohesive feel, with each song being a complete unique entity without relying at all on the same bag of tricks. A single song can run the gamut from thrash to death to black to industrial to gothic within minutes yet sound natural doing it. And Umbah has brilliant songwriting, vaguely churning within a cyber-grind context yet never catering to the cliches.The best bit here is that it all sounds disturbing and dark, even the ultra-fast spacier instrumental moments,coming across like a spaceship entering a cosmos populated enitrely by the elder ones.Hats off to Cal for continually being ground-breaking with each succesive album and managing to sound unlike any band you can think of. This is another stake through the heart of conventional metal mediocrity.
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD City
Release: 1997
Label: Century Media Records
Avantgenre: Industrial Thrash Power Metal
Origin: Canada / USA
Official site: http://www.strappingyounglad.com/
With this one it's hard to know where to begin. How about "the heaviest finest angriest slab of cyber metal ever”? This record came, conquered and remained on the throne. It pretty much defines what can be accomplished with the proper amalgamation of extreme metal and industrial music (along with Ministry and Red Harvest, of course).Opening with a flooring but short intro in "Velvet Kevorkian” which segues into the face-ripping "All Hail the New Flesh”, the record quickly and explosively establishes its sound and identity. The song that follows up the intensity another notch is the headbanging anthem "Oh My Fucking God”. Thrash (and some Death/Grind) riffage layered with all manners of samples and synths, backed by the rhythm section from hell (how can you go wrong with Gene Hoglan on drums?) races along, all topped off with some of the most original vocals in metal (Devin Townshend is a phenomena unto himself, going from tough guy vocals to screeches and screams to heart wrenching wails and singing, all in the same song and all suitably reverbed).It is a winning mix, especially when the brutality is contrasted by slower, more atmospheric and intensely emotional sections, where the synths, guitars and vocals make a strangely ambient melodic mix creating a wall-of-sound that became Devin’s trademark. Another ace of the band is the lyrical contact, which is angry and direct (to the point of almost being punk/hardcore) and clearly understandable, thanks to the amazing production job (courtesy of Devin himself, with engineering by Daniel of Meshuggah fame).All the songs here are killer, catchy and epic at the same time (something which is very hard to achieve). They flow seamlessly and the sequence makes perfect sense. As Devin has repeatedly stated in interviews, it is his catharsis and it shows. Many of the themes here are developed further on subsequent SYL and DTB releases, but none comes close to the sheer insanity of this record. The Cop Shoot Cop cover is a great choice and brings variety to the record, while still sounding like a SYL tune.All in all, this is one of the top metal releases of all time, and still sounds as refreshing and vibrant today as the day it was released. If you haven’t had the pleasure, pick it up today for a truly cerebral yet vicious metal experience.
Kings of Punk
Poison Idea - Feel the Darkness
Sums up nicely everything that was good about 1990's punk...
in other words : dark and heavy as fuck !!!!
enjoy fuckers !!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/?65yhzvyljb6
if you can check out their "record collector are assholes" release too
thanx to http://loresviscera.blogspot.com/ for this post and many many more
Sums up nicely everything that was good about 1990's punk...
in other words : dark and heavy as fuck !!!!
enjoy fuckers !!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/?65yhzvyljb6
if you can check out their "record collector are assholes" release too
thanx to http://loresviscera.blogspot.com/ for this post and many many more
Sunday, August 19, 2007
The First of the True Heavies !!!
This is the heaviest shit releasd in the mid-80's....
Its amazing how a band with such a short life-span can leave such a huge fucking impact....
This release stands proud and loud today......
SIEGE - DROP DEAD
http://www.zshare.net/download/siege-drop-dead-zip.html
8 tracks of crushing hard/crust core / proto-grind with a suitably experimental sludgy album closer (that is way ahead of its time)
Once again thanx to http://deathtofalseblogs.blogspot.com/ for the goods, may you blog long and true
Its amazing how a band with such a short life-span can leave such a huge fucking impact....
This release stands proud and loud today......
SIEGE - DROP DEAD
http://www.zshare.net/download/siege-drop-dead-zip.html
8 tracks of crushing hard/crust core / proto-grind with a suitably experimental sludgy album closer (that is way ahead of its time)
Once again thanx to http://deathtofalseblogs.blogspot.com/ for the goods, may you blog long and true
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Adios Al ! ! !
Here's to the anti - Bush / anit-War metal institution known as Ministry. As most will know they have called it quits...so here's their last album :
Ministry - The Last Sucker (2007)
http://www.divshare.com/download/1300892-739
A monstrous salb of sound, chock-full of thrash guitars, hard beats, killer samples, aggro vox and a commendable agenda.
And to balance the political with the decadent, from the same camp, here's:
The Revolting Cocks - Cocked and Loaded (2006)
http://www.divshare.com/download/334029-f51
Password to both is :
PunchDrunk
Thanx to the wonderful dude Robert at http://outpunched.blogspot.com/ for the posting. Enjoy !!!
Ministry - The Last Sucker (2007)
http://www.divshare.com/download/1300892-739
A monstrous salb of sound, chock-full of thrash guitars, hard beats, killer samples, aggro vox and a commendable agenda.
And to balance the political with the decadent, from the same camp, here's:
The Revolting Cocks - Cocked and Loaded (2006)
http://www.divshare.com/download/334029-f51
Password to both is :
PunchDrunk
Thanx to the wonderful dude Robert at http://outpunched.blogspot.com/ for the posting. Enjoy !!!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
His Hero is Gone 2 LP's
A nice band (RIP) that pretty much sums up what heavy sludge/crust/ core should sound like........... they broke up at the perfect time....releasing 3 crushing LP's and a couple of 7"
Angry, loud, oozing integrity and rage....what else should a metal/hardcore band be :)
here's the second and third LP ...some of the best the underground ever offered:
Monument to Thieves
http://www.zshare.net/download/his-hero-is-gone-monuments-to-thieves-zip.html
The Plot Sickens....Enslavement Redefined
http://www.zshare.net/download/his-hero-is-gone-the-plot-sickens-zip.html
I could rave about these all day...so just listen and learn.
One of these (Monument to theives) was posted online for free download by the band / record label a while ago....
and thanx to folks at http://deathtofalseblogs.blogspot.com/ for this and millions of other great posts
Angry, loud, oozing integrity and rage....what else should a metal/hardcore band be :)
here's the second and third LP ...some of the best the underground ever offered:
Monument to Thieves
http://www.zshare.net/download/his-hero-is-gone-monuments-to-thieves-zip.html
The Plot Sickens....Enslavement Redefined
http://www.zshare.net/download/his-hero-is-gone-the-plot-sickens-zip.html
I could rave about these all day...so just listen and learn.
One of these (Monument to theives) was posted online for free download by the band / record label a while ago....
and thanx to folks at http://deathtofalseblogs.blogspot.com/ for this and millions of other great posts
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Hail and Welcome !!!
Welcome to a blog with a simple aim......
To spread good music and useful information
so I am starting with a post that is close to my heart :
An year in the making, I give to you Burzukh - Orion
A work of much intensity combining extreme metal (death / thrash / black) and gothic / industrial rock into a unique dark and haunting sound.
Best thing is its totally DIY, and 100 % free with NO COMMERCIAL INTENT. The production will pleasantly surprise you, as it captures each instrument and nuance clearly, without once being tainted with an outside producer or commercial studio.
Enjoy and let me know what you think.
http://www.zshare.net/download/29189248ea2fd4/
Rock on !!!
Future posts will include all kinds of funky links uploaded / harvested for you pleasure....
To spread good music and useful information
so I am starting with a post that is close to my heart :
An year in the making, I give to you Burzukh - Orion
A work of much intensity combining extreme metal (death / thrash / black) and gothic / industrial rock into a unique dark and haunting sound.
Best thing is its totally DIY, and 100 % free with NO COMMERCIAL INTENT. The production will pleasantly surprise you, as it captures each instrument and nuance clearly, without once being tainted with an outside producer or commercial studio.
Enjoy and let me know what you think.
http://www.zshare.net/download/29189248ea2fd4/
Rock on !!!
Future posts will include all kinds of funky links uploaded / harvested for you pleasure....
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