Murmur - S/T (Season of Mist, 2014)

Chicago metal band Murmur has returned with an eponymous sophomore effort that is nothing less than brilliant. To be honest, it took me off guard. The diversity of styles is overwhelming, the playing is loose yet polished, and the theme shows a great deal of growth and maturity.

This could be a tricky one for those of you that find the avant garde aesthetic a bit much to handle. The record begins with a wash of ambient free improvisation, launches into a traditional blast beat, then cycles through experimental waves of progressive (yes, King Crimson), 80's, tribal polyrhythms, acoustic, noise, jazz, and post-rock. They even break down a 70's hard rock ballad. Vocals are blackened, occasionally clean melodic harmonies, and some atonal rants, although the bulk of the album is instrumental.

What strikes me is that even though packing all of this into the same recording sounds as if it would be too busy and math rock'ish, it is not. Murmur's delivery still feels casual and uncomplicated. Most notably, this may be the most interesting metal drummer I've heard in years. At times, due to his style, it's easy to forget this is a metal record at all.

I must admit, I've never been much on prog, yet my heightened sensitivity levels came through unscathed.
This feels more like a lush and fantastic voyage through a faraway--Wait... I think the prog elements just drugged me.

Corrupted - El Mundo Frio (HG Fact, 2005)

Corrupted are quite possibly the most patient band in the world. They are the epitome of doom: near infinite intros, slowly plodding downtuned riffs, ambient space, growling vocals, and minimal delivery. Amidst all this, they even somehow succeed in incorporating a harp, proving to be as equally delicate and lush as they are heavy. Many of their albums are single tracks that pass the hour mark, reinforcing the unending bleakness of content.

The veteran Japanese act offers some of the most beautifully dystopian sounds I've ever heard. In keeping with the depressing aesthetic, in its twenty year existence, the band has never given an interview and does not do photos. Although they tour the west, they dismiss general interest in mass appeal. One esoteric factor is the use of Spanish as the choice of language for lyrics. Its a fascinating niche they've carved for themselves, and the abundance of fan posted live footage on youtube shows that it is working very well.

The Crucified - S/T (Ocean, 1991)

So here it is. The truth comes out. I was a christian hardcore kid. There, I said it. Don't get me wrong, I stopped believing just shy of my eighteenth birthday. I discovered existentialism, communism, the occult, science, and many other tasty resources that still matter to me. For the next few years I convinced myself I was agnostic and sixteen years later, hear I am, the curmudgeonly old atheist anarchistic half-assed buddhist asshole music snob you all know and love.

I'll get to the point. Over the past few days, I've been in a thrash crossover rut. Lots of Cro-mags, Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I., Gang Green, Discharge, etc. You know the drill. Anyway, one you may not know is The Crucified, a Fresno band formed in 1984. The had a killer self-titled release in '89 (sweet tape score when I was fourteen), and followed in '91 with "The Pillars of Humanity". I listened to this yesterday for the first time in over twenty years and it still rules. Yes they talk about social topics from a christian perspective. No, you don't like that. But, if you're reading this blog, there is a good chance you listen to some questionable black metal bands and you let that go, don't you? I don't give care about lyrics. I like the music and I hear the voice as just another instrument.

I liked the band so much, their logo was my first tattoo.

We Still Slay.

Beru / Aloonaluna Split - CS (Watery Starve, 2013)

Each year music writers make lists of their favorite albums. This takes a lot of hard work, time and thought. But, the most difficult part is making discoveries from said year after the fact, when its too late. So far, my regret is this one not being on my list.

Lynn Fister's Watery Starve is a great cassette label. Her own project,  Aloonaluna, really does it for me. Check out all of her releases. Both sides are fantastic but side A just took me off guard.

Beru (the name lifted from Luke Skywalker's aunt) describes her music as a Keiji Haino and Vashti Bunyan music baby, which in itself should intrigue you enough. Her side is quite a journey through forms.It begins with lovely soft ambient guitar a la dark shoegaze. This aligns with synth that feels like Gyorgy Ligeti light, lush haunting female vocals, and percussion. The swirling narrative eventually experiences some sort of temporal shift / wormhole that gives way to a ritual rhythm. This beat conjures a terrifying black metal drum machine blastbeat combined with the screams of a tortured banshee.

I'm just overwhelmed by this. Its blowing my mind. Buy the tape!!







BERU-Music Excerpt From The Split Cassette With Aloonaluna from Jessica Nicole Collins on Vimeo.

More about Beru HERE

Oxbow - An Evil Heat (Neurot, 2002)

Let's get one thing clear right off the bat: Eugene Robinson's stage personnae is a manifestation of the devil. This six foot plus, muscle bound titan of a man ( a professional fighter and published author on the subject of fighting) wears only his briefs while jumping around stage singing about the most vile things imaginable. I've always compared him to a lyricist as dark and twisted as Nick Cave but without the confusing and beautiful poetic qualities. Don't get me wrong, there is a definitive poetry to Oxbow and their particular aesthetic, its just not pretty in any way. Think Michael Gira and David Yow both transplanted into the body of a heavyweight UFC champion. Oxbow has also been compared to "a spoiled Birthday Party".

Oxbow makes a bizarre blend of avant garde metal, blues, noise and odd time signatures of melancholy hardcore. Don't assume their just another stoner / sludge band because they release on Neurot. They are completely different from everything else, not just on the label, but anywhere.

The narrative of the album feels like a Faust story set in the crack house of the rising sun. This is unnerving, biting, cynical, depressing and nihilistic music. Unabashed hate, violence and misery is what you'll get here. Nothing else.

Oxbow is one of the greatest and most underrated bands of all time.



Listen to a playlist of the album here:

R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman (1964-2013)

Well, it really saddens me that Jeff Hanneman is dead at 49 years old. The Slayer founding member and guitarist was one of the most important musical figures in my life. He shaped much of my teenage years and wrote one of the greatest metal songs (Angel of Death) off arguably the greatest metal record (Reign in Blood).

Hanneman passed away of liver failure after recovering from a spider bite which left him with  necrotising fasciitis, a flesh eating disease that attacks subcutaneous tissue. And, I must say, that's a pretty fucking metal way to go. Cheers, Jeff.

R.I.P. Clive Burr (1957-2013)

Clive burr was the drummer on the three classic Iron Maiden records. He was one of the earliest memories I have of thinking drums were cool. He died peacefully in his sleep last night and he will be sorely missed.

Thank you, Clive burr...

Ufomammut - Lucifer Songs (Rocket Recordings, 2005)

Psych out with your balls out with this monolithic band. Ufomammut is a long-running experimental metal band hailing from Italy. This is not mellow music. Be ready for the darker trip. Loud, hard, brutal, acid. Dig.

Get it Here

The Accused - Martha Splatterhead's:Maddest Stories Ever Told (Relativity, 1988)

Splatter rockers! Come together and fight to the death. It will be fun, as long as the soundtrack is none other than Washington's own gore thrash elite; The Accused. The album “Martha Splatterheads Maddest Stories Ever Told” is a fierce 39 minutes of gut-terror and metallic shreds of total insanity. The character Martha Splatterhead is some kind of zombie vigilante that destroys all child abusers and molesters alike and has grown to be a mascot of sorts. This 1988 release always finds it's way to my stereo and puts me in a fantastic mood. Maybe it's the range of screeches and wild cat throat cracks of vocalist Blaine Cook or the comic violence with all it's sinister laughter that is placed intermittently throughout the album. The overall theme of the album is horror film based, including movie samples and cute/creepy children singing about how Jesus will save them. Well, when he doesn't, there is always Martha. Rip their heads off!

--Sean Dail

Get It Here

Today is the Day - Temple of the Morning Star (Relapse, 1997)

“Nothing works out. It's a sweet ride mama.”

I put this record on the other night and then it started storming like a mother fucker. No shit. Seriously though, if this record is the equivalent of the devil speaking to me, than I'm down. Sign me the fuck up. The power is flickering right now and I' m ready to meet the dark lord. Transistors are blowing and this has gotta mean something kiddos. Little red dudes with pitchforks are in my future...

Eh... who the fuck am I kidding? I've been listening to “devil” music since the third grade or some shit. Let me tell you something. If all these years listening to music inspired by a fictional character had any effect, wouldn't I have already professed my love to a darker power? Don't get me wrong...love the stuff. But if you seriously fear listening to records such as the above mentioned due to the idea that you may raise an entity or some bullshit, you don't deserve to live in real time. That shit is make believe.

Anyways...

You know what I mean. This record is fucking retarded. It's good. Just listen to it. It's nastier than fuck. Steve Austin is a Satanist from what I understand. I heard that years ago and I've never really gotten a solid answer on that, but I just hope that he is. I mean if he isn't that’s fine. No worries. I've never really been into religious music. But if you listen to this record and feel that he is a Satanist, then you it makes you feel stoked cause it sounds like it was made by someone who worships Satan. I mean there’s a song called “Satan is Alive” on it. You get stoked cause some people believe one thing and some people, another. It's cute no matter what angle you look at it.

--Tony Plichta

Get Some Satan Noise Here

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Zond - s/t (R.I.P. Society, 2010)

Zond was the name of a Soviet space exploration program in the 1960's. Unmanned capsules were rocket-launched for the purpose of investigating nearby planets in our solar system. Unfortunately for the Russians, none of the probes achieved much more than a lunar fly-by.

Half a century later, a band by the same name is taking its listeners on a musical journey light years further into the cold dark vastness of deep space. Zond is an Australian quintet that easily surpasses any other heavy shoegaze band in the universe for originality, substance and style. This is the dark side of shoegaze. Its dark, furious, isolated, claustrophobic and drenched with LSD. Casual listening will call to mind the heaviest psych cuts on the Loveless album; but don't stop there. I don't know if Kevin Shields has heard this but if he has, he must be impressed. Zond is not emulating Shields, as is often the case with shoegaze. The beauty here is that the psychedelic and schizophrenic roller coaster is ordered. This is very controlled chaos. Nothing by accident. Every guitar and synth seems to be moving in different directions and the free jazz-like drums are scattering, like a spacecraft being pulled apart by the earth's heat upon re-entry; but when you awake, it was all a dream, a trick. Everything is fine. You're safe...for the moment.

Get the Launching Sequence Here

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Deicide - Serpents of the Light (Roadrunner, 1997)

I always feel that there should be kale in the steamer while listening to this record. Lots of sesame oil to be had, a dash of balsamic. Then chilled, to be served with a medium rare salmon. Serve around 7pm, weather permitting. Should weather steal the moment, make it inside towards the left corner of the restaurant. There's a large pane of glass, that when it rains, streams downward in an almost marbling fashion. This spot is somewhat cool, and a light overcoat for her is recommended. A bottle of pinot grigio will have you smiling at each other in no time. Then this record comes on...

Its the perfect moment. Your eyes meet, glassy and sensitive. Life's little frustrations leave you and everything is exactly where it needs to be. The alcohol swimming in your mind, fearing you might make a wrong move, you nervously pay the bill and then your song comes on. Confidence swells up inside of you. You are no longer blushing, but sturdy in your movements, and she sees it. You both want each other, and this could be love.

It feels so right, so true.

Meant to be.

You sign the bill. On the way to the car, you can see that by the way she is walking she is trying to turn you on. On the ride home she whispers “I really wish you had some of that music that was playing in the restaurant”. You tell her “Well it just so happens....”. You put your song on. She starts to nibble on your earlobe, and you can feel the hairs on your neck stand up. Electric, your legs tense up, and you step on the gas a little more than you should. She gets nervous, and you grab her inner thigh and tell her everything is going to be ok. You can see that her faith is in you.

Need less to say, your night goes well. The guys at work can tell that something happened good. You are in a far better mood than you usually are. You don’t indulge too much information. Some things are best left to the imagination. This is the best Monday you've ever had. And its all thanks to one little record that made the moment that something special...

Get the Perfect Dinner Score Here

Or:

Tony Plichta is a microwaveable nutrition enthusiast, has a masters in bullshit, his relationship with his moms aint so great these days, he exhales into his bass drum, and thinks that these banana nut bread scented candles are off the chain!

Minus - The Great Northern Whalekill (One Little Indian, 2008)

You will not like this record at all. This town (Asheville, NC) will hate this and everything it stands for. Its over the top in all the wrong ways and you will probably get pissed when you listen to the first 10 seconds of any track on the record. The production is over the top, the guitar solos will make you wince, and the fact that these guys live in a place where they have a month and a half of darkness a year will make you understand why their taste in the music they play is so shitty. And dear god the lyrics suck.

I listen to this record at least once a week.

Get Your Weird Metal Fix Here

Or:


Tony Plichta is a microwaveable nutrition enthusiast, has a masters in bullshit, his relationship with his moms aint so great these days, he exhales into his bass drum, and thinks that these banana nut bread scented candles are off the chain!

U.S. Christmas - Run Thick in the Night (2010, Relapse)

I'm very proud of my hometown heroes for the extraordinary amount of attention they've received for this new album. Growing up worshipping Neurosis makes it incredible for me have friends that ended up on the Neurot label for a while.

There's not much like their sound either. A very original mix of Sludge Metal, Blues and blown out Post-Rock that I half-jokingly refer to as Blood Meridian Metal. Imagine Neurosis and Hawkwind colliding with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis and you'll have a good idea.

Heavy, sad and beautiful, this band offers a narrative that is a voyage into existentialism. Cerebral and emotional yet raw and edgy, USX is onto something great.

Long live Asheville, NC metal.



Get It Here

Or:

Order Gatefold 2 LP from Relapse Here