A blog about music, life, stuff, things, doo-dahs, thingummybobs and bits of useless trivia and no mention of family, god, jesus or any of their other invisible friends.
Strong language is not only used but is bloody well mandatory.
Hello again, hello. Welcome to another post and another new band (for me at least) do rave about.
This post features a band I discovered not on M-A (though they are featured) but on Bandcamp whilst listening to Mare Cognitum (see last post).
Hailing from Stuttgart, Germany the 5 piece band Schattenbrandung are a black/doom metal act that were formed in 2009 and have one release under their belts, the snappy titled I-Apophanie from this year.
Over 6 tracks this band explore a large range of styles and variety within the black/doom metal tag. The songwriting is very strong, the musicianship is very tight and the production is excellent. The standout track for me is 'VII' the sixth track which closes the album. Over the 16 minute finale, Schattenbrandung pull out all the stops and show off their talent as the songs flows from blastbeats, mid tempo bm, slow doom to an acoustic section which melds into an Enslaved-style guitar solo that merges into the sound of a thunder clap and falling rain leaving you wanting to hear the whole damn album again.
teaser for I-Apophanie by Schattenbrandung
Definitely an album and band to check out for fans of Enslaved, Cult of Luna and just plain damn good metal. Buy the album and t-shirt at the link below and support this great band.
"It's been a long time, been a long long wait" as a wise man once sang. I'm back and with 8 lives two spare. Rejoice! Rejoice! So bring out that fatted calf and put up that bunting gay, your bright and bonny plow boy will so be on his way!
Ahem, sorry bout that, just got a little carried away! After receiving some kind words from Alex Wyld from Morgawr about my post on his band, I've been re-invigorated to do more posts! Yay for kind words from a random stranger!
So to recap: I go onto the Metal-Archives website, push the 'random band' button and write about whichever current /active band appears. And as I've finally discovered Bandcamp , I'll be publishing the band's bandcamp page info (if they have one).
So first up in this brave, new, exciting world is Mare Cognitum
A one man black metal band from Santa Ana, California whose sole member is Jacob Buczarski (who plays all instruments) has released 2 albums so far: 2011's ' The Sea Which Has Become Known' and 2012's 'An Extraconscious Lucidity' both are available on his bandcamp page:
The songs are atmospheric, progressive black metal with plenty of variety (and great production) to elevate Mare Cognitum from the usual idea of what one-man-black-metal is.
Of the two albums, I find that 'An Extraconscious Lucidity' has more variety, different tempos and better songwriting than the 2011 debut. That's not to say that 'The Sea Which.....' is a bad album, it's not it's a great BM album and one you should check out; but the playing, songwriting and ideas are just more mature and fully realised on the second album making it (for me) a more satisfying listen and an album I go back to time and again. Which makes me even more excited for the third release from Mr. Buczarski, whenever that appears.
For fans of Krallice, Wolves In The Throne Room, Enslaved.
A Vain Lament from 2011 The Sea Which Has Become Known
Degeneracy Pressure from 2012 An Extraconscious Lucidity
After my hugely successful posting about Human Cometh (seriously check it out!) I've deceided to take a break from the foul Anglo-Saxon language and feature another random band from Metal Archives.
To recap: M-A (aka Encyclopedia Metallum) (metal-archives.com) has made it their mission to compile and collate every heavy metal that has ever existed into one easy-to-use website. They have a 'random band' button that when you press it, it takes you to a random band! And you can see all their information! Record releases! Band members! Where they came from! Whether or not they are still active! Facebook/Myspace/website links!
So I press a button, get taken to a band page and viola! another post for you all to enjoy!
Today's push of the button leads me to a band called Aesir from Cornwall in the UK.
Aesir were an unsigned/independent act who played symphonic folk metal, put out 2 self-released EP's and one split album in 2008 with Sons Of Apollyon ('Alliance' on Wyldstone). Then, after a few line-up and style changes, they began again as Morgawr and began to delve into Cornish and Celtic mythology and fuse it with black, folk, power and progressive metal. The result is an independent release in 2010 called 'Blood Saga'.
The name Morgawr is taken from a mythological sea creature that lives off the coast of Falmouth Bay in Cornwall, the band are a four piece and have had a song featured on Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 3.
After countless Pagan/Folk/Black metal bands from Europe (in particular Scandinavia) it's refreshing to hear a British band pull off this style of music successfully. Alongside Old Corpse Road, the Meads of Asphodel, Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone, Morgawr are one of the few UK bands (that I'm aware of) to sing about their Celtic/Briton heritage and the use of tin whistles and jew's harp in the songs add to the 'folk' feel. The album is well worth seeking out and can be listened to here: http://www.myspace.com/aesiruk
Well hello kinder! Welcome back to another fun-tabulous, splendifferous, fucking brilliant blog post!
Part three takes a slight departure and features one of my favourite bands The Meads of Asphodel, an experimental, black-metal band from the UK which mixes black metal, punk, keyboards, Hawkwind, religion, fake newscasts, rants, the Crusades (both anicent and modern), Monty Python-inspired lunacy and the occasional Zorba The Greek reference into one huge delightful mess of noise. Oh and the odd swear word or 8 thrown in. There last album was a concept piece about the murder of Jesus the Jew and their next album is another concept album telling the Holocaust through the eyes of the Jewish Sonnerkommando [these were the unfortunate workers who removed the corpses from the gas chambers, and after removing teeth/hair and valuables, cremated them].
First up a little christmas music:
1. All Things Bright And Shit (Terrorizer Ear Candy 36)
My first introduction to the Meads was via Terrorizer magazine's free cd on their xmas issue. I listened to it and burst out laughing and haven't stopped since. I find the Meads capable of making me bang my head and laugh out loud at the same time, usually within the same verse! I love this band and have made it my intention to track down and enjoy all their releases.
2. Aborted Stygian Foetus (In The Name Of God, Welcome To Planet Genocide)
Not the whole song but the 8 minute or so speech at the end of the cd (fast forward past the end of ASF until you hear the bells)
This is another reason why I love the Meads. The rants, the use of the gospel choir, the passion in Metatron's voice as he rallies against everything that is dragging this world down into a mire of shite.
When I lived in Edinburgh, I had a radio show on Fresh Air (freshair.org.uk) and was lucky to do one of my shows just before christmas. I started the show with the Meads' "All Things Bright And Shit",played some nasty metal, put this speech towards the end of my show, signed off with "God bless us each and every one of us!" and ended with the Mothers of Invention track 'Weasels Ripped My Flesh' (go check the track out!)
Glorious days indeed!
3.On Graven Images I Glide Beyond the Monstrous Gates of Pandemonium to Face the Baptized Warriors of Yahweh in the Skull Littered Plain of Esdraelon
Now that's what I call a song title!
More or less everything you need to know about why I love the Meads is in this song. The drums, the Arabic sounding instruments, the voices, the cut-ups, the sound effects, the music, the dark humour.
I just wish I had found this album before I did my aforementioned radio show but oh well. :)
