the echo motel

Gaiman on Copyright Piracy and the Web

2012-01-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Do I hear 21, 21, 21...

2011-09-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

funeral dust

2011-05-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Primitive lo-fi repetitive black metal with an album cover featuring a goat-headed warrior and a crouching nude. Just the way you like it.

the body

2011-04-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

The Body from James P on Vimeo.

fucking huge

bernstein

2011-04-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

Euphoric conducting of the highest order.

brothers of the sonic cloth

2011-03-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth is the brainchild of Tad Doyle, the musical behemoth behind the legendary Tad. This is muscular, percussion-heavy music with enough drop-tuned riffage to keep you sated in your doom fix. What sets this apart from the usual doom metal releases of late are the moody atmospheric sections which add to the tension. You can buy Brothers of the Sonic Cloth t-shirts (all sold out at the moment though) from Tad's site, but sadly no cds or vinyl. Tad, if you're out there, rectify this!

2009 demos

eli keszler

2011-03-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

eli keszler : cold pin from eli keszler on Vimeo.

well that was quick...

2011-03-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.mediafire.com/?7jqfaq361cb2iwj

sunn o)))

2011-03-06T04:54:00.000-08:00

This is a live recording of the Sunn O))) 'Shoshin' gig from the Primavera Sound festival in Spain (I went to the first Primavera and it was amazing, though I nearly got battered during a rowdy Mudhoney set in a case of drug-fuelled mistaken identity). If you've seen Sunn O))) live, then you'll know that concert recordings don't really do them justice, unless you crank up your stereo to 11, but it's a clear recording and gives a hint of how gut-wabblingly loud they are. Speaking of live Sunn O))) recordings, I don't understand why SL are only releasing 1000, and are restricting how you can get a hold of a copy. Surely just playing into the hands of the buy-to-sell Ebay bastards. Guess I'll only be able to hear it if someone rips it and uploads it somewhere.

Anyway, enjoy the this and the interview with Stephen O'Malley at the end.

sunn o))) at primavera 2009

earth

2011-02-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

stephen o'malley and maja ratkje

2011-02-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

Maja Ratkje and Stephen O'Malley (Sunn O))) live at Bad Bonn Kilbi 2010 from Cédric Perler on Vimeo.

big black

2011-02-06T01:46:00.000-08:00

wow

swans

2011-02-06T01:40:00.000-08:00

michael gira interview

will over matter

2011-01-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Will Over Matter is a side project of Harald Mentor, the man behind the mighty Ride For Revenge. Where Ride For Revenge has it's roots in Black Metal and the sonic fuckery of Gonkulator, Will Over Matter shares the same bed as the likes of Throbbing Gristle and dark, ugly electronic noise. The monotonous vocals intone god-knows-what over tarpit beats and static. If you like things a bit fucked up, you'll feel right at home. Wasteland was released in a metal cd tin in an edition of 44, but you can still pick up some Will Over Matter releases at Bestial Burst.

wasteland

ride for revenge

2011-01-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

I do fucking love this band.

so are we all moving to japan then?

2010-12-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

z'ev

2010-12-14T00:52:00.000-08:00

Good stuff, but will someone give that man a light? His fag's going to be soggy by the time he's finished...

gravitar

2010-12-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a while. Hopefully some of you are still around. I've been getting through a huge backlog of albums that I've been meaning to listen to, and came across this little beauty. I think I might have picked this up from Bleak Bliss. It's pretty free-form, noisy, rhythmic and psychedelic. Good shit indeed...

now the road of knives

swans

2010-10-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

...but really I wish I was going to see these fuckers.

steve reich

2010-10-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was lucky enough to see Colin Currie and co perform Steve Reich's 'Drumming'. It was one of the best live performances I've ever seen...crackling with energy, completely euphoric and totally draining. This video is of a different group performing the same piece. You'll need to set aside an hour and crank up the volume, but it's definately worth your time.

khanate

2010-10-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

One of the best sounding Khanate bootlegs I've heard, recorded during a 2002 UK tour as far as I know. The last song has been listed as German Dental Work, but it's actually Skin Coat.

Khanate 05-06-2002
I know they'll never reform, but I wish I could see this band live. I also wish they would re-release the 'Let Loose The Lambs' dvd, I've found some footage from it on the net but the performances are all cut short at the 8 minute mark (I think this recording of Pieces Of Quiet is from that dvd).

If anyone out there has a copy and fancies ripping it then that would be fucking spiffing.

(By the way the link is working now, not sure what happened...)

suuri shamaani

2010-10-10T01:26:00.000-07:00

Most of the 'dark ambient' albums I've heard have left me cold. They all seem to follow the same path, always sounding like over-long versions of those little moody instrumental pieces on Black Metal albums. I guess this album probably falls under the 'dark ambient' label, but it's a different beast altogether. Suuri Shamaani is the alter-ego of Marko Laiho, formerly of Beherit (here's an interview where he talks about both bands). It's full of sub-bass rumbling and minimal soundscapes. You really need to listen to this with headphones, turned up as loud as your eardrums will allow.

mysteerien maailma

rant

2010-09-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

People get so upset about music downloads, and yet it's ok for fuckers like this to buy super limited edition release and flog them on the internet for ridiculous sums of money

bastard

So if you like SOMA and missed your chance to get a copy from Editions Mego, you'll have to line this shithead's pocket. Track this fuck down and give him a kicking.

diamatregon

2010-09-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

This album was released last year, but I've been playing it a lot lately. There are so many great French bands around at the moment (these guys also play in Aluk Todolo), and this is one of the best Black Metal albums I've heard in a long time...massive riffs and raw-as-fuck production.

crossroad

wormhead

2010-09-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Merzbow. I just don't get it. Never ending releases, all sounding pretty much the same. I've tried to live with a few of his albums, but they all hit the recycle bin eventually. I can cope with his contribution to 'Flight Of The Behemoth', but that's as Much-bow as I can be bothered with. This, on the other hand, is my kind of noise. Lots of low end gutteral rumblings, the errant crackle of electricity, and an underlying feeling of something organic. This Wormhead release starts with a monotonous metronomic pulse, and degenerates into a hypnotic, ever changing wall of noise.

If you like it, you can head to the Wormhead Myspace, where he/she has generously uploaded some sold-out releases.

wormhead

skultroll

2010-09-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

I downloaded this yesterday from the legendary Sickness (still) Abounds blog, and I've been playing it on repeat ever since. Skultroll peddle ultra blown-out psychedelic noise...think Parson Sound playing at maximum volume and you're half way there. Well worth a few of your valuable mouse clicks. Rather than uploading it to mediafire, I'll just give you the link to Sickness (still) Abounds.

skultroll

sinisterite

2010-09-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is on a lot of blogs at the moment, but I thought I'd post it here just in case you've missed it. Very heavy, filthy black metal of the highest order.

sinisterite

shellac

2010-08-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is a live Shellac album, recorded in Tokyo. It's pretty rough'n'ready, but it captures their intensity and that phenomenal rhythm section. I've been listening to Shellac and Rapeman a lot these last few weeks. I can't believe I still haven't seen Shellac live, they seem to play Primavera in Barcelona every year. Well, apart from the year I went.

can you hear me now?

sunn o))) & Boris

2010-08-01T01:27:00.001-07:00

whitesun

2010-07-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's been a while, still trying to get lots of DIY stuff done in the new house, but I have a solid internet connection again at last. This is just a quickie post, but here is some music that I made under the name of 'whitesun'. I'm hoping to have the time to record again very soon, so if you like this then keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for more in the future. I'm not very good at describing my own music, but if you visit here regularly, you'll probably have a pretty good idea of how it sounds. I'm going to complain to Blogger about my recordings being available for free on the internet, and then send myself some kind of legal take down notice, so grab it while you can.

Sorry, it's been a long day

widow empire

This is not goodbye...

2010-06-28T01:16:00.000-07:00

...but the time has come for me to move to the seaside. I don't think I will have an internet connection for at least week, but as soon as I do, The Echo Motel will be back. The first post will be a second compilation, and then hopefully some music I have been making, alone and with friends. This blog is not dead, so don't stray too far.

inland empire

2010-06-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

David Lynch. You either love him or hate him. I fell under the spell at an early age by being sucked into the dark surrealism of Twin Peaks. It meandered and was frustrating and constantly bordered on self-indulgent nonsense, but it was still one of the darkest and most twisted series to ever have been allowed time on mainstream television.

I watched Inland Empire at a friend's house a while ago, and it still sticks in my mind. Nearly 3 hours long, it's not so much a movie as a visualisation of paranoia, confusion and dread. There's something unbelieveably eerie about the film, nightmarish in parts. The first hour bares the closest resemblance to a typical movie...it almost has a narrative; a cursed film script is about to be resurrected and refilmed. A brilliant horror movie premise. However the remainder of the film is anyone's guess. Prostuitutes doing The Locomotion. Polish Gangsters. And that inescapably sinister atmosphere.

The soundtrack is equally fucked up. It's a mixture of classical music, jazz, and dark ambient pieces composed by Lynch himself. I'm not sure how listenable it is taken out of context....if you've never seen the film then the music might just sound like an odd compilation album. Give it a try and see what you think. Also, 'Rabbits' is the best sitcom theme music ever.

inland empire

stephen o'malley

2010-06-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out tons of files the other day and came across this gem. It's an interview with Stephen O'Malley taken from an Iraeli radio station. I can't remember where I got this from, but it's really good. The interview is broken up by music taken from all his different bands and projects. It's amazing to hear Khanate and Burning Witch being played on the airwaves.

The interview is nearly 2 hours long and Soma, speaking on the telephone, sounds relaxed and comfortable talking about his life and music. The stories about Gravetemple and Thorr's Hammer are interesting, and it's obvious the interviewers are thrilled to be speaking to him.

You'll have noticed that the posts on this here Motel have slowed down lately. I'm going to be moving to a new town very soon, and it's been a bit crazy trying to organise all the shit that relocating involves. I'm going to be moving closer to the coast, which is going to be great. Goodbye city. So if things slow down to a crawl here, don't start wandering off...this blog is still very much alive, and as soon as everything has settled, usual service will resume.

Also, I'm going to be contributing reviews to Noise Divides Ion, so pay Nathan a visit when you get the time and who knows, I may see you there.

play your gloom axe

tom and jerry - the mescaline years

2010-06-19T01:41:00.000-07:00

everyone wants a black metal dad

2010-06-15T09:40:00.001-07:00

descent into the void

2010-06-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

This release by Descent Into The Void consists of over an hour of darkness and forboding, like being dropped into a mine shaft but never hitting the bottom. The ocassional melody appears but is quickly clawed back into the ever present dismal drone. Not easy listening, then, but i know you expect nothing less. If you liked the LDRTFS 'D.R.O.N.E.R.E.X.I.A' album, then think of this as a more ambient companion piece. Play the two of them together (this one first) and you have yourself two and a half hours of great big fuck-off bad vibes.

descent

burnt hills

2010-06-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

The sun actually came out today, it was warm, and this was my soundtrack to the first real summer's day we've had this year. Burnt Hills' 'Cloud Nine' is a freeform psychedelic jamboree, full of hypnotic percussion and tangled melodies. Good stuff.

cloud nine

distorted cognitions

2010-05-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

Finally, all the shit that needed to be done has been done and I should hopefully have some time to reconnect with this blog that has been cruelly neglected lately. In the meantime, head across to the website of Distorted Cognitions where you can download 2 albums full of insane industrial, robotic one-man bedroom black metal.

divisions

2010-05-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

I can't remember where i found out about these guys, I think I was just trawling through some blog archives and thought I'd give their album a listen. Divisions have now split-up...it's always a pisser when you find a great band only hear that they've already called it quits. Their Encyclopedia Metallum page describes them as black/death/thrash metal....I'm starting to get a little fed up of genre descriptors, they rarely seem to mean anything of late. One thing's for sure, Divisions play loud and fast, and are/were very fucking angry. Here are 3 of their very limited releases. If anyone has (or can point me in the direction of) a copy of their rehearsal tape release called 'Disasters in the South/Unexploded Ordinance', then you'd make me a very happy man/black/thrash/doom etc...

This post is dedicated to Nathan at Noise Divides Ion, a great blog by someone who clearly loves music as much as I do. Cheers for the email, this one's for you!

divisions

mara

2010-05-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the radio silence of late, I've had shitloads of stuff to do and I have to admit to feeling depressed and defeated at the prospect of a Conservative government. If they get in then there are harsh times ahead for all but the finacially secure, and we'll have to see that fucker Cameron's smug face every day glaring at us from tv's and newspapers. Honestly, the thought of anyone making important decisions for me without my say so makes me angry, especially when it's someone who's going to rip this already torn country into shreds. I'd love to be able to forget about it, but it's like a cheap horror film...you know the guy with the screwdriver is going to kill someone in a horrific way, but you keep watching anyway out of morbid curiosity as to just how bloody it will be. Hopefully someone of influence will see sense...

Anyway, this has been my soundtrack for the last few days. Mara are a very prolific experimental Black Metal band, and have a totally unique sound. I listen to a lot of this kind of thing, and Mara really stand out from the cropse-painted crowd. 'Their' entire back catalogue of demos is available to download for free from the Mara myspace. I suggest starting with 'Inner Ugliness', it's a fucking belter.

fry

2010-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

sepulcrum spei, azwarm, and the 'download' debate

2010-04-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

More and more blogs have been disappearing over the last few months, victims of either apathy or the ever present threat of the 'takedown notice'. I'm not going to spend too long debating the rights and wrongs of downloading music, I'm sure you've heard both sides and have your own opinions. Nothing can survive on a purely taketaketake basis, and musicians need to eat and have a place to live in order to keep producing their art. But I just read a very interesting dissertation (I know, what a fucking exciting life i lead) on the cause and effect of the 'illegal download', which concluded in favour of downloads as a viable marketing tool for up and coming bands, and also for established artists who want to broaden their appeal. 'Home taping' has been allegedly killing music for years now, but my music taste was hugely influenced by mix tapes/borrowing cd's/copying albums, all that sort of shit. Has it stopped me from spending far too much money on cd's, gigs and merch? No. I probably spend more on music now than ever before. The only difference is that I generally buy music straight from artists and labels, cutting out the middle man, whoever he/she may be. Downloading music has stopped me from wasting money on albums that have received rave reviews but are actually lame, and has freed up my sparse funds to be spent on music I will listen to over and over.

Right, rant over. The whole point of that was to post these amazing albums, both of which are available to download courtesy of the musicians that made them. The first album is by Sepulcrum Spei, and is a very uncanny recording. If you've ever seen the Wicker Man, you'll know that most of the tension in that film is created by the folky soundtrack. This isn't exactly the same, but is similair in spirit, quietly haunting, and very very good.

algor

The second album was recorded by Icastico, and released under the name of Azwarm. It's one of the best things I've heard in ages. Think of what William Basinski collaborating with My Bloody Valentine would sound like and you're half way there. The album consists of two very long tracks, full of shimmering accidental melodies and dark drones. Really worth checking out. This album can be downloaded for free, or you can name your price.

a mornings work

pola x

2010-04-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite soundtrack albums, even though I have never seen the film. The music for Pola X was composed and compiled by Scott Walker, and is an amazing mix of movie dialogue, dark classical interludes, world music, and Scott Walker's avant garde, menacing industrial nightmare soundscapes. Smog and Sonic Youth also make an appearance, and the whole thing hangs together beautifully. If you're not familiar with Scott Walker's more recent albums, get this and then go on a hunt for Drift and The Tilt...you'll be taking a step into a dark and fucked up world.

pola x

black metal movie 'soundtrack'

2010-04-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

So I finally got to see 'Until The Light Takes Us', courtesy of The Worried Well. It's a cut above the other Black Metal documentaries that are currently doing the rounds, and it's interesting to hear Varg's take on events. I hope it gets a dvd release soon so I can see it on a bigger screen...my local independent cinema still hasn't shown it for some reason. Anyway, here is a homemade collection of the songs featured in the movie. You'll need both files to unleash the madness.

part 1 part 2

gonkulator

2010-04-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

I can't really remember what I was doing in 1996...I think I was working in a kitchen somewhere, playing in a band, and was blissfully unaware that an American 'black metal' band called Gonkulator were recording and releasing one of the ugliest records in history. 'Satan's Burial Ground' is a glorious mess of dialogue from old horror movies, punk-influenced metal and grinding dirges. The production is heavy on the treble, and the vocals are gutteral animal-like roars. It's punishing.

Gonkulator are an influence on Ride For Revenge (whose album 'Wisdom Of The Few' is still one of my favourites of the last wee while), and vocalist Baron von Gonkulator now plays drums in Bone Ritual who released a great 3 track demo last year (hunt it down, it's well worth it).

Depending on your tolerance for this kind of thing, it could well be the worst 42 minutes of your life. Me, I fucking love it.

satan's burial ground

electric omen

2010-04-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

'Fortress Of Solitude' was released in an edition of 70 by Faunasabbatha...this is how the label described the album...

'Highly atmsopheric drones played solely in the norvegian fjords. Composed in solitude by the fortress under the electric arches and the deepest foggy sky. A subliminal and dark desolation. Funeral'

This pretty much sums it up, and the album cover perfectly suits the mood of the music. The tracks vary between warm rumbles of low end static, electronic and analogue noise, and more melodic pieces. There's even a hint of Hermann Nitsch's staggering 'Harmoniumwerk' (if you've never heard Harmoniumwerk, check it out here at rootblog. It's fucked up, 12 volumes totalling 7 hours of very slow harmonium drones, like Phil Niblock on downers).

This is still one of my favourite Faunasabbatha cd's. Electric Omen is the work of Norwegian sound artist Sindre Bjerga, who also records under his own name, and collaborates like there's no tomorrow (Bjerga/Iverson are also well worth investigating).

fortress of solitude

khanate badges

2010-04-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been designing badges for a few years now, and finally got round to making some featuring the bands that I listen to all the time. After having sold a few I've decided to put them on a blog, so they're available to buy if you want them.The first badge set features Khanate, a band that I listen to more than is healthy. More to come soon...

atelier badges

compilation #1

2010-04-04T03:13:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of you already visit the crew at Veins Dried Out, but for those of you who have yet to make their aquaintance, they are currently running a compilation competition. The prize at stake is (I think) a copy of their soon-to-be-released Silent Shouter On The Hill tape, so get your High Fidelity head on, knock out a comp, and send it to them. I used to make (and receive) compilation tapes all the time, until the world was transformed into 00111000101000's...

So, for those of you who haven't downloaded it already, here is my compilation, entitled 'Satan...It's Milky'.

satan...it's milky

Just under an hour of whizz-bang, lovingly selected from the vaults and carefully compiled for your earholes. If you've enjoyed the posts so far, you're sure to like this. Also, I'm I'm going to make more compilations in the future, so be warned...

Also, you can find the other compilations that have been submitted to Veins Dried Out here, here, here, here, here and here. Don't forget to let them know what you think, they won't bite...

celeste

2010-04-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

'Morte(s) Nee(s)' is the 3rd album by France's Celeste, and it's a fucking masterpiece. The first 4 tracks are brutal and relentless...I'd compare them to 'Queen of The Borrowed Light' from WITTR's 'Diadem of 12 Stars' in terms of intensity. It's not until track 5, called '(s)', that things change pace, and even then the brilliant (mostly) instrumental track is punctuated by what sounds like a woman screaming in anguish.

The last song on the album, 'de sorte que plus jamais un instant ne soit magique', is the standout...half way through this 13 minute epic, a violin appears and plays mournful accompaniment to the guitars; it's everything the last Pelican album should have been.

All three Celeste albums are available from the Denovali Records website. They are free to download, but you can order vinyl and cd copies, buy t-shirts, or make a donation towards the costs of producing the albums.

morte(s) nee(s)

queen elephantine

2010-03-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than finding a new band, especially when that band is as good as Queen Elephantine. 'Surya' starts with a sitar drone and ends with a 27 minute epic called 'Bison', an inspired psychedelic dirge of a jam based around a fucking massive bass riff. It's unfair to draw to comparisons to other bands (Queen Elephantine have their own take on 'stoner' and 'doom'), but if Sleep, Om and Bong are in your record collection, then you should definately make some room for these guys. They've just released a live album on Faunasabbatha, but it's limited to 70 copies so you better get yer skates on...

Also, head along to their website, they've been kind enough to upload some ep's, splits and unreleased tracks for you to download and covet.

surya

deafest

2010-03-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Deafest are an American instrumental black metal band, and 'Eroding Peaks' is their latest full-length. If Xasthur produced a Wolves In The Throne Room album, it would probably sound like this. Minus the vocals of course. The album varies between slow depressive passages and fast, epic guitar riffs, and even though I kept wanting screeching vokills to kick in, there's enough going on to keep things interesting. Definately worth a listen. Download the album, and if you like what you hear, go to the Deafest website where the band have generously made their entire back catalogue available for free.

eroding peaks

basillica

2010-03-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

At the start of the month I posted an album by Master Slave, one of the many side projects of Newcastle's finest, Bong. Here's another Bong-related release, again by guitarist Mike Vest, but this time under the name of Basillica. This one was released in an edition of 100 by Blackest Rainbow. 'Kingdom Of Status' contains 3 massive tracks of murky psychedelic ragas, sprawled over an hour....guitars repeat trebly, hypnotic melodies over and over, all the while surrounded by foggy production. This is seriously good, one of those cd's that gets better with each listen. Proof that Bong are one of the best bands around at the moment...

Here's an interview with Mike Vest talking about Bong, all his side-projects, and Drunk In Hell .

kingdom of status

wold

2010-03-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

'Imperator' was released in an edition of 300 cassettes by RCP Tapes. It's a compilation of unreleased songs, demos, and some album tracks, so if you've never heard Wold before, this is as good a place to start as any. The 16 tracks vary from raw, fierce lo-fi black metal (think Ildjarn) to aggressive fucked up black noise. I've been listening to a lot of this kind of stuff lately, just perfect for the first days of Spring.

If you like this kind of thing, you should head over to The Funeral Stench...lots of sold out cassette only releases.

imperator

the stars

2010-03-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Stars were a psychedelic rock band from Japan, who released two albums ('Perfect Place to Hideaway', 'Will') and one ep ('Today') before splitting up in 2009. I don't really know that much about them, other than some members used to be in a band called White Heaven (whose album 'Out' is also worth checking out), and guitarist Michio Kurihara also played with Ghost and collaborated with Boris.

'Perfect Place to Hideaway' was released by Pedal Records, and is full of locked-down psychedelic grooves and head-fuck explosions of guitar abuse. By the time the mellow gold of final track 'The World I left Behind' ends, you'll be skipping back to track one and getting sucked in all over again.

perect place to hideaway

caspar brötzmann massaker

2010-03-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

'Der Abend der Schwarzen Folklore' starts with a metronomic click, counting down the seconds until the guitar kicks in and all hell breaks loose. This is rock as reflected in a distorted carnival mirror...the songs sound improvised and structureless, but they never meander. The whole album revolves around Caspar Brötzmann's massive guitar sound. At the start of the second track, it almost sounds like a Harley Davidson. Seriously, you've not heard anything quite like it; one minute it's a full on assault of incredible volume and feeback, and the next minute it's so quiet you can hear the strings buzzing against the frets.

Caspar Brötzmann Massaker's influence is all over the music of bands like Eagle Twin and Khanate, in both the pounding, tight-as-fuck rhythm section and the super-raw production. Even Brötzmann's vocals (sung in both German and English) remind me of Gentry Densley's on the Ascend album.

'Der Abend der Schwarzen Folklore' impressed Julian Cope enough for him to write this gushing review on Head Hertitage

der abend der schwarzen folklore

drunk in hell pt 2

2010-03-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Michael from Drunk In Hell just sent me a link to their 4-track 'demo' and he's happy for me to share it with you all. So here it is, 4 tracks of brutal, raw skull-fuckery. The first track, 'Hungry For Blood', is a crawling, pounding masterpiece...a 7 minute atonal monotonous guitar riff driven by thundering drums and punctuated by serial killer screams and feedback. Download it, listen to it, and then go to their myspace and let them know how fucking good you think they are.

drunk in hell demo

rst

2010-03-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

RST's 'Warm Planes' is an album of processed guitar-based drones, fuzzy oscillations and minimal low-end throbbing. It's pretty mellow and atmospheric, but still has enough going on to keep your attention.

warm planes

drunk in hell

2010-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I just checked out these guys on their Myspace page, and fucking hell they're heavier than a ton of bricks. I got the link from the drummer Michael Gillham, who also played in Goathanger (with R.Y.N's Pete Burn and Dean Glaister) and loads of other different projects . They don't have any cd's available at the moment, but the tracks on the Myspace are fucking brilliant. And check out this video from their first gig in 2008. I'd love to see them live.

Drunk In Hell @ Myspace

ktl

2010-03-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

This was a 2008 tour-only cdr released in an edition of 200 by Peter Rehberg's Editions Mego label. If you've heard the 'official' ktl releases (I-IV) then you'll know what to expect, but 'Ikki' is still essential. The first track starts with Soma's brutal guitar stabs and then morphs into a Charlamagne Palestine-like piano drone, via creepy scraping noises and a wall of noise. It's a shame brilliant stuff like this is so limited.

ikki

malveillance

2010-03-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

Noisy, angry, punk black metal from Canada. Sometimes you just need this sort shit played loud.

insignificance

behemothaur

2010-03-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

This one's pretty fucked up. I've seen this described as 'black metal', but then a lot things are these days. The 3 tracks on this release are harsh, noisy and freeform, always verging on collape. Occasionally they throw you a broken rhythm or a buried riff to hold on to, but otherwise it's a pretty scary ride. One of the more extreme releases from Faunasabbatha.

Necroglacial Enema

master slave

2010-03-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Newcastle's Bong are a prolific lot...as well as releasing their own studio and live recordings, they also have ton of side projects. Master Slave is Bong guitarist Mike Vest and Byrthen's Pete Ryde. 'Death Prayer' is an hour of psychedelic guitar abuse, heavily layered drones, feedback and subterranean chanting. There's a lot of this kind of shit around, but this is a cut above the rest. This was released by Blackest Rainbow in an edition of 50.

death prayer

quttinirpaaq

2010-02-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

Quttinirpaaq is Matt Turner from Austin, Texas. This cd, 'Dragged Through The Streets' was released by Blackest Rainbow in an edition of 50, all with different hand-painted covers. It's a completely schizophrenic affair; the first track is 20 minutes of roaring guitars and slow, punishing drums. The next 3 tracks remind me of Pentastar/Phase 3-era Earth, but with more aggression. But it's the last 2 tracks that stand out, all minimal guitars, pianos and open space. Good shit indeed.

dragged through the streets

the silent shouter on the hill

2010-02-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Zoso))), Claypool, Godhead and Een_king from Veins Dried Out are going to be releasing a tape very soon, under the name of The Silent Shouter On The Hill. To celebrate 20,000 hits on their fucking ace blog (without which there'd be no Echo Motel), they are letting you all download an exclusive track, on the understanding that you will a) listen to it and then b) let them know what you think. Seriously, even if you think it's shit (which it's not), they'd rather hear that than a stoney silence. Download the track here...

Drone

...and leave your comment here....

you know what i think of your track? i think it's....

jute gyte

2010-02-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

Jute Gyte is an American one-man black metal/noise behemoth, with mechanical beats and super blown-out guitars. Honestly, sometimes this sounds like it's all going to fall apart, and if it did, you would never know. Distorted vocals screaming, buzzing riffs, and occasionally fucked up acoustic instrumentals...it's the stuff of nightmares.

old ways

joel rl phelps and the downer trio

2010-02-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

I was digging through some old cd's the other day and came across this. I hadn't listened to it for years, I'd forgotten I even had it, but it took me right back to another time. Joel RL Phelps was a member of a band called Silkworm, and later went on to record 4 solo albums. His band, The Downer Trio, featured Bill Herzog, who has also played with Jesse Sykes, Ascend and Sunn O))). This album, Blackbird, has more in common with Jesse Sykes than the robed-up drone ponies, but don't let that put you off...the first song, 'then slowly turn', is as intense an album opener as you're likely to hear.
I've just spent a bit of time trying to find out what Joel RL Phelps is doing now, and it appears that he's disappeared off the face of the earth. His website now features Japanese writing and a really fucking angry looking cartoon dog. Anyway, here's the album...

blackbird ...and here's an interview with Greg Anderson getting all misty-eyed about Silkworm.

like drone razors through flesh sphere

2010-02-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

This is amazing. One massive, churning riff played over and over for 40 minutes, followed by some disturbing, uneasy atmospherics, and culminating in what sounds like a huge lumbering ship ploughing through a filthy sea of tar and oil and death. The production is murky and claustrophobic. This is the best Like Drone Razors Through Flesh Sphere release, in my opinion. You really need to set aside an hour of your time, turn up the speakers and stick with it. Easy listening this isn't.
This came out on a Spanish label called Behold The Beast, which later became Black Mass Records. I ordered this, knowing it was a 'special edition', but not knowing the details. It arrived with a t-shirt and a sturdy cloth package with the band logo burned into the fabric. The edges of the sack were sewn shut, and when i cut open the stitches i found the cd in a warped and burnt dvd case, a large old key, and a very rusty razorblade. Genius.

d.r.o.n.e.r.e.x.i.a.

macrocosmica

2010-02-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

This was Macrocosmica's third and last album before splitting up in 2005. This one's a bit more eclectic...a bit psychedelic, more quiet-loud dynamics, but still as heavy as a ton of bricks. It's a shame they're gone, they were a fucking brilliant live band.

farewell to earth

mourning forest

2010-02-20T16:23:00.000-08:00

I found this whilst trawling through some black metal blogs and just finished listening to it a couple of times, so i thought I'd post it here. Mourning Forest are from the south of France and tap a similair vein of epic black metal to Wolves In The Throne Room. The album is great apart from the medieval nonsense of the last track. Let me know if you agree. I think 'outro' sounds like Blackmore's Night, and that can only ever be a bad thing in my book.

au cœur de l'ombre

sunn o)))

2010-02-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

Most blogs seem to have a Sunn O))) post at some point, so here's mine. I saw them a couple of months ago in a tiny venue, and it was pretty mindblowing. I've heard louder (the 30 minutes of feedback at the end of My Bloody Valentine's 'You Made Me Realise' was painful, in a good way), but Sunn O)) was more of an 'experience', more abstract than most gigs, and the most intense use of dry-ice i've ever seen. Anyway, here's a collection of rare tracks, some from vinyl only release, some from compilations. You might have them already, but fuck it, it's always good to hear them again.

sub-bass ringing the sides of the valley

ungl'unl'rrlh'chchch

2010-02-18T00:28:00.000-08:00

Ungl'unl'rrlh'chchch was a side project of former Newcastle Doom-heroes Trollmann Av Ildtoppberg, one of whom is now in the mighty Bong. This Lovecraft-inspired album is more abstract than the rest of the Trollman Av Ildtoppberg releases, starting with a monotonous throbbing hum and then veering off into sparse piano, chanting, and full on noise.

ungl'unl'rrlh'chchch

starbird

2010-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

Starbird recorded this album as an aural interpretation of the 1922 documentary 'Nanook Of The North', using percussion, minimal instrumentation, and found sounds. It's haunting and definately would work as a soundtrack to images of ice and snow. I've been looking for other releases by Starbird, but can't seem to find any....does anyone have a link to anything else by them?

nanook of the north

hypothermia

2010-02-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Is that Stephen O'Malley playing the trumpet in the snow? No, it's the artist known as Hypothermia, relaxing as only he knows how. Their new album, 'Skogens-Hjarta' is available to download from their website on a pay-what-you-think-it's-worth-or-don't-pay-anything-and-suffer-from-eternal-guilt basis. But the album is definately worth a few of your pennies. I've seen it described as Black Metal, but I hear more Mogwai in this single 68 minute track. Also reminds me of 'Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde' by Alcest.

skogens-hjarta

coffinworm

2010-02-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is on plenty of blogs at the moment, but i thought i'd post it because i've been listening to it on repeat all night. It's a heavy and grim doom/sludge attack, and has great artwork. The band have made this 3-track e.p. available to download, knowing that maybe some will buy it but definately more will hear it, and surely that's what it's all about. You can pay them your respects here.

great bringer of night

skullfuck

2010-02-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

Here's some fucking horrible death metal from the twisted brain that brought you Ride For Revenge.

the supreme ugliness

rapidshare or mediafire?

2010-02-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

mediafire won

aluk todolo

2010-02-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

fucking brilliant

orn

2010-02-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

The two tracks on this ep are long, relentless and brutal....not a million miles from Moss, Monument of Urns and all that business.

teeth/knowing

monument of urns

2010-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Encyclopedia Metallum calls Monument Of Urns 'funeral doom metal/drone', which kind of sums it up. This is all four of their self-released ep's (Absence, The Ancient Method, Cruelty, The Destroyer Of All), gathered together in one big bundle of low end rumble and screech.

4 ep's

rapidsh-it

2010-02-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Rapidshare seems to have been playing up today, so if you're finding it tough to get to the links on the posts, replace

http://www.rapidshare.com/

with this...

http://195.122.131.250/

it usually works.

the body

2010-02-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

The Body play slow sludgy fudge metal, heavy in a Melvins way. Sounds like the bastard cousin of Eagle Twin. Get this one, it's really good.

s/t

law of the rope

2010-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

weird screechy experimental black metal, released by faunasabbatha.

book of three

dial

2010-02-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

Super blown-out No Wave from ex-Ut member Jacqui Ham.

infraction

eliane radigue

2010-01-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

A Portrait of Eliane Radigue (2009) from Maxime Guitton on Vimeo.

utarm

2010-01-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

Black Metal/Noise from Norway. This Utarm ep is free to download from Radical Matters, but i thought I'd post it here anway cos it's really fucking good.

utarm

walter de maria

2010-01-30T03:22:00.000-08:00

Walter De Maria's Drums and Nature is exactly that: a field recording of the sea that blends into a hypnotic drumbeat, with some chirping crickets thrown in for good measure.

drums and nature

ensemble economique

2010-01-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Ensemble Economique is the solo project of Brian Pyle, one half of Starving Weirdos. This cd was included with the first 100 copies of 'At The Foot Of Endless Roads', released by Digitalis. Weird noises and chanting galore.

no gps

ride for revenge

2010-01-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, this has been all over blog-land like a rash, and it's still available to buy...but it's just too fucking good. You really need this one. It's repetitive and deceptively simple, but it gets under your skin like a tick's egg and before you know it it'll be using your body as an incubator for its fucked-up offspring.

oblivion, your final address

the haxan cloak

2010-01-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

Droning and haunting, this 3 song ep by The Haxan Cloak was released last year by Aurora Borealis in a limited edition of 30. A full album should be out in March, and if the ep is anything to go by, it's going to be a banger.

skull

starving weirdos & darius brotman

2010-01-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

This Starving Weirdos release was a limited tour-only cdr, featuring SW manipulations of Darius Brotman piano pieces. Dissonant keys, sonic experimentation...

Again, sold out but available for stupid money on Discogs, if you have bottomless pockets.

atheists are gods

konx-om-pax

2010-01-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

Konx-Om-Pax's 'Quando Corpus Morietur' was released by a spanish label called 'Behold The Beast', which has now morphed into Blackmass Records. The cd arrived in a hand stitched leather pouch, with animal bones tied to the front. If Ted Bundy had written music for horror films, it may have sounded like this...

leather and bones

fss (flingco sound system)

2010-01-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

'They don't know unless you tell them' is a compilation of 15 exclusive tracks given away for free by the fss label. The sounds range from hypnotic drone/ambient to the twisted black metal of Wrnlrd and Buer. Good shit.

part 1

part 2

fathmount

2010-01-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

Fathmount is Wilson Lee's minimal experimental guitar project. The 4 tracks range from meditative string buzz to full on noise and drone. great reading music.

fathmount

'6-string renderings (one) is still available here

new american folk hero

akron/family

2010-01-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

'Odyssey of the mind' was a limited edition album sold at live shows in 2007. Much noisier and more ragged than their 'official' album releases.

ride the dolphin

hell

2010-01-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

From the legendary woodsmoke label. Brutal.

hell

macrocosmica

2010-01-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

Macrocosmica were a heavy-as-fuck scottish band who pretty much defied classification. 'Art of the black earth' was their second album. They've split up now...listen to this and mourn their passing.

i, the triskaidekaphobe

sorc'henn

2010-01-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

'Silvestrig' by Sorc'henn is nearly 50 minutes of rumbling, haunting drone. Creepy and claustrophobic. There's so much great music coming out of france just now. bof.

silvestrig

keben records