More Epically Underrated Albums

Some of the best music today is being made by people who will in all likelihood never get their proper recognition for the truly groundbreaking work they've created.  Please buy these albums and support the artists - you know they're broke as hell.

Lo-Ruhamah - The Glory of God
One of the most incredibly innovative albums to come out in the past several years.  Deftly blending shoegaze and post-rock stylings with brutal black/death riffage, this album is simply gorgeous.  The band obviously has Christian tendencies, but their lyrics are very poetic and introspective, as opposed to the obnoxiously preachy shit you usually get with such bands.  The Glory of God is an incredibly mature record that continues to reward the listener upon repeated listens.

Samothrace - Life's Trade

One of the heaviest records ever made.  Four crushing, 10+ minute slabs of monolithic sludgy doom.  Incredibly low (they tune to drop A!), dirty, nasty riffs abound.  These guys could definitely be the next Isis...

September Malevolence - After This Darkness, There's A Next

Awesome post-rock - with the emphasis on rock.  They even have vocals too.  The songs are relatively short for the style, but they pack a lot of punch.

Ataraxie - Anhédonie

Incredible French doom band.  Following in the footsteps of diSEMBOWELMENT, these guys' sound can best be described as funeral doom with occasional bursts of deathy riffage.  Their vocalist is unreal.  The album is five songs - one intro, and four monolithic tracks ranging from thirteen to twenty-four minutes long.  It's not exactly easy listening, but it's well worth it.

Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites

This album is simply incredible.  It's a 2-disc album, the first disc being atmospheric sludge in the vein of Isis, Neurosis, etc, and the second disc being ambient noise.  The two discs are designed to be played at the same time, and the result is mind-boggling.  This album is required listening for everyone.  

Albums To Drive Your Christian Roomate Insane

This post is dedicated to a certain friend of mine, who has an incredibly annoying Christian roomate.  I just wish I could be there to see her reaction to this stuff!  And before you ask, no, it's not ALL black metal... ;)


Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse

 Without a doubt, one of the greatest black metal albums of all time.  The album reeks of wrathful malevolence from start to finish, and is absolutely relentless.

Sunn O))) - Black One

This is one of Sunn O)))'s more accessible records - which means it's only the third most terrifying album I've ever heard.  Seriously disturbing stuff.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity

Jarring to say the least - technical bordering on absurdity.  Anyone whose first reaction to this album is anything other than "WTF IS GOING ON?!?" is inhuman.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Quite possibly the greatest hip-hop album of all time.  And as we all know, hip-hop is the greatest threat Christianity has ever faced.

Katatonia - Dance of December Souls

Mainly on here for the track "Without God," but also because it's a phenomenal album.  It's really too band they don't do stuff like this anymore (not that their new stuff isn't just as good.)

Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice

Deathspell is one of the few modern black metal bands that's actually innovating instead of just copying the Norwegian scene.  This album is one of the best, if not the best BM album to come out after the Norwegian scene imploded.

For more ammunition, get anything by Burzum, Darkthrone, Mayhem, etc.

Blaaargh's Mixtape, Vol. 1

I decided to make a mixtape, because I can.  This first volume is two hours of music, spanning from ambient to doom metal and everything in between.  Enjoy!

Tracklist:
I Shut Doors and Windows - September Malevolence
Salo - The For Carnation
The Everyday World of Bodies - Rodan
Lunar Knots - muhmood & ego ex nihil
Sinister Smoke and Smolder - Bad Actor
Viimeinen Sana - Sotahuuto
By My Own Hand - My Silent Wake
L'ataraxie - Ataraxie
Your Prophetic Throne of Ivory - diSEMBOWELMENT
Cacophony - Samothrace
Rose & Ivory - Lo-Ruhamah
Gallows Hymn - Primordial
Architects - Guard Your Steps
Cut to the Heart - Dagon
Black Light Poster Child - Squirrel Bait
Three Quarters - White Hills
Azimuth - Ego Ex Nihil

download here

5 Albums You Have Absolutely No Excuse Not To Own

For my first blog post, I figured it'd be a good idea to spread the word about some free (legal!) music that's been critically underlooked.  These are all very underground artists that have decided to make their music available for free because they're awesome like that.  Show them some love by buying some of their stuff, but even if you don't feel like buying their stuff, listen to their music.


maudlin of the Well - Part the Second

 motW has never been afraid to push the boundaries.  They've left behind their experimental metal roots with this album to create a work that is truly beyond genre in every sense of the word, and in the process created a stunning piece of music.  Gorgeous, bizarre, wild, epic... these words barely scratch the surface when it comes to this album.

Белые флаги зажигайте медленно - Даже если пролетариат возьмет власть в свои руки, весна все равно достанется нам, а цели войны останутся целями войны

This band (roughly translated as Set the White Flags on Fire Slowly) has created what's sadly becoming a rarity these days - a post-rock album with balls.  Far from the shoegazing minimalist guitar "riffs" created with 20 delay/looper pedals that are all too prevalent in this style, BFZM rocks out harder than any post-whatever band that doesn't tune their guitars to drop G.  Not only can they play with emotion and attitude, they're also playing some incredibly technical music, with janky time signatures galore. Definitely a band to watch.

Pet Slimmers of the Year - ...And The Sky Fell

Another hard-hitting post-[genre] group with a silly name... I'm starting to wonder if these bands are only unknown because their names are just so ridiculous.  The band follows up their solid self-titled EP with a record that blends crushing detuned sludge riffs, ambient soundscapes, and proggy inclinations for an incredible listening experience.  The band's music is distributed through the excellent Lost Children Netlabel, who make all of their releases available for free.  You should absolutely browse their releases, as pretty much all of them are, at the very least, solid records.

Crepusculum - Sing On In Sillhouettes

An amazing acoustic album by a ridiculously talented guitarist named Fred Baty. The arrangements on this album are superb, each track carefully crafted by one of the finest composers out there.  This album is simply perfect. 


Sleepmakeswaves - In Today Already Walks Tomorrow

Another Lost Children release, and as fine a piece of post-_____ as you'll ever find.  Cinematic, sweeping compositions that incorporate chunky metallic riffs, subtle, expertly placed electronics,  and gorgeous guitar tones to create an album that can hold its own against any album you care to compare it to.  If only they weren't from Australia...

[shameless self promotion]BONUS ALBUM!  You can download my band Wintersiege's demo from our Last.fm page.[/shameless self promotion]