svn okklt compilation.

I know this goes against my self-declared "rule" for this blog, i.e., releases available nowhere else online, but this one is too good to pass up.

this long-awaited double cassette compilation, curated by svn okklt and released by fallen empire, is finally available to all. if either of those names are familiar (and they certainly should be), then you know what to expect - the most forward-thinking, savage, chaotic and epic black metal available today.

after spending the weekend listening to the stream on invisible oranges (which, might I add, is the first time I've ever listened to a stream more than once), a couple early favorites are definitely the final three tracks, by dressed in streams, xothist, and jute gyte.

dressed in streams is a mainstay on colloquial sound recordings, having released their first two cassettes through the label last year. while relatively traditional, the songwriting is epic, emotional, and torturous - all necessary qualities for solid black metal.

xothist, on the other hand, is much less traditional and incorporates more noise and ambience into their sound but the end goal is the same - creating an utterly unique and chaotic world inside the listener's head. see my previous post on the vocivus cassette here for more from this black metal force.

and jute gyte, well, where to begin? with close to two dozen releases over the last couple of years, this man is in a class unto himself. sure, not every release has been strictly black metal, but all are worth your time and money. not only are all of his releases available for free on bandcamp, he also puts together stellar cds in dvd-style cases with large inserts and lyrics for only $9 plus shipping. I highly recommend senescence and young eagle to any and every black metal fan out there. his track on this compilation is just as epic as his previous material. it's traditional without being stale, epic without being ponderous, and melodic without sacrificing it's own sense of identity.

anyway, enough with the talk - this is music that transcends words.

turn down the lights.

put on your best pair of headphones.

fall away from the world and into the void.


(original post via svn okklt.)

(pay what you want via fallen empire.)

(buy the double cassette here.)