black clothes - lygophilia.

Black Clothes - Lygophilia

5:30

1. The Great Leap

2. Memories

3. Ocean

sometimes I think that I judge submissions too harshly...scratch that, it's more like I judge everything too harshly. over the years I've seen a lot of works in progress - band demos, scripts, short films, feature films, even fine art - and the overwhelming majority just don't have it.

and that's not because I'm tied to some preconceived notion that good art should be one thing or another - I can find it in my cold, cold heart to love raw and polished, original and derivative works alike. but those things that I love, they need to have something I'm able to cling to, something that cuts deep and forces me to hold onto it.

sometimes I'm able to articulate what that thing is.

but sometimes I'm not.

and this is one of those times.

I don't know what it is about this debut demo from vancouver's (hilariously named) black clothes, but I've listened to lygophilia over and over, trying to pinpoint what makes me come back and I've thus far been unsuccessful. it's not groundbreaking, it's not filled with incredible riffs...but something makes me return to it again and again.

maybe it'll do the same for you, maybe it won't. hell, most of you will probably outright hate it. but it's only five minutes long, so give it a shot.

I don't think that's asking too much.




(pay what you want on bandcamp.)

various artists - feeding its young from its own breast.

Various Artists - Feeding Its Young From Its Own Breast

46:20

86.43 MB

1. Purple Light - Imagine Life Together

 2. Iron Fist Of The Sun - The Despairing Chair

3. Âmes Sanglantes - Through Tempests The Sun Of Freedom Shone To Us

4. Reactive Identity - Live Reaction I

5. Cremation Lily & False Moniker - London Cannot Be Forgiven

6. Menstrual Stench - Crimson Taste

7. Plague Mother - My Hands Are Open

8. Caustic Qualm - Assessed And Undiagnosed

9. Deterge - Robbers Cave

10. RVH - Sleeping Civilisations

finally, the first compilation from zen zsigo's strange rules.

this might not stay up for long, so get it while you can...copies are inexplicably still available, so don't wait - grab one from the link below right now, don't even bother reading the rest of this post. you might recognize a couple artists up there whose work I've shared before, and there are several others whose material I've always wanted to share.

there was also a special edition released that included some extra artwork and a t-shirt...long gone, obviously. sure, strange rules is in the united kingdom, and shipping to the united states isn't cheap...but everything zen releases is absolutely first rate in terms of audio content and physical packaging, so it's more than worth it...but I'm sure most of you already know that.

but those of you who haven't heard of the label or made a purchase are missing out in a serious way. zen's work as cremation lily has produced one of the most consistently excellent discographies in modern power electronics and his curatorial skills (as evidenced by this compilation and his other strange rules releases) are unparalleled.

do your best to support him and his efforts, as well as the efforts of the other fantastic artists collected on this release.




(buy a copy from strange rules.)


(for preview purposes only.)

carved cross / phantom feel.

Carved Cross / Phantom Feel

43:09

70.83 MB

1. Carved Cross - Above, As It Is Below

2. Phantom Feel - Murk

dungeon tapes definitely flew under my radar for entirely too long. they've put out a ton of great releases in only two short years - just examine their discography.

the carved cross side is some of the most raw black metal I've heard in a long time, filled with plenty of riffs and howls buried under layer upon layer of noise, grime, and decay.

unsurprisingly, phantom feel's track is some of the most raw drone I've heard in a long time, with the title being as apt a description as one could conjure. "murk" perfectly describes both the sound and the feel and works perfectly as a counterpoint to the blackened fury of the first side.

both sides compliment each other well, and at roughly twenty minutes each, there's actually a lot of material here. the packaging is also a high point, featuring a grey tape enclosed in a white clamshell case with artwork and an insert.

I don't know how or why copies are still available, so grab one from the link below. but don't wait, supplies are dwindling. and if you do miss out on this one, they've got a ton of other great releases for sale, too.




(buy a copy from dungeon tapes.)


(for preview purposes only.)

culver - house of black flowers.

Culver - House Of Black Flowers

43:48

82.14 MB

1. The Corpse Wore Red

2. Seina

and now for something a little more...soothing?

courtesy of the now-defunct sick head tapes, this is culver's "house of black flowers," a C60 from 2006, shortly after the label first launched.

to describe culver as prolific would be an understatement, with releases dating all the way back to 1996. and I've heard tragically few of these recordings. lee stokoe, the man behind the curtain, has done splits with werewolf jerusalem and george proctor, and has released material through proctor's legion blotan label as pact of ash. oh, and he's also a member of skullflower.

this tape features sick head's signature packaging which, for those of you who don't own one of their releases, is always a treat. handwritten labels in a frightening scrawl adorn both sides of the cassette and lend a genuine personal touch that too many releases lack.

the first side here is filled with long, slow drones that rise and fall, warming and cooling, all at the same time. the second side is my favorite, featuring some truly beautiful acoustic guitar work that slowly falls off into a droning abyss before being resurrected at the conclusion of the track.

seriously, I'm so disappointed that sick head called it quits, but their releases live on via discogs - any noise, drone, or experimental fan will find something to love in their back catalog, and things are surprisingly affordable.

and culver has a new release available via blow the reactors, so grab that while it's still available.




(for preview purposes only.)

street sects - broken windows, sunken ceilings.

Street Sects - Broken Windows, Sunken Ceilings

6:32

1. Gash Addict

2. Disappearing Infamy

3. Public School No. 4

street sects is back with part two of their gentrification series, titled "broken windows, sunken ceilings." it's more of the same, and I mean that as a compliment - the harsh digital rhythms, broken melodies, and abrasive vocals are back in full force on these three short tracks.

leo ashline has stated that these tracks deal with that point when, "fear is no longer a feeling but rather a physical presence. A sick and obsessive presence, one that follows you around tirelessly, breathing down your neck in broad daylight and looming over you while you sleep..."

you know what? that couldn't be more apt.

"gash addict" starts off with real menace before a ravenous beat kicks in. "disappearing infamy" begins as probably the most subdued street sects track yet, but soon juxtaposes that with more brutal sections. all three tracks do a great job at showing off just how multifaceted the street sects sound is - I just wish there was more of it.

I'm really looking forward to listening to all of the gentrification releases as a full-length album but until then, listening to these first two on repeat will have to suffice. and like the first release, this is definitely one that slowly reveals its intricacies with repeated listens. 

as I mentioned in my write-up of part one, any youth code fans will find a lot to like here, although the sound that ashline and cohort shaun ringsmuth have created definitely stands on its' own two feet, no doubt about it. part of what I like and respect so much about street sects' admittedly small output thus far is the commitment to both the musical foreground and the philosophical background. when ashline states that this record is about, "realizing that every day we grow older, the ceiling hangs lower, and the walls of the world contract further," we really see how much insight and depth there is to this project on more than just a musical level.

vinyl is in the works, with some unfortunate delays preventing us from being able to pick it up already...but keep an eye on the bandcamp page and it'll be up for sale soon. do your best to support these guys so they (and we) can continue this journey into decrepit, violent darkness.

(like street sects on facebook.)

(pay what you want for a digital version. vinyl coming soon.)