2013

Happy new year! And yes, I have no life :3

(Project) Ritual Noise - "Сonfirmation of Diagnosis" [2009]

Artist: (Project) Ritual Noise
Title: Сonfirmation of Diagnosis
Label: Mental Excitement
Genre: IDM
Country: Moldova
Release date: 2009

Track List:

1. Clinical Death
2. Do’t F*ck My Mind Now
3. Rollback Of Life
4. Сonfirmation of Diagnosis
5. Eyes of the dying cat [vocal - Olesya Chursinova]
6. Some words about Easter
7. Do’t F*ck My Mind Now (Railroad Mix)
8. Euthanasia
9. I Can’t Dive
10. Hollyday [vocal - Nataly Jorin]
11. Symphony 4 [kick with an orchestra]
12. Industrial Symphony ( ]crucifactor[ mix)
13. Do't F*ck My Mind ( ]crucifactor[ remix)

(Project) Ritual Noise is an one-man Chisinau-based act, started in 2004. PRN's music can be described as IDM with some elements of power noise, which isn't quite "my" style, but I'll post it anyway, because: 1) it's the only Moldovan industrial/experimental electronic project I know; 2) PRN has done several collaborative works with one of my good friends (Cracked Core).

NB: the spelling "do't" instead of "don't" is intended for a pun.

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Animassacre - "Shi no Sedai" [2008]

Artist: Animassacre
Title: Shi no Sedai
Label: DigiVirus
Genre: EBM, Dark Electro
Country: Bulgaria
Release date: 2008

Track List:

1. Apathy (Candle Nine Remix)
2. Ignore It
3. Mecha Tremors (CAT Remix)
4. Mecha Tremors (Zwelwe Remix)
5. Shi No Sedai
6. User Hostile Interface

Animassacre are probably the only Bulgarian industrial band who are more or less known outside their home country. They're a duo (Simon & Diana) who draw their inspiration mainly from the "dark" anime (cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, dystopic/sci-fi, horror/guro etc.) While I'm definitely not a weeaboo, I quite enjoy these kinds of anime too, and I've searched long and hard for a band that sounds similar to 2 Bullet (the only Japanese dark electro project I know). Special kudos to Animassacre for the phrase "I am a freak and you are a freak, we should make a contest who's a bigger fucking geek!" that appeared on their album "Evolve" in the track "[R]evolution". I got no idea if "Evolve" is officially available for free download or not, but "Shi no Sedai" definitely is:

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Waves Under Water - "Red Red Star" [2010]

Artist: Waves Under Water

Title: Red Red Star

Genre: Darkwave

Country: Sweden

Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Red Red Star
2. Danslokal

Waves Under Water are a darkwave/electro band from Stockholm, currently consisting of Angelica (vocals, synth, cello), Johan (synth, guitar, backing vocals) and Ursula (live synth). Here's my favourite release of theirs, "Red Red Star" (2010 single). Angelica's voice may seem to "cold" and "robotic" to some, but I think it matches the music perfectly well. Overall it's the kind of darkwave I like the best, and I hope to see them live one day (they already have performed in Moscow in 2010, but I didn't have the opportunity to come there back then).

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Sand Aura - "Elegy Of The Orient" [2012]

Artist: Sand Aura

Title: Elegy Of The Orient

Genre: Folk Metal, Progressive Rock

Country: Egypt

Release date: 2012

Track List:

1. The Sand Aura (From the Land of Nod)
2. Aljahelia
3. The Orphaned Child I (Pilgrimage for His Name)
4. The Orphaned Child II (Fountain in the Desert)
5. Fountains of Moses
6. Ya Sabbya
7. The Shepherd's Elegy
8. Sidi Abd El-Raheem

Sand Aura are the first Egyptian metal band I came across. While their debut album, "Elegy Of The Orient", isn't quite as good as "Desert Call" by Myrath, the style is similar, and I definitely would recommend it for anyone who's interested in folk metal/rock with oriental themes. By the way, the 5th track ("Fountains of Moses") is one of the most unusual interpretations of Hava Nagila I've ever heard (along with the one by Rootwater). If you wand a download link, try a filestube search and have a good listen, while in the hometown of Sand Aura various political factions are bickering over the project of a new constitution.

Demokhratia ‎- "Bled El Petrole Takoul Lekhra" [2009]

Artist: Demokhratia

Title: Bled El Petrole Takoul Lekhra

Genre: Hardcore

Country: Algeria

Release date: 2009

Track List:

1. Poumpi L'Efuel Ou Enbi3
2. Boudinar
3. El Fahem
4. Lemssid (Usine À Bombes)
5. Ana Enbi3lek Ana Rabak
6. Ana Jeune Algerien
7. Ministere Des Anciens Moujahidine, Ministere Des Actuels Serakine
8. Seb3iyem
9. Sonatrach Etrih Khra
10. BMP (Beghlerized Mass People)
11. Legal Prostitution
12. Nigrou Genocide 2
13. Madrasset L'Ehlak

To be honest it isn't my favourite kind of hardcore, but a band from Algeria playing such kind of music with highly political lyrics definitely deserves some attention. "Bled El Petrole Takoul Lekhra" ("Country Of Petrol And You Eat Shit" or something along these lines) is the first Algerian punk album that was released on vinyl (by France-based Darbouka Records). However, it looks like they aren't the only punks in the Algerian underground - Beghlerass and As We Fuck are from Algeria too:



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Dr.Zeke - "Udda Pälsar" [1979]

Artist: Dr.Zeke

Title: Udda Pälsar

Genre: Punk

Country: Sweden

Release date: 1979

Track List:

1. Jag Ska Aldrig Dö
2. Vild I Skogen

Here's another one of the bands that made me interested in the obscure punk scene of the late 70's, along with Crisis, NY Niggers, and Aryan Disgrace. As far as I know, the first song on this 7'' is considered one of the all time classics of Swedish punk, but I personally prefer the second one, Vild I Skogen - a quite catchy song with energetic female vocals.  Unfortunately, not much is known about the band. Here's all I could find:

"Sissi and Göran (who did the songs on the single) was added after some controversy about the music. Maybe it's time to present what they're called, set that was on the single were: Janne (Drums), Peter (Bass), Sussi (vocals), Torsten (Organ) and last but not least, Göran (Guitar & Vocals). Dr Zeke was formed in February '79 and played out in mid-March at Konstfack in Stockholm, the gig went pretty well. Then it was three girls, but two of them disappeared after a while, they had nothing else to stand in. The single recorded Dr Zeke in October 1979, and both songs are high energetic punkrock and their only output and it's a shame because I think that Dr. Zeke was damn good. The band recorded more songs but nothing happened so they remain missing"

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Deafknife - "VI ER DØDE" [2012]

Artist: Deafknife

Title: VI ER DØDE

Genre: Post-Black Metal

Country: Russia

Release date: 2012

Track List:

1. Kings Don't Reign Forever
2. Catchers Of Forgotten Voices
3. Urfin Joos
4. To The Stars
5. Shape
6. Flock
7. Void
8. The Wall
9. Blood & Ice

Finally, a long-awaited full-length album from this Siberian post-hardcore/black metal band, which turned out to be a total masterpiece - easily the best ex-USSR metal release of 2012. Now I have two favourite Russian metal releases of all times - "Planeshift" by Rakoth, and this one. What's interesting - both Rakoth and Deaknife have their roots in black metal scene, but the final result is relatively far from "true" black metal (in terms of both sound and lyrics/ideology). "VI ER DØDE" LP mostly consists of remastered songs from their early demos, with improved quality of recording. However, I still think the demo version of "Kings Don't Reign Forever" is better:

The "Lovecraftian" atmosphere of their early demos is almost completely gone, and replaced with the rebellious spirit of (post-)punk/hardcore which strangely goes well with the overall depressive mood of the album. The lyrics are great too, I can try to translate some of them into English if you want. Overall, an awesome release, definitely recommened if you like Amesoeurs, An Autumn For Crippled Children, and post-metal/shoegaze in general. I'll certainly buy it on CD at first opportunity, such a band surely deserves to be supported.

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P.S. For those who don't know: Urfin Joos is a character in a very popular series of fantasy novels by Alexander Volkov. The books are loosely based on F.Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" (see here for more info). Urfin Joos is probably the most popular character in the whole series - a charismatic and misanthropic dictator in the earlier books, and a reclusive farmer/amateur astronomer (no longer a villain) in the later ones.

Kurgal / Annorkoth - "Through the Woods And Mountains" [2011]

Artist: Kurgal / Annorkoth
Title: Through the Woods And Mountains
Genre: Ambient / Neoclassical
Country: Iraq / Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Kurgal - Sada Emedu
2. Kurgal - Līlīṯu (ki-sikil-lil-la-ke)
3. Kurgal - The Hanging Gardens
4. Kurgal - End
5. Annorkoth - Memories I
6. Annorkoth - Memories II
7. Annorkoth - The Last Day
8. Annorkoth - Grey Skies (piano version)

Two piano-based ambient/neoclassical projects, one from Iraq and another one from Russia. Kurgal is a side project of Lord Erragal, who also has a dark ambient/DSBM side project called Almenakru. Unlike Janaza, whose authenticity is very dubious, Erragal is a legitimate black metal/ambient/neofolk musician from Baghdad, whose primary sources of inspiration are classical music and Mesopotamian (Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian) history and folklore. Annorkoth's side of the split is also good, but not quite as good as Kurgal's.

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Azar - "Damya" [2006]

Artist: Azar

Title: Damya

Genre: Neofolk

Country: Algeria

Release date: 2006

Track List:

1. Ifurkan
2. Unknown cover
3. It-tij
4. Zagder
5. Child & Time
6. Id-dhess
7. Crimson Towers (Dissection cover)

Another dark folk project with a quite exotic place of origin - this time it's Algeria. Azar is listed as a folk/black metal project on most sites, but this particular demo is pure instrumental neofolk. There's one more demo of Azar called "Izorane" which actually does sound like folk/black metal, but I didn't like it as much as this one. The person behind Azar describes his music as "Amazigh/Berber Metal", where "Amazigh peoples" refers to the pre-Arab population of the North Africa (known as "Berbers" in Europe). It's really refreshing to hear some good neofolk based on non-European tradition (leaving aside the Chinese scene), as I'm tired of these "neofolk is fundamentally European genre!"-claims. Yes, it looks like Berbers/Kabyles/Amazighs are traditionalists too, but their ideologies doesn't look as reactionary as those of many European neofolk bands. Their place in the history of North Africa is akin to the place of Celts and Basques in the European history - but Basques and Irish Republicans are known all around the world, while the Berbers aren't...

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Chaos As Shelter & Agnivolok - "Henbane" [2009]

Artist: Agnivolok & Chaos As Shelter
Title: Henbane
Genre: Dark Ambient, Experimental, Neofolk
Country: Israel
Release date: 2009

Track List:

1. Agnivolok - Volka
2. Chaos As Shelter - Alien
3. Agnivolok - The Heart And The Hunter
4. Chaos As Shelter - Purgatory
5. Agnivolok - Belena
6. Chaos As Shelter - The Sacrifice
7. Agnivolok - Black Forest
8. Chaos As Shelter - Silver Lips Of Tomorrow
9. Agnivolok - Volka Volka

This album is a product of collaboration between Vera Shapiro aka Agnivolok (guitar, lyrics, female vocals) and Vadim Gusis aka Chaos As Shelter (arrangements, everything else). If I'm not mistaken, it was recorded in the late 90's, but released only 10 years later. Stylistically it can be described as something in between of dark ambient, experimental/noise and neofolk with lyrics in Russian. While it isn't a music for everyday listening, it's quite good, and remarkable for coming from a region that's not rich with industrial acts. Here you can read an interview with Vadim Gusis, if you're interested (nice to see RIO/zeuhl along with punk and early industrial on his list of influences, BTW).

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Gevolt - "AlefBase" [2011]

 

Artist: Gevolt
Title: AlefBase
Genre: Folk/Industrial Metal, Neue Deutsche Härte
Country: Israel
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Hakdome
2. Trinken A Bisale Vayn
3. Der Rebe Elimelekh
4. Sha Shtil
5. Tum Balalayke
6. Shpil Zhe Mir A Lidele In Yiddish
7. Mayn Rue Plats
8. Zog Nit Keyn Mol
9. A Mol Iz Geven A Mayse
10. Sheyn Vi Di Levone
11. Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn
12. Tshiribim Tshiribom
13. Der Alefbeys

Probably one of the most interesting releases of 2011 - the first album in the history of metal with all the lyrics in Yiddish. Who might have guessed that there'll be a band playing NDH in Israel... however, Yiddish sounds very similar to German, so the choice of genre doesn't look odd. The band exists since 2001 and released their first album (with lyrics in Russian) in 2006. I found "AlefBase" much more interesting than their first one, though. It entirely consists of cover versions of various well-known Yiddish (Klezmer) songs, some of which ("Tum Balalayke", for ex.) sound quite funny in this "Rammstein-esque" arrangement. IMO it's a really original release, and not only because they're singing in Yiddish. Since they're officially giving it out for free on rutracker.org, I think it'd be OK to post it here as well.

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