My last post in this year

Happy 2012 year to everyone reading my blog! Hope I'll get some more readers in the next year, so i'd know that my work isn't in vain. As of today, I'm keeping this blog up just to share some rare music and to improve my English skills. I don't really have much time to update it on regular basis, but I still hope it'd be useful to someone. Stay tuned!

My 25th anniversary

From today I'm 25 years old ;) Feel free to greet me!

Cracked Core - "darkyouverymuch" [2011]

Artist: Cracked Core

Title: darkyouverymuch
Genre: Industrial / Ambient / IDM
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. FYF 0.1
2. Reset:Rebirth
3. AMFBB
4. b@ck20ldsk00l
5. Solar Dream
6. New Releases, New Bugs...
7. VX in Middle East [raw]
8. Мгла [Хаос-Модуль - 23 rmx by Cracked Core]

As I've promised month ago, I'm posting the new album from Cracked Core, named "darkyouverymuch". The name was inspired by "Tank You Very Much", one of many working titles for the cult FPS game Wolfenstein 3D. CC continues to compose dark electronic music inspired by both cyberpunk and Middle Eastern-themed music like Muslimgauze and Fedayi Pacha, and "darkyouverymuch" isn't much different from the earlier CC's releases in terms of sound; however, CC himself was disappointed with the quality of final mix, but admitted that he most probably won't be able to do any better re-mastering. I wasn't surprised to hear it, though, as I'm already used to his perfectionism. By the way, a 5-track CC/Brandkommando split album is already recorded and mastered, and is about to be released (maybe this weekend). It's expected to be much more harsh and "noisy" than any solo release by CC.

Download

Virgin Cold - "Phobia" [2010]

Artist: Virgin Cold

Title: Phobia
Genre: Industrial / Electronic
Country: Russia
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Melancholy
2. My Soul That Spring
3. New Religion
4. Phobia
5. Depression
6. Cold World

I don't have much information about this project, except it's from my city. The music is surprisingly good, although much closer to darkwave than to industrial / dark electro. All the tracks are purely instrumental. My personal favourite is "Cold World", but the rest of the album is good as well. Overall, a very promising debut release, definitely deserving a wider audience...

Download

Deafknife - "Pantheon" [2011]

Artist: Deafknife

Title: Pantheon
Genre: Post-Black Metal
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Father Dagon / Mother Hydra
2. Shub-Niggurath
3. Yog-Sothot
4. Beyond The Wall Of Sleep

So, apparently, the members of Deafknife are reading my blog, and they even asked me to check out their first live EP called "Pantheon". Well, I'd say it's definitely better than the demo (although I'm not a big fan of live albums). I especially liked the 2nd track, that's how modern black metal should sound IMO. The lyrics, based on H.P.Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, are in Russian (at least in 2nd track, which has the most clean vocals... not sure about the others).

Download

Come To Get Her - "Life So Changing" [2011]

Artist: Come To Get Her

Title: Life So Changing
Genre: Melodic Rock / Punk
Country: Belarus
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Be My Dream
2. Life So Changing
3. Can't Let You Go
4. Someone Who Is Not Alone
5. 19.12 (This Depends On Me)
6. Waiting For The Sunrise
7. All But You

Melodic "punkish" rock music from my favourite ex-Soviet country... BTW, the cover art is really nice, isn't it?

Download

Cracked Core - "90h[FiLU]" [2011]

Artist: Cracked Core

Title: 90h[FiLU]
Genre: IDM/Ambient/Industrial
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Freedom in Lost Underground [(Project) Ritual Noise Mix]
2. The Restored Signatures
3. Freedom in Lost Underground
4. Summer Technology [feat. Mechanic Fist]
5. Freedom in Lost Underground [Rmx by Kazdalevsky]
6. Split Effect
7. Freedom in Lost Underground [Threshold Mix By Synroc]
8. Infinity Despair [cut edit]
9. Freedom in Lost Underground [airplay mix]
10. Hijack [DNB Rmx by Doctor Doomstep]

This release isn't actually a new album, rather a maxi-single containing mostly remixes of old CC's tracks made in collaboration with several Russian, Moldovan and Azeri electronic projects (including Mechanic Fist), + a couple of new tracks. Despite that, it's probably the best release from Cracked Core up to date, and I'd definitely recommend to try it first, if you aren't familiar with CC's music. BTW, CC's new album called "darkyouverymuch" is already finished and about to be released. Of course I'll review it here too ;)

Download

Uzbeks - "Goggles and Flipflops" [2010]

Artist: Uzbeks

Title: Goggles and Flipflops
Genre: Punk
Country: Israel
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Electro Man & Highschool
2. El Vampiro
3. Apocalypse
4. Scapegoat
5. Skin And Bones
6. Alice DIY
7. Satanic Bible
8. Sodom And Gomorrah
9. Wolf Attack
10. Mossad
11. Two Rats
12. Get A Gun
13. The Truth Within
14. Pills

Despite the name, this band is from Israel, and they're playing very energetic punk rock with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Definitely recommended to any fan of good classic punk.

Download

SMZB - "Wuhanpunk" [2001]

Artist: SMZB
Title: Wuhanpunk
Genre: Punk
Country: China
Release date: 2001

Track List:

1. Chinese Musik
2. Save Indite Association
3. Pornographic War
4. Gamecock
   

SMZB are the first well-known Chinese punk band, and definitely one of the best (however, there aren't that many punk bands in China at all... good or bad). As you know, I'm not a big fan of "classic" punk, but i really liked this EP.

Download

The Doltish - "Pogo Has Started" [2010]

Artist: The Doltish
Title: Pogo Has Started
Genre: Punk/Oi!
Country: Nepal
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Pogo Has Started
2. Yestai Cha Paapi Samaj
3. Kasailai Ni Maan Parena
4. If The Kids Are United (Sham 69 Cover)
5. Fuck Politicians

It appears like the Nepalese punk scene isn't limited only to Tank Girl and Rai Ko Ris. Maybe this EP is average by Western standards, but it's good to see that the Nepalese punks are trying their best. The politics of nowadays Nepal are quite interesting, and I expect a lot of good political bands to come from there.

Download

Stra-TG - "Kau Mutiara Segalanya" [1992]

Artist: Stra-TG
Title: Kau Mutiara Segalanya
Genre: Melodic Rock
Country: Malaysia
Release date: 1992

Track List:

1. Kau Mutiara Segalanya
2. Anak Malaya
   
3. Semua Rasa
   
4. Rentak Mat Metal
5. Berilusi

Before hearing this release, I had no idea of how good Malaysian rock can be. Excellent melodies, catchy refrains, nice vocals (although someone may dislike such high-pitched male voice), good quality of recording... what else to wish? Unfortunately it's the short version of the album, with only 5 tracks. The full version contains 11 tracks, but I was unable to find it anywhere.

Download

Kembang Kuburan / Past the Line / Ice Queen - "Dream Inside" [2009]

Artist: Kembang Kuburan / Past the Line / Ice Queen
Title: Dream Inside
Genre: Gothic Rock / Symphonic Metal
Country: Indonesia
Release date: 2009

Track List:

1. Kembang Kuburan - Sesal Tiada Arti
2. Past the Line - Tepian Mimpi
3. Ice Queen - Impian Hampa
4. Kembang Kuburan - Keindahan Semu
5. Past the Line - Detik Terakhir
6. Ice Queen - Hati Sunyi
7. Kembang Kuburan - Merindukan Gelap
8. Past the Line - Kenapa Terpilih
9. Ice Queen - Hitamnya Mimpiku

Another "exotic" release - this time from Indonesia, featuring only female-fronted metal bands. Yes, the quality of production is (understandably) far from perfect, but I liked this release better than any album from nightwish, for example. The best band on this split, I think, are Kembang Kuburan (which means something like "Grave Flowers"... am I right?)

Download

Nightmare / Nyi Nyi Htwe / Devils In The Dark - split [2007]

Artist: Devils In The Dark / Nightmare / Nyi Nyi Htwe
Title: 3-way split
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Myanmar
Release date: 2007

Track List:

1. Devils in the Dark - Kyar Nay Ya
2. Devils in the Dark - Mae Lite San
3. Devils in the Dark - Sote Pyat That Thwar
4. Nightmare - A Mhaung Yae Taphat Chan
5. Nightmare - Fight
6. Nightmare - Lawka Apyin Min Pyay Htwat Mae Nay
7. Nyi Nyi Htwe - A Ywae Thone Par
8. Nyi Nyi Htwe - Danger 13
9. Nyi Nyi Htwe - Kya Naw Hnit Main Ma

It's the first time I hear about Burmese metal... of course the quality of production is Tasnim-like, but it was expected. According to the "Not For Sale" mark on the cover, this release is distibuted freely.

Download

Crane's Dreams - "August Fogs" [2011]

Artist: Crane's Dreams
Title: August Fogs
Genre: Dark Ambient
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Clouds
2. Time
3. Letters In August
4. Disturbing Dream
5. The Distant Sky
6. In Waves
7. Open Spaces
8. Back To The Distant Sky

I don't know much about this project, but it's really good - nature-inspired ambient made in the way how it should be. This album fits my current mood very well, and if I'll decide to make ambient music by myself, I'll choose very similar kind of sound and atmosphere.

Download

Lostime - "Demo II" [2011]

Artist: Lostime
Title: Demo II
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: China
Release date: 2011

One more Asian post-black metal project, which has released two demos so far. I haven't listened to the first demo, but this one is quite good (yet very short - consisting of only one untitled track).

Download

Al-Kamar - "Abstract Spread" [2011]

Artist: Al-Kamar
Title: Abstract Spread
Genre: Post-Black Metal / Depressive Rock
Country: Japan
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Float World
2. Black End (Miku Hatsune - Clean Vocal)
3. Pessimism
4. Vanity Moon
5. Nothingless (x2)
6. Hypocrisy Luna
7. Hollow Revenge

I became interested in this project mostly because it uses some synthetized vocals by Miku Hatsune (Vocaloid 2 pack). Yes I know there are death metal bands using dogs and parrots as singers, but it's the first time when I hear about a metal band using Vocaloid. Apparently it's music made for hikikomori and by a hikikomori who couldn't find a real female singer for his project :) However, it's just amateur stuff and I can't take it seriously TBH. If you want some really good depressive black metal/shoegaze, you'd better listen to Amesoeurs or Dernier Martyr...

Download

Gigantic Brain / Ganglia / Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - 3-way split [2009]

Artist: Gigantic Brain / Ganglia / Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree
Title: 3-way split
Genre: Industrial Grindcore
Country: USA
Release date: 2009 (2005?)

Track list:

1. Gigantic Brain - Obey the Brain
2. Gigantic Brain - Emotionally unstable Mother of four
3. Gigantic Brain - Ultra-Maniak Steve
4. Gigantic Brain - Dungeon freak
5. Gigantic Brain - Hacksaw Kid
6. Gigantic Brain - Early funeral for the upset Baby
7. Gigantic Brain - Monopoly money Millionaire
8. Gigantic Brain - Pigs in Space
9. Gigantic Brain - Creature made of Bone
10. Gigantic Brain - Together we make a Family
11. Ganglia - Start now
12. Ganglia - Crowd pleaser
13. Ganglia - Vampire Violence
14. Ganglia - Copycat Ripoff
15. Ganglia - Speculator
16. Ganglia - Somedays
17. Ganglia - Hogtied
18. Ganglia - Wild Turkey
19. Ganglia - Unplanned Parenthood
20. Ganglia - Descendant Of The Soil
21. Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - Gynecological Instruments For Operating On Mutant Women
22. Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - ...And Then The Hornets. My God...
23. Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - Materia And Gil
24. Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - Weeping And Gnashing Teeth
25. Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - Unspecified Motor Error
26. Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - Satanic Vampires On Morphine (Dance Mix)

A very obscure 3-way split album featuring 3 digital grindcore projects from the United States - namely Gigantic Brain, Ganglia, and Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree. There's almost no information about this release - even the date is uncertain (2009? 2005?), plus I couldn't find a cover image for it. However, all 3 projects are great, especially Jet Jaguar Kr-3 Kill Spree - which is rather a noise project than a cybergrind one.

Download

Turbogrind Terrorizers - "The Album" [2011]

Artist: Turbogrind Terrorizers
Title: The Album
Label: Itsu Jitsu
Genre: Industrial Grindcore
Country: Italy
Release date: 2011

Track list:

1. Turbogrind Terrorizers
2. Osama is Dead Again
3. Napalm Theme Park
4. Disneyland's Burning
5. Wrath of the Nerd Oppositors
6. Gastrointestinal Disembowelment etcetera
7. Turd Rugby Insanity (Abosranie Bogom cover)
8. Disneyland's Burning part II
9. FUCKING TRAINS
10. Twitching mass of slime known to some as the human piece of shit
11. Succulent High Voltage Pylons
12. Germano Mosconi
13. Meet Me on Riverside Drive
14. Perk
15. UTP I
16. UTP II
17. UTP III
18. UTP IV
19. UTP V
20. UTP VI
21. UTP VII
22. Melancholy Nitro Stick
23. Clockwork
24. Avalanche
25. Errrr
26. Eat my Peck
27. And Now...
28. Amen, Fucker
29. Chased by Angry London Bobbies
30. Corporation Anthem
31. Bombarding Libya
32. Stoner
33. Interceptor
34. Corporation Anthem (Vince's Edit)
35. Corporation Anthem (Speed-Ballad-core remix by Taktikal Battalion)

Line-up:

• HOX [drums, bass, guitar, samples, mess, melody]
• VINCE GAUTHIER [drums, loops, samples, noises, industrial clashes]
• JASON KAVANAGH [glitching, weeing, melting & rebuilding sounds, field recording]
• NEIL MORRISON [drums]

"Turbogrind Terrorizers are a cybergrind political/satirical band from Venice, Italy. Formed in 2011, they started as a side project by Gianluca Missero a.k.a. Hox of Hox Vox, then right after first single Turbogrind Terrorizers entered the band Jason Kavanagh (also in awaycaboose and Cavity Pitch), Vince Gauthier (a.k.a. Corroded Master) and Neil Morrison.
They release via coop itsu jitsu netlabel and Hox Vox records"

This stuff is quite similar to "The Invasion Discography" by Gigantic Brain which I've posted here before, so I think you'll like it too. Moreover, it's licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 and freely available on Jamendo. And one more fact which made me interested about this project: they've credited the Rock In Opposition movement as one of their main sources of inspiration. Grindcore/RIO crossover? Sounds nice.

Download

Vic Anselmo - "In My Fragile" [2011]

Artist: Vic Anselmo
Title: In My Fragile
Genre: Gothic Alternative
Country: Latvia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Introduction
2. More than you can comprehend
3. Open Wide
4. Horizon
5. Wellspring
6. Bones Blues
7. Ashes
8. Secrets of the universe
9. Das dunkle Land
10. In the Darkness
11. The Day
12. Who (Acoustic Live)
13. Bones Blues (Acoustic Live)
14. Leaving Eden (Acoustic Live)
15. Tumsha Nakte (Acoustic Live)

I'm not sure if this Latvian female-fronted project is plaing gothic rock... it's rather alternative rock with "gothic" overtones (comparable to Evanescence), but it's good music anyway. I especially liked the cover of Das Ich's "Das dunkle Land", which is the only track with lyrics in German on this album (and I think it's even better than the original version). Don't know much about the vocalist, but she has a very nice voice, and judging from her moniker, she's a fan of Phil Anselmo (Pantera).

Download

Deafknife - demo [2011]

Artist: Deafknife
Title: demo
Genre: Post-Black Metal
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Father Dagon - Mother Hydra
2. Shub-Niggurath

Lovecraftian black metal from Siberia, strictly apolitical. The band name is an obvious pun on Deafheaven and the whole "hipster black metal" thing. It's their first 2-track demo, and it's surprisingly good (at least when compared to the majority of other VKBM bands, if you know what I mean :P)

Download

Neutrale Erde - "Infiziert" [2010]

Artist: Neutrale Erde

Title: Infiziert
Genre: Darkwave
Country: Russia
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Das Nordlicht
2. Landscape of apocalypse
3. Я наигралась
4. Нейтральная земля
5. Черный город
6. Biohazard
7. Не возвращайся
8. Без света
9. Самоубийство души
10. Атомный Ветер
11. Я учусь молчать
12. So Zart

Maybe Neutrale Erde isn't my favourite project on Russian gothic/industrial scene, but they're relatively well-known (at least locally), so you may be interested in checking out their debut full-length album, "Infiziert". Moreover, Yarina, the leader of the project, is a vehement supporter of informational freedom, so all the stuff by Neutrale Erde is officially available for free download. Kudos to her for that.

As for her music - I can't compare NE with world-class gothic/darkwave bands, but fans of minimalisic darkwave/gothic electro may find this album interesting. The main lyrical themes are personal feelings and post-apocalypse - so, nothing really uncommon for Russian darkwave scene. And after reading Yarina's blog, I fount it somewhat interesting, but it looks like she and Pavel (Mirror of Death - see my previous post) share the same ideology... but well, it's not that important. Just enjoy the music... and the cover art, of course! You can find the full photo set (4 photos) here. If I'm not mistaken, that's what is called "stitchpunk". AFAIK this term came to wide use after the release of "Nine"; basically, "post-apocalyptic settings" + "ragdoll characters" = "stitchpunk". However, stitchpunk usually doesn't involve any human characters, while we can see Yarina on the cover of "Infiziert"... well, only her legs, which are very beautiful :) but that's another matter.

Download

P.S. Here's a music video for "Biohazard":

Mirror of Death - "Cybernetic Era" [2010]

Artist: Mirror of Death
Title: Кибернетическая Эра
Genre: EBM/Dark Electro, "Military Aggrotech"
Country: Russia
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Кибернетическая Эра
2. Full Moon (bonus)

Mirror Of Death is a band led by Pavel Nesterov who lives in Khabarovsk (Russia, Far East), and it's one of the most promising projects on today's Russian industrial music scene. Unfortunately, this 2-track EP is quite short and doesn't contain my favourite track by MoD, "Борт №402" (however, it does appear on the other EP by MoD called "Discrimination" - but I could find only a few tracks from it). The first track, "Cybernetic Era" is really good even in comparison with world-class dark electro hits, while the second one is quite average. Even though I'm not very fond of stalinist and militaristic ideology of the band (Laibach have used such ideology as well, but only for aesthetic purposes - while P.Nesterov seems to be very serious about his beliefs), I really appreciate the music. Future releases by Mirror of Death are said to have female vocals and lyrics in German, so I can't wait for the new tracks...

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МП44 - "Год сурка" [2008]

Artist: MP44
Title: 2008 - Год сурка
Genre: "Dadacore", Industrial Electronic, Cut-Up
Country: Russia
Release date: 2008

Track List:

1. Интро
2. Сахар & Гексоген (OST "ФСБ взрывает Россию")
3. Авторицаризм
4. Дао кремлина
5. План Путена
6. На Трубе
7. Баллада о маньяке-освободителе
8. Я начинаю путь
9. 2008

Another DIY release by this anti-consumerist, anti-establishment, transhumanist, dadaist & futurist Russian duo. It was recorded in 2008, the year when Putin stepped from power at the peak of his popularity, so it's not surprising that the lyrical content on this album deals with various controversies and conspiracy theories related to Putin's presidency. I don't think it all would be understood be an average foreign listener, but I'll put it here anyway (even though it's clearly not intended for the foreign audience). At least they staunchly opposed Putin's regime before it was cool :)

Of course, all albums by МП44 are free for download. And even if they weren't, I could easily ask them for permission, since they're very open for feedback, and I'm a reader of one of their members' (Dima "Beslan") blog for many years already.

Download

МП44 - "Подавление / Унификация / Подчинение" [2006]

Artist: MP44
Title: Suppression / Unification / Submission
Genre: "Dadacore", Industrial Electronic, Cut-Up
Country: Russia
Release date: 2006

Track List:

1. Буржуазная Революция
2. День За Днём Одно И Тоже
3. Digital Brainwashing
4. Фарс-Мажор-Позолота-Югенд
5. Миддл-Класс-Буги
6. Моя Машина (radio edition)
7. Обряд Захоронения Телевизора
8. СЧАСТЬЕ - ЭТО ПРОСТО
9. Трансплантация
10. З/К за З/П

Another industrial project which music is often described as "dadacore", this time from Russia. MP44 is a "virtual" duo that's making expiremental music based on the "cut-up" sampling technique, and the result of their efforts is quite close to early 1980s industrial music both in terms of sound and ideology. MP44's creative output is very hard to understand outside the cultural context of modern Russian society, but I'll post this album here anyway (especially since I've posted two albums by Pornostroika Dadaifi, whose music is very hard to understand without context as well).

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Pornostroika Dadaifi - "Pornotroika: Erotas sta hronia tis porneias" [2011]

Artist: Pornostroika Dadaifi
Title: Pornotroika: Erotas sta hronia tis porneias
Genre: "Dadacore", Industrial Punk, Spoken Word
Country: Greece
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Anodos ton Pithikanthropon
2. Naraxia
3. Robocop
4. Astikos Polemos
5. Ta robot
6. Pyrinikos Minotauros
7. Pyriniko Pornokaytoma
8. Skylia tou Paulof
9. Regges Anthrwpoi
10. Anthropinoi donites
11. NWO Νo Οrder-GAP
12. Zambo (cut version)
13. O nearos kapitalismos
14. Adiaforia

This is the latest release by Pornostroika Dadaifi up to date, and it's a bit more "listenable" and less "dadaist" than their earlier works. If you're unsure from which their album to start - take this one. For those who can read Greek - there are some documents from Zero Artistic Movement (which PD belongs to) included in the archive. They seem to be very outspoken in their views regarding politics and society, but unfortunately there's a big language barrier...

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Pornostroika Dadaifi - "Oi poleis tis kokkinis nyxtas" [2006]

Artist: Pornostroika Dadaifi
Title: Οι Πόλεις της Κόκκινης Νύχτας
Genre: "Dadacore", Industrial Punk, Spoken Word
Country: Greece
Release date: 2006

Track List:

1. Xara
2. Poleis tis kokkinis nyxtas
3. I anazitisi tis kantath
4. NEA EUROPI/kokkini nyxta panw ap tin Europi
5. 777 peripolia tis kolaseos
6. Oneiro
7. Trekste/Efialtis
8. Efialtis
9. Emmones
10. Mataiodoksia
11. Skoteino asteri
12. Maza
13. X-to lykofos ton pornokratoron
14. Ekdikisi

Can't deny that I picked this band mostly because of the funny name ;), but also because of their associations with dadaism, futurism, cyberpunk, Neue Slowenische Kunst, Situationist movement and many other interesting political and cultural phenomena (btw, this album is named after W.Burroughs' book "Cities of the Red Night").
They have a vast discography, but unfortunately most of their early stuff appeared to be just unlistenable (however, so are many of early-80s industrial projects... it's anti-music, after all). I also can't understand Greek language, so I'm unable to understand the lyrical content of this album (which seems to be very interesting). Of course this album isn't the most people's cup of tea, but in case if you like it, I can also recommend "To teleytaio Express apo tin Troia" by the same band.

Download

La Reforma / La Armada Roja - split [???]

Artist: La Reforma / La Armada Roja
Title: split
Genre: Oi!/Ska
Country: Dominican Republic
Release date: unknown

Track list:

La Reforma

1. Latinoamerica
2. Haiti
3. Ahi Estan
4. Resistencia Irak

La Armada Roja

1. Ha Muerto Ya
2. La Balada Del Comprador
3. La Nueva Argentina
4. Juicio Propio [Cover De Tropiezo]

Dominican punk? Hmm... interesting. I know that the Caribbean is the birthplace of reggae and ska, but I haven't heard much punk or just rock music coming from that area. However, Dominican rock scene does exist, although it isn't too big. The two bands presented on this split are playing political streetpunk/oi/ska, and they do it actually quite good. I have no idea when it was released (does anybody know?), but it's definitely from the 2000s.

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Tasnim - "The Holy Land" [1998]

Artist: Tasnim
Title: The Holy Land
Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Punk
Country: Libya
Release date: 1998

Track List:

1. The Holy Land
2. Shame And Regret
3. The Bitter Nature Of Hypocrisy
4. The Birth Of Evil

We all know about the dramatic events that are going on right now in Libya, and that's why I decided to post some Libyan music here. Tasnim is probably the only more or less known metal band in Libya (however, there are two more bands listed in Encyclopaedia Metallum, but it seems like their releases are impossible to find anywhere).
Tasnim was started by two Benghazi citizens in 1998, and by the year 2000 they (already a 4-piece band) became the most influential metal band in Libya. Unfortunately (but unsurprisingly), the quality of recording on their demo is quite poor, but it varies from track to track. Some tracks (like "Bitter Nature Of Hypocrisy") are just awful, some are decent. Overal, not bad for a band from a country with almost non-existent metal scene, but some of their songs sound really much more like raw punk than metal.
According to their biography, "the subject matter of their lyrics sounds aggressively political most of the time, but they stated that they have their own open tolerant mind". Well, they're political band, but on which side they're now? Who knows... but taken in account they're from Benghazi, they're probably supporting the rebels. As for me, i once was very impressed by Qaddafi's "Green Book", but now I just don't know what to think about him...

Download

Probably the first Russian industrial music video

First time I saw this clip in 1999 (or maybe 2000), on one of our mainstream music channels. Back then, I knew nothing about industrial music and of course I couldn't realise that I just watched a music video by the very first Russian EBM band. But now I understand that they were one of the most interesting musical projects in mid-90s Russia...

e.g. Oblique Graph - "Extended Play" [1982]

Artist: e.g. Oblique Graph (pre-Muslimgauze)
Title: Extended Play
Genre: Ambient / Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1982

Track List:

1. Fall Into Glass
2. Merge
3. Murders Linked To Gaullist Clique

Finally, the very first and the rarest cassette release by Bryn Jones - "Extented Play". After listening to this, I was amazed how effective minimalism in music can be. For instance, "Murders Linked To Gaullist Clique" is a very minimalistic track where silence is more important than the music itself - and it doesn't get boring, unlike the majority of generic dark ambient releases. "Merge" is slightly more noisy, and it contains some voice samples in Russian (probably from some audio tutorial tape). "Fall Into Glass" is a short track featuring a nice synth melody (yes, it was the rare case when Bryn Jones used synths). Overall, it's very interesting piece of early 80s underground ambient/industrial music, and a good start for an enormous (>200 albums) discography - even though it doesn't much resemble any stuff released under the name "Muslimgauze". There's also another version of this cassette, with 3rd "Extreme Faction (re-mix)", but looks like it's extremely hard to find anywhere...

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e.g. Oblique Graph - "Triptych" [1983]

Artist: e.g. Oblique Graph (pre-Muslimgauze)
Title: Triptych
Genre: Ambient / Percussion Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1983

Track List:

1. Black Cloth Behind De Gaulle's Wax Head
2. Triptych
3. Study Of The Red Pope (Innocent X)
4. Castro Regime

Here's another rare EP from Bryn Jones, released in early 1980s under the name "e.q. Oblique Graph". It's much more repetitive and less listenable than "Piano Room" or "Extented Play"... but then again, early industrial music wasn't supposed to be easy to listen. I wouldn't recommend this release to anyone not familiar with Bryn Jones' musical legacy, but it still has a lot of historical importance.

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Screen Of Sorrow - "Violence" [2007]

Artist: Screen Of Sorrow
Title: Violence
Genre: Noise
Country: Russia
Release date: 2007

Track List:

1. Narrow Death Corridor
2. My Brains On The Wall
3. Love Is Eating My Heart
4. Thoughts In Brain (When You Fall From Skyscraper)
5. Ears On Trees
6. Raindrop/Mindgate
7. Valley Of Pain

I've almost no info about this project, but this release is quite good (of course you should mind that it's a harsh noise album ;)), and it's available for free under the terms of CC-BY 3.0. Enjoy!

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Paracore - "Sickcore" [2006]

Artist: Paracore
Title: Sickcore
Genre: Dark Ambient / Noise
Country: Russia
Release date: 2006

Track List:

1. Antimatter
2. Sickcore
3. Funeral Of The Sun
4. Frozen Throne
5. Zone 7
6. Wintermute
7. White Nowhere

One more dark ambient project from Moscow, led by single person. Just like in case with System Morgue, Paracore has some more releases beside this one, but right now I can't find any of them. Unfortunately, the project seems to be dead now, as there wasn't any news since 2009.

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System Morgue - "Necrostud" [2007]

Artist: System Morgue
Title: Necrostud
Genre: Dark Ambient / Noise
Country: Russia
Release date: 2007

Track List:

1. 2C-B
2. Ketamine Overseer
3. 29A Decay
4. Necrostud
5. Neurotic Reinfectation
6. Reactor #4
7. Wormdog
8. ZTX Grave

It's a debut release by System Morgue, an one-man noise/PE/ambient project from Moscow. First I heard this album right after it was released, when Peter (the man behind the project) posted it on his blog. Shortly after that, Peter was hospitalized for a long period of time, so the project was put on hold. As of today, System Morgue have released several other albums, but I haven't heard any of them yet. System Morgue also participated in the compilation Heliophagia #6 with his track "Reactor #4 / Fenrir Awakening".

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O Yuki Conjugate - "Sunchemical" [1995]

Artist: O Yuki Conjugate
Title: Sunchemical
Genre: Ambient / Tribal Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1995

Track List:

1. Sulphur (S)
2. Niobium (Nb)
3. Californium (Ca)
4. Carbon (C)
5. Polonium (Po)
6. Bismuth (Bi)

Well, I've posted some albums by Muslimgauze, and here's another tribal ambient project from the UK. Just like Muslimgauze, they have released several albums on Staalplaat/Soleilmoon 15-20 years ago, but their discography isn't that big... moreover, their albums are often hard to find and released in limited editions. Here's the only their release I have - "Sunchemical". Hope it's be OK to put this link here:

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Muslimgauze - "Return Of Black September" [1996]

Artist: Muslimgauze
Title: Return of Black September
Genre: Ambient / Percussion Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1996

Track List:

1. Return Of Black September
2. Libya
3. Thugghee
4. Remix Of Thugghee (actually a remix of Return Of Black September)
5. Remix Of Opiate And Mullah

Though there are 5 tracks on this release, they all are mixed in one long track. Overall a very good release, well representing the sound of mid-90s Muslimgauze. I wouldn't post any more stuff by him, as it's quite easy to find on other blogs - but if you're new to his music, then I'd recommend "Return Of Black September" for a beginning.

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Muslimgauze - "Abu Nidal" [1987]

Artist: Muslimgauze
Title: Abu Nidal
Genre: Ambient / Percussion Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1987

Track List:

1. Gulfwar pt.1
2. Gulfwar pt.2
3. Gulfwar pt.3
4. Abu Nidal
5. Green Is The Colour Of The Prophet
6. Fatwa (Religious Decree Giving Recourse To Terrorism)

In my opinion, it's one of the best early releases by Muslimgauze. Just like all his other albums (which number is exceeding 200...), this one is highly inspired by Middle Eastern politics. According to the release notes, "Abu Nidal" is dedicated to the Palestine Liberation Organization, and released on a label called Muammar Murmur Music (brilliant name!..) Such a pity that Bryn Jones never lived to 9/11 - I'm wondering what kind of music he could have written after it (and after the consequent wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya...)

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Muslimgauze - "Hammer & Sickle" [1983]

Artist: Muslimgauze
Title: Hammer & Sickle
Genre: Ambient / Percussion Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1983

Track List:

1. Hammer & Sickle
2. Fear Of Gadaffi
3. Nettle Cloth
4. Baize Tents

This is one of the first albums released by Bryn Jones under the name "Muslimgauze". Musically this mini album isn't much different from the stuff released under the name "e.q. Oblique Graph" - the minimalistic approach to music is the same, as well as dark atmosphere. It's dedicated to the military conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan - so, despite being released almost 30 years ago, it's still actual. And one more interesting fact - the cover of this album is entirely black (Malevich's Black Square?..)

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e.g. Oblique Graph - "Inhalt" / "Piano Room" [1982-1983]

Artist: e.g. Oblique Graph (pre-Muslimgauze)
Title: Inhalt / Piano Room
Genre: Ambient / Percussion Industrial
Country: UK
Release date: 1982-1983

Track List:

1. Scar
2. Affirm/Deny
3. Choir-Screen
4. Human Rights
5. After Commentary
6. Off Chance
7. The Piano Room
8. Islamic Koran In Camera Dome
9. Rapid White Flag On Snapshot Blur

Beside Mechanic Fist, there's at least one industrial music project heavily influenced by Middle Eastern culture and folk music. You all know its name: Muslimgauze. But not everyone knows that Bryn Jones had released several tapes under the moniker "e.g. Oblique Graph" before starting Muslimgauze. The music on these tapes is "darker" and more minimalistic than the most releases by Muslimgauze, and it carries a really unique atmosphere. "Inhalt" and "Piano Room" are arguably one of most interesting releases by early-80's industrial bands (BTW, I don't really like early industrial scene in general... krautrock and RIO are much better :3). I'm still searching for the very first release by e.g. Oblique Graph, called "Extended Play" - especially the version which contains the track "Extreme Faction". So far I haven't found it anywhere...

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Mechanic Fist - "Electroconvulsive Therapy" [2010]

Artist: Mechanic Fist
Title: Electroconvulsive Therapy
Genre: Industrial Rock / EBM / Dark Electro with oriental folk overtones
Country: Azerbaijan
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Ice-Cold Hell
2. Armageddon
3. Invisible Bonds
4. S.A.W.
5. Industrial Revolution
6. Unplug
7. The Last Sunset
8. The Choice

...and after I posted Farid Aslanov's last release, I thought I should also post the full-length demo of his other project, Mechanic Fist. When I talked to him a few months ago, he was against posting these songs, regarding them as low-quality material and promising to release a lot of better stuff in the future. But as of today, Farid is busy on his solo project, so I don't think we can expect any new releases from MF in the near future, and I'm posting this old demo instead. Actually, it isn't that bad... moreover, it isn't bad at all (for a demo made in a country where the industrial/gothic scene is almost completely absent). Some vocal work could be better, though, but overall it's very promising stuff. Check out the track "Last Sunset", it's a melodic ballad-type song which really stands out of the whole demo. Other good tracks include "Ice-Cold Hell", "Armageddon" and "Industrial Revolution". Don't know if you'd like the elements of Middle Eastern folk music on this demo, but for me it's what makes MF's music unique -they're probably the first Middle Eastern industrial/EBM band, and not just a clone of some famous Western project... Good start.

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Farid Aslanov - "War With The Z" [2011]

Artist: Farid Aslanov

Title: War With The Z
Genre: Electronic
Country: Azerbaijan
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Horrorbox
2. Pandemia
3. Rising Dead
4. The Last [And Lost] Battle

You may know Farid Aslanov as a founder of the first industrial rock band in Azerbaijan, Mechanic Fist, whose 2-track demo I've posted before. Now he's working on his solo album, which expects to be sounding not so "harsh" as the demos by MF, as the target audience for industrial music in Azerbaijan still isn't that big. This short EP is his first solo release, and it features mostly "soundtrack"-sounding instrumental music, inspired by post-apocalyptic and (especially) zombie movies. Sounds good for a debut release, although the beat seems to be a bit off at times...

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Johann Wolfgang Pozoj - "Birth of Pozoj" [2007]

Artist: Johann Wolfgang Pozoj

Title: Birth of Pozoj

Genre: Post-Metal, Avant-garde Black Metal

Country: Croatia
Year: 2007

Track List:

1. Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes
2. Queen Emeraldas
3. Autodistraktiv
4. Hisperia
5. Outro

"Johann Wolfgang Pozoj is an avant-garde black metal band from Croatia that came to existence in 2004 by merging of two “brother” bands - Intoxicate and Grob (Grave). The band’s name is derived from (pre) Indo-European myth about a dragon (Pozoj) and its later mythological and lingual derivations.
The first part of their opus is a Trilogy based on myth and the philosophical triad of thesis, antithesis and synthesis where those three phases represent the spirit becoming real through art.
The first album in the Trilogy – Birth of Pozoj represents the Trilogy’s symbolic phase where the idea hasn’t yet found its complete form, and the birth of the dragon (Pozoj) as a symbolic beginning of time flow. The album was released in 2006 via Progressive Attack Records"

I personally wouldn't even call their music "avant-garde black metal", because this album defies any attempts to label it. If you need labels - it's somewhere in between of epic crust (Fall of Efrafa etc.), post-metal, and progressive rock. Regardless of how you'd call it, the music is absolutely amazing, and the atmosphere it creates is great too. Definitely one of the best avant-garde metal albums to come out in the 2nd half of 2000's. It's also remarkable that the 2nd track is apparently inspired by Leiji Matsumoto's works, which I love too...

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Cracked Core - "Steal'n'Kill" [2011]

Artist: Cracked Core

Title: Steal'n'Kill
Label: Mental Excitement
Genre: Electronic / Industrial
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Hijack
2. Radio:martial [martial mix]
3. Монстрация
4. Free Tibet
5. Duck and Cover [glitch mix]
6. Играй нойз, пили трупы [v1.1]
7. SoAT [End Credits Theme rmx by Kazdalevsky]
8. Freedom In Lost Underground [Friends Minimal Cut]
9. Duck and Cover [technomix]
10. Radio:martial [tribal mix]
    

A new, 3rd full-length release by Cracked Core. Highly recommended to listen with headphones ;) To have an idea of what kind of music is presented on this album, just watch this video:


Hope you'll like this one. And I'll take a rest from making posts here (though my blog doesn't look very popular anyway...)

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Kazdalevsky / Cracked Core / First Sleg - RMX split [2011]

Artist: Kazdalevsky / Cracked Core / First Sleg

Title: RMX split
Label: Mental Excitement
Genre: Electronic / Industrial / Synthpop
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

Kazdalevsky

1. Цон [Cracked Core Summer mix]
2. И пришла TTL-весна [Original 2010 mix]

Cracked Core

1. SoAT [Kazdalevsky Stalled into flat spin mix]
2. Militarity Theme [Synroc Warhead mix]

First Sleg

1. Sunday Dub [Original Oldtape mix]

This split EP is a product of collaboration between two Russian experimental electronic musicians, and I already introduced one of them to you. It isn't as depressive and introspective as the majority of other works by Cracked Core, since these tracks were intended to carry a "positive" feeling of spring. As for First Sleg, it's an experimental/synthpop project by the same two people, and it's their first release under this moniker. Just like all the releases by Cracked Core, it's free for downloading and redistributing.

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Lady Winter - "The Rain Can't Be Forever" [2005]

Artist: Lady Winter

Title: The Rain Can't Be Forever
Label: Valiant Music
Genre: Heavy/Gothic Metal
Country: Russia
Release date: 2005

Track List:

1. Phoenix
2. The Rain Can't Be Forever
3. Frozen Heart
4. From the Backside of the Mirror
5. Lonely Road
6. She-Wolf
7. The Sorrow
8. Endless Maze
9. Where the Rain Grows (Helloween cover)

Yet another female-fronted metal band, this time from Russia. I discovered Lady Winter about 7 years ago (even before this album was released), and even did a review of their demo for one not-so-serious webzine. Back in mid-2000s, Lady Winter was one of the most promising new Russian metal bands (especially if we take in account how underdeveloped the Russian metal scene was... and still is). Sadly it doesn't look like they will ever release something new, but their one and only full-length album is pretty decent. It has nice vocals and some catchy melodies ("Frozen Heart", "The Rain Can't Be Forever"), though it generally lacks some "heaviness", which is supposed to be in metal music. However, it's still much better than numerous Nightwish clones that dominate Russian female-fronted metal scene.

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Obsidian Shell - "Angelic Asylum" [2010]

Artist: Obsidian Shell

Title: Angelic Asylum
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Country: Hungary
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. My Arrival
2. Orphanage
3. Fear
4. Dream
5. Endsequence
6. Starfall
7. Summoner Of The Wind
8. Second Birth
9. Wings Of Cruelty
10. Farewell
11. Misanthropia 2: Eternal Darkness

One more album by Obsidian Shell, maybe not as impressive as Elysia, but still good (and released under a free license as well). Need I say more? Here's some release notes taken from Jamendo:

"It was a long, cold and dark night when the idea came... even Elysia hasn't been written but something started in our minds. It took 3 years, lots of songwriting, recording and mixing but now its done - the reflection of our souls, and this reflection is pure as snow: no one altered or modified anything on our basic idea of the album Angelic Asylum. We wrote the songs, we did the recording and mixing and even the mastering is home made by Henrik. If you like our albums and willing to support us you can buy this album on itunes.apple.com/us/album/angelic-asylum/id396836769 and www.amazon.com/Angelic-Asylum/dp/B00468BOQ6/ depending on how much it's worth to you"

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Obsidian Shell - "Elysia" [2009]

Artist: Obsidian Shell

Title: Elysia
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Country: Hungary
Release date: 2009

Track List:

1. Ezer Év
2. Jégvirág
3. Álomcsapda
4. Vadon Rejteke
5. Csendes Káosz
6. Vérmocsár
7. Elveszett Lelkek
8. Emlékmás
9. Megtört Álom
10. Farkaskönny
11. Búcsúszó
12. Misanthropia
13. Jégvirág (orchestral)

You want more metal with female vocals from Hungary? Well, I've got some for you. Obsidian Shell is a relatively new 3-piece symphonic metal band who released both their albums under a free license (CC BY-NC-ND), so it's perfectly OK to post it here. Moreover, their vocalist is really good; probably the best female voice in Hungarian metal. Musically, Obsidian Shell seems to be highly influenced by their compatriots Alhana with their idea of "fairy metal". "Elysia" is a quite lengthy release, but it's really worth listening.

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Alhana - "Tündértánc" [2005]

Artist: Alhana

Title: Csillagszellő
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Country: Hungary
Release date: 2002

Track List:

1. Intro
2. Élj úgy
3. A zafír égen túl
4. Száműzött angyal
5. Az utolsó bárd
6. Mágus
7. A sárkány őrei
8. Álomvilág
9. Kísértet
10. Vigyázz rám
11. Csillagszellő

The first and only full-length album by Alhana. Unfortunately, it seems like we will never hear any more releases from them - according to Encyclopedia Metallium, their last concert was held on 2009 September 14 during the Metal Ladies Night Fest, and the band is officially split-up from that day.

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Alhana - "Csillagszellő" [2002]

Artist: Alhana

Title: Csillagszellő
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Country: Hungary
Release date: 2002

Track List:

1. Nem akarok
2. Az ördög csókja
3. Az öregember
4. A mágus
5. Csillagszellő

Do you share my love to rock and metal music in Hungarian language? If yes, then I'd like to bring this demo to your attention. Alhana was a female-fronted symphonic metal from Hungary who self-labelled their music as "tündérmetal" or "fairy metal". Perhaps it will give you some idea of what kind of music they play ;) Of course it's only a demo, but it's good enough if you want to hear not very heavy music with female vocals in Hungarian language. As far as I know, this demo is distributed freely.

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