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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A Drama Radio - "Virtual TV Test" [2012]

Artist: A Drama Radio
Title: Virtual TV Test
Label: Mental Excitement
Genre: Dark Ambient / Experimental
Country: Russia
Release date: 2012

Track List:

1. The Snow (TV Startup)
2. Mourning (TV Morning)
3. Amber Nip Nature (TV Pain)
4. The Spill Song (Extended TV Bug)
5. Brave Old World (TV News)
6. Nurses Love The Worms (TV Values)
7. Spectral S.O.S. (TV Host)
8. The Bloom Ocean (TV Sleep)
9. Parasomnias Parasuicide (TV Death)
10. Icy Cacophony 2009 (TV Help)
11. Ann Reprise (TV Bye)
12. Test (TV Shout)
13. Waitfall (bonus)
14. Script (bonus)

A Drama Radio is an experimental music project started by Nazar Markov in 2008. I think he knows about my blog (because of Cracked Core and his label), though I'm not sure if he reads it on regular basis. While I didn't like his debut album ("Perdition Signals", 2010), "Virtual TV Test" is definitely interesting, although not easy to get into. While it still can be classified as dark ambient, it's quite experimental and obviously influenced by the classic industrial scene. Just like all the other Mental Excitement releases, this album is distributed completely for free.

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Ok.Sa - "Awake!" [2012]

Artist: Ok.Sa

Title: Awake

Genre: Synthpop/Darkwave

Country: Belarus

Release date: 2012

Track List:

1. O.K.S.A.
2. Wings(Up To The Sky)
3. Golden Hoops
4. Awake
5. Just Another Winter
6. Behind The Wall
7. Mourning

One more female-fronted synthpop/darkwave project from the ex-USSR (this time from Belarus). Personally I found this demo a little boring (except for the last track), but the band clearly has potential, and it's good to see Belarusian scene becoming more diverse.

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Suicidal Romance - "Love Beyond Reach" [2007]

Artist: Suicidal Romance
Title: Love Beyond Reach
Label: Infacted Rec.
Genre: Darkwave, Electrogoth
Country: Estonia
Release date: 2007

Track List:

1. Love Beyond Reach
2. Not Alone
3. Will It Be (For Us)
4. Call Me
5. Angel Of Love
6. White Snow
7. Poisoned Kiss
8. Lonely Tears
9. Prince Of The Darkness
10. Star
11. In This Night (Lullaby)
12. Not Alone (Blutengel Remix)
13. Star (Lost Area Remix)

I discovered this band in 2007, when I was a big fan of L'ame Immortelle and wanted to find something similar to them, but from the ex-USSR. Suicide Romance are a Russian/Estonian project based out of Tallin, consisting of composer Dmitry D. (also in Freakangel) and two female vocalists (Viktoria and Maarja). "Love Beyond Reach" is their first release, sounding a bit naive and simplistic, but that's what is good about it. I for one don't like their consequent releases at all (especially "Memories Behind Closed Curtains"), despite much more professional production - they're just too boring for me. It also should be noted that "Love Beyond Reach" is their most melodic and least "aggressive" release, which I think goes well with the lyrical content. The lyrics on this album are mostly about love and sexual relationships, which aren't my favourite subjects in general, but in this particular case I found the lyrics quite touching. Overall I'd compare SR with Blutengel, in terms of both music and band's image:

P.S. Don't know if their label is OK with this album being available for download, so I won't post the direct link... but anyway you can search for it on filestube, if you wish.

Neurotech - "Transhuman" [2008]

Artist: Neurotech

Title: Transhuman

Genre: Industrial Metal

Country: Slovenia

Release date: 2008

Track List:

1. Impakt
2. Transhuman
3. Down the Drain
4. Subsonic Omega
5. Nex

Although a small country, Slovenia gave the world an impressive amount of excellent industrial projects - Laibach, Coptic Rain, Borghesia, and now Neurotech, an one-man band started by Wulf in 2007. Here's his debut EP "Transhuman", released in 2008. Didn't chech out the subsequent releases yet, but anyway all of them are available off Neurotech's bandcamp page for free (just set the price to 0).

Oversun - "Pinnacle's Obsession" [1998]

Artist: Oversun

Title: Pinnacle's Obsession
Genre: Industrial Rock
Country: Russia
Release date:1998

Track List:

1. Burn In The Night
2. Niya (Burn Mix)
3. Test Behind
4. Torture Tower
5. Lullaby
6. Pleasure Of Lust (Burn Mix)

Oversun were an industrial rock/metal project started by two members of a relatively well-known Russian progressive metal band Ens Cogitans in late 90's. The name "Oversun" is apparently taken from the sci-fi novel "Destination: Amaltheia" by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky. 

They're largely forgotten by now, even though their second album, "Tragedy of Time", received an award from DarkCity magazine, and there were even plans to release it on Metal Blade Records. As for this album... well, it isn't a masterpiece, but it isn't a bad debut either, especially if we consider the time it was released.

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