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