UMUR wrote: I mostly like the twisted experimental stuff like D�dheimsgard, Ved Buens Ende and their ilk.

I know Ved Buens Ende well, but any recommendations on D�dheimsgard? Or is it best to work linearly through their discography?

UMUR wrote: ^I guess it depends on what your poison is. The first two albums are pretty raw old school black/ thrash metal and don�t interest me much.

I hear you, heard too many raw old school albums in my teens to be actively search for more. Too much music out there to be bogged down.

UMUR wrote: 666 International is a really twisted experimental black metal album with industrial elements. Rather progressive actually. I love that one and consider it a masterpiece.

Just listened to 'Shiva Interfere' on youtube, sounds like my poison. Hard to find good avant-garde in metal. So I think it will be my starting point. 

UMUR wrote: Supervillain Outcast is much more polished and varies from blasting industrial black/ death metal to what I would call goth influenced metal ( there�s a song that�s close to Manson on that one). I love that one too, but if you�re mostly an old school black metal guy I�m not sure if you�ll enjoy Supervillain Outcast much.

I assume the Manson reference is for the negative :P Only time I've heard him was when he was out in Sydney. Was sitting in a cafe about 2 kilometres from the venue and was still infiltrated with noise! For what it's worth you might be right about Supervillain Outcast I'm not so enamored by the polished sound. Tho' if 666 international is a hit at home I'll test the waters.  

^^^ In the mail now. I'll let you know what I think when it arrives.


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Other news I've been listening to bucket-loads of Paysage d'Hiver, I've got pretty much everything he has released. A lot of material to get through, but totally immersive and rewarding. Many years ago you could d/l most of his albums from the website, but I think nearly all the demo's have been re-issue in CD format. Any other fans?

Murphy wrote: Other news I've been listening to bucket-loads of Paysage d'Hiver, I've got pretty much everything he has released. A lot of material to get through, but totally immersive and rewarding. Many years ago you could d/l most of his albums from the website, but I think nearly all the demo's have been re-issue in CD format. Any other fans?

Yeah. I own the first 3 CD re-releases and also the original tape of Einsamkeit, felt lucky because it sold out in the next few hours...

I should get the rest of the re-releases, I think there's a least 2 of them out that I don't have yet. Have heard them all downloaded, though. The self-titled is probably my favourite.

^ That is one hell of an EP! Among my favourite releases. The 2007 album is even more chaotic but as a whole it's not as strong as K�n�se.

Deathspell Omega has great split material also that is often overlooked. They are long tracks (~20 minutes) and definitely worth checking out if one likes this newer style of DsO:

- "Diabolus Absconditus" (from "Crushing the Holy Trinity" split)
- "Mass Grave Aesthetics" (from "From the Entrails to the Dirt" split)
- "Chaining the Katechon" (from "Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum" split)

Anyways, Si Monumentum remains as my favourite release, it's the most nostalgic and definitely speaks to me the most. Followed by K�n�se.

That was a good review. I totally understand how you don't see it as a total masterpiece, especially knowing that you're maybe not so much into traditional and "monotonous" lo-fi black metal. And Si Monumentum has those elements, although it's indeed more progressive (in the real meaning of that word).

I always find it hard to do 5 star reviews, thus I usually avoid doing them. It's so hard to convince anyone why some album deserves 5 stars because it's somehow really personal, and the reasons unclear to even myself. Can't be easily put into text. But maybe some day I finally get to review this album too, hehe. My next 5 star reviews will most likely be some DRUDKH albums.

Murphy wrote: Which albums out of interest? I was enamored with Forgotten Legends and Autumn Aurora when I was a teenager. I'll still put them on every now and again and be swept away by their beauty.

Forgotten Legends indeed, followed by Autumn Aurora. I also think Blood in Our Wells is worth of 5 stars. Amazing albums although I haven't been actively listening to them for the last two years or so. In addition to their original beauty, now they also sound nostalgic, making them even better!

The other albums are great too but don't reach the perfection of these 3 albums. There might be a new album coming out this year (at least the Les Discrets dude has been asked to do some graphics for Drudkh) and although Microcosmos was slightly a disappointment, I still have my expectations very high.

Blood in Our Wells has almost 'progressive' elements (basically just more varied song structures) and some people refer to it as 'cinematic' because it includes samples from some Ukrainian (or Russian, can't remember) movie. The sound production is more full and professional but not too polished or anything. About Ukrainian folk influences, yeah there's certainly more of that, since Forgotten Legends and Autumn Aurora were basically just beautiful nature albums, couldn't sense those albums as so 'Ukrainian'. Since The Swan Road they've definitely added hints of their home country to the music.

I just realized I own 4 different versions of BioW release: original cd, super jewel box cd, original vinyl, and picture-LP. What a fanboy! And it's definitely not the only Drudkh album of which I have many versions, not going to even list them here ...

Hehe, I don't usually collect anything and every album I buy is for listening, but the fanboy inside me has loosened my principle when it comes to Drudkh I guess.

Battlefields is a great album. Funny thing is that while I love Hate Forest's usual style, my favourite release of theirs is the ambient demo Temple Forest. Pure magic there, 5 stars from me. The new band after Hate Forest's end, Blood of Kingu, is some great stuff too. The second album just came out and I really like it, they're perhaps mixing some death metal into it now too.

Edit: S.V.E.S.T. added ;-) waiting for MusicBrainz sync.


Edited by Vehemency - 29 May 2010 at 4:33pm

^It�s actually just recently that I was introduced to De Magia Veterum. Mories is a genious in my eyes. Very innovative and unique. So I�ve actually only listened to Gnaw Their Tongues and De Magia Veterum ( I guess the related projects part of my statement sounds a bit wrong). Metal Archives list these acts too: Ophiuchus, Pompidou, Aderlating, Dimlit Hate Cellar, Astral as acts Mories have been involved in. Do you know any of them and are any of them recommendable?

Edited by UMUR - 31 May 2010 at 1:04pm