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Showing posts with the label experimental

Review: Kong - Merchants Of Air (2012)

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Formed back in '88 & still going strong; KONG. With their experimental take on prog & spaced out rock/metal, this Amsterdam-based band has to be one of the most intense and challenging instrumental formations coming from the Netherlands. Their distinct sound is quite indescribable. But if you love a refreshing, intelligent & hard hitting musical journey, this one is for you. Think Monkey3 & Mother-Unit (ex 35007) & add a crazy unique industrial twist. Ever since picking up their previous album , Kong has always been one of my hidden favorites. Although this band made some wonderful albums in the past, I'm an absolute fan of their current, evolved sound. It's spacy, heavy, epic, refreshing, atmospheric & unique. This is the kind of instrumental music I adore. Overwhelming at first, but each listen comes with new discoveries. 2012's "Merchants Of Air" is a highly enjoyable trip in experimental & heavy instrumental music. Take this

Het Droste Effect - Lingerland (2012)

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Het Droste Effect, one of my favorite newcomers back in 2011. This relatively young band creates one of the most unique psychedelic experiences out there by mixing prog/ space/ stoner/ psych & fuzz rock into one tasty cosmic mass. A distinct sound, reminiscent to the wonderful Dutch scene in this particular genre (bands like 35007, Gomer Pyle, 7Zuma7, Hypnos69, Sungrazer...). "Lingerland" is the band's second EP & continues the sound that was originated on Het Droste Effect's self-titled . It's a little more experimental this time, filled with some nice surprises. Here's another crazy psyched out gem to add to your collection! hetdrosteeffect.bandcamp.com hetdrosteeffect.com MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

30,000 Monkies - Womb Eater Wife Beater (2011)

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30,000 Monkies is a 4-piece from Belgium. They play a unique style of stoner/ noise/ doom & heavy riff-oriented rock music. Inspired by bands like The Melvins, Sonic Youth & Kyuss. "Womb Eater Wife Beater" takes us on a weird, experimental trip filled with evil riffs & psychotic thrills. I just love the atmosphere on this EP; It sounds fresh, heavy & evil while staying true to a distinct & original image. I'm thinking in the line of recent underground DIY artists like Megachurch or The Christpunchers . Bands that are able to create their own sound while leaving room to the imagination of the listener (with the help of conceptual touches for example). 30,000 Monkies definitely conquered a special place in my messed up musical brain. Already looking forward to absorb more sonic madness from these guys. Hear it to believe it! 30000monkies.bandcamp.com 30,000 Monkies on Facebook MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Hesper Payne - The Strange Tale Of Samuel Gonzalez (2012)

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Hesper Payne describes itself as a death doom band, hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne on the north-east coast of England. To label this band as stricktly "death/ doom" would be quite wrong & absolutely right at the same time. This is no Winter, Autopsy, Coffins, Hooded Menace,... but there are refined elements of death metal in here. I think Hesper Payne is an oddball creature amidst different genres of heavy music. These guys are the weird, slimy, Lovecraftian tale of doom, death, stoner, sludge & progressive metal. Behold their eccentric artwork & hear their filthy experimental style on their latest EP: The Strange Tale Of Samuel Gonzalez. This one grabbed me instantly after hearing it on Bandcamp. The first track sounds like a swampy bastard child of Baroness & Mastodon, followed by 'Ospreys Jar'. A dark, sludgy riff monster following in the footsteps of (early) Morbid Angel. 'Litany Of The Drowners' left me with a haunted feeling & ends

The Eternal Twilight - Another Quiet Day (2011)

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Here's an unusual request from India. "The Eternal Twilight" is a drone/ ambient project that makes highly serene & immersive music (check out the video below!). It's a little short, but this is some damn fine minimalistic & beautiful music.. Sit back, enjoy & get a warm fuzzy feeling in the cold winter days. "Another Quiet Day" is sophomore effort and EP by now, multi national ambient/drone/post-rock/ethereal band, The Eternal Twilight. It will officially, mark as the first release as a 4 men band and all members belonging to different countries. theternaltwilight.bandcamp.com theeternaltwilight.tk MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

King Bong - Alice In Stonerland (2010)

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Experimental psyched-out jams from Milan, Italy. Some great, pure & raw music that doesn't take itself too seriously. Gotta love it... “Alice In Stonerland” has been recorded live, as usual, as we believe this is the only way to capture the rawness and liveliness of the rituals held in honour of the King Bong. We also decided to experiment a bit. For the first time, under the guide of the beast, we entered the studio with our minds completely free. Nothing had been written or rehearsed, we just pressed the REC button and let the music flow. The result is 34 minutes of improvised music; you may find the audio quality isn't the clearest, but it's free, so don't complain. We hope you’ll enjoy your listening experience of “Alice In Stonerland” as much as we enjoyed playing it. If you like what you hear, you can order this EP for 5€ (including shipping costs)! kingbong.bandcamp.com myspace.com/kingbongofficial MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Felipe Arcazas - Aeolian Processes (2011)

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New EP by Felipe 'Arcazas'. Get this desert beauty to keep yourself warm before Christmas arrives. And hey, don't forget to support this guy so he can make more great music! Here's a track/ vid from the first EP ( Induction To The Subconscious ), posting it again because it's so damn great; arcazas.bandcamp.com facebook page MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

The Christpunchers - Psalms For A New Dark Age (2005)

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Another gem that was missing on here. Pounding, apocalyptic, atmospheric & HEAVY. View the original post of this wonderful band here . "Conceived in 2005, at the dawn of the collapse of Western society and paralleling dark times in the personal lives of the band, 'Psalms' perfectly mirrors these elements in a bleak well of despair and hopelessness. Seeing the crash course of home recording technology met head on with the types who wait to purposely derail the speeding train into a bottomless void of twisted, nauseous doom." Support!: thechristpunchers.bandcamp.com Physical needs: thechristpunchers.com MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Verma - Salted Earth (2010)

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When I first laid my ears on Chicago's 'Verma' I was instantly pleased by a sea of warm, psychedelic vibes... And that's exactly what this band does: giving you a big trippy ear & mind massage. Another fabulous little Bandcamp gem for all to hear... Go read another quick review at prog-sphere . verma.bandcamp.com myspace.com/vermaband MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

The Christpunchers - Black Lung In The Age Of Crime (2011)

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And another stunning monolithic track from The Christpunchers... 'Originally offered up as a mail-order only bonus CD-R to folks who purchased the "Cold Hands" 7" from Unfortunate Miracle Records. This is an updated mix and hot off the hard drive, including original artwork. "Black Lung In The Age Of Crime" clocks in at over 16 minutes, enjoy!' Be sure to get more digital Christpunchers material at thechristpunchers.bandcamp.com MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

The Christpunchers - Conduit (Deprogramming In 3 Phases) (2011)

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3 piece instrumental sludge/doom metal band from Detroit, formed in 2001 by Vince Williams (gits, ex-7000 Dying Rats), Josh Diebel (samples, also ex-7000 Dying Rats *vox*), and Mike Alonso. Here's an incredible, yet highly unknown band in the world of instrumental doom/ sludge. 'The Christpunchers' combine various samples, drone, noise,.. to create a layered & exciting sound that builds to an explosion of massive doom drenched riffs. Think early Isis, Pelican's first EP & the mighty works of Bongripper. A huge & immersive sound, highly recommended! thechristpunchers.bandcamp.com thechristpunchers.com MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Drums Are for Parades - Master (2010)

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I'm glad to present you guys another underground gem from my own country, Belgium (always a rare opportunity). Drums Are For Parades is a band from Ghent, East Flanders. Think Baroness meeting up with The Melvins at a Masters Of Reality concert. This is not necessarily heavy music, but it packs a punch. This refreshing three-piece creates an instrumentally focused carnival of raw, unique, diverse & dirty rock. From sludge to stoner, alternative, experimental, orchestral & post-metal. Everyone should check this out asap! myspace.com/drumsareforparades  drumsareforparades.net MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2 Scans Download

Wiht - The Harrowing Of The North (2011)

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'Wiht' from Leeds, UK (you might remember these guys). The mighty 3 piece returns with their second offering; 'The Harrowing Of The North'. This album takes us on an epic journey through the green fields of 70's driven psychedelica, stoner rock & doom metal. The sound & overall atmosphere could be compared to the (earlier) works of Ancestors & Capricorns with an extra hint of post-metal (Pelican, Russian Circles, Neurosis,..). It's dynamic, refreshing, raw, beautiful & ugly. From the punishing stoner/doom riffs to the wet psychedelic vibes. This one has to be heard! Without a doubt amongst the best instrumental releases for 2011. Wiht has outdone itself with Harrowing Of The North, a potential underground classic in it's kind. Gets better after each listen... Highly recommended!  wihtleeds.bandcamp.com myspace.com/wihtleeds Physical needs & merch: wiht.bigcartel.com MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Felipe Arcazas - Yardang & Freedom (2011)

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Here are some amazing new tracks from solo artist 'Arcazas'. Call him the Brazilian brother of Brant Bjork, a desert worshipping music guru. I absolutely loved his previous EP 'Induction To The Subconscious', quality laid-back desert vibes you can't miss. Check out the original post here . Great to see this man is still producing some wonderful instrumental tunes. Highly recommended! *I compiled these 2 tracks from the free Bandcamp downloads, which you can check out here & here . arcazas.bandcamp.com myspace.com/arcazas MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

A Very Old Ghost Behind The Farm - Primary Septagon (2010)

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'A Very Old Ghost Behind The Farm really mix things up from Electric Wizard drug-fueled stoner-doom to Khanate styled drone-noise to moments of pure nola-sludge metal. The band is a little off-the-wall as some very doomy moments are given a kind of folkie twist that almost like country music gone sludge. It is creepy but at the same time, slighty twisted and quirky. The songs have the typical occult edge you expect from so many doom bands these days but they are constantly throwing you a curve-ball and that is where some of the more traditional doom fans might find this too much to handle. Put it this way, if you think moshing and doom shouldn't go together, you might want to stay clear of this album. There is a lot of mid-tempo chugging which is not that unusual for a doom act to throw into the mix but they also blend into up-tempo, in-your-face aggressive parts that are like Eyehategod on speed. Yes, it pushes the doom envelope a little bit too much in parts but I dig the alb

Same Road - Sensem Przekaźnika Jest Przekaz (2011)

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'It's space, kraut, fuzz, wah, psychedelic, stoner, noise. Recorded live in 2 microphones in our rehearsal room. No editing. Engineering by ourselves. Jams from September/October 2010. This is how we really sound.' - sameroadnoise.blogspot.com Posted these guys back in 2010 , this is their latest self-released/ recorded album. Some really experimental jams to chill out. Lots of wah-wah, long spacey riffs,.. Quite simple but highly effective. Check it out! MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Hijos de Mayo - In Sound Underground (2011)

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'Hijos de Mayo is a 4-piece band from Eindhoven, the Netherlands. They play stonernoisepostrock / poststonernoiserock: heavy riffs and grooves, screeching noise and psychedelic atmospheres. Hijos de Mayo started out as an instrumental band in 2006. In the beginning of 2007 they recorded and self-released their first instrumental minialbum. 2008 brought Part 1 of The 4-Track Tape Adventures, the first recording to feature Boukje (voice and noise). Near the end of 2008 drummer Joost decided to stop. He left and Ivo came to replace him. In May 2011 Hijos de Mayo released their first full album In Sound Underground.' Another Dutch piece of greatness. Hijos de Mayo is an odd band, a mysterious trip in alternative, psychedelic, noise & post-rock with some solid female vocals, quite a popular thing these days. In Sound Underground is a mighty good offering. Heavy, interesting stuff with some great structures & build-ups through the songs. Go check it out & decide for yours

Felipe Arcazas - Induction To The Subconscious (2011)

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Here's another gem from Bandcamp, this is the debut EP by the Brazilian solo artist Felipe Arcazas. He produces that laid-back, psychedelic desert sound we all love. Following in the footsteps of Brant Bjork, Kyuss, Yawing Man,... Aside from the desert worship, this EP also has a more sci-fi space rock vibe to it, kinda reminded me of Secret Saucer & early Farflung (just check out the vid). 5 tracks of warm, minimalistic desert grooves from outer space... Check out the Bandcamp page below for more formats! arcazas.bandcamp.com myspace.com/arcazas MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2

Ethereal Riffian - Shaman's Visions (2011)

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Badass psychedelic stoner/ doom from Kiev, Ukraine. Featuring one of our own blogsphere heroes: Stonezilla ( Sludge Swamp , The Robust Fellow , stonerrock.ru ). Ethereal Riffian creates a massive sound with some interesting (and welcome) experimental turns. There are some huge, slow pounding riffs in here, pieces of rock 'n roll, psyched out om -esque vibes, a warm breeze of native flute & drum work, dirty southern solo's... This is a package everyone can love, a 30-minute stoner/doom epic divided into 5 parts, each with an equally great taste. Get this now! Thanks to Stonezilla (and of course the rest of the band) for contributing, keep up the good work! Go visit The Swamp & Sludgelord for more writings about this great album. etherealriffian.bandcamp.com myspace.com/etherealriffian MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2 Scans Download

Self-preservation - Cleanse (2010)

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Fresh post/ doom metal from Quebec, Canada. An interesting listen from a new band who experiments with a layered, atmospheric & dynamic sound. Depressing, mellow, dark, but also light & refreshing. This demo has a rather clean/ sterile sound, from the instruments to the samples that go with it. It takes us somewhere between post-rock & doom metal. Good start! myspace.com/selfpreservationofficial self-preservation.bandcamp.com soundcloud.com/self-preservation MP3@320Kbps Download or Download 2