arf's april 2022 haul
The rules are simple: I listen to as many albums as possible, and report back to sputnik with a selection. Some will be new releases, some will be old stuff I'm discovering, some will be stuff I already know from long ago that I gave a proper listen again. Aside from personal favs, I'll try to avoid anything that's getting attention otherwise already. |
| 1 |  | Negative Plane
The Pact
Personal AOTM pick. VERY old school (think 80s) sounding black metal; concept album about a Faustian bargain to construct a church. Progressive songwriting and cavernous reverb.
[ black metal / occult rock ]
2022-04-30
https://negativeplane.bandcamp.com/album/the-pact |
| 2 |  | Devil Master
Ecstasies of Never Ending Night
Another old school sounding black metal record. This one is closer to punk in attitude.
[ black metal / punk ]
2022-04-29
https://devilmaster.bandcamp.com/album/ecstasies-of-never-ending-night |
| 3 |  | Erreth-Akbe
A Lantern Swathed
After Fogweaver's Labyrinthine in February, Erreth-Akbe also wrote a Tombs of Atuan themed dungeon synth release. This is a very symphonic sounding and well thought composition (...)
[ dungeon synth ]
2022-04-05
https://erreth-akbe.bandcamp.com/album/a-lantern-swathed |
| 4 |  | Haryon
Memories of Arda
Tolkien-themed epic dungeon synth. Unsurprisingly it sounds like Summoning sans black metal.
[ dungeon synth ]
2022-03-06
https://haryon.bandcamp.com/album/memories-of-arda |
| 5 |  | -S-
Dom, w którym mieszkał Wąż
I, Voidhanger + jazz in tags = certified banger. And who needs guitar when you have a bassist like this?
[ doomjazz ]
2022-04-22
https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dom-w-kt-rym-mieszka-w-a-house-where-dwelled-a-snake |
| 6 |  | Sirom
The Liquified Throne of Simplicity
I've already given this one a full review; I wasn't expecting much but this is a very nice down-to-earth-sounding album of jams played on varied folk instruments from around the world.
[ avant-folk / free jazz ]
2022-04-08
https://sirom.bandcamp.com/album/the-liquified-throne-of-simplicity |
| 7 |  | Bakalina Velika
Zviezdna srebruo
Recorded on various locations throughout Slovenian countryside (including track 7 recorded in a cave with natural reverb) Might be a bit language-barriered but surely everyone can enjoy the rustic European prog-folk on this. And oh yeah, Širom's Samo Kutin plays on this one too.
[ progressive folk ]
2022-04-14
https://bakalinavelika.bandcamp.com/album/zviezdna-srebruo |
| 8 |  | Murderbait
Nostalgia Like Cancer
Dark, brooding, heavy, psychedelic. Vocals remind me of Nick Cave a bit? Very interesting sound combination, it's somewhere between gothic rock and heavy psychedelic rock.
[ psychedelic gothic rock ]
2022-04-23
https://murderbait.bandcamp.com/album/nostalgia-like-cancer |
| 9 |  | Fer de Lance
The Hyperborean
Very epic sounding old school melodic metal, in the vein of Atlantean Kodex. The flair I'd point out is acoustic guitar work that gives it a mysterious ancient feel to it.
[ epic heavy / doom metal ]
2022-04-22
https://ferdelancemetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-hyperborean |
| 10 |  | Grand Belial's Key
Kohanic Charmers
I thought these guys were a good band until I started reading the lyrics. Absolutely sickening. Just want to put it out there that I disliked this video and I will not support this band or any of their fans any longer. This is shameful.
[ antisemitic black metal ]
2022-04-15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nekFQL6H72A |
| 11 |  | Frer
Crepuscular Glare Of Wisdom
Scholarly dungeon synth? Arrangements are quite rich, and polyphonic counterpoint is quite skillfully done.
[ dungeon synth / baroque ]
2022-03-27
https://frer1.bandcamp.com/album/crepuscular-glare-of-wisdom |
| 12 |  | East Portal
East Portal
I don't regret checking this one out - experimental electroacoustic albums are very hit or miss, but I quite like the jazzy clarinet and bass driven ambient on this one. If you like ambient music and minimalist jazz check this one out.
[ experimental / minimal jazz ]
2022-04-08
https://eastportal.bandcamp.com/album/east-portal |
| 13 |  | Beyond the Ghost
Sundown
Futuristic / postapocalyptic dark ambient; though at times I'd say there's too much melody and rhythm for this to really qualify as merely ambient... I could imagine this being a soundtrack to a major studio RPG.
[ dark ambient ]
2022-04-05
https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/sundown |
| 14 |  | Gladenfold
Nemesis
Finnish symphonic cheese. Not much to say about it other than it's well-executed and does its job at being an energetic fantasy themed banger very well.
[ melodeath / power metal ]
2022-04-29
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nFiVpIKhF6Tn3mb4WPt7pYv5ADmR-vgtQ |
| 15 |  | IKARUS (SWI)
Plasma
How much can you strip zeuhl down while keeping its essence? Shoutout to Cimnele for the rec.
[ minimal zeuhl ]
2022-02-25
https://roninrhythmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/plasma |
| 16 |  | Eloa Vadaath
Dead End Proclama
This one is from albums I revisited again this month. Band is similar to Ne Obliviscaris in setup - progressive extreme metal band featuring a violin - though a bit more chaotic and unhinged in delivery (perhaps a bit sloppy at times). I'd note that EVd and NeO are of similar age (their demos came out in 2007, EVd actually released debut LP 2 years before NeO), but while NeO was picked up and made it big, EVd faded back into obscurity and never finished their 3rd album, and doesn't seem to be very well-received. Perhaps it's just another case of me being attracted more to excessively chaotic stuff most don't rate highly.
[ avant-tech-death metal ]
2013-03
https://eloavadaath.bandcamp.com/album/dead-end-proclama |
| 17 |  | Ch'aska
Pururauca
OK now here's two albums I discovered a long time ago when I was looking for exotic folk metal combinations. I kinda enjoyed them back then, but saw it more as a novelty factor than anything else. Recently having revisited them, I gotta say this one is a quite solid death metal record ignoring the andean flutes too, weakest point I would say is the vox.
[ andean folk / death metal ]
2009
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mEUd4dXWoT11wLyVf7DQ5uOeOZGB_iXA0 |
| 18 |  | Guahaihoque
The Return of the Ancient Gods
The other andean folk metal record is closer to black metal; and in my opinion it does a better job at integrating the folk elements into the whole sound.
[ andean folk / black metal ]
2007
https://guahaihoque.bandcamp.com/album/the-return-of-the-ancient-gods |
| 19 |  | Hands (US-TX)
Hands
Very fun baroque symphonic progressive rock. You like Gentle Giant? You're gonna like this one too.
[ symphonic prog ]
1996 (recorded 1977-80)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BT3BeJ067k |
| 20 |  | Univeria Zekt
The Unnamables
Finally I took the time to listen to this one. It's in a way a hidden Magma record, one that didn't fit into the band's discography stylistically (this was after 1001° and before MDK) and was released under a separate name. It's a more accessible and straightforward funky prog than the zeuhl Magma is famous for (though the last track does have some zeuhl spice to it), but no less fun.
[ jazz-rock-funk ]
1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqr0dsxGzw |
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