Hooded Menace - Fulfill The Curse

2008, Razorback Records

1.	Rotting Rampage (Menace of the Skeletal Dead)	05:20
2.	Fulfill the Curse	06:55
3.	Grasp of the Beastwoman	06:41
4.	Laboratory of Nightmares	06:10
5.	Beauty and The Feast	07:01
6.	The Eyeless Horde	05:51
7.	The Love Song of Gotho, Hunchback of the Morgue	05:44
8.	Arcane Epitaph	05:43
9.	Theme From Manhattan Baby	03:07

This Finnish band has made waves with their debut album, and for good reason - it takes influence from early 90's death/doom greats like Winter, Autopsy, Paradise Lost, etc, and adds in a hint of Candlemass-esque melodies. The result is pretty astounding, and truly satisfying for any fan of old school death/doom!

Download

Necrony - Pathological Performances

1993, Poserslaughter Records

1.	Rigor Mortis Sets In	01:30
2.	Dexterous Embryectomy	04:42
3.	Submassive Necrosis Disgorgement	04:38
4.	Gynopathological Excav-Eater	03:54
5.	Accumulation Of Exudate	04:15
6.	Ocular Obliteration	06:11
7.	Pro-Rectal Carnage	03:50
8.	Excavated, Eviscerated And Emaciated	04:37
9.	Effervescing Discharge of Putrescent Corpulence	03:25
10.	The Squirming Worms	06:25
11.	Acute Pyencephalus And Cerebral Decomposure	07:08
12.	Funeral Ferocity	02:05

Necrony was a death metal band from Sweden, and featured members who would later form grind legends Nasum. Necrony displays more of the technical playing of these young Swedes, and is comparable to Carcass (Symphonies/Necroticism era) mixed with their peers in Swedish death metal (Carnage, Entombed, etc). Goregrind, technical death metal, and Nasum fans alike are urged to hear this if they haven't yet.

Download

Anael - From Arcane Fires

2008, Paragon Records

1.	Devil's Tongues	12:06
2.	She is ever a Moon	06:04
3.	Down Winding Stairs	10:01
4.	Blood & Honey	05:29
5.	Song of the Moth	09:59
6.	All Souls' Night	10:31
7.	Mûspilli	07:13

Germany’s Anael have certainly come a long way since their initial Samael-heavy sound. Only previously hearing 2003’s split with Lust previously, I was not prepared for “From Arcane Fires”, although I was well informed how much the band’s style had evolved. Anael play a much richer, more textured, and more varied style of black metal than they ever have before.

One could argue that this is similar to where bands like Alcest are going, playing shoegaze with a black metal tinge. This is quite the opposite. “From Arcane Fires” may appear to have some softer moments, but the actual riff phrasing, melodies, and overall atmosphere are stunningly sinister. Not only that, it was recorded live - so this isn’t overdubbed to hell with sappy effects. In other words, Anael trumps a lot of bands that try to add some sort of shoegaze influence.

Compared to “On Wings of Mercury”, the faster, more abrupt predecessor to this record, Anael has really let their songs breath more, and have benefited greatly in the songwriting department due to this. Each song has its own dynamics to it, interacting in interesting catch-and-release patterns. “She Is Ever A Moon”, for example, has traces of their Samael influence still with parts of droning simplicity, but keep it fresh in their own sound.

Much of Anael’s unique sound has much to do with their phrasing techniques. The melodies have a lot in common with middle eastern or other exotic scales, and Anael use this to their advantage to create a very eerie atmosphere, as seen in “Down Winding Stairs” where they are used to build up to aggressive blast beat sections. This song alone has some of the most stand out riffs on the record, even including some fantastic bass work to boot.

The production on this recording is very organic and natural sounding. As I mentioned, it was recorded live, so there’s no real bullshit here. You can make out the bass lines quite easily, the guitars are at a relaxed place in the mix, and the drums sound as if you were standing there. For the style achieved here, the live production fits perfectly - even if it’s warm for a black metal album.

Anael have made a real standout record, and it manages to stay evil and avoid the pitfalls that many other bands trying to add some progressive elements to their black metal fall into (ie: Nachtmystium). The key is in the arrangements, and “From Arcane Fires” contains some finely composed tunes. I will certainly be keeping my eye on them as they’ve proven to progress in an interesting way.
(from NIHILITY)

Download

Sleep - Volume One

1991, Tupelo Records

1. Stillborn (6:18)
2. The Suffering (5:12)
3. Numb (3:30)
4. Anguish (5:37)
5. Catatonic (6:04)
6. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream (4:47)
7. The Wall of Yawn (5:32)
8. Prey (3:46)
9. Scourge (5:02)

Volume One is the debut album by the stoner doom band, Sleep. It was the only album recorded with original guitarist Justin Marler, before he became an Orthodox monk. Volume One showcases a darker sound and stronger doom metal influence than Sleep's later work. The image featured on the cover is taken from the Salvador Dali painting "Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon".
-Wikipedia

Download

Wiht - Self Titled EP

2009, DIY

1. Into Ruin (16:20)
2. ...And The Thunder Rolls (9:14)
3. Vasta (16:26)

Wiht are a brand new stoner doom outfit from Leeds and present their first offering in the form of Into ruin, …And the thunder rolls and Vasta. Bleary eyed grooves and bludgeoning pessimistic peaks combined with the ever present quest for the holy riff culminates in a tasty yet filthy pie of its own pedigree.

Over 40 minutes of slow, atmospheric, minimalistic music for fans of Sleep, Earth, Neurosis, and Pelican
-Myspace

Download

Noothgrush - Erode The Person

2006, Throne Records

1. A People Defeated Will Never Be United (5:27)
2. Made Uncomfortable By Others Pain (3:58)
3. Flee From Hunger & Disease (2:18)
4. Diseased Mammal (3:41)
5. Stagnance (4:35)
6. Deterioration (9:03)
7. Oil Removed (3:29)
8. The Slave (5:27)
9. Erode The Person (10:47)
10. Hatred For The Species (5:58)
11. Draize (13:52)
12. Starvation (5:12)
13. Strawberry Shortcake And Friends Holding Hands And Going Around the Gazebo with Custard and Pupcake Watching (0:10)

Noothgrush is a sludge/doom band formed in early 1994 around San Jose, California, USA. Lyrically, they are heavily focused on self-hatred, general misanthropy and Star Wars.

The band name is a reference to the Dr. Seuss book “There’s A Wocket In My Pocket”, where a “noothgrush” appears annoyingly on the main character’s toothbrush.

Noothgrush went on a hiatus in 2001. They briefly resurfaced in 2006, but have now officially called it quits.
-Last.fm

Download

Deceased - Luck of the Corpse

1991, Relapse Records

1.	Fading Survival	02:59
2.	The Cemetary's Full	03:03
3.	Experimenting With Failure	02:25
4.	Futuristic Doom	03:20
5.	Haunted Cerebellum	02:55
6.	Decrepit Coma	03:07
7.	Shrieks From The Hearse	03:24
8.	Psychedelic Warriors	05:15
9.	Feasting On Skulls	03:39
10.	Birth By Radiation	04:20
11.	Gutwrench	01:59

Here is Deceased's first full length offering, and their most death metal oriented release, before they started adding more heavy metal elements to their music. This album is really barbaric and blunt, but contains some really great songs that have punk-esque hooks that are sure to remain in your head (see: "Haunted Cerebellum").

Download

diSEMBOWELMENT - diSEMBOWELMENT (Compilation)

2005, Relapse Records

Disc 1
1.	The Tree of Life and Death	10:25
2.	Your Prophetic Throne of Ivory	07:40
3.	Excoriate	04:44
4.	Nightside of Eden	02:39
5.	A Burial at Ornans	14:38
6.	The Spirits of the Tall Hills	09:22
7.	Cerulean Transience of All My Imagined Shores	10:06
Disc 2
1.	The Tree of Life and Death	09:21
2.	A Burial at Ornans	12:03
3.	Cerulean Transience of All My Imagined Shores	08:29
4.	Extracted Nails	03:49
5.	Intro - Mourning September	02:00
6.	Impoverished Filth	06:49
7.	Extracted Nails	03:18
8.	Thou Messiah	08:26
9.	Outro	01:55

This is a 2CD compilation outlining the career of Australia's diSEMBOWELMENT. Along with Thergothon and Winter, diSEMBOWELMENT were at the forefront of the extreme death/doom scene in the early 90's. Unlike their peers, diSEMBOWELMENT wrote really dynamic songs, ranging from blasting grindcore, slow crawls, and even vocal chants. Disc 1 contains their 1993 full length "Transcending Into The Peripheral", while disc 2 contains EP and demo material. This is essential!

Download

Convulse - World Without God

1992, Thrash Records

1.	Introduction	00:49
2.	World Without God	04:55
3.	Putrid Intercourse	03:22
4.	Incantation of Restoration	03:45
5.	Blasphemous Verses	04:28
6.	False Religion	04:46
7.	Resuscitation of Evilness	03:45
8.	Infernal End	03:34
9.	Godless Truth	03:00
10.	Powerstruggle of Belief	04:01

For the third installment of my Finnish death metal craze comes Convulse. Simply put, these guys are fucking brutal. Relapse Records is reissuing this CD next month, so if you haven't heard this classic, hear it now, and then buy the damned thing!

Download

Disciples of Power - Powertrap

1989, Fringe Records

1.	Shades of Grey	04:40
2.	Powertrap	04:16
3.	Ice Demons	04:04
4.	Slave to No One	03:18
5.	Protector	03:17
6.	Night of the Priest	03:24
7.	Crisis	04:53
8.	Hidden Worlds	03:08

Disciples of Power was one of the first, if not the first extreme metal band to come out of Edmonton. Their debut, "Powertrap", is a fine display of technical thrash metal. They got a lot more death metal oriented and increased their technical prowess on later records, but it all starts here. This upload also includes two bonus tracks, "Disciples of Power", and one of my favourite songs, "Bitch of Doom".

Download

Demilich - Nespithe

1993, Necropolis

1.	When the Sun Drank the Weight of Water	03:43
2.	The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)	03:29
3.	Inherited Bowel Levitation - Reduced Without Any Effort	03:22
4.	The Echo (Replacement)	04:27
5.	The Putrefying Road in the Nineteenth Extremity (...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness...)	02:40
6.	(Within) The Chamber of Whispering Eyes	04:12
7.	And You'll Remain... (In Pieces in Nothingness)	03:12
8.	Erecshyrinol	03:17
9.	The Planet That Once Used to Absorb Flesh in Order to Achieve Divinity and Immortality (Suffocated to the Flesh That It Desired...)	03:17
10.	The Cry	03:42
11.	Raped Embalmed Beauty Sleep	03:42

More Finnish death metal, this time from the great Demilich. If you've ever read about technical death metal, this album is sure to pop up. Their only full length to be recorded, Demilich uses a lot of weird rhythms and phrasings in their riffs, as well Carcass-esque low end vocals.

Download

Purtenance - Member of Immortal Damnation

1992, Drowned

1.	Intro	01:40
2.	Black Vision	05:17
3.	Deep Blue Darkness	03:31
4.	Lacus Somniorum	01:29
5.	The Lost Memories	05:24
6.	A Dark Cloud Arises	04:06
7.	In the Misty Morning	04:47
8.	Reality isn't Disappeared	05:16
9.	Misery of the Rebirth	03:37
10.	Crown Waits the Immortal	03:45
11.	John.3.16	03:08

I've been on a real Finnish death metal kick lately, and this band has certainly been one of the best discoveries I've made more recently. The riffs here are fucking brutal, and the vocals add to that brutality. It sounds similar to Craig Pillard in his Disciples of Mockery years, actually. One of the guitarists was in Convulse, another great Finnish death metal band. This was recently reissued on vinyl, so get the mp3s if you missed it.

Download

Om - Conference of the Birds

2006, Holy Mountain Records

1. At Giza (15:52)
2. Flight of the Eagle (17:27)

Om is a duo formed in 2003 by the rhythm section of the disbanded stoner doom metal band, Sleep. The band's first three albums feature Al Cisneros on vocals and bass, and Chris Hakius on drums.

Their music is similar in structure to Tibetan chanting and is rich in rhythm and melody. Their music and lyrics lift off at the beginning and slowly mutate giving a feeling of evolution inside each song. The vocals have a monotone quality, producing, on some tracks, a noticeable hypnotic effect of the sort that tends to be appealing to the devotees of the many various genres of druggishly-bent, “space” music—but which not all music calling itself “stoner rock” necessarily is able to cause. In December 2007, the band performed in Jerusalem, their performance lasting over five hours in duration.
-Last.fm

Download

Pentemple - O))) Presents...

2008, Southern Lord Records

1. Pazuzu 1 (22:28)
2. Pazuzu 2 (20:06)

This group performed on Tuesday 8th May 2007 at The Toff in Town, Melbourne, Australia. It was a one-off improv performance the day before a Sunn O))) & Boris show.

In May of 2007 Sunn O))) embarked on a Pacific Rim tour that included performances in Australia and Japan. The line-up for this tour included the core Sunn O))) duo: Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley plus T.O.S. on Moog, Oren Ambarchi (analogue effects and supplemental guitar) and vocalist Attila Csihar. Upon arrival in Melbourne, Australia, Sunn O))) invited one of their favourite black metal artists: Sin Nanna of Striborg to collaborate with them during their show. This unholy meeting went over very well and the inaugural ritual was a warm-up gig at the Toft in Town club one evening before the larger gig at the Hi-Fi Bar (with brethren: Boris).

The results of this collaboration was a completely improvisational, vicious audio and visual assault on the sold out, standing room only audience! This was among the first time that Sunn O))) had worked with live drums and the outcome was completely unprecedented. The whole event was recorded live to 24-track/multi-track. Afterwards Oren Ambarchi edited, sequenced and overhauled the EQ to make it as brutal as possible. This blackened low-end psychedelic war is not for the faint of heart!
-Last.fm

Download