Words not music.

So no music for this post, instead you get books. Two books in fact, Julian Cope's Japrocksampler and Krautrocksampler. Both are great reads for fans of either style of music or those looking for a place to start. I'm pretty sure these are out of print and very hard to find for a reasonable price so I've included both in the handy PDF format.

Knowledge.

Raw as fuck

That's right, "raw as fuck", that's what Horrid Cross is. Horrid Cross hail from Florida and definitely deliver in the "raw as fuck" category of black metal. This isn't "wailing in the northern moon forest" stuff, this is the ugly basement dwelling stuff with a punk edge to it. I've uploaded the bands three very sold out demo tapes that were released by Irradiated Corpse Records (or some other obscure label), you can try and track down physical copies if you want but I'm sure you'll pay over $40 for each tape. Instead be punk and download them here. Demo 2 is the real winner in my opinion.

RAW AS FUCK

End of the line.

Raw punk rock from Gainesville, Florida. Mauser don't fuck around on this EP. Released (and sold out) by Vinyl Rites. Some copies are probably still floating around distros on the net. Just be punk and download it here if you want.

Social lobotomy.

Don't call Japanese hardcore "Japcore"

Absolutely raging Japanese d-beat/punk/hardcore from Kriegshog. I'm not sure if this LP has been released state side but I wish it was. Turn this one all the way up and blow out your speakers/brains.

Fear the justice.

Overdose

Here's a rip of a one-sided (and sold out) LP from Cleveland's purveyors of sludge/malice Fistula. Ugly name, ugly music.

Destroy yourself.

Bark at the what?

Denver speed/thrash metal band Speedwolf probably like bands like Motorhead a lot. If you also like bands like Motorhead a lot you should check out this here demo tape, which has the wonderful title of Bark At The Poon. It's sold out so don't feel bad downloading it, I'm sure Speedwolf wouldn't mind. They do have a new, and even better, record out via the always awesome Hell's Headbangers though. You should also check that out if you want to bark at some more poon after listening to this.

Deathripper.

A lost soundtrack

Not an actual soundtrack but it sure sounds like one, a soundtrack for an especially awesome 80's Italian post-apocalyptic exploitation film. Matthew Akers' newest (and sold out) tape release via Retrograde Tapes, The Elders Of New Detroit will work as your own personal soundtrack for when you find yourself scouring the scarred wasteland in search of a cache of weapons so you can save the last woman on Earth from sex-craved cannibalistic cultists.

I think that might actually be the plot of a film already, oh well.

And man lives on...

Holy Tripe

If you know me you know I love death metal. Not the over produced bullshit kind, I prefer the down tuned murky style that sounds like it was recorded in some wood paneled basement in 1992. Blessed Offal came to my attention a few months back when I stumbled upon this self titled release on another blog and in turn purchased the (now sold out) tape from No Visible Scars. Ever since then these tunes have been in heavy rotation for me. If you like Incantation or Autopsy or just death metal in general you owe it to yourself to check this out. A CD version has also been released and can be found from the like of Dark Descent.

Ancient Realms Of Anti-Anthropocentrism

Altered Aural States

Ever see the movie Altered States? Well Brainworlds has been releasing music that pretty much serves as a soundtrack to the sensory deprivation tank scenes.

Brainworlds is one Mason Brown from Atlanta who has 6 releases so far (that I know of) under the Brainworlds moniker. Each one consists of two long form songs that in his own words "works to envelop the listener in sheets of meditative sound and delve deep into the subconscious to explore the hidden relationships between the micro and the macro. Towering waves of electric harmony are the vessel in which the journey from myopia is made. Devoid of the constraints of time and gravity, the music of •Brainworlds• floats in the metaphysical realm where mind and universe coalesce."

So, climb into the tank and regress.

I've got scrolls.

Here's a cool demo of atmospheric black metal from the one man band Scroll from Seattle. Super limited release, like 30 tapes only limited, which are now sold out but I happened to grab a copy. Hurray for me.

Now that it's sold out it's up for a free download via said band's bandcamp page. I would definitely recommend checking out.

Relentless Tape Vortex

Killer demo tape titled Relentless Abomination Vortex from German band Beyond. Total old school DM worship, this sounds like something from 1993. Only three tracks but shows a ton of promise. Got my copy from Dark Descent, who may or may not still have some in stock. Detest Records put it out originally, limited to 350 tapes. Awesome art work also.

WHIRLWINDS OF CHAOTIC CARNAGE

A grym cvrved blade

Another tape release, and once again sold out. Two tracks of grym as fvck black metal. There are even some keyboards/synths in there for extra grymness. Came out via Hospital Productions.

Be like lo-fi death.

Deep bummer jams

An album of live Frippertronics from the man himself, Robert Fripp. If you don't know who Robert Fripp is, well then, that sucks. Part of his Soundscapes releases, this album was dedicated to his then recently deceased mother. It goes without saying, even though I am now, that this is some rather somber stuff. The eight tracks of the album definitely convey the emotions of grief and loss, especially the opener "The Cathedral Of Tears".

Get bummed.

Ambient Futures

Another sold out tape release post. Tapes are coming back, just like pogs!

Here we have Slow Futures from the always radical Sundrips. Well, as radical as ambient/drone music can be. Sundrips are rather prolific and have put out quite a bit of material. A lot of that material is (unfortunately) sold out but I'm sure a scouring of the internet could find releases for those willing to track them down.

This release is best experienced through head phones, in the dark, alone.

Zone in then zone out.

Nu Age

Righteous jams for your next journey into your inner self. Sold out cassette release from Brett Naucke via Arbor Infinity, was limited to something like 125 tapes. Naucke also runs the great Catholic Tapes label, you should check that out also.

I've got two copies for some reason, probably for double the self discovery.

Get your spirit crystals out and transcend.

Sorcery, of the pestilent black kind.

Sortilegia from Canada. Pretty sure this is sold out from the label that put it out, Vault Of Dried Bones, but there are probably copies floating around out there. I got mine from Dark Descent.

As for what this sounds like, it's called "Pestilent Black Sorcery", I'm sure you can figure it out.

SORCERY!

Starting over

Let's give it another go.