Benighted Leams

One mans vision is another mans toilet. In this case the UK's Benighted Leams straddled the fence quite a bit in its interesting 4 album (thus far) career. At times laughably bad, at times incredibly brilliant in atmosphere creation. Xul lets you be the jury. Obombrid Welkens is definitely the highlight where it all seemed to be coming together. But each album has its own unique features. Necro black in spirit only, BL approached the subject from way out parts of the cosmos. No one sounding quite like em'.

THE FAME OF A DEAD MANS DEEDS

Changes

Forefathers of the neofolk world, the music of changes is a stripped down affair of acoustic guitar and vocals. This is folk music in its very essence. Old hippies that dabbled with various occult organizations? Sure.. and they were there back when these movements were a fresh approach to American counter-culture. But really, what more do you ask from artists than some sincerity in the art that they create? Changes has that sincerity aplenty. Definitely a relaxing band to listen to.. which wouldn't be far removed from one of the better coffee house folk acts you may bump into in a decent scene. The message has that timeless feel that indeed sums up their name. The fascination of seeing time move on, cycle upon cycle, generation after generation. The explorations of men moving through life and developing their wisdom as time marches on. Start with "Fire of Life" for sure.

ALL THE TOKENS OF ANGUISH THAT MOURN YESTERDAY

NKVD-Diktatura

This is the soundtrack to some of the worlds most recognized men. A hymn to men who weren't below slapping a woman and telling her to shut the fuck up. Or below slapping the entire world in the face and putting it in its place. This is a soundtrack of tyranny and hatred. Glory shall always rest with these fallen heroes.

crush the weak

Loss-Life without hope... Death without reason

Loss is the soundtrack to your lonely pathetic life. The pain you feel inside can only intensify until you fill that gap with someone you think loves you. Then they throw you to the curb like so many crushed cans and discarded needles. As you wallow in your misery Loss will cradle you in its hateful embrace. You will come to realize that your misery can be fed from and grown upon. From that a new person is born. One of hate and disgust.

find the vein

Canaan

The continued evolution of Ras Algethi resulted in the creation of Canaan. Leaving behind their doom metal ways they kept the sound and qualities of RA, but morphed it with some gothic, darkwave and ambient experimenting. Again, you can see a clear link to Into The Pandemonium era Celtic Frost at times via the Monumentum influence. But that is only as a distant guide post. For Canaan have come so much farther. There is an undeniable romantic quality floating through the music of Canaan... Which gives way to loss when they work on the ambient textures in their earlier works. Brand New Babylon sees the band beginning to morph again into a more gothic act. Really, done quite well. Xul offers you the first 3 albums of Canaan. Start with Walk Into My Open Wound.


A SONG FOR PAIN

Armagedda

One of the greatest Black Metal bands to come out of Sweden in the last 15 years, sadly now split up but still active in other projects/bands.

Here Xul presents their final album, a serious and dark to the point piece of material, sure Armagedda worship early 90's Darkthrone, but they have studied well and pull it off better than most other bands could only dream of.

This doesn't make them unoriginal at all, it's like listening to that friend of a friend, but the best thing to do, is get to know them yourself, and I'm sure after a day you won't even be thinking too much about the Darkthrone influence.

ONLY TRUE BELIEVERS

Deathmoor

From Russian with love.
Deathmoor play some worthwhile BM here, nothing totally new, but at times their sound reminds me of early Gontyna Kry, not everyone is going to be able to hear this, but if you do, then well done, now piss off.
Dead Shining World