SUNWHEEL - INDUSTRY OF DEATH

I've waited...5-6 years for this?

Ordered it over a year ago and it arrived yesterday...

So if you don't know this band, think Kataxu and early Emperor with a large sound, polished high class keys and deep vocals.
Hunt down the EP that laid the way for this one.

Fukk off.
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De Silence et d'Ombre - 3: The Fall

If you're a follower of this blog you'll know of this French act.
Space being the issue at hand, and the music following that in a dark, powerful and haunting way.
So this is the new album, and if you enjoyed the previous works, you'll most certainly dig this.
If you didn't, no one gives a fukk, go to another blog.
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Nachtmystium - Addicts Black Meddle Part II

Nifty, spacey, post-black metaly, great.

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Lantlôs - .neon

With Lantlôs one of the most cryptic bands from the fields of Post-Black Metal is making its debut for Prophecy. After their highly acclaimed 2008 debut album, their sophomore .neon is due to be released soon.

In six psychotically gaudy sound studies, Lantlôs unfold a misty array of lost sounds and forlorn words, a depressive manifesto of contemporary Post-Black Metal. As barely any other band before them, Lantlôs manage to conjure the disturbing feeling of being cut off from the world, and they do so by employing grey walls of sound full of madness, desperation, and hopelessness. Caustic and furious, hazy and dragging, and with the psychedelic playfulness of Post Rock, Lantlôs set to music abstract perceptions such as a flight from reality or the search for support in surreal deliriums.

Their music could be compared to the French pioneers of Post-Black Metal, Amesoeurs and Alcest. Hence it’s no wonder that Neige, musician with both these groups, contributes his heart-wrenching screams to the sound of Lantlôs. Moreover, his band-mate Fursy is responsible for the album’s excellent artwork.

Sublime, tragic, desolate ... ".neon" is a musical painting, as surreal as depressive, as elegiac as grey.

- Prophecy Productions

I've been waiting and looking forward to this since it was announced.

You can also find their first album within the Xul archive.

These nights were ours

Truppensturm - Salute To The Iron Emperors

One of the best Black/War Metal bands active today, great production, no-fukking around riffs and simply killer atmospherics.
Truppensturm just don't hang around or kunt about, they steamroll over your parents and rape your grandfather, because he was undoubtedly a member of the Jew.

Armed & Commanded

Countess - Burning Scripture

New album from this long running classic band. With Countess, you know more or less what you're going to get with each album, so you don't need some long winded report on metaphors to sum it up... it's just this... Lo-fi and simple songs that have a charm of their own that no one else can replicate. Don't know about their orthodox black metal? Then check it out or don't. Orlok don't give a fukk either way.

BURNING SCRIPTURE

Menace Ruine - Union of Irreconcilables

As seen and heard in the early days of Xul, we have these Canadians back with a brand new album.

Adding elements of neo-folk and industrial/noise touches to the mix, we find ourselves with a unique album.

The sound hasn't changed, just the amount of colours used to paint with.

Another interesting album for you to ponder, gaze into the abyss and seek answers as to why you're still alive.

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Hell Militia - Last Station on the Road To Death

New album from one of France's 'Super Groups' featuring someone from most of the important French BM bands and so on.

Not a bad album, might take abit of getting used to.
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Blood of Kingu - Sun in The House of The Scorpion

New blistering album from the Hate Forest camp.

This time around the vocals are full on HATE FOREST, WHICH KILLS.

The music is neat and tired, aggressive but clear, not as grim as HF but still grim enough.

This band came about obviously so they could carry on where Sorrow left off, just without the NSBM tag. The song writing is alot better too, not that HF had shit music, just a different approach.

Killer album, don't waste any time for this solid foundation of fury and wisdom.
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Watain - Lawless Darkness

Now I'm no Watain fan, but I wanted to hear this, and well...it's not so bad, not bad at all.
At over 70 minutes this is abit of a mammoth album, this certainly isn't 'Black Metal Reborn' as the band have been trying to claim it is.
This is just Sworn To The Dark part II, and better with it, probably what that album should have been.

Kiss of Death

Lightning Swords of Death - The Extra Dimensional Wound

USBM from the West Coast.
I'd heard of this band from a split earlier this year with Valdur, which featured four tracks by LSOD, all appear on this full length, re-recorded with a thicker more professional sound ready for war.
Krushing Black Metal that takes no prisoners, and if it did, it would simply hold them captive to give false hope of release before death by hanging and clubbing.

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Circle of Ouroborus + Crooked Necks - Ruins of Ressurection (Split)

More distant messages from CoO which from my previous posts, you know I'm quite fond of them...and introducing Crooked Necks who are more into the whole post BM thing, CoO being the highlight for me, however Crooked Necks are still worth a few moments of your time.

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Todesstoß - Abwegnis 121

Wroth Emitter Productions continues introducing us the works of unremitting actor of underground culture whose psychotraumatic music is as unique as for example the works of CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS, those made split with him some months ago. It should to be mentioned that his music is transforming from album to album into canvas much painful, infernal, obscene for the philistine's ears (each song of TODESSTOSS can be correlated with canvas drawn by Martin Lang or other insane painter).
The new work called ABWEGNIS 121 continues the transformation began in Wurmer Zu Weinen, namely escape from definite structure (padded out melodiousness is the consequence), using more terrific painful vocals and unpredictable sound moves. But in Wurmer Zu Weinen there seems to be some kind of monotony of vandalism taking place over listener, ABWEGNIS 121 contains various transformations, as the album consists of several parts recorder in several sessions.

The album begins from already known canvas from 2006 demo (Pantherwelle), where the transition to the new level of music only began. Then 2 songs follow, one of them being new, another one being taken from 2008 demo (Vogelmann), that was issued as 42 handnumbered tapes thus it was not available for most listeners. Structure and sound of these songs show the transformation mentioned above. There acoustic psycholullaby with clean vocals follow. It does relax one a little before 2 final canvas (12 and 16 minutes appropriately). The first one is new, second one is also taken from Vogelmann demo. The structure of first one is characterized by the new transformation with continuosly changing rhythms and the mockery over own voice, second one being the hypnotic immersion into the depths of insanity. Constant and accurate rhythm and clean, calm and sometimes deep voice does help. And in the end of the trip piano sounds appear and turn back the listener to the world of something definite and understandable. But only for the short time...



This is the kind of release Xul is all about.
Something that makes the common man bite the back of his chair through fear of understanding the black mind of madness, and dare we whisper, knowing that once this album runs out, common man will futher seek the devils advice and masturbate in the face of God.

Download At Once

Caïna - Temporary Antennae

Most fans of this type of music will know of this band, and of what to expect so just get on with it.

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Draugadrottinn - Where The Sea Gives Up Its Dead

Heathen themes and lots about ships and sailing, somewhat Burzumic, somewhat NSBM, topped off with a sprinkling of shoegaze with a nice murky production.

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1349 - Demonoir

The latest album by Norsenerd Idols 1349.
I've been scratching my chin over posting this or not, and as you may be able to tell, I have chosen to.
Why?
I'm still not sure, but I do know that I've listened to this three times so far, which is alot considering the amount of other crap I have awaiting review and verdict.
Each song has its own intro, an atmospheric instrumental passage dedicated to sucking you in before smashing you off your computer chair.
Compared to what this band used to do I've found this release a decent listen, their last album was different to this and what came before both, but this is somewhat more familiar only better.
This is a love them or hate them band, so this album will pretty much be on the same path.
Or you can be like me, not care and just listen.
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Dinner Auf Uranos - 50 Sommer - 50 Winter

I'd been keeping a close eye on the release of this album, simply because it was being released on Cold Dimensions(Lunar Aurora, Graupel, Trist).
We have an album that is split into two sections. The first three songs being '50 Sommer' and the last three being '50 Winter'.
Mature, German speaking progressive modern Rock is the order of the day, which at times can wear you down, slumped in your chair with no consideration for tomorrow, or the passing minutes...just cigarette stains on your lips and empty bottles at your feet.
There is a darkness to all of this, which is subtle and will show itself only to the seasoned listener, so sit back, download and wallow in your own black mood.

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Bloodhammer - Monastery of Thousand Blackened Lusts

Thrashy ugly Black Metal from Finland.
Mainly enjoyable for the cover art.
At just over 15 minutes, there's not much to get bored with here.
Oh and this is a reissue(2010)
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Mystérion - The Sacral Chamber

Info to follow.

For now, listen...

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Amestigon - Sun of All Suns

AT FUKKING LAST

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