Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1

Black metal has always been here, just kind of lurking the background with a very dedicated (and somewhat small) fanbase. A lot of people view it as a joke thanks to album covers that seem more like some Juggalos with an interest in Photoshop and a bunch of kids in Norway burning churches down. Don’t let that discourage you from the new, young rising scene in America with great bands like Nachymystium. They strip away the make up and tomfoolery and bring great atmospherics and progressive tendencies to black metal’s usual and typical ideology of guitar-bass-drums and recording in lo-fi. They still do all this but because of their use of keyboards, electronics and other things, they refuse to be labeled as black metal. The guitars and bass can be seen as shoegazey a lot of the time, just walls and waves of distorted madness with machinegun drums and double bass. All the while incorporating keyboards and ambient sounds, making it akin to post-metal sometimes but never quite crossing the line. I want to call it Merzbow meets Emperor or Zombi meets Darkthrone but those comparisons fall short as most do and don’t encompass all the things they are trying to accomplish or maybe they overshoot, you be the judge.
For Fans Of: Wolves In the Throne Room, Darkthrone, early Mayhem, Celtic Frost

Suggested Tracks:
2. Assassins – Very by-the-book black metal to start things off. Demonic vocals, walls of guitar, fast drums. Track 1 is a good intro but not necessary.
3. Ghosts of Grace – A pretty accessible song compared to most, catchy music, vocals still pretty growly but the hooks are there.
5. Your True Enemy – Absolutely angry and brutal, everything is going full force, leaving no earspace empty, they throw in a sick guitar solo too.
6. Code Negative – A great semi-post metal jam. Whispering vocals, complex drums, although the song as a whole is more mellow. Great guitar solo once again.
8. Seasick Pt. 1: Drowned At Dusk – The beginning of a 3 parter. Mellow, spacey, vikingy, nice little jam, not too busy.
9. Seasick Pt. 2: Oceanborn – Maybe my favorite of the 3 parts because of the guitar/saxophone (YES, saxophone) intertwining. Pretty short so play with Pt. 1 and/or or 3 as well.
10. Seasick Pt. 3: Silent Sunrise – The blackness returns on this one, vocals are back (and multiple) but the music is still laidback compared to previous tracks. A good ending to a 3 part epic.

Mastodon - Leviathan

Mastodon’s follow-up to their impressive debut LP, Remission, kept all the promise that their previous release showed. It changed only slightly from the first one (but is very different from releases after this) as they were pushing some new limits in the new and upcoming metal scene. They gave a few concessions for Leviathan to be more accessible to a larger audience and it definitely worked. They still have their multiple vocalists attack and Brann Dailor’s jazz-influenced, complex as fuck drumming is still in all its glory, and the album as a whole does a good job telling the story of Moby Dick with great intensity and fervor to show what a great (almost) concept album should be. They reach for heavier heights and succeed as well as more progressive (and maybe catchier/poppier) ones. You can hear the music as a whole and be thoroughly impressed but if you hunker down and focus on each element, it’s even more remarkable. Mixing elements of any and all of the heavier genres. Mixing elements of thrash, hardcore, sludge, death and doom, they are almost the perfect amalgamation of all of metal’s best qualities. They went even more progressive and accessible after this release so check out this integral turning point of their discography.

For Fans Of: Slayer, Celtic Frost, Black Sabbath, High On Fire

Suggested Tracks:

1. Blood and Thunder – A good song to start off with, sick riff, angry, good headbanger.

3. Seabeast – One of the calmer, more accessible songs and vocals. Great drums and guitar work.

5. Iron Tusk – This is one chunky, meaty riff. Love the double bass.

6. Megalodon – One of the more complex songs on the album, post-hardcore leads into thrash by way of southern rock lick.

8. Aqua Dementia – Opens up with jazz-metal-fusion drums and great noodling from both guitarists and turns into 80’s harcore/thrash. Touches of sludge/doom thrown in for good measure.

Zach Hill

Drummer from Hella and about a million other things releases his first true solo album and I would have to say that it will be in my top 5 at the end of the year. His drumming style is so fucking ridiculous and is on every track, he never tries to hide his talent while still making his own version of pop music. Like if Hella and the Flaming Lips had a band together. Plenty of guest stars from The Advantage, Deftones, Les Claypool, Marnine Stern, No Age and some others. 2CDs, the second being an epic song called Necromancer which is mostly just free jazz piano and Hill's drums. This is a new stage, kind and take on accessible music.

Zach Hill - Dark Art

http://www.myspace.com/zachhillmusic

Daleth

A one man sludge band. That feels weird to say but there is nothing bad about this in the least. Daleth is just that. One man has made a perfect sludge record and all by himself. I really don't have anything to say because this has left me speechless. Download and rock out.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mtkpwegud6j (Daleth - Split w/ Blue Shift; Daleth tracks only)
http://rapidshare.com/files/78714837/daleth_-_lusitania_disc_1.rar (Daleth - "Lusitania")
http://www.myspace.com/dalethmusic
http://dalethmusic.blogspot.com

Sebastien Grainger

I have always been one for the danceable yet undeniably heavy tunes of Death From Above so I was excited when I heard about Sebastien (drummer/lead singer) making a new solo project. What has come of it is a terribly boring attempt at being more accessible and melodic. I always knew that Saddle Creek bands are sad bastards and mellow but never did I think that they would water down such a hard rocking dude. It has moments where I think it's about the take off (like the last 30 seconds of Ways To Come Home) but not only does it end abruptly, it never gets past about 55% intensity. 

Now I'm not saying that all sad bastard music is bad. I like my fair share of it (Horse Feathers for example) but even his attempt at that seems half assed. His production methods have always impressed me with a new take on the "Wall of Sound" but not only does it not work here, I don't even know if it applies. I will say that Map Of The World is a high point because of the guitar work and the groove that they work into (you can listen as I have posted it below). Otherwise, disappointment galore.

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains - Map Of the World

Chingalera - Dose

I think long songs are both underrated and overrated. People consider them epics when they are really just showcases for a certain person, not a band. But because of their length people seem to pass them off as worth while songs in today's music biz. Chingalera's shortest song is around 8 minutes long but they work as a band in such a great way that it doesn't matter. These are great progressive and sludgy metal. They have touches of post rock in there but their riffs are great and even the last song has something to be said with guest vocals from members of Circle Jerks, Goatsnake and It's Casual. This is their second album but already they have a reputation among some of the best bands around. These songs actually are epic and definitely rock but can definitely chill out too. The best of both worlds.

For Fans Of: Melvins, Mono, Russian Circles, Harvey Milk, Black Sabbath

Get the album HERE.

http://www.chingalera.org/
http://www.myspace.com/chingalera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jva4IjsWTn8

Apache - Boomtown Gems

There are very few bands that I like that considered "punk". Vibrators, Buzzcocks, Bad Brains, Ramones, and maybe a couple more. Proto-punk is more my style but whatever you want to classify Johnny Thunders and New York Dolls under, then put Apache right there with them. One part punk, one part glam, one part attitude and one part partying. There were times when I was first listening to this album that I thought the song could have been a cover of one of these classic bands but it's all Apache, all original. They formed from the ashes of former bands The Cuts and Genghis Khan and they were signed before even learning a song and having broken limbs. This is good rock'n'roll for your trip across the country or for your dance party.
For Fans Of: Johnny Thunders, New York Dolls, Iggy/The Stooges, getting down


Get the album HERE.

http://www.myspace.com/sfapache
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H89bVj6r3s