Deafest & Cynd split

Artist: Deafest & Cynd
Album: split
Genre: Black Metal
Year: 2009
Origin: USA

I really don't know anything about these two bands, except that they play nature-lovin' black metal with a depressive tone. Coniferous by Deafest is the stand-out track in my opinion. This album is nothing groundbreaking, but it's some quality underground music.

Sorry the description isn't better, I'm sick. :C

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Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us

Artist: Black Moth Super Rainbow
Album: Eating Us
Genre: Psychedelic
Year: 2009
Origin: USA

This is the newest release from Black Moth Super Rainbow, a modern psychedelic rock band. The music is laden with enough obviously-synthetic fuzziness to earn the electro tag from me, but to quote the last.fm page, "all are lovingly played by real people with real hands." The melodies can take on a strange melancholy, but it's the sadness of losing one's way in a confused and stoned haze rather than a feeling of anything really depressing. It's really chill, somehow indie-based music, and I recommend it to any post-rock fans.

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Wes Montgomery - Full House

Artist: Wes Montgomery
Album: Full House
Genre: Jazz
Year: 1962
Origin: USA

Wes Montgomery might just be the greatest guitarist jazz music has ever seen. His trademark thumb-plucking technique and wonderful solos make this one of my favorite jazz recordings. Normally I wouldn't appreciate the inclusion of several takes of the same song, but with Wes each track is a unique delight.

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The 241ers - Murderers

Artist: The 241ers
Album: Murderers
Genre: Folk Punk
Year: 2008
Origin: USA

The mysteriously named 241ers (some New York thing I guess?) were formed from members of the Stockyard Stoics among other underground punk groups, which is probably what first got my interest. They play acoustic folk-punk though, with the angry-drunk vocal stylings and anarchist lyrics that make the genre work for me.

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Wrath of the Weak - Wrath of the Weak & Persse

Artist: Wrath of the Weak
Album: Wrath of the Weak
Genre: Black Metal
Year: 2006
Origin: USA

Minimalist, fuzzy, dense, intriguing black metal. For fans of Paysage d'Hiver, Darkspace, Lurker of Chalice, Weakling, Wolves in the Throne Room.

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EDIT: by request, here's Wrath of the Weak's new ep!


Artist: Wrath of the Weak
Album: Persse
Year: 2009
Origin: USA

I finally listened to this new EP, and I am enjoying it a lot. It seems to focus a lot more on the repetitive, ambient drone aspects, similar in some ways to Menace Ruine, though without the vocals and more of a black metal foundation.

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Gorguts - Obscura

Artist: Gorguts
Album: Obscura
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Year: 1998
Origin: Canada

This album is filled with technical weirdness and wankery to the max. It's one of the more unique death metal releases I've come across, and though it seems like it is somewhat influential, I don't think anybody has done something quite like this since. The note progressions are unintuitive and jarring, but I can't help thinking there is a complex mathematical order to the music. I really think everyone should at least have the experience of listening to the song The Faceless Ones - it just might be my favorite death metal song ever written. 9 metal-archives reviewers gave this album an average of 93%.

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Mephiskapheles - God Bless Satan

Artist: Mephiskapheles
Album: God Bless Satan
Genre: Ska (-punk)
Year: 1994
Origin: USA

Satanic ska! God Bless Satan has become one of my favorite ska (-punk) albums over the last couple years. The song-writing is excellent and very horn-focused, and the lyrics are humorous and sung with a unique voice. Many of the songs give me the urge to get up and dance to the swingin', blazin'-fast rhythms. All the tracks are catchy and fun, but Doomsday stands out as my favorite ("wu-wu-wu-wu-what's this button for?").

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