Cian Nugent, an Irish guitarist versed in the Takoma tradition, drops Doubles on VHF Records. Two sides of steel strings blazing – one in the classic solo style and one with a full-on band rolling along with Cian. To hear that second track, click over to npr.org where it’s being streamed in full by the All [...]
At last, the 2xLP pressing of the newest Necros Christos manifesto. This Berlin horde plays death metal with so many interludes that it isn’t really fair to call them interludes. That may turn off some purists, but the rich instrumentals bookended by crushing, unholy metal of death is what makes this album stand far out [...]
Erik Keldsen’s Immune Recordings has never released a mediocre record, so with an update always comes excitement. The first of three new offerings is the Record Store Day split 7″ between Steve Gunn and Ilyas Ahmed. Gunn’s raga-tinged folk and Ahmed’s gorgeous “gone” experimentalism should be familiar to readers, but if not, investigate immediately. The [...]
Touch Records has once again given an absolute classic album from Johann Johannsson a proper vinyl release. Originally released in 2004 on CD, “Viroulegu Forsetar” is as good as the modern classical genre gets. This hour-long passage (broken into four sides) for eleven brass players, percussion, electronics, organs and piano is truly sublime, cursively blurring [...]
Important Records closes down 2010 in high fashion, releasing awesome new vinyl from Barn Owl (swoon) & The Infinite Strings Ensemble, Chord (featuring Trevor from Pelican) and two new LPs from the enigmatic Eleh, including a split with Ellen Fullman. Barn Owl needs no further explanation on these pages, everything they release is a must-have. [...]
Brian McBride, one-half of cinematic drone kingpins Stars of the Lid, presents a soundtrack tasked with conveying “the gloriousness of the bees, the endurance and hardships of traditional beekeepers, pesticides and the holistic nature of non-industrial agriculture”. A daunting task, no doubt; one which yields sublime results, of course. Those of you who get impatient [...]
Easily one of the most powerful, memorable soundtracks in recent years (seriously, those giant swells about blew me out of my seat in the theater), Hans Zimmer’s “Inception” score is now available on clear vinyl. Not sure how many were pressed, but you can grab it for $21.98 at BecauseSoundMatters.com.
Wolvserpent is a new name to the doom metal canon, but you may be familiar with them operating under the name Pussygutt. Not sure why the name change, but it certainly hasn’t changed the epic and emotional weight of the funeral dirge output from this Boise, Idaho duo. You can stream the new album in [...]
Mr. Blackshaw’s compositions have come along way since his bare and finger-picked guitar stylings on albums of yore. The new arrangements are fully fleshed out with a variety of instrumentation, and All Is Falling marks the first Blackshaw album featuring electric guitar. Say what?! Crazy, I know. The electric revolution can be bought on vinyl [...]
The cult of Mikael grows ever stronger, with new devotional materials being presented in the form of an epic boxset from the mighty Opeth. For approximately $125 you get an analog transcription of Opeth’s most recent double-set stint at the Royal Albert Hall, in which they played the entirety of Blackwater Park followed by a [...]
