Jute Gyte - Isolation [2012]

Jute Gyte might just be the second coming of American black metal. Although this one-man (Adam Kalmbach) act's sheer prolificness (18 albums - not all of which are black metal - since 2006 and 10 over the past two years alone - and yes, that is a word - Google says so) might lead the unaware prospective listener into dismissing his work as thoughtless and just churned out for the sake of it, I can assure you that is not the case. No, here, Mr Kalmbach produces a fine collection of riffs, brought together with delightful cohesion to make a fine black metal album. Aside from the ambient title-track, which, to my ears at least, is just futile and does not improve the album at all, every song is a winner (as with all the best albums). Although this won't quite crack my top 10 of 2012 (a fine year for music), it's on the edge of it and well worth a listen.

Bandcamp

Dying Fetus - Destroy The Opposition [2000]

Although Dying Fetus have a large role in unleashing the hordes of shitty deathcore bands at the moment, no-one hates 'Slaughter Of The Soul' for what it influenced, so why should this be hated? Dying Fetus' first two suffered from horrific production values, so this was their first album which could really stand on compositional ability alone.

320 kbps

DMCA complaint received. For a dead link. For an album released 12 years ago.

Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless [2001]

In all honesty, I'm not a huge fan of this album. Sure, I like it, but I don't deify it as many latter-day grindcore fans seem to. But then again, I'm not a fan of the likes of Gridlink and Cellgraft which this undeniably influenced largely - I like my grindcore punky, not technical. That said, it clearly is a seminal album, and one of the best examples of the style it pioneered. For that reason, it's worth a listen even if you only listen to grindcore from time to time as a novelty. It will never, in my eyes, reach the level of seminality (is that a word?) of the likes of Terrorizer and Brutal Truth, let alone Repulsion and Napalm Death, but it's on the second tier certainly. Don't be influenced by the torrent of over-technical shit it spawned.

192 kbps

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Mr. Bungle - California [1999]

Wow, how did this take so long to get posted? If there was ever a prize for most insane of the musical insane geniuses, Mike Patton would certainly be a strong contender.

Not content with his funk-metal outfit Faith No More, in 1991 Patton created Mr. Bungle, as an outlet for his more experimental work. The first self-titled album could best be compared to a heavy metal Frank Zappa, complete with funky basslines, stream-of-consciousness vocals, and toilet humour (plenty of toilet humour).

But it seems this wasn't crazy enough, as in 1996 the Bungle released Disco Volante, which may have tried just a little too hard to be kooky and erratic, and loses coherence somewhat as a result. However just three years later the band released California, their masterpiece. It was the metaphorical 'just right' album, where the funk was the funkiest and the crazy was the craziest. But this album still had plenty of surprises up its sleeve, in the form of a plethora of different musical ideas from all kinds of sources (much of the album draws on various aspects of '50s music, from surf to doo-wop to good old-fashioned rock n' roll). The LP is an absolute goldmine of creativity, and although all the tracks are fantastic, penultimate song "Vanity Fair" just about sums up the feel of this extensively varied yet simultaneously crystal-clear album.

10 tracks, 44:14, 40.57 MiB

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The Bakerton Group - El Rojo [2009]

First up, I'd like to say hello everyone! It sure has been a while. All the well-known file hosts seemed to lock down on music uploads at roughly the same time I went to university, so I kinda crapped out and stopped uploading stuff for a while. But fear not! I'm back and starting off with an album that came out three years ago.

"Who are The Bakerton Group?" I hear you ask. Well, they may be better known for some of their other albums, including Blast Tyrant, the bluesy From Beale Street to Oblivion and of course the dark and brooding Ghost Reveries.

Wait, what? Yep, that's right. The Bakerton Group is essentially the US stoner rock band Clutch, with the help of former Opeth keyboard player Per Wiberg on the ivories. This, their second full-length, is a psychedelic blues-influenced instrumental album. In terms of a description of the album, I've said about all there is to say in that there last sentence. What I can add though is that this album has a pretty damn cool feel to it. It just feels like a bunch of dudes jamming in the spare room of their house, with a bit tighter production. So kick back like the constellation on the cover and give it a listen.

10 tracks, 47:15, 68.55MiB

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Sanctuary - Into The Mirror Black [1990]

Okay, I admit it, I am a power metal fan/faggot (depending on your point of view). I can't help it when some of it is as awesome as this, Sanctuary's second and last album from 1990. You see, power metal is at its best not when writing 7-hour long conceptual odysseys, but rather when they write some ballsy songs (see: Running Wild, early Blind Guardian). And here, Sanctuary write songs with surprisingly socially aware lyrics for metal music - admittedly, the 'Long Since Dark'/'Epitaph' duo isn't quite up to the par of the rest of the album, but the quality of the likes of 'Future Tense', 'The Mirror Black' and 'One More Murder' is beyond question. It's quite thrashy in places too, so could provide an entry album to power metal for those into the more extreme ends of metal. Unfortunately often overlooked when considering the genre, this album is a classic.

192 kbps

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Re-upload: Cro-Mags - The Age Of Quarrel [1986]

N.B. The archive and files have the WRONG year on them.

Cro-Mags' debut is one of the quintessential albums of the New York hardcore (punk, not techno) scene. Although I'm not normally one for talk of 'Street Justice' and the like, preferring my comfortable bedroom, this is catchy and essential.

Re-upload notes: Don't think the N.B. is still true after the re-upload but I can't be bothered checking. Also, don't bother checking out any of the other material, very little of it's any good (OOH CONTROVERSIAL).

192 kbps

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Re-upload: Pulling Teeth - Martyr Immortal [2007]

This is one of the best recent hardcore albums. The anger and hatred in it is obvious, and although I don't agree with all the lyrical ideas (I think vegetarianism is illogical (veganism, not so much)), it is nonetheless rousing and thoughtful. Closer to 'Scum' than 'Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables'.

Re-upload notes: Yes, there are breakdowns. No, this does not make the album shit. They are tastefully used and very effective. All of Pulling Teeth's other material is also good, except for their swansong last year, the name of which escapes me for the moment, but that was bitterly disappointing.

160 kbps

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Mule Skinner - Abuse [1996]

Mule Skinner are a death/grind band from Louisiana who are not particularly famous (indeed, the only member they share with any remotely famous band is ex-vocalist Joe Caper with Righteous Pigs), but who make that sort of death/grind that just hits the spot - it's aggressive and full of blastbeats, but with enough breaks from that to give an element of variety to the album. This is their only full-length album, and before this, they had only released a demo and a single. It's excellent stuff, though, and I highly recommend it to fans of Harmony Corruption-era Napalm Death, and particularly to fans of Abuse (that's ironic)-era Wormrot, or, in fact, to any grindcore fan. Give it a pop.

VBR, v1

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Re-upload: Immolation - Close To A World Below [2000]

It really is astounding how Immolation, just one year after their defining Failures For Gods, could produce such an immense follow-up. Once again leading the scene (Incantation notwithstanding), this is not an album to be missed.

Re-upload notes: Okay, I've been convinced that this is their defining moment rather than my beloved Failures For Gods, and I suppose it is a little bit idiosyncratic than their other work. Regardless, I strongly suggest you listen to both - they're both wonderful albums and some of the best music death metal has to offer.

320 kbps

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Bedhead - 4 Song CDEP 19:10 [1994]

Here's a different kind of music and since most of you are metalheads and whatnot this is a short one, Bedhead are a slowcore group, if you don't know it slowcore is a alternative rock subgenre, it is minimalistic, melodic and  features depressive lyrics and atmosphere. In this case the music is composed of a repetitive bass, repetitive and upfront drums and some melodic guitar playing, vocals are calm and clean.This is a good EP for the genre and features a Joy Division that is great (in my opinion).

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Dog Faced Hermans - Hum of Life [1993]

Who doesn't like to hear some experimental punk from time to time? I do and if you do here's a punk release    with heavy folk and jazz influences (even some noise), something in the vein of sonic youth given that both borrow much from the No Wave movement, the difference is that Dog Faced Hermans borrow more from the Louge Lizards and James Chance than Sonic Youth. The female vocalist also plays trumpet and the guitarist viola. The is like you would expect extremely weird and experimental punk with a strong jazzy feel.
This album in particular features their standard sound and it's awesome and I don't know what else to say, just download it wont bite you.

Download

Johnny Cash - With His Hot And Blue Guitar [1957]

Down the Rock Island Line she's a mighty good road
Rock Island Line it's a road to ride
Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it like you finally get your ticket 
At the station for the Rock Island Line

This is the most well know country man (at least that's the perception I have) and this is his first release. A classic, "Folsom Prision Blues", "Cry!Cry!Cry" and "I Walk the Line" are widely know country songs and they are great songs, But my favourite here is the opener "Rock Island Line" and that songs represents everything Cash music was at the time: a steady rhythm section extremely simple but effective (to some similar to the sound of a train), a electric and a acoustic guitar playing a few chords per song, all standard, simple but awesome. 
The best classic country there is here. 

Download    

Swans - Filth [1983]

Blog alone for a few days.

This is Swans debut and one of the most "heavy" if not the most heavy one, in this first release Swans featured Norman Westberg for the first time Michael Gira obviously and two drummers, Jarboe was not yet in the band. The consequences of that and given that Gira was not yet using the whole folky stuff he later used never to let go completely (at least till this point) is a no wavy, noisy and repetitive as fuck release. Gira's vocals are far from melodic. For Swans fans or noisy stuff fans this might be a masterpiece for the others only a listen will tell.

Download

Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings [1995]

Sorry for the long absence - I was sure I'd scheduled that Hubelyska review for a point in the interim. Huh. Anyway, this is in my eyes Iced Earth's best album - although admittedly this opinion must be qualified by the fact that I haven't yet heard Night Of The Stormrider. Regardless, this is a stunning display of semi-thrashy power metal, its highlights being 'Creator Failure' and 'Dante's Inferno' in my eyes. That said, this is one of the few albums for which I can honestly say every song is a winner - I may appear to say it rather a lot, but that's just because I post lots of good albums here, right? Anyway, if you think power metal's normally 'gay' this might be a good place to start on your road to having a second fucking think about it. Yeah. I'm a power metal tough fairy.

320 kbps

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Greedy Mouth - Eat//Smoke//Poop demo [2012]

So I re-uploaded the first Greedy Mouth demo for you yesterday, and hopefully it's whet your whistle for this one. I honestly couldn't pick between the two. This one's longer, although it's still a short release. Anyway, back to the music. Female-fronted powerviolence, despite being more common than most other extreme music genres, is still something of a rarity (I think Stapled Shut and Despise You might have female elements to their vocal attack but don't hold me to that, I don't look this shit up unless I'm posting something). Greedy Mouth certainly make it work well. Each of the tracks here is a little bit more focused on the musical approach rather than the samples (although the delightful samples are still very much present).

256 kbps (or whatever from Bandcamp)

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Re-upload: Greedy Mouth - Demo 2010 [2010]

I wouldn't lie to you, my faithful readers. This demo is fucking ridiculous. Powerviolence at its logical extreme - spanning 6 tracks, the six tracks of this span just 127 SECONDS, approximately half of which is made up of samples. All this culminates in a swift, sharp kick to the bollocks. Particularly fun is the longest track of the bunch; entitled 'Wax On, Wax Off', it comes in at 31 seconds. Highly recommended.

Re-upload notes: I still think this band has the potential to be one of the biggest powerviolence acts in a couple of years if they keep churning out releases of this, the Eat//Smoke//Poop demo (coming soon) and the Seitan Worshipping Power Violence EP. Keep your eyes open.

160 kbps

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Re-upload: Nuclear Assault - Survive [1988]

Re-upload notes: Disregard the below, it's largely bullshit, but I can't be arsed re-writing a whole bio right now. This is a great thrash album though.

It may be a cliche to say that a band have 'matured' over the course of two albums, but it is not the case at all here. If anything, this is even faster and crazier than debut 'Game Over'. It's my favourite Nuclear Assault album.

Similar artists: S.O.D., M.O.D., D.R.I.

320 kbps

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Re-upload: Immolation - Failures For Gods [1999]

Immolation really shone through on this - a late death metal classic. Although they were already pioneers and co-leaders of the NYDM scene, this really elevated them to a new level. 'No Jesus, No Beast' is one of the best death metal songs around.

Re-upload notes: Seriously, don't fuck with Immolation. Although they don't have a bad album, this kind of in-and-around 2000 axis is widely held to be their best material - although my earlier posts probably overestimated similarities to Incantation. The same murky atmosphere is there,

320 kbps

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Ripping Corpse - Splattered Remains demo [1989]

Seeing as you all know who Ripping Corpse are (for those who don't, get schooled), most of you will already have heard their lone, excellent full-length Dreaming With The Dead. Now, that may sound like the title of some pompous goth metal wankfest, but I assure you their music is better represented by the title of this demo. It's an exercise in ripping (well, yeah) death/thrash which relents not even to ask which stop is Cockfosters. The demo itself features rawer versions of three tracks from Dreaming With The Dead, along with three tracks which would not be released on an official album - and all of the material, as with the full-length, is solid gold. The recording is surprisingly clear for a 1989 death metal demo - despite being a little bit rawer than DWTD, each instrument can be fully heard for the most part. An excellent listen for Ripping Corpse diehards and initiates alike.

224 kbps

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