AGALLOCH - 'Ashes Against The Grain' CD
(Grau)
- £10.50 / £11.50 / £12.50
Four
years after their acclaimed album “The Mantle”, Agalloch delivers their
new album, “Ashes Against The Grain”. Always progressing but never
losing touch with their dark metal roots, the band’s third album unites
elements of black metal, Scandinavian prog, and post-rock with the
band’s signature brooding style."Agalloch is the most important band in the United States and simply one of the best bands in the world." (The Metal Observer).
AGALLOCH - 'The Mantle' CD
(Grau)
- £10.50 / £11.50 / £12.50
Sophoremore
release by AGALLOCH from Portland. "The Mantle" is a grand
multi-dimensional opus of 70 minutes featuring their dark melancholic
doom metal with post rock and neofolk elements. References range from
Pink Floyd, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Sol Invictus, Ulver, Dissection
and a lot more.
Epic,
cinematic, and surging, “White Tomb” is a storming vision where stark
images of crumbling skyscrapers, dying and rotten urban structures,
empty cracked worn down highways and rising oceans dominate through the
convergence of different styles. From epic elongated black metal
stretches, slow plodding doom ala Khanate / Burning Witch, minimalistic
electronic / martial ambient / industrial vibes, along with the
towering apocalyptic vibes of Old Man Gloom and early Isis, and the
instrumental wonders of Mogwai and Red Sparowes, “White Tomb” is a
vicious uncompromising atmospheric pillage that serves as a soundtrack
to collapsing cities becoming desolate wastelands. Features guest
vocals from Nathan Misterek (ex-Graves At Sea). Digipak.
Reflecting
back towards the earlier era of the act in which mastermind Kris Force
manifested, “Bitter River” is an unearthing of the magic of such
classic Amber Asylum observations as “Natural Philosophy Of Love” and
“Songs Of Sex & Death", updating the immaculate vibe with Amber
Asylum’s current carnation.Now
featuring co-writer Leila Abdul-Rauf (Saros), along with cello player
Jackie Perez-Gratz (Giant Squid, Grayceon, Asunder), dominating low-end
frequencies courtesy of bass player Eric Wood (Bastard Noise),
flute player Sigrid Sheie (Hammers Of Misfortune), drummer Chiyo Nukaga
(Graves At Sea, Noothgrush) and and also featuring a guest narration by
Jarboe
(ex-Swans), it is through each member’s respective lent talent that
brings forth the illustrious presence emanating from “Bitter River”.Digipak.
Atavist's
debut album is already being hailed as a new doom classic. Atavist are
a 4 piece band from Manchester who have have recently toured with
Khanate and have played with amongst others, Asva, Esoteric and Gonga.
"Their riffs aren't just heavy, they're so batteringly, destroyingly
crushing that they remain exhilarating even when single notes hang out
for an eternity before the next one rams into your ears with the force
of an a-bomb" (Kerrang). File next to Earth, Pelican, Boris. Limited edition in a gatefold sleeve.
BLACK SHEEP - 'Kiss My Sweet Apocalypse' 2 x CD
(Invada) - £14 / £15 / £16
Debut album from Julian Cope’s
brand new free action group Black Sheep - a nine/ten piece ensemble of
outsider reprobates whose spirited performances upon massed orchestral
percussion, Mellotron 400s and acoustic guitars summon dead ancestors
and memories of times past in an effort to achieve total psychic
breakdown. Black
Sheep music is of the moment, beautiful as a princess one minute,
hobbling like a smitten ditch-dweller the next. Songs are long and
strung out, combining chanting and street protest with ambient
meditations on the Culture Heroes of the Past. Eulogies to such
Revolutionaries as Che Guevara, Ulrike Meinhof and one of Cope’s long
time obsessions Leila Khaled, are offset by chanting and massed drum
works outs and tripped out ambulant pieces.CD in a deluxe 6-panel digipak with a 28 page booklet.
BLACK SHEEP - 'Kiss My Sweet Apocalypse' 2 x LP
(Invada) - £16 / £19 / £22
Debut album from Julian Cope’s
brand new free action group Black Sheep - a nine/ten piece ensemble of
outsider reprobates whose spirited performances upon massed orchestral
percussion, Mellotron 400s and acoustic guitars summon dead ancestors
and memories of times past in an effort to achieve total psychic
breakdown. Black
Sheep music is of the moment, beautiful as a princess one minute,
hobbling like a smitten ditch-dweller the next. Songs are long and
strung out, combining chanting and street protest with ambient
meditations on the Culture Heroes of the Past. Eulogies to such
Revolutionaries as Che Guevara, Ulrike Meinhof and one of Cope’s long
time obsessions Leila Khaled, are offset by chanting and massed drum
works outs and tripped out ambulant pieces.Heavyweight (180gm) vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.
This
album showcases 5 tracks of abandoned sludge trudge - a brutal mix of
post punk style, No Wave and free proto-metal. If you enjoy music which
evokes the sound of overly caffeined baby elephants slopping about in
oily puddles, that have formed outside a former Soviet chemical
factory, then this is the album for you. Formed in 1999 and fronted by
bass player / singer Julian Cope and guitarist Doggen, the most
dramatic change in the sound comes from new drummer Mr E, whose
punctuating style of drumming echoes Sabbath's Bill Ward and Grand
Funk's Don Brewer. This places greater emphasis on the rhythm section,
in places even adding elements of brutal stop/start skank in the Jah
Wobble period PIL tradition. File next to Comets On Fire. Comes with a
slipcase.
This
album showcases 5 tracks of abandoned sludge trudge - a brutal mix of
post punk style, No Wave and free proto-metal. If you enjoy music which
evokes the sound of overly caffeined baby elephants slopping about in
oily puddles, that have formed outside a former Soviet chemical
factory, then this is the album for you. Formed in 1999 and fronted by
bass player / singer Julian Cope and guitarist Doggen, the most
dramatic change in the sound comes from new drummer Mr E, whose
punctuating style of drumming echoes Sabbath's Bill Ward and Grand
Funk's Don Brewer. This places greater emphasis on the rhythm section,
in places even adding elements of brutal stop/start skank in the Jah
Wobble period PIL tradition. File next to Comets On Fire. Full colour
picture disc in a stunning gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeve.
The
soundtrack to the strong inheriting the earth, “Gin” is a dark, eerie,
and violent outburst that takes Cobalt’s surreal avant-war / left-field
black metal approach and tears it into new epic and ritualistic
proportions. “Gin” is a study of torment, violence, strong excess, hard
sex, and despair through a harsh and very real terrain the duo of
Sergeant Phil McSorley and Erik Wunder have wandered within upon in
recent times. This is reality. Like
an epic diseased black metal interpretation of Neurosis, Swans, High On
Fire, Tool and Killing Joke. Dedicated to literary vanguards Ernest
Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson, “Gin” also remains one of the first,
and few extreme metal albums to introduce classic American literature
and tearing into the heart of American culture.
Considered to be one of the most influential albums ever, the deleted
original 1987 version of "Braun Buch Zwei" marked a definitive shift in
style for Death In June and the true beginning of a new musical genre
Neofolk. This digitally remastered edition was the bonus CD
accompanying the 20th Anniversary Stone Circle Edition of "Brown Book",
issued in 2007. It contains 7 songs from the original album coupled to
7 remixed, re-recorded and rare versions of the remaining songs. The
completely recycled paper booklet and 'Repak' is brown with black
'Ultra Coated' images and Runes featuring never-before-seen photos from
the period. Personnel : Douglas P., Rose McDowall, Gary Carey, David
Tibet, John Balance, Bee, Ian Read & Jan O'.
Everyone’s
belle de jour Diana Rogerson and Andrew Liles got together to create
what we regard as one of the most considered and well conceived albums
Liles has been part of. 'No Birds do Sing' can only be described as a
hallucinogenic voyage of disconcerting mysticism and cosmic pandemonium
and is a recording he's very proud of. This disc is a completely black
and comes in a stunning super high gloss digipack with artwork by Babs
Santini (aka Steven Stapleton / Nurse With Wound).
The music of Hagalaz’ Runedance has been described as Ambient Folk or
Pagan Folk, yet Andrea definitely has her individual style, creating a
step into her world, where past and present, dreams and reality meet.
Involving a variety of musicians from alternative, medieval and folk
music scenes, she has been experimenting with ancient instruments and
her voice. Some songs are magical experiences, describing visions and
Seidr trances. Hagalaz’ Runedance evolved out of the dark ambient
project Aghast. “Volven” is an essential album for anyone into Pagan and Medieval music.
The
first Incapacitants vinyl LP album in 20 years, since the legendary
"Repo" (Alchemy Records, 1989). Side-A features three brand new
recordings with a solid sense of direction, keeping vigorous strength
and stormy dynamics on each track. Side-B is a lengthy excerpt from the
overwhelming live recording of Mikawa and Kosakai at ShowBoat in Tokyo,
2007.Maximum
purity as psychosomatic union proved by intensive electronics causing
ghostly and fertile atmospheres filled with harshness."Tight"
is the same pronunciation with the most complex Kanji character formed
by three dragons and three clouds. Limited hand-numbered limited of 620
copies, in a silk-screened sleeve with a golden Kanji "Tight". The
accompanying 12 paged booklet contains photos and Japanese / English
liner-notes by Takuya Sakaguchi. VERY FEW COPIES IN STOCK - ACT FAST!
LONGING FOR DAWN - 'A Treacherous Ascension' CD
(Grau)
- £10.50 / £11.50 / £12.50
Canadians
Longing For Dawn, formed in 2002 by Stefan Laroche and Frédéric Arbour
(Cyclic Law boss), play heavy, atmospheric, Doom laden Metal. "A
Treacherous Ascension" is a wretched, dismal doom album that drips into
the abyss at a mournfully slow pace. One of the best acts in the
funeral doom movement.
