16 "Zoloft Smile" LP
(Bastardized Recordings)
Ten sludge filled tales of urban decay, domestic despair, and misery delivered courtesy of this Los Angeles, CA based troupe. Terminally deviant tirades, fuzz enshrouded riffs, and bleary narco-rhythms conspire to lay waste to your eardrums (and frontal lobe). For fans of anything and everything heavy (and cough syrup). Don't fight it, you need this album!

www.myspace.com/16

Price: 12 €

16 "Bridges to Burn" CD
(Relapse Records)
Seminal sludge-rockers 16 drop a dozen new hits of misanthropy and spite on their new album "Bridges to Burn". Their best album to date, "Bridges to Burn" spills over with the violent self-loathing that is 16’s caustic calling card. "Bridges…" is a perfect introduction to the band and the definitive prescription for long-time fans awaiting a new dose of 16.

www.myspace.com/16

Price: 10 €

ARC "Arkhangelsk" CD
(Epidemie Records)
ARC is a Canadian trio (Aidan Baker - guitars, flutes, tapeloops, Richard Baker - drumkit, percussion, & Christopher Kukiel - percussion) playing tribal guitar drone ambient with psychedelic and post–rock elements and very hypnotic sound. Their brand new album "Arkhangelsk" brings 4 compositions in 67 minutes and comes in nice 6 panels digisleeve and is limited on 600 copies. "Arkhangelsk" was recorded in Toronto, Canada in December 2007 in two separate sessions. The first consisted of improvisational performances on drumset and guitar and the second consisted of layering percussion, electronics, and woodwind tracks on those original drum/guitar tracks. Both sessions were done in real-time in single takes with a minimum of post-production editing or manipulation in an effort to capture the spontaneity of the performances. As such, "Arkhangelsk" maintains the typical ARC sound while simultaneously exploring more adventurous poly-rhythms and textures, combining influence/inspiration from such artists as Flyer Saucer Attack, The Boredoms, Tribes of Neurot, and Rapoon.

www.myspace.com/arcolepsy

Price: 10 €

ATAVIST "II: Ruined" 2LP
(Aurora Borealis)
Atavist's second album, "II:Ruined", is a massive, monolithic, introverted chapter of audial suffering and torment. It sees Atavist plunge further into the audial abyss by incorporating more layers and substance to their art (not unlike the way Japan's Corrupted portray their immaculate aesthetic). Heavier, more diverse, intricate, and melodic, "II:Ruined" is just that; an unforgiving observation of self-reflection, repentance, and desperation. With guest performances from Justin Greaves (ex-Iron Monkey, Crippled Black Phoenix), and dark folk/rock/doomster Rose Kemp, "II:Ruined" is a decidedly darker beast, lurking in the shadows, evading the casual listener and rewarding the devotee. This double vinyl edition of "II:Ruined" on Aurora Borealis marks a long overdue vinyl release for this important milestone of extreme doom in the UK, and stands in monolithic testament to their achievement. Heavyweight 180g vinyls in a matte gatefold sleeve.

www.myspace.com/atavist

Price: 16 €

Price: 10 €

BASEMENT "Underneath" MCD
(Vicious Circle)
Totally underrated and almost forgotten noise rock release from 1998 by the French trio Basement. 5 powerful tracks with obvious influences from the likes of The Jesus Lizard, Unsane, Fugazi, Cop Shoot Cop and Distorted Pony. Despite the influences, Basement definitely had a sound of their own and this MCD deserves more attention even today, after 12 years of its release.

www.myspace.com/furianoise

Price: 7 €

BAXTER STOCKMAN "EP 2" MCD
(Sideffect Records)
Probably the best (possibly the only one?) Finnish noise rock band who combine the Bad Vugum -style Finnish quirkiness with the free form groove, heaviness and filth of Amphetamine Reptile/Touch and Go etc. bands. Baxter Stockman rather rocks than stumbles in their artsyness. Recommended.

www.myspace.com/baxterfucksyou

Price: 7 €

BENEATH THE FROZEN SOIL / NEGATIVE REACTION Split CD
(Totalrust Music)
This split presents a bitter and unforgiving struggle between the raw blackened doom metal of Swedish doomsters Beneath The Frozen Soil, and the well-known hateful sludge of New York's gods, Negative Reaction. There are no winners in this dirty battle, just fifty bleeding and harsh minutes straight from the most unpleasant side of the genre…Expect for totally punishing experience! Split to your face... Limited edition of 1000 copies.

www.myspace.com/btfs
www.myspace.com/negativereaction

Price: 10 €

BLACK CRUCIFIXION "Faustian Dream" CD
(Soulseller Records)
After releasing two mini albums "The Fallen One of Flames" (1992) and "Promethean Gift" (1993) Black Crucifixion had grown tired of black metal. These Finnish pioneers of dark metal started to create music with more variance and began the recordings for their debut full length album "Faustian Dream" in 1996. The album was never released, until now, after ten years it has been finalized.

www.myspace.com/blackcrucifixionfinland

Price: 10 €

BLACK ELK "Always a Six, Never a Nine" CD
(Crucial Blast)
"Always a Six, Never a Nine" is the second album and the follow-up to the 2006 self-titled debut from Portland, OR aggro wreckers Black Elk, whose psychotic brand of crushing, noise-rock influenced heaviosity is a return to the unhinged underground rock force of bands like Jesus Lizard, Melvins, Black Flag and Hammerhead. This new album features ten songs of seething weirdness, with the dissonant, crushing riffage, lunging rhythmic push and awesome freaked out, Yow-esque vocals of singer Tom Glose that made their debut a fave among anyone who remembered the days when Amphetamine Reptile ruled the underground rock scene, but with some interesting new elements (bleak, blackened guitar ambience, a smattering of piano, skyreaching guitar harmonies, etc.) that add new shadows to Black Elk's ferocious sound. "Always a Six, Never a Nine" is packaged in a heavy four-panel gatefold jacket with an eight page lyric booklet.

www.myspace.com/blackelk

Price: 10 €

BLACK SHAPE OF NEXUS / KODIAK Split LP
(Denovali Records)
Two German heavy weights present one massive track each on this beautiful black slab of vinyl. Having already made their mark on previous, excellent releases Black Shape of Nexus pummel you with painfully slow doom and finish you off with acrid, harsh drones, giving down-tempo a whole new meaning. Kodiak equal their landmates in heaviness yet have a more slowly brooding approach to their dense, monolithic sound bringing together all elements of slow music. Heavy 180g black vinyl in heavy weight glossy gatefold sleeve. Limited edition of 420 copies.

www.myspace.com/sadhusonofabitch
www.myspace.com/kodiakdoom

Price: 13 €

BONGZILLA "Nuggets" CD
(Barbarian Records)
"Nuggets" is actually a redesigned and renamed reissue of their "Shake: The Singles" collection CD that went out of print over a year ago. However, this redux of Bongzilla's collection of out of print singles contains three additional tracks that didn't appear on the original CD. Here's what this one has: fifteen tracks of lumbering, super heavy stoner sludge with spacey fx and fronted by vicious torn-larynx screams, and completely and wholly obsessed with pot and marijuana culture. Primal, resin-coated sludgecore from the Wisconsin sludgelords...the tunes featured here are bit more raw and simple compared to their later albums like "Gateway", though some of these tracks ('Smoke', 'Budgun/THC') are also some of their trippiest jams, with lots of killer Monster Magnet style space fx shot through their bluesy swamp metal dirges. This collection features Bongzilla's tracks from their "Mixed Bag" 7" on Rhetoric, the "5 Bong Hits" demo, the "Hemp For Victory" 7", their splits with Cavity, Meatjack, Hellchild, and their tracks from the Painkiller II, Assassins, Nothing Records, and Twin Threat To Your Sanity and He's No Good To Me Dead compilations; the tracks from these last two compilations are the ones that didn't appear on the original "Shake" collection. Crucial for fans of Bongzilla and druggy, ultraheavy sludge metal a la Corrupted, Eyehategod, Weedeater, early Boris, Church Of Misery, Buzzov*en, Fistula, etc. Comes with new artwork, too.

www.myspace.com/bongzilla420

Price: 10 €

BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEP "s/t" CD
(SuiSound Productions)
The “Sleep” referenced in this Greek band's name is not the activity but the band. The songs – all instrumentals – trade in lumbering riffs that take their time to get where they need to go and then stick around even longer. It's the moments when this Brotherhood is less indebted to Sleep that they really shine. Sure, the druggy crawl of “Into Our Sea of Melting Dreams” will please "Dopesmoker" acolytes, but the band is at its best when George G., Serafim G., and Danis A. encroach on 5ive's psychedelia-through-distortion territory.

www.myspace.com/brotherhoodofsleep

Price: 10 €

CATACOMBS "Echoes Through the Catacombs" CD
(Solitude Productions)
Solitude Productions is proud to present the re-release of the ep of a cult project lead by Xathagorra Mlandroth (Hierophant). This mini-album has previously been released on CD-R only, limited to 500 copies and managed to become a rarity among funeral doom fans. "Echoes Through the Catacombs" has been re-released with 2 remastered bonus tracks and new design, created by Xathagorra Mlandroth.

www.myspace.com/catacombsfanpage

Price: 10 €

CELAN "Halo" CD
(Exile on Mainstream Records)
And here we are: "Halo" is the debut album of Celan - a band you can pigeon-hole at your own gusto and categorize as noise, rock or whatever you like. Please approach this masterpiece as they made it: minds free, ready to be blown away by its sheer class, emotion and musical craftmanship. The line-up features Chris Spencer (Unsane, Cutthroats 9), Ari Benjamin Meyers (Redux Orchestra, Einstürzende Neubauten), Niko Wenner (Oxbow), Franz Xawer (Flu.ID) and Phil Roeder (Flu.ID).

www.myspace.com/celanband

Price: 12 €

CELESTE "Misanthrope(s)" CD
(Denovali Records)
Immediately upon hitting play on Celeste's "Misanthrope(s)" a massive wall of discordant sound erupts from the speakers. Distorted, fully textured guitars plunder your eardrums as thundering rhythms steamroll through the sludge, paving way for the tortured screams of vocalist Johan. Throughout the disc, bleak riffing leaves a grimy film over everything in the near vicinity. The rhythms rumble like a distant earthquake. All together these individual elements combine for a crushing force to be reckoned with. Gatefold cd cover + 4 page booklet. Limited edition of 1000 copies.

www.myspace.com/unhiverdeplus

Price: 10 €

CELESTE "Nihiliste(s)" CD
(Denovali Records)
Second album from this French post-hardcore/sludge/doom outfit. Ten tracks of unrelenting heaviness, "Nihiliste(s)" bludgeons the listener with wave after wave of pummeling guitar, unrelenting drumming, and vocal-chord shredding screams. Celeste may not be blazing new ground with "Nihiliste(s)", but the album establishes a strong foundation for them to build upon. Stylish cardboard digisleeve.

www.myspace.com/unhiverdeplus

Price: 10 €

CLOAMA "Revisionist Knowledge" CD
(Freak Animal Records)
"Return of the more cruel and vicious side of Cloama! Freak Animal is proud to present this CD what includes two different kind of directions. 1st 4 tracks are live-without-audience recordings recorded with amplifiers and couple of good microphones. Painful and straight forward power electronics with vocals. 2nd part of disc is studio recordings and this electronic-genious who is also know from Strom.ec, knows how to make analogue synthesizers and other tools sound even personal with his trademark style. Very stylish designed artwork in cardboardbox cover with 4 insertcard full of nice graphics and texts." (Freak Animal Records)

Price: 10 €

CONSULAR "Don't Cross the Swine" CD
(Shifty Records/Abort the World)
While these guys are certainly never in danger of pushing the boat out, you can't deny the sheer enjoyment generated by their blasting sludge (something for which Shifty Records should win some sort of lifetime achievement award for supporting). Consular has a pretty much consistent, simplistic sound, whereby screamed vocals sit atop a blast of satisfyingly heavy riffs that really get the job done. Think of -16-'s memorable slamming barre-chord riffs in the context of a less bloated Cavity, or a less scattered Eyehategod.

www.myspace.com/consular

Price: 10 €

CORRUPTED "Paso Inferior" CD
(Nostalgia Blackrain)
This is a re-release of their 1 track over 40 minute CD originally released on Corrupted's own label Frigidity Discos in 1997. Although their sound is mostly known as a hellish eruption of tortured, holocaustic, raging sonic pressure, this masterpiece starts off with silent, effective, dubby introduction leading slowly into chocking, heavy, painful, atmospheric requiem for all living existence. A totally spiritual ultra heavy masterpiece from the depth of darkness and chaos searching for the light in the distance. Definitely this album can be described as a turning point from early agressive style to nowadays deep, inner, atmospheric style, and one of the most important release during Corrupted's career.

www.myspace.com/intoadarkness

Price: 10 €

CRUSHERS KILLERS DESTROYERS! Compilation CD
(Shifty Records)
The first in Shifty Records' sludge compendium series, this 5 band battering ram, an hour and fifteen minutes of unrelenting sludge and doomcore starts off with 3 songs of Mugwart's melodic sludgecore, like a more upbeat Eyehategod but still ugly, snarling, and downtuned. The song "40/90" features sick guest vocals from Ben of Beaten Back to Pure. Canadian doomcore sadists Goatsblood follow with 3 brutal dirges, with strafing blastbeats and dual psychotic screams/deep deathgrowls punctuating their suicidal ultraslow sludge. Molehill continue with 3 songs of unabashed Eyehategod worship. Loaded with Southern groove and a melodic attack similar to that of Mugwart, Molehill have that New Orleans blues-metal sound nailed. Fistula deliver a single track, "Dysfunction", but at nearly 15 minutes long, it's a devastating sludge stomper that degenerates into heavy, hypnotic feedback drone, orgiastic free-guitar skree, and pounding battle drums. Totally fuckiing narcoleptic. Sloth wrap it up with 7 tracks of bizarre Midwestern dirge...their songs are a weird, tweaked mashup of blown-out low fi black metal murk played at quarter speed, with rasping vocals and simple, haunting melodies and gut-churning bass thud. It's sort of like a brain-damaged version of old Floor recordings, mixed with Black Mass of Absu or something. Overall, this is an excellent compilation of modern American sludge-fans of the style would do well to check this and the second CD in the series out!

Price: 10 €

CRUSHERS KILLERS DESTROYERS II Compilation CD
(Shifty Records)
The Crushers Killers Destroyers compilations are the finest collection of meaty sludge since the Cry Now, Cry Later compilations that Pessimiser Records released in the ‘90's. Every band on Crushers Killers Destroyers II is different enough to keep the disc interesting, with a common strain of each song being excruciatingly heavy and each band being bad ass. Bands featured include Headache, Weedeater, Fistula, King Travolta, Cruevo, Tusks of Blood, Moho and Sloth.

Price: 10 €

DARK BUDDHA RISING "Ritual IX" 2LP
(Post-RBMM)
Hailed by many as the best Finnish sludge/doom album of 2008, this is the debut work of Dark Buddha Rising. Two heavy slabs of black vinyl, the other presenting the heavy psychedelic doom side of the band and the other going deeper into esoteric droney expression. Gatefold sleeve. Limited edition of 500 copies.

www.varjotila.org/dbr

Price: 15 €

DARK BUDDHA RISING "Entheomorphosis" 2LP
(Post-RBMM)
Second album from this amazing Finnish band, picking up where "Ritual IX" left a year earlier. Less droning, more riff-heavy approach with the doomy psychedelia reaching towards black metal atmospheres and kraut rock -like repetition. Two black vinyls in gatefold sleeve. Limited edition of 500 copies.

www.varjotila.org/dbr

Price: 15 €

DEAD FLESH FASHION "Anchors" CD
(Baskat Recordings)
This debut full length as performed by Dead Flesh Fashion is a mean, rough and honest mixture of noise, Coalesce-like bulldozing parts and chaotic hardcore/sludge structures. Recorded live in 5 days, these boys will blow you away with their wild energy like they're going crazy in your living room.

www.myspace.com/deadfleshfashion

Price: 10 €

DEAD IN THE WATER "Echoes... in the Ruins" CD
(Firedoom Records)
Formed in Finland in 2000, Dead In The Water slowly shifted from their early hardcore/crust/punk sound to a more slow doom-paced metal, still laced with their crusty beginnings. The band released a 7" in 2002 and followed that up with an EP in 2003. Now in 2007, DITW offers a depressive, crushing, oppressive full-length debut, pointing the way for a very heavy future.

www.myspace.com/ditwfinland

Price: 10 €

DEAD IN THE WATER "Echoes... in the Ruins" LP
(Winter Records)
Formed in Finland in 2000, Dead In The Water slowly shifted from their early hardcore/crust/punk sound to a more slow doom-paced metal, still laced with their crusty beginnings. The band released a 7" in 2002 and followed that up with an EP in 2003. Now in 2007, DITW offers a depressive, crushing, oppressive full-length debut, pointing the way for a very heavy future. Heavy 180g vinyl in gatefold sleeve. Limited edition of 500 copies.

www.myspace.com/ditwfinland

Price: 12 €

DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE "Kneel" CDr
(Demonic Death Judge)
Amazing material from this fresh Finnish powerhouse featuring members of Total Devastation yet presenting here a more riff-heavy, sludgier and groovier monster. Echoes of Iron Monkey, Eyehategod as well as the groovy death rock of Entombed can be heard here, but Demonic Death Judge aren't ashamed to add elements such as clean vocals, melodic guitar leads and samples into the mix. Definitely ranking as one of the best (if not the best?) Finnish newcomers at the moment. Check them out!

www.myspace.com/demonicdeathjudge

Price: 7 €

DEN SAAKALDTE "Øl, Mørke og Depresjon" CD
(Aesthetic Death)
It was a depressive and drunken night when Den Saakaldte was born. Alkolhol made things clear. Den Saakaldte was born back in May of 2006, under the candlelight and light of the fullmoon. The project started as a 'one man band' project, by Sykelig. It's only purpose?...To be the way of expressing the paranoia, depression and alkohol influenced thoughts of the individual. Den Saakaldte as a meaning, stands for every person that is not or doesn't feel a part of the 'normal' society. Sykelig recorded the first two songs in Hellas and after that relocated once and for good to Norway. Sykelig joined forces with Jormungand - keys (DHG), Seidemann - bass (1349, Pantheon I) and Niklas Kvarforth (Shining). The drums back then were performed by the talented musician, S. Winter (ex-Aeternus, ex-Gehenna). Den Saakaldte re-recorded in Oslo and Stravanger, in actual basements, and mixed this material that was entitled "Øl, Mørke Og Depresjon" and got a limited edition release. Later in 2009, Den Saakaldte agreed to re-issue the "Øl, Mørke Og Depresjon" material, along with bonus live and rehearsal tracks, on UK label Aesthetic Death - which is released at the start of 2010 on limited digipack CD.

www.myspace.com/densaakaldte

Price: 10 €

DESTROYSALL - A TRIBUTE TO GODZILLA Compilation CD
(Shifty Records)
Released on the day that marks the 35th anniversary of the movie Destroy All Monsters is a compilation/experimentation tribute CD to the king of all beasts, Godzilla! Bands include Mammoth, Terminal Lovers, Sloth, Hangnail, Gigantasaurus!, Space Face, Fistula, Dot(.), Negative Reaction, Rwake, Patheticism, Leviathan A.D., Third Degree Burnout, The Crunky Kids and Solace. Every song on here is exclusively for this compilation, so if you are a fan of any of the bands that in itself is a worth getting point. This compilation pretty much is all heavy and weird hardcore tunes with the fury of Godzilla behind it. It's hardcore, metal and pure stoner goodness, definitely on the harder side and not for the timid, so those of you that are into Perry Como should probably avoid this one... put this one next to the He's No Good to Me Dead compillation, this one is definitely its' brother.

Price: 10 €

DISCO INFERNO / EXISTENCH Split 7"
(Blind Date Records)
"DISCO INFERNO from Saarbrücken / Germany comes up with 2 songs of intensive furious emoviolence. Those who've seen D.I. live kickin'ass, are ready to die for it !! Disco Inferno play brutal hardcore -metal in tradition of Catharsis/His Hero Is Gone/Reversal Of Man. EXISTENCH (Canada) w/ 8 songs of furious hardcore - grind. Best and craziest stuff. Even EXISTENCH said, that this is their best material, right now. Existench play super fastgrind crust: old Napalm Death/Crossed Out/Dahmer style. Total time is over 10 min. First (and only) press of 1056 copies." (Blind Date Records)

www.myspace.com/existenchnovascotia

Price: 2 €

DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT "Hatred for Mankind" CD
(Mordgrimm)
Already making waves in the underground, U.K.'s Dragged Into Sunlight's debut album "Hatred for Mankind" proves they're worth all the praise. Nearly an hour of sickening, gritty black metal with a lot of major doom and sludge overtones, and generally quite dank, horrid atmospheres throughout the album. Not settling for just slow crawl, the band accompanies the slower parts with faster bursts of sheer hatred as well as ambient passages. "Hatred for Mankind" was produced by Tom Drink and Billy Anderson (Eyehategod, Weedeater). Artwork by Justin Bartlett (Sunn O))), Gorgoroth).

www.myspace.com/draggedintosunlight

Price: 10 €

DREAMS OF WHAT LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN Compilation CD
(PsycheDOOMelic Records)
The ultimative sludge/doom sampler with ten nihilistic songs and a running time of 80 minutes. Never heard before recordings from Soulpreacher, Fistula, Grief, Thee Plague of Gentlemen, Negative Reaction, Ramesses and Moss. Seven black doom bands team up here to present you thee ultimate sludge-doom compilation. Evil doom at its bleakest. Ultra heavy, crushing, dark, grim, and doomy. Hail to Hellhammer, Winter, Thorr's Hammer and Autopsy!!!!!

Price: 10 €

EIBON "s/t" MCD
(Aesthetic Death)
Here's release number deux from the Parisian doom band Eibon. This is the first full release from the band, following a split they did back in 2007 with Hangman's Chair, and here unleash their black tar heaviness across two epic songs, each one spreading out for more than ten minutes, each a pummeling, bass-heavy wall of lumbering doom with moments of creepy atmosphere. At their heaviest, this is pure molten death-infected doom, with massive detuned guitars grinding across lumbering ultra heavy drumming, the vocalist spewing horrific snarling screams, some Eyehategod, old school doomdeath, and classic European doom metal all worked into their sound, with streaks of hellish feedback and droning low-end buzz crawling over the chugging dirge, never getting too slow, instead lumbering forward in a massive pounding groove, sometimes slipping into eerie acoustic passages, or drifting into fields of backwards tape noise, sampled opera vocals, bleak psychedelic guitar or atmospheric ambience, but always returning to that incredibly crushing dirge. As always, Aesthetic Death delivers the goods with another massive dose of doom. Packaged in a four panel digipack.

www.myspace.com/eibonmetal

Price: 8 €

EIBON "Entering Darkness" CD
(Aesthetic Death)
Debut full length album from this French sludge/doom outfit. 6 massive tracks in praise of the horrors of the world today. Stylish hardcover digisleeve.

www.myspace.com/eibonmetal

Price: 10 €

ELYSIÜM / MONARCH Split CD
(Shifty/Murder/Solitude/213/Throne/Parade/AmanitaWee Wee/Fidelio/Amertume Records)
Putting five minutes of pure grindcore insanity against nearly an hour of expansive, droning sludge seems an odd idea for a split, but two of France’s fastest rising acts have done just that, with Elysiüm’s raging attack complementing the much hyped Monarch’s dirge-like exploration quite nicely. Both sides are of the highest quality, and fans of either genre would do well to pick this one up immediately.

www.myspace.com/elysium666
www.myspace.com/monarchuberalles

Price: 10 €

EYEHATEGOD "Preaching the End-Time Message" CD
(Emetic Records)
With their first release since leaving Century Media, Eyehategod offers listeners an overview of their career with "Preaching the End-Time Message", 10 tracks of dirty, southern-tinged heavy metal that’s equal parts stoner rock, distorted feedback and doomy sludge. If you’ve ever wondered where bands like Isis get their inspiration, look no further. Some of the songs found here were lifted from Eyehategod’s various seven-inch releases, and some are live recordings from the 2002 Japan tour, but there are also three new tracks. While not necessarily for the casual listener, "Preaching the End-Time Message" is an excellent retrospective of a band whose influence can be felt far and wide, and show no sign of letting up anytime soon.

www.myspace.com/eyehategod

Price: 10 €

FISTULA "Idiopathic" CD
(Shifty Records)
The members of Fistula have made it their personal campaign to obliterate any eardrums that come within hearing range of their mid-pace, mega-sludge. It's like they have some vendetta against eardrums. Each of the nine tracks on their album "Idiopathic" takes aim at local noise pollution laws, and in violating them, demonstrates quite clearly that this band is poised to become one of your new favorites in the slowcore arena. They have the dirty and grimy edge of Eyehategod but the driving metal-influenced power of Brainoil. The cover art was done by Eric Harrison, so every conceivable sludge angle is well covered. It would be a crime of felony proportions if this CD got lost in the flood of new releases in the genre.

www.myspace.com/fistula666

Price: 10 €

FISTULA "Lessons in Lamentation" CDr
(Crucial Bliss)
At some point last year, the members of Fistula met up with another Ohioan, Steve Makita from the midwest power-violence legends Apartment 213, midwest power-tool noise legends Lockweld, and current second throat for Agoraphobic Nosebleed. At some point, both of these parties decided that joining forces would be a good move and had Makita lug over his toolbox to the Fistula practice space and drag out some of his most lethal circuit-shredders, keyboards and power tools. The end result are two new discs, "Lessons In Lamentation" and "Inverted Black Star", each one possessed by a single hour-plus track of Fistula with Steve Makita conjuring fucking hugungous slabs of apocalyptic free-metal. And it's Fistula's most abstract, demonic music ever, a charred mess of harsh electronic skree and gut-rumbling noise and unholy doom metal. In contrast to it's companion disc "Inverted Black Star", "Lessons In Lamentation" sounds like it's virtually "rocking". Where "Inverted" spews monoto-riffs and malevolent power tool noise across the jet-black waste of it's hour long length, this jam is more upbeat, opening with a massive chugging sludgy metal riff that cycles over and over, slowly joined by a swarm of sizzling feedback and high pitched sine-whine. Crazed shredding solos appear, the central riff changes shape throughout, the whole track seems to be split into three distinct sections. It's super hypnotic as Fistula grinds away endlessly surrounded by Makita's dense and textured noise. Deep monstrous vocals emerge from out of the filth, gutteral invocations that are impossible to decipher. A massive plodding industrial dirge, a meditation on repetitive metal riffing and the blackest feedback, recorded all the way in the red, a majestic crumbling obelisk of monstrous noise-doom. "Lessons In Lamentation" is packaged in a signature Crucial Bliss three-panel sleeve, with artwork from Ralf Burkart, the disc itself attached to the sleeve on a plastic nub. Released in an edition of 300 copies.

www.myspace.com/fistula666

Price: 8 €

FISTULA "Inverted Black Star" CDr
(Crucial Bliss)
At some point last year, the members of Fistula met up with another Ohioan, Steve Makita from the midwest power-violence legends Apartment 213, midwest power-tool noise legends Lockweld, and current second throat for Agoraphobic Nosebleed. At some point, both of these parties decided that joining forces would be a good move and had Makita lug over his toolbox to the Fistula practice space and drag out some of his most lethal circuit-shredders, keyboards and power tools. The end result are two new discs, "Lessons In Lamentation" and "Inverted Black Star", each one possessed by a single hour-plus track of Fistula with Steve Makita conjuring fucking hugungous slabs of apocalyptic free-metal. And it's Fistula's most abstract, demonic music ever, a charred mess of harsh electronic skree and gut-rumbling noise and unholy doom metal. The title itself points to the pure blackness of "Inverted Black Star": a massive hour-plus wave of bleak, blackened improvised doom riffing, only one or two riffs tops, but each one repeated over and over into infinity as the band and Makita pile on layers and layers of corrosive feedback, pneumatic drill noises, slicing sinewave tones, long black tentacles of undulating drone. About halfway through the disc, a voice begins speaking underneath the crushing sludge and noise, and it creates an effect similiar to hearing a television news bradcast about something really bad from four rooms away, only to sink back into the lumbering, monotonous deathtrance. Utterly crushing. "Inverted Black Star" is packaged in a signature Crucial Bliss three-panel sleeve, all black and green with artwork from Ralf Burkart, the disc itself attached to the sleeve on a plastic nub. Released in an edition of 300 copies.

www.myspace.com/fistula666

Price: 8 €

FLATLANDS "Vermuyden" MCD
(Sound Devastation Records)
Crushing atmospheric metal in the vein of Neurosis and Cult of Luna, but not following blindly with the new wave of ‘post metal’ copycats. With a penchant for ‘keeping it local’ by including noises, news reports and so on in, around and about their local area this band bring a new and intriguing take on heavy.

www.myspace.com/flatlandstouristboard

Price: 8 €

FLATLANDS "Black Sluice" CD
(Sound Devastation Records)
After "Vermuyden", Flatlands took on another guitarist, which on this release gives them extra depth, technicality, ideas and heaviness. A progression from the EP, their debut album showcases their true live power. Fantastic.

www.myspace.com/flatlandstouristboard

Price: 10 €

FLATLANDS / SUNSHINE REPUBLIC Split 12"
(SuperFi Records)
Flatlands are seriously heavy in a stripped-down Isis style, which monolithic, catchy riffs crashing into each other and plenty of screaming. Two quite long songs from them. Sunshine Republic are on a more experimental tip, reminding these ears of House Of Low Culture, though there are elements of doom, post-rock and noise in the mix too. They contribute one really long song. Pressing: 330 grey 12"'s on heavyweight 180-gramme vinyl.

www.myspace.com/flatlandstouristboard
www.myspace.com/sunshinerepublic

Price: 12 €

FLESHPRESS "Wörm Dirges" CD
(Kult of Nihilow)
Unlike Fleshpress' newer one, "III", described as clean and spacious and open (not words you'd expect to find in a review of a sludgy doom record) "Wörm Dirges" is much less polished, much more primitive and primal, and not nearly as slow, but still plenty sludgy and heavy. Plenty of Eyehategod-isms for sure, but these two extended mostly instrumental jams don't sound metal as much as they sound sort of krautrocky, or post rocky or even post punky in a weird way. Very reminiscent of Dutch hypno metallers Gore, a simple riff repeated over and over and over and over. Completely and utterly hypnotic. Both tracks devolve into dreamy drones here and there before lurching back into sludge mode, but the interesting thing is that the main riffs in each track (two tracks, two riffs!) don't sound metal so much as they sort of sound like Black Flag. Seriously. Maybe Black Flag at 16rpm. You can -almost- imagine them sped up with Rollins ranting over the top. But c'mon, Black Flag at 16rpm?!?! If that doesn't sound like the best fucking thing ever to you, there's something seriously wrong. Obviously this is essential for the drone doom dirge faithful, Sunn O))), Earth, Boris, Corrupted, etc. as well as fans of the new post rock/metal hybrids (Isis, Conifer, Tides, Baroness, Buried At Sea, Pelican) But other folks into stuff like Circle or Salvatore or the more extreme end of the post rock spectrum might really dig this too. Packaged in a cool tri-fold printed cardstock sleeve.

Price: 12 €

FLESHPRESS "Pillars" CD
(Kult of Nihilow)
"Pillars" is a monuMENTAL album. Listening to it feels like you've dropped from on top of the pillars sky high down into nothingness. Mind-fucking freefall which eventually ends all of a sudden, dazing the consciousness, cracking the skull, leaving all but a crippled's grievance behind. The new album from the disciples of nothingness refuses to be categorized easily. The usual Fleshpress elements - grieving sludge, coal-dark ambience etc. - are present but now they are accompanied with fast, blasting black metal outbursts. A release of its own kind and easily their best so far. 78 minutes of blackened, nihilistic sludge.

Price: 12 €

FLESHPRESS "Pillars" 2LP
(Rusty Crowbar Records)
"Pillars" is a monuMENTAL album. Listening to it feels like you've dropped from on top of the pillars sky high down into nothingness. Mind-fucking freefall which eventually ends all of a sudden, dazing the consciousness, cracking the skull, leaving all but a crippled's grievance behind. The new album from the disciples of nothingness refuses to be categorized easily. The usual Fleshpress elements - grieving sludge, coal-dark ambience etc. - are present but now they are accompanied with fast, blasting black metal outbursts. A release of its own kind and easily their best so far. 78 minutes of blackened, nihilistic sludge. Second edition with matte finish sleeve.

Price: 18 €

FOR THE SICK - A TRIBUTE TO EYEHATEGOD Compilation 2CD
(Emetic Records)
Amazing tribute compilation to the masters of down to earth motherfucken post amplification blues. Cover songs performed by Dot[.], Unearthly Trance, Cable, Bowel, Alabama Thunderpussy, Deadbird, Kylesa, Rue, Brutal Truth, Byzantine, Buried at Sea, Raging Speedhorn, The Unholy 3, The Esoteric, Total Fucking Destruction, Triac, One Dead Three Wounded, Halo of Locusts, Minsk, Ramesses, The Mighty Nimbus, Lair of the Minotaur, Sourvein, Bloody Panda, Mouth of the Architect, Left in Ruin, Watch Them Die, Ozenza, Swarm of the Lotus, Ichabod, Kill the Client, Sowbelly, If He Dies, He Dies and The Nain Rouge.

www.myspace.com/eyehategod

Price: 13 €

FROGSKIN "s/t" LP
(Liekehtivä Vuohi)
Finally the debut album of the Finnish sludgemonster is out! Crawling balls deep in mud, Frogskin delivers three songs in forty minutes. While sucking influences from such acts as Eyehategod and Electric Wizard, they have still managed to create a very unique and filthy soundscape of Finnish hatred. Limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl.

www.myspace.com/frogskin

Price: 12 €

GATHIENS "Nesh" CD
(Murkhouse Recordings)
Heavy, psychedelic, instrumental rock music. Recorded in the summer of 2006, this gem sat dormant for some time before picked up by Murkhouse Recordings as their first full-length release, though it briefly attracted the attention of Battle Kommand Records. Strong guitar playing with big chords and memorable melodies is paired with a backbone of sweetly technical drumming, with a delicate layer of cinematic ambience over the top. The whole album has a strong sense of dynamics, having an almost classical feel to it. Compared to bands such as Isis, Boris, Pelican, Tool, and even Pink Floyd; Gathiens possess a delicacy and intricacy that many post-metal bands lack.

www.myspace.com/gathiens

Price: 10 €

GLOOMY SUNDAY "Beyond Good and Evil" CD
(Solitude Productions)
Debut album from the Swedish band Gloomy Sunday "Beyond Good and Evil" executed in stoner sludge doom style. Music in the vein of Electric Wizard, Eyehategod and Crowbar will suit all extreme doom metal fans' tastes.

www.myspace.com/gloomysundaydoom

Price: 10 €

GNAW THEIR TONGUES "Die Mutter wählt das todtenkleidchen" CD
(Universal Consciousness)
Truly sanity-splitting & soul-erasing nightmare sludge / symphonic black metal-cacophony. The evilest sounding band in the history of music. A one-man act from The Netherlands. Words can't give justice to the frightening power of this music. More apocalyptic than apocalypse itself. You've been warned... "Die Mutter wählt das todtenkleidchen" was originally released in 2007 in a number of 100 copies (sold out in a week or so) and "Dawn Breaks Open like a Wound that Bleeds Afresh" was originally released in 2007 in a number of 150 copies (long sold out). Now out in a gorgeous three panel digipack + sticker. All chaotic sinister fast black metal/doom/noise fuck ups/offs. Gnaw Their Tongues' most black metal sounding material.

www.myspace.com/gnawtheirtongues

Price: 10 €

GOSPEL OF THE FUTURE "s/t" CD
(Epidemie Records)
New band supported by Epidemie Records are Czech's Gospel of the Future, who recorded their self-titled debut album in Studio Hostivar, Prague. 8 heavy gloomy sludge / metal / hardcore evil compositions shall bring pleasure to all lovers of Neurosis, Boris or High on Fire. English graphic designer Chris from the grindcore band Narcosis took care for nice, dark stylish design of the album which come out in 6 panels digisleeve.

www.myspace.com/gospelofthefuture

Price: 10 €

GREEN "Cancer" Demo CDr
(Green)
First demo from this very promising Finnish band, following along the trails laid by Electric Wizard and Sleep, occasionally reaching towards the psychedelia of Sons of Otis and Ufomammut. Heavy bass and guitar foundation, hammering drums and scarce vocals echoing from some corner of the expanded mind, as suggested by the band's name. Minimal decorations on the package, but the music should speak for itself. Limited edition of 100 copies.

www.myspace.com/greenisacolour

Price: 3 €

HABSYLL "MMVIII" CD
(Odio Sonoro)
Debut album from this powerful band from Toulouse, France. Huge swathes of noise, odd drumming, odd sounds, it really sounds fucked up - totally slow, brutal and grimm. Somewhere between Moss, Grief, Corrupted, Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, and noise/chaotic bands like Burmese, Grand Ulena, Wolf Eyes... not for melodic doom rock fans. Presented in a great 8-page digipak.

www.myspace.com/habsyll

Price: 10 €

HARD AND OBSCURE #3
(Musically Incorrect Records)
Industrial noise/obscure metal zine. A5, 44 pages, featuring: Woods of Infinity "A girl ass is more interesting and tasty than the vagina which I sometimes saw the similarity of a deep wound." (SWE black metal), RONF Records "In music the heritage of GG Allin still is the most important influence." (SPA noisecore & experimental noise label), Squamata "The release is about self-expression under physical and social pressure, rubber and assholes." (FIN harsh noise), Steel Hook Prostheses "Female circumcision? That’s some whacked out shit they do in third world countries." (USA power electronics), Institute of Paraphilia Studies "Any person or creature you rape, has sexualized holes other than the one meant for breeding and person as a dominator or sadist, has other means to punish or intrude than engage into trad. cock & pussy contact." (FIN paraphiliac noise label). Also reviews, etc.

Price: 3 €

HARVEY MILK "Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men" 2CD
(Relapse Records)
One of the most unusual and confounding records in the heavy rock world, and from the most unlikely of bands, Harvey Milk's "Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men's" uniqueness is legendary. A monument to unfettered originality on all fronts, "Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men" is at times fragile, minimal, and achingly beautiful; other times it suffocates with tar-black, crushingly heavy dirges that bend time. The tension that permeates the arrangements is exhausting, and the heart-on-a-sleeve vocals of Creston Spiers are truly gut-wrenching. Simply-stated, "Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men" is unprecedented, uneasy listening that walks the finest of lines between difficulty and beauty.

www.myspace.com/harveymilk

Price: 13 €

HEAVY LORD "Chained to the World" CD
(Solitude Productions)
Brand new (already third in a row) album by the Dutch riff masters of sludge/doom! Contribution of The Void Studio (known from such bands as Celestial Season, Motorpsycho, etc.) where the album has been recorded, mixed and produced made it possible for the band to reach a new level, presenting the listeners amazing and heavy sound. Compared to the previous record:"From Cosmos to Chaos", the music became more brutal and destructive. Presence of mature musical skills, make the band one of the representatives of the genre. CD edition comes with a poster by Interzone.

www.myspace.com/heavylord

Price: 10 €

HEBOSAGIL "Colossal" CD
(Kaos Kontrol)
Colossal is the word that is bludgeoned into your mind when Hebosagil's debut album forces itself out of your speakers and 43 minutes later you know you have experienced something colossal. This five-piece from Northern Finland boldly mold their colossus from diverse influences and elements, their approach ranging from slow, crushing doom to violent hardcore bursts and riff-heavy sludge, all forced through unhealthy doses of distortion and performed with fiercely rocking energy. "Colossal" includes 7 tracks perfectly showcasing Hebosagil's varied and uncompromising style, but most importantly everything has been tied together with excellent sense of songwriting and dynamics, complemented by the crushing production. Will cause vibrations to fans of Electric Wizard, Sourvein, Godflesh, Autopsy, Eyehategod, Entombed and Motörhead.

www.myspace.com/hebosagil

Price: 10 €

HEBOSAGIL "Cosmic" MCD
(Rusto-Osiris)
The initial release of "Cosmic" EP by Hebosagil in early 2007 saw light as a self-published promotional CD with very limited pressing of 100 copies. Following the thunderous and awestruck reception of Hebosagil's debut full-length "Colossal" (Kaos Kontrol, 2008) the growing number of requests for the general availability of this seven song war hammer got louder, firmer, and that much harder to resist. And as they say, a million deaf sludge-freaks cannot be wrong. Alas, the re-release, or the first official release, of "Cosmic" EP is here. Armed with all new cover art and for the first time a lyrics sheet, this extended play is colder, more death metal, more overdriven, and more earth shattering than pretty much anything imaginable. Cosmic indeed. Prepare for a galactic disarray of screaming lord fuzz from Oulunsalo, Finland.

www.myspace.com/hebosagil

Price: 8 €

HEIRS "Alchera" LP
(Denovali Records)
Heirs' debut full-length "Alchera" is a 43 minute movement of oppressive instrumental power, cyclic ritualism and bleak hallucinogenic revelation. Recorded at Head Gap Studios by Neil Thomason in the heat waves of Melbourne in January 2009 and mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate), the 6 pieces recorded capture the band's live volume - a blanket of sound traversing a rolling dynamic landscape. Drawing influence from Michael Gira and his Swans legacy, the sledgehammer riffs and industrial pummel of Godflesh, and continuing Stegeman's incense shrouded low-end incantations from his work with doom dealers Whitehorse, combined with Jackson's reverb-soaked noise, "Alchera" strips bare the needless excesses of post-rock and heavy metal in favour of something much more concise and affecting. A lurching, drugged-out specter - holding solace in one hand, and vengeance in the other. From the seething metallic buzz and bluster of the opening track "Plague Asphyx", through to the crowning low-end droning turbulence of "Russia", the recording is an archetype for an existence shrouded in confusion, joy, disappointment and addiction. Black vinyl, limited to 150 copies.

www.myspace.com/heirsmusic

Price: 12 €

HEREM "I - Pulsa diNura" CD
(Rusty Crowbar Records)
Oppressive sludge, riff oriented stoner, laid-back doom and a slight touch of coarse death metal - they're all here but none of them in a dominant role. "Pulsa diNura" is the soundtrack of brimstone rain lashing from the sky while avoiding easy classifications and manerisms. Two demos and years of work have resulted in seven tracks of madness, gloom and groove . The trademark heavy and warm soundscape of the demos is still present in an even more refined wall of sound with clear, balanced and dynamic finishing to strike well placed licks upon the skins of closed minded zombies.

www.myspace.com/heremband

Price: 12 €

HE'S NO GOOD TO ME DEAD Compilation CD
(Game Two Records)
An essential gathering of the grimiest in US sludgecore. He's No Good To Me Dead features 74 minutes of exclusive tarpit metal from Grief, Bongzilla, Sour Vein, Negative Reaction and Subsanity! Band by band, you have: Negative Reaction with three tunes, "MMU Man", "Cosmic Vertical Overlap", and "Hurtling Through the Cosmos", all with an amped up Sleep/Sabbath "Vol. 4" cosmic doom vibe. Grief lay down plodding, feedback drenched extreme doomcrust. Actually, these songs are a bit more uptempo crustcore than most of their earlier stuff. You can hear the Disrupt lineage here, but it's still straight suicidal doom sludge. Subsanity grind out a unique mix of crusty death metal riffs, doom tempos, and sludge style vocals. Bongzilla contribute two live tracks, the sound quality is great and the performance is crushing. Sour Vein features ex-members of Buzzov*en, Cave In and 13. Like a more rocking stripped down version of Buzzov*en, huge slurred sludge riffs hammering at your skull. This is a high quality compilation, essential for fans of sludgecore, doom, and crustcore.

Price: 10 €

HIGHGATE "s/t" CD
(Totalrust Music)
The album of Kentucky sick trio Highgate offers 1 untitled track, but not less than 54 minutes of nasty combination between hybrid minimalistic doom, experimental noise and grim black metal. Expect for a loud and noisy production and prepare yourself for the worse! The sound of apocalypse…

www.myspace.com/therealhighgate

Price: 10 €

HKY "s/t" CD
(Music Fear Satan)
Formed 3 years ago and after ten shows in Paris, HKY unleashed their first effort with four lengthy tracks. The result sounds like dark and cold metal with lots of programming, sampling and keyboards which give a very particular gloomy atmosphere to the record. All the members have plenty of experience from different bands and musical projects (Vengeance, Every Reason To..., ((Remote)), Immemorial, Crossing the Rubicon, etc.) but the strength of HKY is the massive universe within each track and their musical block between Jesu, Tarantula Hawk and Darkspace. The CD version in digisleeve is limited to 1000 copies. The artwork was done by Chuck (from Warsaw Was Raw).

www.myspace.com/hkyrock

Price: 10 €

Price: 10 €

IMINDAIN "And the Living Shall Envy the Dead" CD
(Weird Truth Productions)
First album of UK mournful doom band Imindain, who started in 2002 and released 2 demos "Endless" (2002) and "Monolithium" (2006) . This first album contains re-recorded versions of 3 songs from the "Monolithium" demo and 3 more songs. The album was mixed by Greg from UK veteran doom band Esoteric. Powerful mid/slow tempo based drumming with a lot of impressive fills. Guitar harmonies with sorrowful mood. Vocal with a variety of voices from deep low grunts to hysteric high screams and mournful mid-tone clean vocal. Dramatic song structures mixing aggression and tranquility. Everything is done the way it should be. Mourn in despair and be doomed!

www.myspace.com/imindain

Price: 10 €

THE JAM SESSION "När mörkret väller över" CD
(Concubine Records)
"'När mörkret väller över' is the third album from swedish gods The Jam Session. A twelve songs cd clocking in at 46 minutes of doom, sludge and dark hardcore, a new approch to music, a brutal mix between swedish metal heaviness and emotional/ambient atmospheres. The tracks are slower, longer and more emotive than ever, in the same time 'När mörkret väller över' is the most brutal, dark, ambient Jam Session's work and the best offer so far. Recorded and mixed by Joakim Petterson from grind masters Regurgitate. Artwork and layout by Mattias Frisk (www.nerofrisk.se). For fans of Baroness, Black Sabbath, Isis and Eyehategod. So be ready, the black cats are back!" (Concubine Records)

www.myspace.com/thejamsessionmjolby

Price: 10 €

JAVELINA "s/t" LP
(Translation Loss Records/Triumph of Death Records)
Southern sludge it is, and Javelina heaps on plenty of influences with gusto and aplomb to put together a ripsnorter of an album. Throw in equal parts Eyehategod (speed it up a bit and use less heroin, though) and “Technocracy”-era Corrosion of Conformity (well, add moments of “Blind”, too), add a dash or two of Soilent Green/ Goatwhore, and include a few post-thrash, sludge, stoner touches evocative of newer acts such as The Fucking Wrath, and you have Javelina’s debut full-length in a nutshell. Limited to 500 copies.

www.myspace.com/javelinaphiladelphia

Price: 12 €

JUCIFER "If Thine Enemy Hunger" CD
(Relapse Records)
The infamous Jucifer has returned with its long-awaited new full-length "If Thine Enemy Hunger". "...Hunger", the Athens, GA power-duo's first proper album in almost four years, serves up an unforgettable collection of the melodic, bombastic rock that is their calling card. The dreamy, seductive vocals of the gorgeous Amber Valentine melt into monolithic walls of guitar and pounding drums (courtesy of wildman Edgar Livengood) to form the most infectious heavy rock you will ever hear. With a sound as big as the hooks it's 15 tracks carry, "If Thine Enemy Hunger" is a total eargasm and vibrant return to form by one of the US's most unique rock bands.

www.myspace.com/jucifer

Price: 10 €

K 11 "Voices from Thelema" CD
(Aurora Borealis)
K 11 is a project of Italian sound/installation artist Pietro Riparbelli that deals with the world of radio signals, trans-communication and other invisible phenomena, to create a dimension where the only sound sources are signals from shortwave radio receivers. "Voices from Thelema" is an instrumental trans-communication action with short wave radio receivers realized inside Thelema Abbey in Cefalù, October 14, 2007. The ruined building stands derelict and on the verge of collapse, though still holds many secrets and has been a focus for much counter cultural activity since its foundation by Aleister Crowley in 1920 as a religious centre and commune where he could instruct disciples in his emerging Thelemic religion and systems of magick in a rural atmosphere, far from the overpowering prevailing morality of England. Activities included meditation and ritual magick, as well as the sensationalised drug taking and sex magick. The wall of many of the rooms were painted with fantastic murals by Crowley himself, depicting many of the elementals and demons encountered in his magickal exercises, and the remains of many of these adorn the accompanying booklet. After being ejected from Italy following scandal and outcry over the goings on at the Abbey, the walls were whitewashed and destroyed. Filmmaker Kenneth Anger, himself a devotee of Crowley, later uncovered and filmed some of its murals in his film 'Thelema Abbey' (1955), now considered lost, and the Abbey has been a place of pilgrimage for many ever since. K 11 now revisits this site and seeks to uncover the genius loci, the very essence of the building itself, to reach out into the aether and construct meaning and reality from that which is beyond our grasp. The three tracks are the result of this work and, each bearing titles of Thelemic significance, can be said to hold the essence of all that remains at Cefalù, like the background radiation that tells of the Big Bang. Presented as a deluxe CD digipack, with glued in 32 page booklet featuring exclusive documentary photographs from the recording process at Thelema Abbey. The disc also features a short film shot on location at the Abbey during the recording.

www.myspace.com/pietroriparbelli

Price: 10 €

KAYO DOT "Blue Lambency Downward" CD
(Hydra Head Records)
Thinking about how to describe "Blue Lambency Downward", and all kinds of phrases pop up—phrases like “a sonic experience unlike any other,” “Kayo Dot send irreverent compositional colors and supreme tonal iridescence bursting through the underground’s monotonous black & white” or “Kayo Dot levy a jazz-tinged sadness upon experimental rock’s triumphalist tendencies”—phrases sullied by overuse, vague incompatibility and the fact that if you’re reading this with even a passing interest, the word “jazz” probably bums you out. And yet multi-instrumentalists Toby Driver and Mia Matsumiya lull you into a dream state with a small cavalcade of instrumentation, plying an almost noir-ish sensibility at once moody and contemplative, bristling and demure. With a history that includes avant-metallurgists Maudlin of the Well (Driver was the band’s, uh, driving force), John Zorn’s Tzadik Records (2003’s "Choirs of the Eye"), Robotic Empire (2006’s "Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue"), and instruction from renowned jazz musician Dr. Yusef Lateef, Kayo Dot have delivered an unclassifiable masterpiece.

www.myspace.com/kayodot

Price: 10 €

L.A. NOISESCAPE Compilation CD
(Bastardised)
The definitive Los Angeles noise compilation with tracks from Andorkappen, Impregnable, Circuit Wound, Pedestrian Deposit, Slujun, David Kendall, Indian Jewelry, Albert Ortega, ExJesus, Redglare, Rick Potts, John Wiese, AMK, Damion Romero, The Cherry Point, Mitchell Brown, Haircut Mountain Transit, Privy Seals, Toxic Loincloth, Bastard Noise, Obstacle Corpse, GX Jupitter-Larsen, Stane Hubert, Raven Chacon, Skull Sküll, Moth Drakula, Feed the Dragon, Son of Dad, Leticia Castaneda, David Scott Stone, Brian Miller & Kevin Shields, Kitten Sparkles, Adrian Bayless, Unicorn, +Dog+ and Amps for Christ.

Price: 10 €

LAZARUS BLACKSTAR "Tomb of Internal Winter" MCD
(Future Noise Recordings)
Lazarus Blackstar having been carving out crust blackened doom for over four years supporting and touring with the likes of Electric Wizard, High on Fire, Orange Goblin, Solace, Capricorns, Buried Inside, Charger, Black Eye Riot and Gloomy Sunday to name just a few, whilst also recording two albums on Undergroove Records and one 7" through Calculon. Now with new vocalist Mik Hell replacing former vocalist Paul Catten their sound has taken an even greater guttural force, but what else would you expect from a line up whose past has been written in underground bands such as Doom, Khang, Chorus of Ruin, After the Massacre, Solstice and Serenity. Their new three track E.P, recorded at the studio 1in12 by Bri (Doom), entitled "Tomb of Internal Winter" takes us from the crushing title track to the brooding dark experimental "Victim of the Clergy". Tomb of internal winter is their darkest chapter...

www.myspace.com/lazarusblackstar

Price: 8 €

LENTO "Earthen (Limited Edition)" CD
(Supernatural Cat)
"Earthen" is the title of the first album of Lento. Seven incredible songs create a massive atmosphere mixing ambient with hardcore, postrock with psychedelia, all under unbelievable concrete riffs. Under a wide range of influences including seminal bands such as Neurosis, Earth, Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor, Lento create a personal sound we could define as "Heavy Ambient". Lento is an instrumental five piece act, 3 guitars, bass and a drumkit. Their tone is a blend of heavily down tuned guitars, apocalyptic slow tempos, systematic drones and resonant feedbacks, their live sets alternate from hardcore assaults to intimate collapses of the signals. First limited edition run of 500 CDs with sleeves hand printed by Malleus Rock Art Lab.

www.myspace.com/lento

Price: 20 €

LENTO "Earthen" LP
(Supernatural Cat)
"Earthen" is the title of the first album of Lento. Seven incredible songs create a massive atmosphere mixing ambient with hardcore, postrock with psychedelia, all under unbelievable concrete riffs. Under a wide range of influences including seminal bands such as Neurosis, Earth, Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor, Lento create a personal sound we could define as "Heavy Ambient". Lento is an instrumental five piece act, 3 guitars, bass and a drumkit. Their tone is a blend of heavily down tuned guitars, apocalyptic slow tempos, systematic drones and resonant feedbacks, their live sets alternate from hardcore assaults to intimate collapses of the signals. Very special packaging, hand made and printed by Malleus. Black vinyl in extremely limited edition of 200 copies.

www.myspace.com/lento

Price: 30 €

LORDS OF BUKKAKE "s/t" CD
(Odio Sonoro)
There are plenty of bands out there that wear their love for the swampy sludge of Nawlins' on their sleeve. I'm a sucker for a big, fat bluesy doom riff myself. So are the sleazily named Lords of Bukkake, a Spanish trio that includes members of the harsh noise group Sons of Bronson and prog-rockers Cuzo, who lumber through five long tracks of noxious, swollen doom on their debut album. Nearly an hour's worth of super slow, crushing riffage and pounding slo-mo drums, and there's no mistaking the Louisiana influence here, the swampy sub-Sabbath sludge in the vein of Eyehategod and Weedeater, a bit slower maybe, but with that greasy feedback splattered sound that Eyehategod pioneered. The singer has this weird, high-pitched snarl that sounds like his vocals are being run though a bunch of FX processors that turns 'em into this gnarly demonic rasp that sounds pretty nuts.

www.myspace.com/lordsofbukkake

Price: 10 €

MARZURAAN "Five Years Worth of Fuck All" CD
(At War with False Noise)
This collection comprises of demos, live stuff, rarities and rehersals from the UK's most consistantly interesting, forward-thinking, and just plain fucking great band of the last decade. Starting off from now and moving backwards through time to the early bedroom demo days, this CD shows Marzuraan's evolution from simplistic droning minimalism of the two bass lineup to the full-on rock beast of today. The album kicks off with a cover of Loop's "Afterglow", putting it through the post-Ginn blender and coming out with something great. The other cover here is a raging, lo-fi recording of Rollins Band's "Turned Inside Out", performed at the inaugral Glasgow Implodes fest a few years ago. There's a fierce, noise-ridden performance of "Nice Wang" recorded on Julian Cope's last tour, the epic dark drone rock of GMT recorded at the Lord Clyde in Byker, and the aptly-named Kraut-esque monotone riff of "Earth 3" from the confusing Manbyrd cassette. All in all, Marzuraan do it better than anyone else going right now; be it bleak minimal droning walls of sound, controlled experiments into feedback or baws-out "post" rock, without the scene points. They sound like the late, twisted Flag stuff on a mid-period Voivod album, with Swervedriver on in the background. Played by Helios Creed. Totally great packaging by the guys at Thumbprint Press; three-panel chipboard sleeve, double-sided print, with stark black letterpress and clear varnish. You may know these guys' work from the Sunn live album or one of the many Bastard Noise family releases...

www.myspace.com/marzuraan

Price: 10 €

METHADRONE "Better Living (Through Chemistry)" CD
(ConSouling Sounds)
Methadrone has come a long way since its conception as a 2-bassed sludge/drone monolith. Craig Pillard (who has been part of Evoken, Incantation, e.a.) gradually expanded his sound through experiment with acoustic guitars and other vocal collaborations. "Better Living (Through Chemistry)" is pushing beyond the boundaries of traditional doom music, resulting in well balanced atmospheric pieces of music which make this third full album the apogee of Methadrone's oeuvre this far. On this innovative journey, that bridges the gaps between doom, drone, dark ambient, wave and even neo-folk, Pillard sided with Jason Wallach (The Unquiet Void), Tara Vanflower (Lycia) and Thierry Arnal (fragment.) to present their next step in the evolution of gloomy music.

www.myspace.com/methadrone

Price: 10 €

MILLS OF GOD "Call of the Eastern Moon" CD
(Modus Operandi)
Three songs in about 63 minutes of monumental 70s flavoured instrumental psychedelic doom. Check 'em out, you won't be disappointed. Artwork done by Tom Denney (Kylesa, Sourvein, Deadbird) and mastered by Bob Weston (Shellac). The CD includes a bonus track “The Seed”, another 20 minutes song from 2005. Limited edition of 300 copies.

www.myspace.com/millsofgod

Price: 10 €

MOLOCH "s/t" CD
(Choking Hazard Records)
This is the CD version of the Moloch 10" released by Feast of Tentacles Records and Shifty Records. Moloch are an awesome new sludge band influenced by Eyehategod, Cavity and Iron Monkey. Four songs of heavy and dirty old school sludge.

www.myspace.com/molochscum

Price: 8 €

MONKEYPRIEST "Defending the Tree" MCD
(Féretro Records)
Debut release from this up-and-coming Spanish sludge outfit. Primitive rhythm, heavy groove and painstakingly slow riffs, drawing influence from the likes of Grief, Eyehategod, Noothgrush etc. Limited edition of 500 copies.

www.myspace.com/monkeypriest

Price: 8 €

MORKOBOT "Mostro" CD
(Supernatural Cat)
Morkobot is a totally suggestive instrumental space-psych postrock sonic monster. "Mostro" is their brand new work. Six incredible tracks for a magmatic and liquid atmosphere able to lead the listener to a psychelic and caotic world in which vibrations become dense like glue, light and darkness are continuosly turning in a nonstop changing lysergic noise: moments of raw power suddenly replace those with softer, deliberate arrangements, and viceversa. From John Zorn to Black Sabbath, from Pink Floyd to Godflesh, Don Caballero meet Lightning Bolt in a alien delirium... this is Morkobot, a difficult to define band. CD in a first limited edition of 500 pieces only, handprinted and numbered by Malleus on 3 different colours heavy vegetable paper: green, red and avana. A gorgeous 6 cardboard pages booklet is inside the cover, it's silkscreened in silver and black on the cd.

www.myspace.com/morkobot

Price: 20 €

MORKOBOT "Morto" CD
(Supernatural Cat)
"Morto" is the final chapter of Morkobot's first trilogy. After the self titled album and "Mostro", the trio (Lin, Lan, Len) have realized a single long track, with two basses and drums creating an incredible maze of sounds. Morkobot leads the listener into the ocean of “Death concept” and its value as “Reborn”. This is Morkobot, all the rest is dead. Standard digipak edition.

www.myspace.com/morkobot

Price: 12 €

MORKOBOT "Morto" LP+CD
"Morto" is the final chapter of Morkobot's first trilogy. After the self titled album and "Mostro", the trio (Lin, Lan, Len) have realized a single long track, with two basses and drums creating an incredible maze of sounds. Morkobot leads the listener into the ocean of “Death concept” and its value as “Reborn”. This is Morkobot, all the rest is dead. Special limited edition of 500 copies, black vinyl and CD in handmade silkscreened sleeve.

www.myspace.com/morkobot

Price: 30 €

MOTHER SUSURRUS "s/t" CDr
(Mother Susurrus)
Strong debut from this Finnish newcomer featuring members of Von Auer and Dark Buddha Rising. Definitely something that could be placed within the post-metal genre yet steering away from excessive shoe-gazing and drowsiness. Long, well balanced compositions with great attention to detail and dynamics; storming riffs and violent vocals flow into more psychedelic passages and onwards to soothing, delicate moments. Mother Susurrus list at least YOB, King Crimson, Ulver, Tool, Melvins and Mastodon as some of their influences in case that gives you an idea of the diversity of their sound. Limited edition pro-CDr in full colour digipak.

www.mothersusurrus.com

Price: 7 €

MOURNER "Still" MCD
(Mourner)
30+ minutes of arcane and nihilistic doom from Nashville! Mourner is a four-piece group of musicians (including members of Loss) bonded by the creation of doom in its most raw, arcane and nihilistic state... drawing influence from a wide array of musical styles and art, emotions, experiences, the occult and esoteric and an overall bleak and daunting feeling. Limited edition of 333 copies.

www.myspace.com/mourner777

Price: 8 €

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION "The Monad of Creation" CD
(Weird Truth Productions)
Long awaited second album from Mournful Congregation is unleashed to this world of the hopeless! Extreme slowness and heaviness bring depression to the depth of your mind. Layered sorrowful melodies make your tears shed from your eyes. They deliver 4 sorrowful hymns here to make you mourn. First 2 songs are their typical tunes, very emotional and dramatic. When you listen to the guitar solo at the end of "As I Drowning in Loveless Rain", you can't control the grief rising in your mind. Next one "When the Weeping Dawn Beheld its Mortal Thirst" brings you 10 minutes rest with beautiful acoustic guitar melodies. Then the last track "The Monad of Creation" starts in solemn mood. Gradually sorrowful emotions are unleashed, apocalypse comes to an end... Definitely, this is the new bible of mournful doom established by high musicianship!

www.myspace.com/mournfulcongregation

Price: 10 €

MURKRAT "s/t" CD
(Aesthetic Death)
Welcome to the Australian year of the rat - voyage into the world of the soothsayer and bow down to the unbridled imagination of the dark witch of Murkrat. This CD features 3 brand new tracks, alongside bonus material from the 2006 "Murky Ratmass" demo. This is primitive doom at its most fundamental and monotonous - yet, simultaneously, at its most beautiful and enchanting. Long bass lines, bewitching harmonies and ethereal vocals... these spellbinding tracks will haunt you! Imagine: total misanthropy meets doom metal meets Diamanda Galas meets Portishead meets Mordor meets Gallhammer - and you'll still be nowhere near...

www.myspace.com/murkrat

Price: 10 €

MÖSE / HOG MOUNTIN Split CD
(PsycheDOOMelic Records)
After mighty outputs by NYC sludge kings Negative Reaction, and a V/A sampler, we dig out US based Hog Mountin, a pissed off sludge band that lies somewhere inbetween Grief, Crowbar and Eyehategod. You can expect pretty heavy "scream the lungs out" sludge throughout most of the music. On the other side of the split you get a couple of killer tunes by the Belgian Möse, a misanthropic sludge-metal outfit that released a killer 7" in the past. Raw, energetic material like you might got to hear live on their European shows.

www.myspace.com/mosedoom
www.myspace.com/hogmountin

Price: 10 €

NADJA / ATAVIST / SATORI "Infernal Procession... and then Everything Dies" Split CD
(Cold Spring Records)
Split release from Canadian shoegaze droners Nadja (Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff), Manchester doomers Atavist and UK fortean electronics/dark ambient act Satori. Released to coincide with their UK joint tour. Limited to 1000 copies in a 6-panel outsized sleeve.

www.myspace.com/nadjaluv
www.myspace.com/atavist
www.myspace.com/satoriofficial

Price: 10 €

NEGATIVE REACTION "Endofyorerror" CD
(PsycheDOOMelic Records)
"Endofyorerror", originally released in 1996 on their own record label, was Negative Reaction's first full length CD. After 7 years, and two other full length CDs including "The Orion Chronicles" in 2000 featuring the 38 minute long "Moon Song" and "Everything You Need for Galactic Battle Adventures", Negative Reaction's first co-release with Game Two Records in the USA, and PsycheDOOMelic Records in Europe in 2003, this 2003 re-release of "Endofyorerror" by PsycheDOOMelic Records comes to you with slight differences from the original release. The two original bonus tracks have been replaced with one song from the "Orbit EP", Negative Reaction's first release with Game Two Records in 1998. We hope you enjoy this archival masterpiece from the gods of sludge.

www.myspace.com/negativereaction

Price: 10 €

NEGATIVE REACTION "Everything You Need for Galactic Battle Adventures" CD
(PsycheDOOMelic Records/Game Two Records)
The third full-length from New York's Star Wars obsessed psychedelic sludge lords with over a decade of experience. Back to basics, hard-hitting approach with nods to their hardcore past. Eight tracks of seriously heavy, torturous doom, co-release with Game Two from the U.S.

www.myspace.com/negativereaction

Price: 10 €

NEGATIVE REACTION "Tales from the Insomniac" CD
(Spare Change Records)
Negative Reaction’s brutal sludgecore has been informed by that very outlook since its inception in 1988. Spanning three decades of melding the piss-your-pants aggression of NYHC mavens Agnostic Front with the feedback mayhem of Eyehategod and the riff worship of Sleep, never before has their viciousness come to the surface as it does on "Tales From The Insomniac".

www.myspace.com/negativereaction

Price: 10 €

NEGATIVE REACTION / WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS Split CD
(Spare Change Records)
Painful and punishing slow doom assault from two bands. When the Deadbolt Breaks is some intense hardcore sludge with some nice changes here and there to make for an interesting bludgeoning session. Negative Reaction are up to the usual slow motion sickness sounding more tormented than ever. Weird vocals in "Loathing" . Get it tortured listeners of Unearthly Trance, Stumm, Esoteric, Weedeater, Saviours, etc...

www.myspace.com/negativereaction
www.myspace.com/whenthedeadboltbreaks

Price: 10 €

NIGHT MUST FALL "Dissonance of Thought" MLP
(Rusty Crowbar Records)
Torturous funeral doom. Invoking agony and hate and the pleasure in reflecting them towards the humanity - the lethal injection of planet earth - the two lenghty tracks manage to be cruel and mesmerizing yet still somewhat beautiful in their crudeness. A giant leap after their demos towards the torch bearers of Finland's funeral doom genre. Imagine a mix of eerie funeral doom with the ugly crushing sludge attitude and you're somewhere close to the sound of this release.

www.myspace.com/nmfdoom

Price: 12 €

OCEAN CHIEF / RUNEMAGICK "The Northern Lights" Split CD
(Aftermath Music)
Three lengthy songs from two crushing Swedish sludge-lords. This split release on the Aftermath label pairs the prolific Runemagick and stoner/doom/sludge trio Ocean Chief. Runemagick offers "Bound In Magick Haze" and "Chthonic Temple Smoke" while Ocean Chief (who features Jocke Petersson, known for his work in Dawn, Thy Primordial, Unmoored and many more) offer the mammoth "Gathering Souls". Hand numbered limited edition of 500 copies.

www.myspace.com/oceanchief
www.myspace.com/runemagick

Price: 10 €

OMEGA MASSIF / MOUNT LOGAN Split CD
(Vendetta Records)
Summit of the two German masters of instrumental post metal/post rock from north of Bavaria. The former Switchblade worshippers Mount Logan surprise with their turn towards weird Albini-esque noise rock deconstructions, occasionally even with vocals added. Omega Massif, as you would expect from them, once again create a dark, moody and opulent soundscape with heavy crushing guitars and irresistible killer grooves.

www.myspace.com/omegamassif
www.myspace.com/mountlogan

Price: 10 €

ORBIT e.v. "Super 8" 10"
(Spirit of 76)
Very interesting, now disbanded German band bringing together melodic and spacey rock with traces of prog and a dose of post-rock which sometimes reaches almost Neurosis/Isis/Cult of Luna -style heaviness; the only catch is that this was recorded in 2000, way before the trend started! Vocals are used sparingly and emphasis is on the textures created by the music, varying from pop-like mellowness to storming heaviness. Perhaps not as polished and style-conscious as the bands nowadays, but worth checking out! Black vinyl in brown carton sleeve with full colour insert and a slice of super 8 film.

www.myspace.com/orbitev

Price: 8 €

OTESANEK "s/t" CD
(Electric Human Project)
Right from the exquisite feedback and hellish vocal introduction, you know something doesn't feel quite right. Like oil is being pumped into your veins... and you know there is still a long, long way to go before its over. This is the debut of Otesanek. The band that will decay all senses until nothing is left of you but a pile of bones. These Philadelphians baptize the world with two tracks of gluttonous, overruling doom played slower then the second coming of jesus christ. Scattered guitar chords are struck with the force of colliding planets, all while the drums are being beaten rather than played. The duel vocals ring in like the shouts of tortured souls, bellowing from the darkest places anyone could imagine. If you hate Earth, Boris, Khanate, and Sunn O))), then you will despise Otesanek. Two tracks, thirty minutes. Ex members of Puritan & Hassan I Sabbah.

www.myspace.com/otesanekdoom

Price: 10 €

PAGANUS "s/t" CD
(Totalrust Music)
Paganus full-length features 4 tracks of vicious extreme doom metal clocking in at almost 50 minutes! A raw extreme heaviness filled with crushing riffs, "doomy soundscapes", wicked vocals and lots of negative emotions… Recommended for fans of Burning Witch, Khanate, High on Fire, Neurosis...

www.myspace.com/paganusdoom

Price: 10 €

PORE "Dorsale" CD
(PDCD)
Debut album from this French noise rock/industrial/metal outfit, released in 1992. Fronted by David Valli (ex-Davy Jones Locker), Pore was heavily influenced by the sound of Godflesh, Helmet, Gore and presented their mechanical, powerful and bass-heavy version of it. Rare original edition!

Price: 10 €

PORE "Rotation" MCD
(PDCD)
Second and final proper release from this French noise rock/industrial/metal outfit, released in 1993 after which the band only did a few compilation appearances. Fronted by David Valli (ex-Davy Jones Locker), Pore was heavily influenced by the sound of Godflesh, Helmet, Gore and presented their mechanical, powerful and bass-heavy version of it. Rare original edition!

Price: 8 €

PROFETUS "Coronation of the Black Sun" CD
(Rusty Crowbar Records)
Heavens are dripping with black seeds of doom when the Profetus congregation burdensomely shambles its burial march onwards. Scandinavian funeral doom pioneers of the early 90s have had a big part in the process of shaping Profetus as the embodiment of their despondency. Yet their musical roots in Finnish underground black/death metal scene lay a strong effect of rawness on their solemnly forged sound - finally burying everything under a suffocating blanket of northern snow. "Coronation of the Black Sun" offers 4 tracks and 50 minutes of funeral doom in devastation of solitude, saturnine bleakness and despair - guided with lyrical and conceptual Luciferian light shed by the author Johannes Nefastos to invoke this majestic and mesmerising journey into oblivion.

www.myspace.com/profetus

Price: 12 €

RAVENS CREED "Militia of Blood Sacrifice" MCD
(Iron Pig Records)
From the unholy hell pits of Nottingham, England, the mighty Ravens Creed are unleashed upon the world. With ex members of Iron Monkey, Cerebral Fix, Skyclad, and GBH with Orange Goblin vocalist Ben Ward at centre stage, Ravens Creed are the audio equivalent of having your face smashed in with a bag of rusty hammers. Total thrash holocaust with tunes that stick in your head like nails, the fours tracks are all masterpieces of filthy dirty thrashing metal. Buy or die!

www.myspace.com/wwwmyspacecomravenscreed

Price: 5 €

RAWRADARWAR / DEER CREEK Split LP
(Game Two Records)
This awesome split features Boston's brutalizing RawRadarWar and the punishing heaviness of Denver's Deer Creek. RawRadarWar is fronted by former Only Living Witness and Milligram vocalist Jonah Jenkins in his most ferocious persona yet. RawRadarWar occupies Side A of the LP with an epic cut of scathing, rumbling sludge doom and two tracks of dark, ambient noise-scaping. Side B features four desolate doses of the heavy from Deer Creek. The vinyls come on black/red mixed vinyl and are limited to only 500 copies. Features original "Doom Tornado" artwork and layouts by Paul Vismara.

www.myspace.com/septicyouthcommand
www.myspace.com/deercreek

Price: 12 €

RAWRADARWAR / DEER CREEK Split CD
(Game Two Records)
This awesome split features Boston's brutalizing RawRadarWar and the punishing heaviness of Denver's Deer Creek. RawRadarWar is fronted by former Only Living Witness and Milligram vocalist Jonah Jenkins in his most ferocious persona yet. RawRadarWar kicks off the CD with an epic cut of scathing, rumbling sludge doom and two tracks of dark, ambient noise-scaping. Second off are four desolate doses of the heavy from Deer Creek. The CD version features two bonus ambient noise tracks from RawRadarWar and three "Mammon" demo tracks from Deer Creek. The CD is limited to 1000 copies. Features original "Doom Tornado" artwork and layouts by Paul Vismara.

www.myspace.com/septicyouthcommand
www.myspace.com/deercreek

Price: 10 €

R.Y.N. "Astral Death" CD
(Unrest Productions)
R.Y.N. is the project of UK drone duo Pete Burn (Marzuraan) and Dean Glaister (Romance). With one previous 7" on Drone Records, this is their first full-length album. 6 long tracks of waving and slowly shifting massive drones, based on guitar, bass, metal and effects. The sounds here are just flooding immensely, there's nothing 'concrete' you can hold on to; the mind and body seem to be washed out slowly by these rustling feedbacking and deeply reverberating overtune-waves. "Astral Death" is a journey into the pulsating, meandering heart of disintegration. Edition of 500 copies.

Price: 10 €

SEPPUKU / MUTANT APE Split 7"
(At War with False Noise/Turgid Animal)
The incredibly busy George Proctor smashes us across the chops for the duration of his side of this slab with a punishing six minute lesson in harsh noise brutality. It sounds like a large collection of faulty electric appliances being launched down the stairs of a building on fire. Fucking GREAT! On the flipside is a couple of tracks by the band formerly known as Tetsuo. This side sees a change of direction from the previous lo-fi clatterings of before and contains two mercilessly heavy tracks of full-on noise doom!! First track, "The Sound Of Slow Decay" does exactly what it says on the tin...repetitive sub-Sabbath riffing which eventually kills itself, followed by "Vincent Price's Wife Is Dead", which sounds like a hokey 70s nightmare sequence from a Hammer film gone wrong. Stick-on laser printed sleeves and a confusing insert that doesn't really shed much light on anything. Black vinyl, 220 copies.

www.myspace.com/thetruetetsuo
www.myspace.com/mutantape

Price: 5 €

SERPENT THRONE "The Battle of Old Crow" LP
(Modus Operandi)
Serpent Throne hails from the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia) and includes at least one member of the now defunct Otesanek. The band plays a brand of hard rock that harkens back to the golden age of heavy riffs and tasty solos called the 70's. This album is chock full of catchy heavy riffs and sweet soulful leads. The guitar duo of Fenton and Argott is really the highlight on the album and they deliver the goods in spades. The band's rhythm section are no slouches either and hold it down with just the right pomp and swagger. A bad vocalist could ruin this band so it's fortunate that there are no vocals. The sound of the recording is not retro per se; it does have an analog, warm and fuzzy vibe but does not have that deliberately sought after vintage tone. Black 180g vinyl. Limited edition of 500 copies.

www.myspace.com/serpentthrone

Price: 12 €

SINK "The Process" CD
(Kult of Nihilow/Kaos Kontrol)
There is obscure and then there is Obscure. The difference is subtle, but when you hear Sink, you know the limit between obscure and Obscure has been surpassed. The Process is a beast that drags you below the surface and lets you gasp for air just enough to keep conscious and experience the horror. Monumental wall of sound built from demented vibrations, violent distortion, wailing feedback, reverberating clashes and almost choral (in)human voices echoing in your mind like amplified painful memories; and when the wall collapses, the undertow pulls you deeper into paranoid and disturbing surroundings filled with static drones, scorching electrical trills and gravely impressive Obscurity that defies mental health. You may never reach back to the surface… This is not a sludge record. This is not a drone record. This is not an experimental record. This is The Process. Released in co-operation by Kult of Nihilow and Kaos Kontrol. CD comes in special fold-out full colour carton sleeve in a limited edition of 1000.

www.myspace.com/sinktheprocess

Price: 10 €

SINK "The Process" LP
(Rusty Crowbar Records)
There is obscure and then there is Obscure. The difference is subtle, but when you hear Sink, you know the limit between obscure and Obscure has been surpassed. The Process is a beast that drags you below the surface and lets you gasp for air just enough to keep conscious and experience the horror. Monumental wall of sound built from demented vibrations, violent distortion, wailing feedback, reverberating clashes and almost choral (in)human voices echoing in your mind like amplified painful memories; and when the wall collapses, the undertow pulls you deeper into paranoid and disturbing surroundings filled with static drones, scorching electrical trills and gravely impressive Obscurity that defies mental health. You may never reach back to the surface… This is not a sludge record. This is not a drone record. This is not an experimental record. This is The Process. 180g vinyl, cardboard insert, limited edition of 250 copies.

www.myspace.com/sinktheprocess

Price: 15 €

SKULLFLOWER "IIIrd Gatekeeper" CD
(HeadDirt Recordings/PDCD)
Original edition of Skullflower's acclaimed 1992 album "IIIrd Gatekeeper", featuring the line-up of Matthew Bower (guitar), Stuart Dennison (drums and vocals), and Anthony DiFranco (bass), released on HeadDirt, the label run by Justin Broadrick of Godflesh/Jesu/Final fame back in the early 90's. Skullflower at their heaviest, grinding out slow, sludgy riffs and crushing, almost industrial rhythms amid a tempest of psychedelic guitar noise and dense sheets of feedback - easily the most crushing, rock-based music that Skullflower ever produced. "IIIrd Gatekeeper" served up a skulldozing dose of post-industrial dirge rock that sat comfortably next to Godflesh, Swans, and Ramleh in terms of dark, druggy, hypnotic lumbering heaviness. Rare original CD edition!

www.myspace.com/skullflowervibes

Price: 10 €

SLEEPPERS "Subconscious Nocturnal Activity" CD
(Vicious Circle)
Another forgotten noise rock gem from France! Sleeppers' second album, released in 1997, shows their own heavily rhythmical sound combining with influences from Unsane and Neurosis who they toured with in France a year prior to this release. Percussive foundation, aggressive and noisy riffs, distorted pissed off vocals - what else do you need?

www.myspace.com/sleeppers

Price: 10 €

SLEEPPERS "Adrenalien" MCD
(Vicious Circle)
The follow-up to Sleeppers' second album "Subconscious Nocturnal Activity", this MCD was released in 1998. Somewhat heavier and more aggressive approach than before with more straight forward structures. The band definitely had their own sound yet clearly belonging to the 90s scene alongside Unsane, Today is the Day, Helmet, etc.

www.myspace.com/sleeppers

Price: 7 €

SLOMATICS "Kalceanna" CD
(Spirit of Division)
Slomatics' new full length "Kalceanna" has much in common with its Irish title. 'Kalceanna', which is Irish for 'storm', serves as a fitting point of reference for the thick dense music that Slomatics create. Consisting of a mere two guitarists and a drummer, Slomatics have wilfully augmented the classic 'power trio' formation, choosing to do away with bass entirely. You'd be forgiven for assuming Slomatics were at least a four piece. Furthermore, you'd also be forgiven for assuming they had a bassist, because the sheer low end saturation they achieve is impressive to say the very least. Slomatics construct lumbering, towering riffs, built on a solid foundation of simple yet effective rhythmic patterns. Vocals are used sparingly, delivered in a half sung, half shouted style that is well pitched in relation to the music. Joe's defiant delay soaked howl serves to punctuate and enhance the songs leaving the rest of the band with ample sonic headroom. Throughout this album, the emphasis remains on the beautifully textured low end and crushing cyclical grooves. The band indulge in fuzz saturated, glacially paced riffs but never loose sight of the need for a good hook. Slomatics strike a healthy balance between low end drone and straight up stoner rock groove, wisely retaining a song based approach throughout. Their sound isn't a million miles away from the now defunct US band Floor. However, Slomatics clearly have their own take on sludge and doom and it's one that will likely take them far in years to come. As it stands, "Kalceanna" is a superb offering, one very worthy of your attention should you have any interest in good underground music.

www.myspace.com/slomatics

Price: 10 €

SLOMATICS / AGENT OF THE MORAI Split CD
(Calculon Records)
The EP leads in with three tracks from sludged up Irish doomers Slomatics. Heavy as you could possibly want with their Matamp driven low end pummeling, the clever use of dynamics within the song writing and refreshing use of an actual singing voice rather than a scream/roar continue where the previous release left off in setting Slomatics apart from the majority of their peers. What you basically have here is a 'slow doom' band a la Stumm and their ilk with their 'three chords a minute' mandate but played twice as fast. The songs are well thought out, never lose your interest and really do make you have to think to come up with a direct comparison as the scope involved stretches well beyond your bog standard quiet bit/loud bit dynamic. The final two tracks for your perusal are from Leeds based sludged up groovers Agent Of The Morai. Both tracks are rollicking sludgeathons from start to finish sounding like a blend of Iron Monkey's stonerish grooving 'Our Problem' best and Charger's slowest, nastiest dirges.

www.myspace.com/slomatics
www.myspace.com/theagentofthemorai

Price: 10 €

SOLLUBI "At War with Decency" CD
(Choking Hazard Records)
Sollubi are a side project from the guys of Fistula and Rape X. They play a very original kind of psychedelic sludge. You'll find the down tempo and the heavy sound of Fistula combined with the psychedelic and noisy vibe of Rape X. They sound like a tribute band of Hawkwind made by -(16)-.

www.myspace.com/sollubi

Price: 10 €

SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI "s/t" CD
(Sound Devastation Records)
This 68 minute long debut from the Kent-based stoner prog outfit is a record to be proud of. They clearly are fans of Karma to Burn having adopted not only a similar riff rock style but a numbering of tracks. Hardly a problem though as Sons of Alpha Centauri deliver a highly original album, the likes of which have never really come out of England and all delivered in a style and finish not far from bands like Pelican and Isis. Anyone with a vague interest in Helmet, Kyuss and Karma to Burn should really enjoy this album. The lack of vocals doesn't really hinder the band as the music itself is memorable enough not to require them. A very solid offering.

www.myspace.com/sonsofalphacentauri

Price: 10 €

STABAT MATER "s/t" CD
(Northern Heritage)
Debut full length of genocidal blackened deadly doom. No groove, no ambient-drone, etc. Just obscure discordant vibrating guitars, bass, drums and vocals creating real songs, pure soundtrack for witnessing crucifixion. Band known from split 10" w/ Worship, split 7" w/ Mournful Congregation, split LP with AM, V/A Crushing The Holy Trinity, etc.. This album is all new material and certainly progression forward, yet remaining true to unpleasantly rough production values and non-entertaining approach.

Price: 12 €

STUMM "I" CD
(Aesthetic Death)
"Heres a new release from UK label Aesthetic Death, who havent put anything new out since Esoteric's Pernicious Enigma (at least as far as we know). And this debut full length from Finnish extreme sludge/trio Stumm definitely fits in with the likes of Esoteric. Just looking through the grim black-and-red booklet for this CD clues us in that this is going to be an unfiltered stream of negative energy, from the creepy cover image of the little boy curled up, fetal-position style in a corner, to grisly images of substance abuse, suicide, and homelessness. Grim shit. It doesn't get lighter when this CD unfurls it's four songs across 35 minutes of RAW, primitive, massively heavy Finnish DOOM, with thick and filthy syrupy riffs churning over and over again, slow and snail-crawling, sometimes stripped down to a single powerchord banged out ad infinitum, a nihilistic sludge feast that references the points between Eyehategod, Grief, Melvins, and Khanate (James Plotkin from Khanate actually mastered I). Spattered with feedback and hoarse tortured howling over spare, planet-shaking drumming, these four tunes are super slow, saurian numbers that sometimes pause to hang in mid-air before crashing back to earth. Fans of monstrous ultradoom like Fleshpress, Corrupted, Moss, Bunkur, etc., can't go wrong with this one." (Crucial Blast)

www.mikseri.net/stumm

Price: 10 €

SUBMERGED "Oxygenate" MCD
(Bad Vugum)
Authentic Finnish mid-90s noise rock sound from this underrated Oulu-based quartet. Submerged were described to "combine the dissonance of Big Black with the riffing of Helmet" and adding the slightly more metallic heaviness of Fudge Tunnel into the mix, the description should be enough to wet the appetite of people into the aforementioned bands. Simply put: you need this disc.

www.myspace.com/mikkojuntunen

Price: 6 €

SUBMERGED "Sheddings" MCD
(Bad Vugum)
Final release (1998) from this Finnish noise rock outfit, who on this disc moved from the tight, riff-heavy Helmet-style sound towards a more original, almost garage-y sound where guitars create a wall of sound and the drums take on a more hypnotic percussive approach. Definitely influenced by the early Bad Vugum roster, but less heavier Amphetamine Reptile bands also come to mind.

www.myspace.com/mikkojuntunen

Price: 6 €

SUPERNATURALS "Record One: Ufomammut & Lento (Limited Edition)" CD
(Supernatural Cat)
This is the first chapter of a project going on between the Supernatural Cat bands. Recorded at Locomotore Studio in Roma, Supernaturals "Record One" is the meeting of two heavy and psychedelic bands: the kings of deep noise Ufomammut and the amazing ambient postcore band Lento. Supernaturals is a super hypnotic and telluric monster session in which the two bands play around repetitive atmosphere broken by fragile openings. Four guitars, a bass, a drumkit, a mic and synths are the perfect opening for this serie of sessions! CD limited edition of 500 copies handprinted and numbered by Malleus.

www.myspace.com/lento
www.myspace.com/ufomammut

Price: 20 €

SUPERNATURALS "Record One: Ufomammut & Lento" CD
(Supernatural Cat)
This is the first chapter of a project going on between the Supernatural Cat bands. Recorded at Locomotore Studio in Roma, Supernaturals "Record One" is the meeting of two heavy and psychedelic bands: the kings of deep noise Ufomammut and the amazing ambient postcore band Lento. Supernaturals is a super hypnotic and telluric monster session in which the two bands play around repetitive atmosphere broken by fragile openings. Four guitars, a bass, a drumkit, a mic and synths are the perfect opening for this serie of sessions! Standard edition.

www.myspace.com/lento
www.myspace.com/ufomammut

Price: 12 €

SUPER TIMOR "Cauchemar d'Esque" CD
(Parade Records)
Smashing debut from this french sludegore-doom killing machine. Influences are Eyehategod, Bongzilla and Electric Wizard. Brutal artwork by Tom Denney (Southern Lord, Lair Of The Minotaur, Kylesa, Rwake, Mugwart, Buried At Sea, etc).

www.myspace.com/supertimor

Price: 10 €

SWEET TOOTH "Crash Live" CD
(HeadDirt Recordings/PDCD)
"Crash Live" was the follow-up to Sweet Tooth's Earache Records release, "Soft White Underbelly". Seven tracks, mostly new, recorded live at Kilburn National. The power trio consisted of Scott Kiehl (Slab, God), Dave Cochrane (Head of David, God, Ice) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, Final). Definitely one of the forgotten gems! Rare original edition!

Price: 10 €

SWITCHBLADE "s/t [2009]" 2LP
(Denovali Records)
Three years after the release of the critically acclaimed "s/t [2006]" album, Sweden's loudest trinity breaks the silence. In the three massive compositions on this, the fifth selftitled album, Switchblade takes you on a journey crashing through the walls of perceptual reality and returning knee deep in loss, vengeance and death. Brittle melodies erupt in to dense mass of impending doom as this beast drags its feet out of the darkness to prevail over daylight. In just over 49 minutes Switchblade reveal their dire predictions to the masses trapped in a decaying world. Where all that is light collapse under the tower of their hopes and dreams. Louder than that which crashes in heaven, slow as the march of celestial time. Heavyweight gatefold covers with a special spot varnish effect. Black vinyl with a screenprint on side D, limited to 320 pieces!

www.myspace.com/switchblade

Price: 18 €

TEMPLES "s/t" CDr
(Temples)
Another newcomer in the Finnish doom/sludge/??? genre. Free flowing and heavy low-end riffage sucking fumes from various directions, all the way from classic prog and psych sounds to early metal and modern savagery à la High on Fire, Electric Wizard and the like. Temples are definitely from the "stoner" end of the spectrum compared to sludgier or doomier Finnish bands yet a welcomed addition to the bunch.

www.temples.fi

Price: 5 €

TENHORNEDBEAST / MARZURAAN Split CD
(Aurora Borealis)
Split CD by two of the lesser known greats from the Northeast of England. TenHornedBeast is the dark vision of Christopher Walton, part of the much feted Endvra, masters of 90s dark and occult ambient. "Law of the Needle", clocking in at over 28 minutes, is an oppressive opus of doomed drone, both monolithic and multifaceted. Pure power. "Elongated, sinister drone, ...distant, echoing string resonance from bowed guitars and cold, steely walls of distortion" think the good folks at Boomkat, as well they may. Marzuraan contribute "Into Countless Battles", 13 minutes of narcotic guitar haze. The gruff metal grunts of the "Solid Wood" LP have been replaced by a subdued, almost crushed vocal, totally stands out. "Acres of textured guitar, low end pressure and brooding drums" say Boomkat. Can't wait to hear more from Marzuraan - this is epic, like a bassier, looser, Mogadon dosed Jesu with a man past caring roped in to give his thoughts on where its all gone wrong. Pete from Marzuraan did the artwork and layout. Printed on heavy textured card and with 2 diecut runes. Comes in a pvc bag.

www.myspace.com/tenhornedbeast
www.myspace.com/marzuraan

Price: 10 €

THE STRANGLERS - CHAPTER 1 Compilation 2CD
(Choking Hazard Records)
Painfully heavy compilation from Choking Hazard Records, bringing together bands from both sides of the Atlantic for a truly punishing experience. The bands featured are Atavist, Moloch, Austrasian Goat, The Whorehouse Massacre, Stasis, Feast of Sins, Ghost Empire and Welter in Thy Blood. Limited edition of 500 copies.

Price: 13 €

THROAT "Good Times" Tape
(Throat)
Hailed as the Finnish equivalent to Unsane and Fudge Tunnel, also presenting a healthy dose of Godflesh influenced feedback nihilism and splashes of TAD's black humour rock madness. This may be true, maybe not. Decide for yourself. Pro-duplicated cassettes with on-shell printing and full colour sleeve. Limited edition of 200 copies.

www.mikseri.net/throat

Price: 5 €

THROAT T-Shirt
(Throat)
Throat t-shirt with brilliant artwork by Andrew Walter (www.andrewwalter.co.uk). Printed black on heather grey Fruit of the Loom Classic Valueweight t-shirts.
Sizes available: S, M, L, XL, XXL - all in very limited quantities!

View larger image here

Price: 12 €

TIDES "From Silence" 12"
(Modus Operandi)
Of all the bands whose DNA contains a healthy amount of that atmospheric, progressive metal that’s derived directly from Isis, Neurosis, and Pelican, Tides were among the better discoveries. Their debut, the six-song "Resurface", showed that when done right, it was still possible to make an impression playing a style of music that’s commonly identified with only a few bands. With the three song "From Silence", they build on that core sound with the same sort of somber and sparse qualities of Earth's "Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method". There’s a ton of open space making for a subtle and brooding collection that, collectively, takes its time to unfold. Much like "Hex.." and unlike "Resurface", there isn’t an epic feel to Tides’ newest songs... Focusing more on atmosphere than bombast. So while they maintain a progressive, complex style, the end result is more introspective and meditative. One sided 12" with etching on side B, 180g vinyl and poster insert, limited edition of 600 copies.

www.myspace.com/tidesrites

Price: 10 €

TIDES / GIANT Split CD
(Level Plane Records/Teenage Disco Bloodbath Records)
While both bands share slower tempos and amp-worshiping guitar tones, Tides and Giant manage to strike their own course in a scene that is rife with boring clones and uninspired songwriting. Tides write gorgeously lush soundtracks to movies not yet made, filled with emotive guitar work, dynamic drumming, and huge production. Giant's sole track on this record features the band's three-guitar line weaving its way through both the heaviest of distortions and hauntingly euphoric passages. The CD comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with letter press printing on both front and back cover.

www.myspace.com/tidesrites
www.myspace.com/obraveyoung

Price: 10 €

TILE "s/t" 7"
(Kult of Nihilow)
Tile describe themselves as "pissed off feedback from PA (Pennsylvania)" and there's not much to add. Loud, obnoxious, noisy rock with a sludgy bass-heavy foundation, ear-drilling feedback guitars and so pissed off vocals that your eyes will bleed. The band has a few very limited releases under their belts and this is no exception, so get it now or fuck off.

www.tilenoise.com

Price: 6 €

TORCHE "s/t (Remixed Reissue)" CD
(Robotic Empire)
Once described as "stoner pop", Miami quartet Torche could just as awkwardly be called "doom pop" or "thunder rock"... but what all these clumsy words boil down to is simultaneously one of the catchiest and heaviest bands to ever grace the worlds of metal, indie and underground music in general. Sound like hyperbole? Torche actually has their own patented "bomb string" tuning which is literally unparalleled in heavy music (past or present) and they use it liberally on this, their self-titled debut full-length album. Hinted at by members' former group Floor, truly anthemic, triumphant and absolutely massive heavy metal has never been this undeniably catchy! With gloriously sung, harmonized and soaring vocal arrangements accompanying the most monolithic riffs of modern times, Torche reaches to push the envelope and then engulfs it in flames. This is the deluxe, fully re-mixed and re-mastered edition of Torche's debut album which has been completely reworked from the ground up due to the band's overall dissatisfaction with the original release. This new version is a much more accurate representation of the band with an even heavier (and clearer) mix than the original, also containing an all new bonus track originally recorded during the initial tracking (but only recently receiving some absolutely epic vocal treatment) and expanded artwork.

www.myspace.com/torche

Price: 10 €

VOG "s/t" CD
(Shifty Records)
A primo dose of hulking psychedelic sludge metal here from this Virginia outfit, who enigmatically call themselves Vog. This self titled debut is a crusher, grinding out seven burly jams of gnarled sludge somewhere in between Goatsnake and Eyehategod, with a hefty dose of Today is the Day's psychotic metallic noise rock and loads of awesome Hawkwind-esque space rock FX! Vog's singer embellishes these cosmic tarpit beatings with layers of intense yowling screams and deep monstrous roars, but then he also kicks in with some killer clean crooning vocals a la Dax Riggs from Acid Bath or Pete Stahl from Goatsnake. Killer stuff, blending together megaheavy sludge/doom metal with vicious bursts of hardcore punk, Southern rock swagger, and noisy psychedelia all splattered with those spacey electronic effects into an evil bad acid trip atmosphere. Anyone into mindbending sludge metal should definitely be checking these guys out.

Price: 10 €

VOLITION "s/t" CD
(Totalrust Music)
The full-length album of this British gang delivers eight songs of punishing sick doom that consists of ultra heavy downtuned guitars, slow pounding drums, guttural vocals (from deep grunts, to fucked up screams) and an excellent dirty, yet crushing production! This hour of filth has been recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio 1in12 by Bri (Lazarus Blackstar) and is recommended for fans of Coffins, Corrupted, Winter, Noothgrush, Toadliquor…

www.myspace.com/volition666

Price: 10 €

WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS "In the Ruins, No Light Shall Shine" CD
(Spare Change Records)
Imagine Isis mixing it up with Pig Destroyer, Today Is The Day, some "Cosmic Wind"-era Paul Chain and first album Warhorse and the more cerebral moments of early Monster Magnet. As aurally fucked-up as a combo as that may seem, it works. The band’s songs are less about “the riff” and more about diverse heavy sonic explorations.

www.myspace.com/whenthedeadboltbreaks

Price: 10 €

WHITEHORSE "Live at Sinkagura, Osaka 29.06.2005" CD
(Sweat Lung)
Whitehorse played their first shows since their Japan tour in June/July 2005 with Electric Wizard on Cup Weekend. Fresh with a new line-up, they also launched their freshly released "Live at Sinkagura, Osaka Japan 29.06.2005" CD, which documents 2 songs that were played pretty much only on the Japanese tour. The two tracks combined weigh in at about 35 minutes. Epic doom sludge.

www.myspace.com/getonthehorse

Price: 10 €

Price: 10 €

WITHER "s/t" 7"
(Turannum Records)
Experience the haunting presence of Wither. Bleak and depressive black funeral doom with an unique atmosphere and distinguished ambience. Grand malice perfectly served for your sorrow. Known from their split 12” last year with Worship on Painiac Records.

Price: 5 €

WRATH OF THE WEAK "s/t" CD
(Bastardised)
One-man black metal act hailing from Buffalo, NY. Falling somewhere between Velvet Cacoon and Ildjarn, creating a bleak, dense and hypnotically repetitive wall of sound.

www.myspace.com/wotw666

Price: 10 €

WRECK OF THE HESPERUS "The Sunken Threshold" CD
(Aesthetic Death)
This debut full length from Irish tarpit beasts Wreck of the Hesperus carries on the fine tradition of maximum downer doom. The album contains three long songs, "Stop The Black Coffins", "Grave Signal", and "The Osseous Tomb (Echoes Of Winter)", which clock in at
a combined 42 minutes in length, so you know you're going to get immense, ultra-slow stretched-out riffs pulled apart like gobs of tar over some surprisingly busy drumming, sickening demonic vocals screeching in slo-mo while the crusty riffs are set to hypno-repeat mode, grinding and stumbling over and over for up to eight minutes at a time, while hallucinatory electronic noises and processed vocal murk lurks in the shadows. The last
track "The Osseous Tomb (Echoes Of Winter)" even has a minimal, whispered second half that owes as much to the slow-core of Codeine and Low as it does the gnarly deathsludge of Noothgrush and Khanate. The artwork and package design for this disc is really cool, too... a stark, high contrast tangle of withered vines and squid tentacles that scrambles across the entire multipage booklet and case. This one is a crusher, highly recommended to fans of crusty, gnarly doom filth like Khanate, Moonshine, Grief, Noothgrush, Corrupted, Fleshpress, Eyehategod, Moss, and Graves at Sea.

www.myspace.com/wothesperus

Price: 10 €

YEAR OF NO LIGHT / ROSETTA / EAST OF THE WALL Split 2LP
(Denovali Records)
Three of the best bands in underground post-metal converge for an excellent split. While none of them are reinventing the post-metal wheel, they are each doing something new to spice up the old recipes of the genre. East of the Wall pulls no punches with their three part epic "Scumbrella". Year of No Light decided to go "Through Silver in Blood" -era Neurosis and cover us in sludge. Finally Rosetta delivers one of the strangest, but best, cover of The Cure's "Homesick". All in all this triple split is worth the cost of admission; there is something for every fan of the genre to be found here. Two 180g clear blue/clear vinyls in heavy weight gatefold sleeve. This colour is limited to 200 copies.

www.myspace.com/yearofnolight
www.myspace.com/rosetta
www.myspace.com/eastofthewall

Price: 18 €

ZOZOBRA "Harmonic Tremors" CD
(Hydra Head Records)
Taking its name from the 50-foot effigy burned every year by a hysterical mob during the Fiestas De Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Zozobra is the brainchild of Cave In/Old Man Gloom bassist Caleb Scofield. "Harmonic Tremors" deftly traverses the far-flung fields of transcendental space rock and explosive dirge metal with alternately snarling and oscillating riffery, crippling bass quakes, and apocalyptic proclamations hurled end over end toward the cosmic unconsciousness.

www.myspace.com/zozobra505

Price: 10 €

ÄÄRIÖ "Alinen" CDr
(Ääriö)
Ääriö joins the still minuscule scene of Finnish instrumental post-metal/-rock bands. Unlike most of the foreign bands within the genre, Ääriö keeps from copying post-rock household names such as Mogwai, GY!BE etc. and draws inspiration from more doom and stoner oriented sounds. Sticking to riffs and groove instead of technicality or over-the-top psychedelia, Ääriö definitely have a promising approach to an otherwise overcrowded genre. Pro-CDr in a beautiful fold-out carton sleeve.

www.myspace.com/aeaerioe

Price: 8 €