Secondary Blog

I'm working on another blog with some mates from a forum we all visit. It's a blog dedicated to every genre of music, but expect some Metal and Post-Industrial. I already have one Metal album on there, Shining's V - Halmstad. Everyone should check it out, and I apologize for not updating this blog more frequently; I haven't been in a very Metallic mood.

• The Blog
• My Posts
• Metal Label

Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind

Band: Current 93
Album: Thunder Perfect Mind
Genre: Neofolk
Country of Origin: England
Year: 1992

Track Listing:

1. A Beginning
2. The Descent Of Long Satan And Babylon
3. A Sadness Song
4. A Song For Douglas After He's Dead
5. In The Heart Of The Wood And What I Found There
6. Mary Waits In Silence
7. A Silence Song
8. Lament For My Suzanne
9. Riverdeadbank
10. All The Stars Are Dead Now
11. Rosy Star Tears From Heaven
12. When The May Rain Comes
13. Thunder Perfect Mind I
14. Thunder Perfect Mind II
15. Hitler As Kalki (SDM)
16. A Sad Sadness Song

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2TK6UQXW

Godkiller - The Rebirth of the Middle Ages

Band: Godkiller
Album: Rebirth of the Middle Ages
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: Monaco
Year: 1996

Track Listing:

1. Introduction to the Middle Ages - Hymn for the Black Knights
2. Preparing for the Final Battle - From the Castle in the Fog
3. On the Way to the Battlefield - Path to the Unholy Frozen Empire
4. The Final Battle - Blood on My Swordblade
5. The Triumph - The Neverending Reign of the Black Knights

Rebirth of the Middle Ages is a concept EP about the battle between Good and Evil set in the Midieval time period. Excellent Black Metal with "medieval"ish synths that bring to mind Graveland. Recommended for all fans of BM, particularly the more traditional style sans any frills.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=97BRNF0C

Lifelover - New Songs

Band: Lifelover
Album the Songs are From: Upcoming album Konkurs
Genre: Black Metal/Depressive Rock/Pop Rock
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 2008

Two new songs ("Brand" and "Mental Central Dialog") by Swedish Depressive Black Metal/Rock group are now availible on their myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/lifeloverband

One of the most interesting Metal bands of today, enjoy.

Acid Bath - Demos: 1993-1996

Band: Acid Bath
Album: Demos: 1993-1996
Genre: Sludge Doom Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 2005

Track Listing:

1. Dr. Seuss Is Dead
2. What Color Is Death?
3. Scream of the Butterfly
4. God Machine
5. The Mortician's Flame
6. Dope Fiend
7. Finger Paintings of the Insane
8. Jezebel
9. The Bones of Baby Dolls
10. Venus Blue
11. Bleed Me An Ocean
12. Graveflower

Collection of Acid Bath demo tracks from their demos released between 1993 and 1996.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q0VY2K2K

Acid Bath - Paegan Terrorism Tactics

Band: Acid Bath
Album: Paegan Terrorism Tactics
Genre: Sludge Doom Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 1996

Track Listing:

1. Paegan Love Song
2. Bleed Me An Ocean
3. Graveflower
4. Diäb Soulé
5. Locust Spawning
6. Old Skin
7. New Death Sensation
8. Venus Blue
9. 13 Fingers
10. New Corpse
11. Dead Girl
12. Ode of the Paegan

Second and final album by Acid Bath album. The album cover is art by Dr. Kevorkian.

A note from Metal Archives:

"Ode of the Paegan is actually a hidden track at the end of Dead Girl, which is
only 7:23 without the hidden track and the silence inbetween."

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0X7XJFAW

Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops

Band: Acid Bath
Album: When the Kite String Pops
Genre: Sludge Doom Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 1994

Track Listing:

1. The Blue
2. Tranquilized
3. Cheap Vodka
4. Finger Paintings of the Insane
5. Jezebel
6. Scream of the Butterfly
7. Dr. Seuss Is Dead
8. Dope Fiend
9. Toubabo Koomi
10. God Machine
11. The Mortician's Flame
12. What Color Is Death?
13. The Bones of Baby Dolls
14. Cassie Eats Cockroaches

Acid Bath were an excellent Sludge band active in the '90s, which split up after their bassist was killed in a crash with a drunk driver. Though their general sound was Sludge, they were an incredibly atypical band, and formed one of the most unique sounds in Metal. The cover is art that was made by John Wayne Gacy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JO79KMCI

Dismember - The God That Never Was

Band: Dismember
Album: The God That Never Was
Genre: Death Metal
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 2006

Track Listing:

1. The God That Never Was
2. Shadows Of The Mutilated
3. Time Heals Nothing
4. Autopsy
5. Never Forget, Never Forgive
6. Trail Of The Dead
7. Phantoms (Of The Oath)
8. Into The Temple Of Humiliation
9. Blood For Paradise
10. Feel The Darkness
11. Where No Ghost Is Holy

Second latest by Dismember.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7N0Z8CBQ

Dismember - Indecent and Obscene

Band: Dismember
Album: Indecent and Obscene
Genre: Death Metal
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 1993

Track Listing:

1. Fleshless
2. Skinfather
3. Sorrowfilled
4. Case # Obscene
5. Souldevourer
6. Reborn in Blasphemy
7. Eviscerated (Bitch)
8. 9th Circle
9. Dreaming in Red

Dismember's second album.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X3K9FT11

Dismember - Like An Everflowing Stream

Band: Dismember
Album: Like An Ever Flowing Stream
Genre: Death Metal
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 1991

Track Listing:

1. Override of the Overture
2. Soon to Be Dead
3. Bleed for Me
4. And So Is Life
5. Dismembered
6. Skin Her Alive
7. Sickening Art
8. In Death's Sleep

Debut album by Swedeath masters Dismember. Their most recent eponymous album was posted a bit back. No frills stuff for old school Death and Swedeath fans.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T44L7C6H

Unleashed - Midvinterblot

Band: Unleashed
Album: Midvinterblot
Genre: Death Metal
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 2006

Track Listing:

1. Blood of Lies
2. This Is Our World Now
3. We Must Join with Him
4. Midvinterblot
5. In Victory or Defeat
6. Triumph of Genocide
7. The Avenger
8. Salvation for Mankind
9. Psycho Killer
10. The Witch
11. I Have Sworn Allegiance
12. Age of the Warrior
13. New Dawn Rising
14. Loyalty and Pride
15. Valhalla Awaits

Second latest album by Unleashed, the latest can be found a bit farther back in the blog.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JZ8TG2B1

Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells (Remastered Rerelease)

Band: Unleashed
Album: Where No Life Dwells
Genre: Death Metal
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 1991

Track Listing:

1. Where No Life Dwells
2. Dead Forever
3. Before the Creation of Time
4. For They Shall Be Slain
5. If They Had Eyes
6. The Dark One
7. Into Glory Ride
8. ...and the Laughter Has Died
9. Unleashed
10. Violent Ecstasy
11. Where Life Ends
12. The Dark One
13. If They Had Eyes
14. Dead Forever
15. Unleashed
16. Where Life Ends
17. The Utter Dark Revenge
18. Violent Ecstasy

Remastered release of the classic Swedeath debut album with bonus tracks by long running Death Metal band Unleashed. Straight forward, no frills, Swedeath Metal.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RX5GA4ME

Eldrig - Everlasting War Divinity

Band: Eldrig
Album: Everlasting War Divinity
Genre: National Socialist Symphonic Black Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 2008

Track Listing:

1. Power Ascension
2. The Elevation of the Beautiful
3. Affirmation Victory
4. Conquest Diety
5. The Alienation of the Wretched
6. Death to the Unwilling

Latest album by Eldrig, far more Symphonic than Kali and without the useless Ambient interludes. Very good stuff.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XO47T00C

VA - Metal Maniacs CD Sampler

Bands: Various Artists
Album: Metal Maniacs June/July 2008 Sampler
Genre: Extreme Progressive Metal (Ihsahn), Metalcore (Droid), Death/Doom Metal (Daylight Dies), Absolute Shit (Mental Restraint), Viking Metal (Týr), Doom Metal (Boris), Death Metal (Visions of the Night, Impending Doom, Facebreaker), Thrash Metal (Hemlock, Shackles) Black Metal (Saxorior), Thrash/Power Metal (Hexerei), Electronica and Symphonic influenced Progressive Metal (Dol Theeta), Heavy/Thrash Metal (Midnight Reign) Blackened Death Metal (Dimentianon)
Country of Origin: I'm not going to bother
Year: 2008 (compilation; varies by song)

Track Listing:

1. Misanthrope (Ihsahn; angL)
2. The Resurrection (Droid; Droid)
3. A Portrait in White (Daylight Dies; Lost to the Living)
4. Waterline (Mental Restraint; American Dreams)
5. Gátu Ríma (Týr; Land)
6. Statement (Boris; Smile)
7. Human Failure (Visions of the Night; Nocturnal Militia)
8. Backstabber (Hemlock; No Time for Sorrow)
9. Silence the Oppressors (Impending Doom; Nailed, Dead, Risen)
10. Johann Siegmund of Liebenau (Saxorior; Volkerschlacht)
11. Eye for a Life (Hexerei; Paid in Full)
12. Burner (Facebreaker; Dead, Rotten & Hungry)
13. Mud (Dol Theeta; The Universe Expands)
14. The Hollywood Rx (Midnight Reign; Never Look Back)
15. Netzach (Dimentianon; Hossanas Novus Ordo Seclurum)
16. Fer-de-lance (Shackles; Inquisitors)

This 16 track sampler comes with the most recent edition of Metal Maniacs and there are enough good tracks on it to warrent sharing it. My personal favorites are Ihsahn's "Misanthrope" from his new solo album, angL (which can be found on this blog a while back, along with his debut solo album); Daylight Dies' dark, melancholic and incredibly atmospheric Death/Doom piece "A Portrait in White"; Saxorior's epic Black/Folk Metal track "Johann Siegmund Of Liebnau"; Facebreaker's "Burner," a track played delightfully in the early Swedeath style that old school DM fans should love; Dol Theeta's incredibly unique track "Mud", which they refer to as " electronica-art-metal" but is really more of a blend of Progressive Metal with Symphonics, Operatic vocals and Electronica that turns out surprisingly well (you'll be hard pressed to find out information about them, but they're connected to the band Dol Ammad); and Midnight Reign's dirty "The Hollywood Rx". Other highlights are the tracks by Týr, Hexerei and Boris. Hemlock aren't too bad, but not the most notable. For the most part, the other bands suck but "Waterline" is worth listening to, just because Mental Restraint is one of the worst, most ridiculous "Metal" bands I've ever heard. Enjoy, I guess.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ND8AVK3E

Celestia - Apparitia - Sumptuous Spectre

Band: Celestia
Album: Apparitia - Sumptuous Spectre
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: France
Year: 2002

Track Listing:

1. The Awakening of the Dormant Fiancée
2. Necromelancholic Reveries
3. Wandering Through the Past Memories
4. Perverted Decadent, Dying, Love,
5. Spectra
6. Morbid Romance
7. The Fragrance of the Dead Rose
8. The Radiance of the Astral Circle

Celestia is a rather dark French Black Metal band. Apparitia - Sumptuous Spectre focuses on love and loss, but not in the "lighter" sense, so to speak, but in a dark, morbid, macabre and depraved way. The album cover of a bride standing in a gothic setting, the song titles like "Perverted Decadent, Dying Love" and "Morbid Romance," and the music itself bleeds dark romance. The riffs are sometimes slow, sometimes fast, and at times almost beautiful and are rather reminiscent of Peste Noire, but more romantic and melancholic. The mood is especially noticable on "Perverted Decadent, Dying Love," "Necromelancholic Reveries," and the sorrowfully beautiful acoustic opening to "The Fragrance of the Dead Rose." This album is morbidly romantic and beautifully decrepit; it's every depraved, gothic romance story spoken through the violent art of Black Metal.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EI8BMEZE

Dismember - Dismember

Band: Dismember
Album: Dismember
Genre: Death Metal
Country of Origin: Sweden
Year: 2008

Track Listing:

1. Death Conquers All
2. Europa Burns
3. Under A Bloodred Sky
4. The Hills Have Eyes
5. Legion
6. Tide of Blood
7. Combat Fatigue
8. No Honour In Death
9. To End It All
10. Dark Depth
11. Black Sun

New Dismember. Traditional Swedeath.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C6NM2X5D

Toxik - Think This

Band: Toxik
Album: Think This
Genre: Thrash Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 1989

Track Listing:

1. Think This
2. Greed
3. Spontaneous
4. There Stood the Fence
5. Black and White
6. Technical Arrogance
7. WIR NJN8/In God
8. Machine Dream
9. Out on the Tiles (Led Zeppelin cover)
10. Shotgun Logic
11. Time After Time
12. Think That
13. Shotgun Logic (Demo)
14. Black & White (Demo)

Progish Thrash Metal; technical and interesting riffs, spread out over atypical song structures with varying tempos, filled out by wonderful singing, excellent drumming and anarchic lyrics. Very good.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EJ25K1B5

Mirrorthrone - Gangrene

Band: Mirrorthrone
Album: Gangrene
Genre: Avant-Garde Symphonic Black Metal
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Year: 2008

Track Listing:

1. Dismay
2. No One By My Side
3. The Fecal Rebellion
4. Ganglion
5. Une Existence dont plus Personne ne Jouit
6. So Frail

Gangrene is Vladimir Coceht's follow up to Mirrorthrone's grandiose and brilliant Carriers of Dust. He continues on the same path with Neoclassical Black Metal, atypal song structure beautiful symphonics and Classical piano breaks. Brilliant and everything I've come to expect from this man. Highly recommended.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B6KX5VLH

Ihsahn - The Adversary

Band: Ihsahn
Album: The Adversary
Genre: "Extreme" Progressive Metal
Country of Origin: Norway
Year: 2006

Track Listing:

1. Invocation
2. Called By the Fire
3. Citizen
4. Homecoming
5. Astera ton Proinon
6. Panem et Circenses
7. And He Shall Walk In Empty Places
8. Will You Love Me Now?
9. The Pain is Still Mine

Seeing as Valick (who I am very glad to have on board) posted Ihsahn's latest, I figure I might as well post his debut. I love this album immensely, though I have neglected it. Enjoy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HSWEVIJ1

Blood Axis - Blót: Sacrifice in Sweden

Band: Blood Axis
Album: Blót: Sacrifice in Sweden
Genre: Neofolk
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 1997

Track Listing:

1. Sarabande Oratoria
2. Herjafather
3. Seeker
4. Electricity
5. Lord Of Ages
6. The March Of Brian Boru
7. The Gospel Of Inhumanity
8. Eternal Soul
9. Between Birds Of Prey
10. Reign I Forever
11. The Hangman And The Papist
12. Storm Of Steel

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5PLE3DC7

Abigail - The Early Black Years (1992 - 1995)

Band: Abigail
Album: The Early Black Years (1992 - 1995)
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: Japan
Year: 2007

Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. Grotesque Nightmare
3. Death of Life
4. The Fire of Hell
5. Lucifer Sings
6. Lucifer Sings
7. Blasphemer (Sodom cover)
8. Equimanthorn (Bathory cover)
9. A Witch Named Aspileuetta
10. The Lord of Satan
11. Mephistopheles
12. Count Barbatos
13. War
14. Black Witch
15. Cut Throat (Bulldozer cover)
16. Possessed (Bathory cover)
17. A Witch Named Aspilcuetta
18. Attack with Spell

Note: Bit of a probably with the tags on what I uploaded. Up until the first "Lucifer Sings" everything is tagged correctly but after that every song is tagged as the song ahead of it. Ex: "Blasphemer" should be tagged as "Lucifer Sings," "Blasphemer" as "Equimanthorn," etc. The final track labeled "Untitled" is actually "Attacked with Spell."

Sorry, enjoy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QZ5ZH29J

Capricornus - Alone Against All

Band: Capricornus
Album: Alone Against All
Genre: National Socialist Black Metal, Ambient
Country of Origin: Poland
Year: 2004

Track Listing:

1. Alone Against All
2. Prelude To Sunwheel
3. Sunwheel On The Helmet Of Steel
4. The Blue Light
5. Something They Will Never Hide
6. Prelude To Bombing
7. Bombing The Certain Land
8. The Hall Of Ice
9. Don' t Bite It, Cut It!
10. The Night Before
11. Rivers Of Blood
12. Die Wilde Jagd

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SHJ7EH6P

Luror - The Iron Hand of Blackest Teror

Band: Luror
Album: The Iron Hand of Blackest Terror
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: Germany
Year: 2003

Track Listing:

1. The Iron Hand Of Blackest Terror
2. From Dawn To Death
3. Smoke And Stardust
4. Among The Hill War Is Raging
5. A Fanfare Of War Sounds In The Sky
6. Embers And Glory
7. Into The Burning Fog
8. In A Room In Hell
9. Worship

Good Black metal in the traditional style: no frills, just Black Metal.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7OM40RUZ

Dead Raven Choir - Sturmfuckinglieder

Band: Dead Raven Choir
Album: Sturmfuckinglieder
Genre: Raw Black Metal/Harsh Noise
Country of Origin: Poland
Year: 2004

Track Listing:

1. Lots of Booze and Lots of Rambling In a Sea of Steam and Poison Light Bathe in Fiery Answers and Fill the Spinning Sky Guided by the Beauty of Our Weapons
2. First We Take Manhattan
3. Stormfront
4. Lungs
5. Waiting Around to Die
6. Highway Kind

Raw Black Metal (I've heard made with acoustic guitars) so poorly produced and looped over that it comes out as brutal noise. If you like Harsh Noise and/or enjoyed the Stalaggh album I posted months and months ago, you'll love this.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F3RJWKP0

Megiddo - The Devil and the Whore

Band: Megiddo
Album: The Devil and the Whore
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: Canada
Year: 2000

Track Listing:

1. The Devil And The Whore
2. Blackened
3. The Oath
4. Slaying The Nazarene
5. The Heretic
6. Blackened (The Circle Complete)
7. Across The Shores.../Four Suns
8. Violence And Force (Exciter Cover)
9. Take This Torch (Razor Cover)
10. Outro

I've heard Megiddo described as "Orthodox Black Metal" but they're not anything like bands like Deathspell Omega, Glorior Belli and the like. At times their music is very visceral and at times slower and more ritualistic (maybe that's where people think them Orthodox) and all around the riffs are fantastic. The guitar tone has a pleasingly static sound and the vocals are distorted while still often being comprehensable. Very good stuff.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1SFPO7PG

Mütiilation

Band: Mütiilation

Formed In: 1991
Genre: Black Metal (Raw early)
Country of Origin: France

Album: Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
Year: 1995

Track Listing:

1. Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past
2. Born Under the Master's Spell
3. Ravens of My Funeral
4. Black Imperial Blood
5. Eternal Empire of Majesty Death
6. Transylvania
7. Under Ardailles Night
8. Tears of a Melancholic Vampire

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YTJRA3ZS

Album: Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
Year: 1999

1. Suffer the Gestalt
2. To the Memory of the Dark Countess
3. Possessed and Immortal
4. Through the Funeral Maelstrom of Evil
5. Travels to Sadness, Hate & Depression
6. The Fear That Freeze
7. Holocaust in Mourning Dawn

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=76PA26AT


Mütiilation are a Black Metal legend. One of the pioneering bands of French Black Metal and a member of the legendy Les Legions Noires (LLN or "The Black Legions") circle, they were to be the only LLN band to release a full length album, and thankfully, Meyhna'ch decided they should continue down that path and make more. They started out playing incredibly raw, melancholic Black Metal. These, Mütiilation's first two albums, are a perfect example of raw Black Metal. The guitar tone is a harsh, sharp fuzz while still being comprehensible, the atmosphere is incredible, the vocals are impassioned and totally impossible to understand and the music is incredibly melancholy, dark and full of rage. The title of the song "Travels to Sadness, Hate & Depression" describes these albums perfectly. Highly suggested Black Metal classics.

Primordial - To The Nameless Dead

Band: Primordial
Album: To The Nameless Dead
Genre: Folk/Black Metal
Country of Origin: Ireland
Year: 2007

Track Listing:

1. Empire Falls
2. Gallows Hymn
3. As Rome Burns
4. Failures Burden
5. Heathen Tribes
6. The Rising Tide
7. Traitors Gate
8. No Nation On This Earth

Too tired to go into a lengthy description but this album is brilliant. One of the best this year.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VHWA2QV7


Edit: I had this album listed as an '08 album, when it's actually '07. Whoops. Regardless, amazing.

Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life

Band: Leviathan
Album: Massive Conspiracy Against All Life
Genre: Suicidal Depressive Black Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 2008

Track Listing:

1. Vesture Dipped in the Blood of Morning
2. Merging With Sword, Onto Them
3. Made as the Stale Wine of Wrath
4. VI-XI-VI
5. Receive the World
6. Vulgar Asceticism
7. Noisome Ash Crown

Massive Conspiracy Against All Life continues along the same line as Wrest's earlier work; intense atmosphere, amelodic riffs, stretches of ambience, and the like. It doesn't just continue the style, but also the quality. Excellent for fans of Black Metal "untarnished" by outside influence and any Leviathan fan.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=S1EEYN3R

Nocternity - Crucify Him

Band: Nocternity
Album: Crucify Him
Genre: Ambient Black Metal
Country of Origin: Greece
Year: 2001

Track Listing:

1. Stella Tenebrarum
2. Crucify Him
3. Lunar Innuendo
4. Perdo Corporem

Crucify Him is Nocternity's second release, the first release after their En Oria, as well as their first EP. While it has beautiful acoustic passages and their trade mark ambience, Crucify Him is a lot more "brutal" (so to speak) than Nocternity's recent stuff. Makes for an interesting listen. Anyway, excellent EP, it's a good history lesson for Nocternity fans and will make for a great addition to an Ambient Black Metal fan's catalogue.

I also figured it'd be appropriate for Easter, given the title, but it probably would have made more sense had I posted it on Good Friday. I'm going to be ironic now and wish my regular visitors a Happy Easter. Long live Satan.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RFTE4L49

Darkestrah

Band: Darkestrah
Formed In: 1999
Genre: Black/Folk Metal
Country of Origin: Kyrgyzstan , Germany (Now)

Album: Sary Oy
Year: 2004

Track Listing:

1. Part I - Sary Oy
2. Part II - Jashil Oy
3. Part III - Kysil Oy

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YGF3UUJM

Album: Epos
Year: 2007

Track Listing:

1. Epos

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YIXW7I11


Darkestrah is one of the few bands lend by a female who does harsh vocals that:

1. Is not gimmicky.
2. Actually sounds good.

The first time I listened to Darkestrah I had no idea their vocalist was a girl; unlike most female harsh vocalists, who sound neutered (or should I say spayed?) or just awful, Kriegtalith's vocals are amazing and capture the feel of how Black Metal vocals often sound like. Getting away from the vocals and to the music, Darkestrah play very unique Black/Folk Metal. The Black/Folk fad has resulted in a lot of samey bands but Darkestrah put an interesting spin on it. Their riffs are atypical and they use interesting folk instruments, my favorite being the use of a jaw harp. All their songs are long and epic, Epos being a single 33 minutes long eponymous track, for example, and make for an engaging listen that doesn't get boring, even though most of the time there are no accompanying vocals. Essential stuff for lovers of Folk or Pagan Black Metal. Also, it should be known that the Anti in this band is indeed the German artist behind the Suicidal Depressive project Anti.

Lifelover

Band: Lifelover
Formed In: 2005
Genre: Depressive Black Metal/Depressive Rock with Pop Rock influences
Country of Origin: Sweden

Album: Pulver
Year: 2006

Track Listing:

1. Nackskott
2. M/S Salmonella
3. Mitt Öppna Öga
4. Kärlek - Becksvart Melankoli
5. Vardagsnytt
6. Avbrott Sex
7. Stockholm
8. Söndag
9. Herrens Hand
10. Medicinmannen
11. Nästa Gryning
12. En Sång Om Dig

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BEF0KUHA

Album: Erotik
Year: 2007

Track Listing:

1. Förspel & Intrång
2. Sweet Illness of Mine
3. I Love (To Hurt) You
4. En Man I Sina Sämsta År
5. Dödens Landsväg
6. Välkommen Till Pulvercity
7. Saltvatten (Du + Jag VS. Tellus)
8. Besatt
9. Höstdepressioner
10. Humörets Bottenvåning
11. Museum of Past Affections
12. Nitlott

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WJCHI5KI


"Depressive Black Metal/Depressive Rock with Pop Rock influences, huh? That sounds idiotic!" you might be saying to yourself, but Lifelover is fantastic. They take the depressive Black Metal style and reinvigorate it by mixing it with Depressive Rock and occassionally even Pop (see Nackskott), along with beautifully used piano and very interesting vocals: they're narrations, wails, talking, hysterical screaming. Very unlike normal Black Metal vocals. If you want something more interesting and "lighter" (though not shallower) than most Black Metal, Lifelover's a safe bet.

Code - Nouveau Gloaming

Band: Code
Album: Nouveau Gloaming
Genre: Post-Black Metal/Black Metal
Country of Origin: England/Norway
Year: 2005

Track Listing:

1. The Cotton Optic
2. Brass Dogs
3. An Enigma in Brine
4. A Cloud Formed Teardrop Asylum
5. Aeon in Cinders
6. Tyburn
7. Radium
8. Ghost Formula

Code's music is a mix of Black Metal riffs and more off the wall Post-Black Metal riffs (unsurprising, consider there were two members of Dødheimsgard in the band at the time, one of whom was in Ved Buens Ende). That aspect is further accentuated by the clean production and bizarre lyrics and the fact that ex-Dødheimsgard vocalist Kvohst adds is unique vocals to the mix. Some people dislike Code but I think they're great, I'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WWZU4NDQ

Ad Hominem - Climax of Hatred

Band: Ad Hominem
Album: Climax of Hatred
Genre: National Socialist Black Metal
Country of Origin: France
Year: 2005

Track Listing:

1. Loading Genocide...
2. Climax of Hatred
3. As I Long For...
4. The Upper Art
5. Death to All
6. Join or Perish
7. My Loudest Scream of Hate
8. Achtung!
9. Crypt of Fear (Mysticum cover)
10. : D / S / R :

Ad Hominem is the solo project of one Kaisar Wodhanaz. Through this project he channels incredibly furious and hateful Black Metal. This is one of the angriest and most misanthropic albums you'll ever hear. While many Black Metal focus on atmosphere, Ad Hominem uses an almost Death Metal philosophy by packing the album full of blasting drumming and excellent and evil fast riffs. Great stuff, enjoy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X3OAAIMD

Cor Scorpii - Monument

Band: Cor Scorpii
Album: Monument
Genre: Black/Viking Metal
Country of Origin: Norway
Year: 2008

Track Listing:

1. Ei Fane Svart
2. Endesong
3. I, the Damned
4. Our Fate, Our Curse
5. Helvetesfossen
6. Oske og Innsikt
7. Kjettar
8. Bragder I Stein

As I mentioned in the Vreid post, this is another post-Windir Black Metal band, and if you've listened to their demo, which I posted a while ago, then you know they sound much more like Windir than Vreid do. The excellent riffs that run throughout this album would make Valfar proud. They don't copy Windir, though. They create totally unique music that is similar in spirit. Absolutely amazing stuff and is even better than their amazing demo. Highly suggested!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=54M35AIR

Vreid - I Krig

Band: Vreid
Album: I Krig
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: Norway
Year: 2007

Track Listing:

1. Jarnbyrd
2. Under Isen
3. I Krig
4. Væpna Lengsel
5. Svart
6. Folkefiendar
7. Dei Daude Steig Av Grav
8. Fangegard
9. Millom Hav Og Fjell

Vreid are one of the two bands (Cor Scorpii as well) that rose up from the ashes of Windir after Valfar's tragic death. They play very modern sounding Black Metal that, instead of sounding contrived and shallow, actually sounds excellent. The music is compelling and is interspersed with occassional violin parts or Thrashiness and overall feels varied in approach and structure. It doesn't sound like Windir most of the time, but the quality of the music is certainly worthy of the "post-Windir" tag. Another interesting thing that should be mentioned, "I krig" means "at war" and the album is about the Nazi invasion of Norway during WWII. Wonderful stuff, regardless.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D2FLTK1W

Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice

Band: Lurker of Chalice
Album: Lurker of Chalice
Genre: Ambient Black Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Year: 2005

Track Listing:

1. I
2. Piercing Where They Might
3. Spectre As Valkerie Is
4. Minions
5. Paramnesia
6. This Blood Falls As Mortal Part III
7. Granite
8. Vortex Chalice
9. Fastened To The Five Points

It's 6 in the fucking morning so I'm too tired to say much, damn insomnia. To make it short and succinct, Lurker of Chalice is a project by Wrest, the man behind Leviathan, and consists of ambience, atmospheric Black Metal that's in many ways beautiful, use of unusual song structures and practically no growls; most of the lyrics are deep rumbling or chanting/singing and the first half of "This Blood Falls As Mortal Part III" is a woman narrating over Ambient music. Great stuff, enjoy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X2V1LG1W

Blacklodge - SolarKult

Band: Blacklodge
Album: SolarKult
Genre: Industrial Black Metal
Country of Origin: France
Year: 2006

Track Listing:

1. ftp://SolarKult.NeXus
2. Mission
3. Iron Icon
4. PsychoActive SataN
5. 11rd Eye Chemistry
6. Drugz Mysticism [#A:Vision]
7. TeknoShaman 666
8. Luxifer Meme
9. Prequel to the Kult
10. Angels Refinery [C21H23NO5 MiX]
11. Martyr Complex
12. Forge=PhoeniX
13. Templars

Blacklodge are yet another band that infuse Electronica sounds into their music. However, unlike many bands, they do not play Post-Black Metal. They take a more traditional form of Black Metal, riff-wise, and put it into a bizarre setting. There are some odd riffs here and there, but for the most put it's straight Black Metal, infused with techno beats and sounds. While there is occassionally the use of synthesized drum sounds, for the most part the procussion section consists of Electronic beats and various synth effects. Their vocalist is also atypical. It's hard to describe what is vocals sound like so you'd have to listen but needless to say, they're rather odd. It all blends together into a very bizarre yet awesome sound. Definately stuff for a fan of bands like Aborym and Dødheimsgard (at least their later works).

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QG9X202P

Kriegsmaschine - Altered States of Divinity

Band: Kriegsmascgine
Album: Altered States of Divinity
Genre: Black Metal
Country of Origin: Poland
Year: 2005

Track Listing:

1. Ma'aseh Bereshit
2. Altered States Of Divinity
3. Through The Eyes Of The Blind
4. Beyond The Veil
5. Prism
6. Nihilation
7. Kerigma

Kriegsmaschine ("war machine" in German; remember: Black Metal ist krieg!) is another banding riding that wave of "Orthodox" Black Metal that takes a more intelligent, religious approach to Black Metal, a notable example being France's Deathspell Omega. Kriegsmaschine show both unspeakable fury and ritualistic yet demented "calmness." Their music breathes a malevolent intelligence. It's evil yet calculated rather than wanton. They represent the aspect of Satan not as a bloody thirsty killing machine like many Black Metal bands, but rather as the tempter and cruel planner, as the tempter of Jesus in the desert or of Eve in Eden. The album is full of excellent, dark riffs and notably, amazing and audible basslines. It's no surprise that this album is brilliant, though, as it contains both members of Poland's astoundingly brilliant Mgła (I really should post some of their stuff here); M. from Mgła is Kriegsmaschine's main vocalist and he adds brilliantly. He sounds deranged and sinister, like a priest of Satan enraptured in fervor and shrieking in pained tongues. Anyway, enough analogies. Just download the album.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PG2JR7OG

Bathory

Band: Bathory

Formed In: 1983
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal (Thrash and Viking later)
Country of Origin: Sweden


Album: Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Year: 1987

Track Listing:

1. Nocturnal Obeisance
2. Massacre
3. Woman of Dark Desires
4. Call from the Grave
5. Equimanthorn
6. Enter the Eternal Fire
7. Chariots of Fire
8. 13 Candles
9. Of Doom...
10. Outro

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UTCJ2Z17

Album: Blood Fire Death
Year: 1988

Track Listing:

1. Odens Ride over Nordland
2. A Fine Day to Die
3. The Golden Walls of Heaven
4. Pace 'till Death
5. Holocaust
6. For All Those Who Died
7. Dies Irae
8. Blood Fire Death
9. Outro

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4MRT4M70


Bathory is the Possessed of Black Metal. Bathory took Thrash Metal and evolved it into some of the earliest specimen of Black Metal ever. When you listen to the riffing on these albums you'll immediately hear how much Black Metal owes Quorthon. Under the Sign of the Black Mark and Blood Fire Death are two of the most influential and important Black Metal albums to ever be released. In a recent review with Metal Maniacs, one of Vreid's members said that Vreid owed Bathory for their existence, and hopefully all Black Metal bands realize that as well, because they do, too. Under the Sign... and Blood Fire Death also happen to be amazing, down to the bone Black Metal albums. They manage to display both the aggressive and epic capabilities of Black Metal. Epic tracks like "Enter The Eternal Fire" and "A Fine Day To Day" are practically blue prints for a quality epic Black Metal song. I'll stop the fellation now. I just had the sudden urge to listen to these albums today, and while I should hope most of the people who use my blog have listened to them, I wanted to share them anyway. Enjoy. Oh, and R.I.P. Quorthon, etc.