WESTERING

somewhere integrated into the brittle fibers of our world and the metaphysical lie tones only transmutable by instruments of esoteric origin. WESTERING, a one-man project, wields this mystical knowledge and uses it to breach through a void of swirling, dark ambience and into a mixture of breathtaking, shoegazing black metal. “HELP A BODY” opens up w “WE BURIED HIM PRECIOUSLY”, a sanctuary of shoegaze that shimmers even in the foreboding presence of WESTERING’s black metal collusion. the contrast of beautiful and bestial continues throughout the extent of the album in transitory ambient passages like “ONLY FOREVER”, “TO LURCH AND FALL”, and “VESTIGES” – into the mesmerically bleak, black metal-tinged tracks like “AND OLD CONFUSION”, “GESTURES IN THE DARK”, and stand-out “WHITE HAIRED”. not dissimilar from a melding of COLD BODY RADIATION & CLAIR CASSIS, i believe fans of either act will appreciate the expansive coalescing of sounds in this rather obscure medium of tenebrific “blackgaze”.

westering – help a body (2010)
location: seattle, washington
ambient / black metal / shoegaze
bit rate: 320kbps

01 we buried him preciously
02 only forever
03 my naked hands
04 to lurch and fall
05 and old confusion
06 i soon will be myself again
07 gestures in the dark
08 vestiges
09 white haired

HERE WE GO MAGIC

being that i am among the unusual spirits of indie today, i decided to pursue the theme, but go w something a bit more spacey. HERE WE GO MAGIC began as a bizarre, psychedelic solo-project from the imaginative mind of singer & songwriter LUKE TEMPLE. sprawled out across his bedroom floor, HERE WE GO MAGIC uses an analog synth and a cassette 4-track to cast this high level, dizzying magic pop music. later adding a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer to expand into a “real band” – HERE WE GO MAGIC then released a full-length entitled “PIGEONS” a year afterward. however, i feel like the band lost something, it’s original sparkle so-to-speak, by inditing new members into the private rituals of HERE WE GO MAGIC. alas, this self-titled debut covers a vast spectrum of dissimilar genres and manages to blend them all through this majestic lo-fi manifestation of hypnotically looping, “stream-of-consciousness” folk tuneage.

minimum intelligence stat of 31 required.

here we go magic – here we go magic (2009)
location: brooklyn, new york
psychedelic indie / folk / noise
bit rate: 320kbps

01 only pieces
02 fangela
03 ahab
04 tunnelvision
05 ghost list
06 i just want to see you under water
07 babyohbabyijustcantstanditanymore
08 nat’s alien
09 everything’s big

SLEEPWALKER

recently, it is hard to escape from the dense mist that the wraiths of black metal have been expelling from their mouths agape. garnering a peculiar fan base, it seems the popularity of bands such as DEAFHEAVEN or LITURGY are sculpting a trendy haircut on the head of the once inaccessibly grim and vindictive genre for the likes of HOT TOPIC to exploit at the expense of misplaced idealism. don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t necessarily mean the music is intolerable or bad. i suppose it’s just boils down to the image, right? fortunately, tiny fragments of obscurity still remain beneath the pale ruins of what was in SLEEPWALKER (yeah, last.fm sucks) – featuring a member from FELL VOICES, this supernatural side-project explores the distant nether realms to summon a lucidly upbeat litany of atmospheric black metal. both releases, which have 3 untitled tracks each, are drowning in layers of haunting synth, dim shades of post-rock, and far-off calls from specters lurking in the purgatory fog. i welcome the ghostly SLEEPWALKER from their home in nifelheim to the humble and woodsy mountains of NY, and transfer their other-wordly dread into my devoted legion in hopes it moves you all like possessed marionettes.

sleepwalker – demo (2009) + tour demo (2010)
location: santa cruz, california
atmospheric black metal / post-rock
bit rate: 160kbps

01 untitled
02 untitled
03 untitled

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01 untitled
02 untitled
03 untitled

THE ETERNAL TWILIGHT

w the world basically signaling its inevitable collapse, it’s nice to be able to put aside the earthly worries of late. . .to peer inside our own fragile souls (or lack of), reminisce on lovelier memories, and to reflect on our most nostalgic moments. stepping out from this subconscious portal of moral bliss is THE ETERNAL TWILIGHT: a sub-continental internet music act by two friends – one of which is responsible for ABYSSED & NECKTARIUM, w help from instrumental post-metal band MY CATS A STARGAZER (and a few others). it never ceases to intrigue me when an artist(s) has established their sound in one extreme, and then delves into another that you wouldn’t naturally expect, but still find most pleasant. THE ETERNAL TWILIGHT dabs their brushes into a vibrant pond of watercolors and elegantly glides across the mind w light poise, painting a gentle ambience of piano and a tranquil, cinematic soundscape inside the heart. the soft vocals, the ethereal atmospheres, and warming voices of nature surround any hints of paranoia or unrest inside the body and eliminate it for the time being. a temporary garden of serenity that should be shared w everyone, no matter how many dastardly snakes are among the tallgrass.

the eternal twilight – everything resembles you (2011)
location: mumbai, india and rawalpindi, pakistan
ambient / post-rock / soundscape
bit rate: 320kbps / flac

01 we grow up everyday, every moment…
02 every morning the sun shines after you…
03 the child
04 when we were not what we are…
05 stars of our beloved
06 sky is no more a friend (ft. my cats a stargazer)
07 out of focus, out of sight & suddenly, out of reach (ft. christian erfurt)
08 dim lights and cold himalayan nights
09 nothing like a better yesterday…
10 outro
11 our lives played through a backward tape
12 out of focus, out of sight, & suddenly, out of reach (original version)

KEY

the lutes of bards without coin swell in the vesper. the lake, far beyond the village many call home, is eternally restless beneath the glowing red moon. propelled by the atmospheric ecstasy, yr drawn to the boreal fields where you recall an enormous castle once stood. children are gathered here. . .around an open flame that seems to cast a shadow of the fallen stronghold in the winter gloom, and around the whispered lulls of a single minstrel: KEY, a side-project from one of the members of lo-fi, experimental black metal band CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS. these previously unreleased cassettes are part of a demo trilogy box set that is now up for preorder at the HANDMADE BIRDS STORE in 3×10″ vinyls, and are guaranteed to sell out. KEY incorporates a myriad of instruments in his arrangement of poppy and medieval neofolk: acoustic guitar, bass, drums, flutes, xylophone – maybe a couple more my ears decided to neglect, but the music is captivating in its deathly mystery all the same.

key – (demo trilogy) i – birch skeletons, ii – skin lanterns, iii – lake of stars (2010)
location: ?, finland
atmospheric pop / neofolk
bit rate: 320kbps

01 slaves of the monument
02 birch skeletons
03 they knew none
04 the quiet skulls
05 the breath withdrawn
06 through the crystal nights

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01 skin lanterns
02 we are bound
03 the bottomless well
04 vast words
05 through the silver skin

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01 the warmest kiss
02 the dying tower
03 reveal the grave
04 wax sigils
05 lake of stars
06 through these towns

OAKS OF BETHEL

the distinction between christian and satanic music can often times be v confusing, especially when the only thing signifying the difference is apparently the lyrics or symbolism, which can also be just as convoluted. despite this suspicious juxtaposition, the high seraphim OAKS OF BETHEL isn’t hiding behind an enigma of religion. w a little research their origins are revealed as an “unblack metal” (christian) band. however, nothing about the music sounds even relatively “christian” aside from the reoccurring ominous humming found in almost every release so far, save the most recent “I AM THE BRIDGE…”. only a week old, i still consider this nearly 31min long blessed distortion of black metal their most wretched yet. the production quality has increased exponentially, allowing you to fully absorb the anointed and disturbing aura of droning noise emitted from the heavenly OAKS OF BETHEL. “I AM THE BRIDGE…” is their 12th release since the band’s formation in 2009, and i presume there shall be countless more. the only one i’m missing in their angelic saga is “TWO RIVERS OF BLOOD FLOW FROM THE MOON“, so if you happen to come across it i’d be willing to trade any (or all!) of the others in return!

oaks of bethel – i am the bridge… (2011)
location: ?, illionois
“unblack” metal / drone / noise
bit rate: 320kbps

01 i am the bridge…

COLD BODY RADIATION

spring’s flowers are finally beginning to blossom all across the east coast, but winter’s chill is still being reflected off a crystalline iceberg of post-rock infused black metal: COLD BODY RADIATION, unimaginably a one-man act, and a purrsonal favorite of mine from last year. the debut album entitled “THE GREAT WHITE EMPTINESS” is a glacial rendering of frostbitten ballads w vocals that howl like white wolves atop the distant mountains, and scour through the murky bass-ridden snowscapes that COLD BODY RADIATION is built upon. up to yr neck in icy post-rock, realizing that true tranquility is nigh, yr left enduring sharp wisps of air that penetrate yr face w no pause – seldom interrupted by brief sun rays of ambience, giving you a glimmer of false hope. COLD BODY RADIATION slows yr heartbeat w serene post-rock guitar, echoing into distant caves and breaking the icicles that hang from the top into tiny shards of black metal infusion. consider this winter’s single gift this time around because there’s nothing cool about shoveling 5 feet of snow every other week. . .

cold body radiation – the great white emptiness (2010)
location: ?, netherlands
ambient / post-rock / black metal
bit rate: 320kbps

01 emission
02 loss
03 white light
04 silver
05 radiance
06 nothing
07 endless purity
08 the great white emptiness

VA “RIP SCREAMO: A REQUIEM IN 35 PARTS” COMPILATION

in case you were wondering (because i know you were), i’ve been in the lab methodically putting together a compilation over the past few days for all you unlearned heathens. you can bet there was plenty of aggravating news media to distract me from completing it, though (KANYE WEST biting my ACTUAL PAIN swag). alas, i decided to take it upon my screamotional self to assemble the weakening forces of screamo one last time – from all varied styles and perspectives that embody the genre to the best of my knowledge, and go beyond to even transcend it. you may notice yr favorite band is not on this list, why? because i set myself to the difficult task of selecting only 5 bands per “category” each that were necessary in my advanced choosing. perhaps you may find some of these bands questionable? but that is why you are not the omniscient FERAL EMPURROR, and are but a fly on the wall of the basement show for me to swing my paws at, stomp into the tiles, and decapitate between my fangs and claws. no longer can i let this genre be exploited by lazy hipster redundancy. and with that, i present to you a requiem of screamo in 35 parts.

va – rip screamo: a requiem in 35 parts (2011)
location: all over the world, my bedroom
bit rate: 320kbps > 128kbps

entry level:
01 envy – testimony to the existence
02 orchid – and the cat turned to smoke
03 i would set myself on fire for you – six
04 love lost but not forgotten – swallow
05 portrait – constellations of a stargazing iris
standard:
06 song of zarathustra – black and blue award
07 on the might of princes – for meg
08 arse moreira – human drama
09 heaven in her arms – rusty trace
10 dawn treader – stamp on my brain
expert:
11 coffin dancer – 6
12 vincent price’s orphan powered death machine – choke isn’t the right word. . .
13 dispensing of false halos – here’s a noose
14 the fall of boss koala – i love my dead gay son (part 2)
15 kyds vs columbus – to prosper too prosper
newcomers:
16 battle of wolf 359 – born into fire
17 heart on my sleeve – linguistic cure
18 book of caverns – tuxedo mask
19 a shadow of a doubt – the rivers will flow without us
20 beau navire – fitting pieces
experimental:
21 celeste – afin de tromper l’ennui
22 the pax cecilia – phosphorescence a.d. 79: burying the city of pompeii, or “psyche”
23 deafheaven – unrequited
24 kulara – brown knife
25 suffocate for fuck sake – la gilet fraternal
slsk screamo:
26 mouse folk – friends until ragnarok
27 versions – boar
28 she died real pretty – nails, get the nails!
29 noisy sins of the insect – there won’t be a “my life”
30 tentacles – wooden dove
extra empurror picks:
31 colossus of roads – a statue of a bird is still a bird
32 phoenix bodies – lawn of decadence
33 the kodan armada – one
34 ghosts – untitled
35 witchcraft by a picture – vital organ transplant failure

NEXT VICTIM

i slacked off a little bit yesterday due to the weekend long celebration of my precious royal celtic blood, but i’m back to raise the body count (and my stone cup filled w mead to tuatha dé danann). NEXT VICTIM is a female-fronted brigade of bog-dwelling, crust executioners from the mires of poland whose dark style of hardcore would accommodate the library of any TRAINWRECK or ALPINIST fan quite maliciously. upon my first listen of “THE COLD GUST OF WIND” the mournful serenades sung by the female vocalists put me off, but i suppose they’ve grown on me – or at least are weighed out by the undulating, demolishing sludge influence. NEXT VICTIM’s the split w sister anarcho-crust band FROM THE DEPTHS is, for the most part, another bloody discharge of abominably slow hardcore that sends you into an exhilarating unbreakable madness – appropriate for the amount of frothy grog i will be consuming this weekend.

next victim – the cold gust of wind (2007) + split w from the depths (2011)
location: poznań, wielkopolskie, poland
sludge / crust / hardcore
bit rate: 320kbps

01 podróż do wnętrza
02 kolejna ofiara
03 odetnij się od korzeni
04 gdy rodzi się smierć
05 requiem
06 w cieniu

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01 zakrztus sie wladza
02 falszywa konkluzja
03 kredytowy cyrograf

STARLESS NIGHT

sleep is often the most anticipated part of the FERAL EMPURROR’s day – a personal dimension of imaginative ecstasy and thought exploration, so i can see how some ppl wish they never woke up at all. low and behold, depressive black metal band STARLESS NIGHT can assist you in that regard. their whirling, hypnotic repetition over melancholic atmospheres nearly 8 to 12 minutes long form a cloud of dreariness and despair over the listener, invoking a contemplative state of sorrowful reverie. upon awakening from yr hazy despondence, the wretched caterwauls and mesmeric humming still echo through the hollow sanctuary in the back of yr mind. STARLESS NIGHT also have a split w tree-hugging black metal band DEAFEST that was supposed to be released sometime last year, but has mysteriously fallen off the defective radar. being the prince of the prowl that i am, i have it anyways (nyeh nyeh!). STARLESS NIGHT has haunted me many anight now since i first discovered them, and welcome them to continue lurking the ravishing plains of my dreams.

starless night – demo (2009) + the depression lingers (2010) + a sick mind’s regret split w unending hatred (2010)
location: deland and merrit island, florida
atmospheric / depressive black metal
bit rate: 128kbps > 256kbps *

01 drowning thoughts of your malignant suicide…
02 untitled
03 my bemoaning sign

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01 the depression lingers
02 lucid dream
03 the depression lingers ii
04 the depression lingers ii (instrumental)

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01 beyond my dreams lay forgotten memories….
02 starless night
03 in memory…(outro)