100 tracks on one (3-inch) CD!! Tighter than a homophobe's clenched buttocks (which may actually be one of their songtitles for all we know) and faster than an Olympic sprinter with the runs, Agoraphobic Nosebleed deal in rapid-fire bursts of grindcore 'aaaaaarg', agit-spazz blastbeats, avant-noise interludes, samples and the kind of time-changes that would make Zappa's "One Size Fits All" rhythm section have apoplexy. And whilst most grind bands tend to deliver the goods in a very staccato fashion, these chaps take a far- dare I say it?- proggier approach to their noise, with every single track representing part of a much larger continuum. Agoraphobic's world seems to revolve around demented imagery (no surprise there folks) that includes religious cults, drug conspiracies and bizarre sexual proclivities ('Black Metal Transvestite' 'Living Lolita Blowjob' 'Drive By Blowjob On A Bicycle' 'Fuck Your Soccer Jesus' 'Serpent Of The Gay Pride Rainbow' 'When Taking A Shit Feels Sexy' 'Placing A Memo On The Boss's Desk'and the all time classic 'Watching A Clown Point A Gun At A Small Dog' are just SOME of the inspired titles that grace this release!) and you just know there's NO chance whatsoever of these dudes having a hit single of any kind. Sheer mind-slicing genius, and only just over 21 minutes long. Move over Sore Throat, the new kids are in town!!
Re-mastered, repackaged edtion of the 1999 album, (originally released on Man's Ruin) and featuring two previously unreleased bonus tracks; This a raw, rough-and-tumble album captures the Amercian hard rock band finding their voice and crystallizes the beginning of one of the world’s pre-eminent stoner rock super-powers
2002 release from mighty pummelling Southern riff-rock boogie gods, as sludgy and heavy as Crowbar or Clutch but with the added bonus of real, downhome, southern-fried groove. This was the first album they recorded for the label (who have since reissued their entire catalogue) and it still stands as their most diverse set. Styles range from aggessive bludgeon to Thin Lizzy-styled twin leads and melodies, but without the shamelessly retro vibe of its predecessor 'Constellation'. A hint that the band were on their way to greater things.
Superb new Finnish band who cover Hawkwind and Kingston Wall on this mini album which is housed in a digi pak. Wonderful psychedelic progressive with killer guitar, electric and acoustic instruments etc.. English vocals....
The album that prompted cries of 'sell-out!!' for Finland's bleak masters of epic metal, as they honed down their style into something commercial, palatable, melodic and almost totally divorced from their roots. This therefore was unto them as 'One Second' was to Paradise Lost, but even more of a departure, as the guitars on this album are almost all but absent except as a textural device. Opinons are divided: even we're not sure, but you might have some fun deciding for yourself.
Reissue of long out of print second album from avant garde jazz-grind-death metallers Atheist, (one of those 'legendary' metal acts of the early 90s, like Dearly Beheaded, Burning Witch or Winter, that nobody seemed to buy at the time but managed to influence EVERYONE), which often commands high prices on Ebay. Now available in this deluxe package, remastered with expanded artwork and liner notes, and bonus tracks from a radio broadcast. Essential for metal collectors and anyone with an open mind.
Out of print for over 10 years, this is a cult metal album that helped define the more extreme end of the genre in the early-mid 90s, pretty much in the same way as Carcass' "Necroticism", Darkthrone's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" or At The Gates' "Slaughter Of The Soul" Yes, as good as all of them, only with an added twist- jazz influences!! Aye, 'tis true. Often costing over £70 (or $100) on Ebay for an original, the album is now available in this deluxe reissue which has been remastered and repackaged with expanded artwork including band and journalist liner notes and unseen piccies. Bonus tracks are taken from a v. rare radio broadcast of the time- although what radio station would have allowed bands of this extremity onto their airwaves is anyone's guess. . .
A metal super group extravaganza! Featuring (ex) members of Municipal Waste, Melt Banana, Human Remains, Baroness, Kilara, Avail and more, this is pure old school Southern Metal made by lovers of the genre. Their debut recordings, no keyboards, breakdowns or bullshit, this for every fan of Metal out there.
Another year, another Bongzilla album. What does it sound like? Er, it's heavy, slow, full of fat, oppressive riffs and shrieking, demonic vocals, it's meant to be played extremely LOUD and the lyrical subject matters may have something to do with certain herbs and crops. It has to be said, this lot are the most stoned of all stoner bands and they seriously fucking mean it!! So biff a big one, and make sure that at some point you're prepared to sit with your head forward between your legs, clutching your forehead between your thumb and index finger whilst repeatedly asking people not to talk to you. It will pass, be seated! You have done something to your brain. You have made it high. St Peter preached the Epistles to the Apostles in a suit like that. (OK, Stop right there with the Withnail quotes already- Student Hating Ed)
Another year, another Bongzilla album. What does it sound like? Er, it's heavy, slow, full of fat, oppressive riffs and shrieking, demonic vocals, it's meant to be played extremely LOUD and the lyrical subject matters may have something to do with certain herbs and crops. It has to be said, this lot are the most stoned of all stoner bands and they seriously fucking mean it!! So biff a big one, and make sure that at some point you're prepared to sit with your head forward between your legs, clutching your forehead between your thumb and index finger whilst repeatedly asking people not to talk to you. It will pass, be seated! You have done something to your brain. You have made it high. St Peter preached the Epistles to the Apostles in a suit like that. (OK, Stop right there with the Withnail quotes already- Student Hating Ed)
OK, they're signed to Relapse, they're called 'Bongzilla', their album cover depicts a green bearded swami surrounded by leaves, and they have songs with titles like 'Greenthumb' 'Stone A Pig' '666LB. Bongsession' 'Gigglebush' and 'Hashdealer'. What do you THINK their music is going to sound like? Could it be stoner doom, perchance? Too flucking right it could mate- but topped off with the most manic, screeching and unpleasant vocal this side of the late great Johnny Morrow, courtesy of one 'Muleboy'. OK, they ain't gonna win any awards for originality- the sound is four parts Sabbath, three-fifths Kyuss, a sprinkling of Pantera, a hefty dollop of Iron Monkey and a cherry of Leaf Hound, but mow me down with a Camberwell carrot if they don't do it so damned WELL. Biff me up, Scotty.
WAAAARRRGGH!! The debut album from this insane US band, originally released in 2000, is one of the craziest journeys the listener will ever be taken on- that is, until you hear the albums they followed it with!! Not since Todd Rundgren's 'A Wizard A True Star' or the first Mr Bungle albums had so many genres been squeezed together in a small space: grindcore, hardcore, mathcore, jazz, psych, prog, death, thrash, glitsch electronica and post-rock all struggling within the same space. And the results are brilliant. Track lengths range from six seconds to 15 and a half minutes, not to mention the non-existent tracks 16 to 66 which could give John Cage a run for his money. Of course, they'd probably tell you it all came out natural and unplanned, but don't believe a word of it- this is carefully executed and premeditated violence against the brain. Absolutely superb.
Third full length album from Denver, Colorado-based mental metal merchants. This album leans even closer to 'jazz metal' than before, and expands on their already rich seam of innovation in the way we all expected, but pulls several extra irons out of the fire too, diversifying into stoner rock, post-rock and even flamenco. Sometimes the experience of listening to this album can be described as akin to having your head fed through a mincer by Jeff Boyardee, only to find Reeves and Mortimer grinning at you and hitting each other in the face with kitchen appliances on the other side. Not quite their masterpiece, but just one of many steps along the way.
The definition of 'tech' in the late 90s to early 00s- swathes of complex, warped, twisted, chaotic noise that bring 'progression' into a genre for whose followers 'prog' may still be regarded as a dirty word. Coalesce are one of the bands who are living proof of how metal and punk have mutated beyond their original life expectancy into hybrid art forms that defy logic and preconceptions. And, aside from all that, they're heavy as lead and their songtitles are ace!! "Where The Hell Is Rick Thorne These Days" indeed. Just what we were all asking . . .
Split CD from two of the century's most promising and creative acts, who are taking extreme music into exciting directions. Converge, who have been around since 1990, are the modern day masters of pain-ridden, screaming, in your face, emo noise and multilayered megatechnical time changes- here they break heads with the very fine grindcore masters Agoraphobic Nosebleed, whose songs are short, sharp, twergled blasts (and I do mean blasts) of vicious NASTINESS. Fifteen tracks- not overtly on the long side, but worth it as it contains material you won't hear elsewhere. WAAAARRRGGGGLE!!!
Groundbreaking sounds from the band that brought you the genre of 'math metal' (alongside Botch and a few others) and opened the doors for a host of imitators. Originally released on Hydra Head, this was one of the landmark releases of the turn of the century that showed metal was not dead, but was evolving more and more into strange new forms. The unfettered and boundless aggression displayed in their early grindcore-based EPs is balanced by a technical proficiency not often seen outside of Rush or Dream Theater, whilst maintaining a subtlety and knowledge of understatement that calls to mind Slint or Melvins. Call it 'jazzcore' 'progcore' 'jazz metal' or even call it Alfred: either way, it's a masterpiece.
It's Mr Metal, Jim, but not as we knew him before. Former Sleep mainman Matt Pike (the man who once composed a 65-minute song called 'Dope Smoker') returns with another mindfuck from his colossus of a band. With riffs that pummel like a sumo jumping repeatedly up and down on a collection of small furry animals, but with a taste for speed and aggression his former outfit never had, and someof the heaviest TITLES ever ('The Yeti' 'Thraft Of Canaaan' 'Hung Drawn And Quartered' and 'Razor Hoof', the latter of which is simply terrifying) how can the man lose? This is what would happen if Wino, Lemmy, Cronos and Bill Ward all formed a band together (excuse every Metal fan in the world now whilst they drool in unison) apart, of course, from the sun falling off its axis.
Album from this heavy psychedelic rock trio that includes ex-members of Fu Manchu. Stoner rock, with a definite freak-out psychedelic quotient - not unlike The Heads, but with the languid & trippy feel of Sundial
The follow-up to the incredible and unearthly 'Through Silver In Blood' heading to yet another dimension entirely. Some people make music that moves montains: Steve Von Till and Co seem to be in the business of making music that sounds like several mountains falling over in not very quick succession. This 1999 release proved once and for all that they were moving beyond mere metal into a form of music as yet unclassifiable, where timpani, horns and 'found sounds' play just as much part in the cut and thrust of things as do guitars, bass and roaring, guttural vocals. 'The Last You'll Know' 'End Of The Harvest' 'Away' and 'The Doorway' are all modern rock masterpieces. This is truly progressive music, but NOT for those easily deafened or faint of heart. You have been warned. . .
Blotter disolves into heavy dirge psychedelia with influences drawn from 70's acid rock, channeled with the agression of Sabbath heavines and Acid pun.If you need a fix of mind expanding musical noise,dop a hit of "Blotter" This album released in 1996 is a must and an office favorite.
Nile- the band that saved the otherwise stoic death metal genre. Whilst bands like Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation and Master plough their steadfastly traditional furrows, always delivering but never known for their ability to surprise, four dudes from South Carolina turned up when no-one was looking and gave us a lesson in how it's done. This is not only a brutal barrage of blastbeats and a riotous rapier of riffage, but a demonstration of how the music can progress- in Nile's case incorporating Eastern scales, melodies, chants and percussion and adding timechanges beyond the usual 500 BPM death template. There may still be no tunes one can immediately whistle, or punch one's fist in the air to a la good old trad metal, but these here slabs of metallic concrete will be practised by young hopefuls all over the world in years to come, the way Nile themselves heard Death and Slayer- their two most obvious influences- and kept on until they were better than both of them. That said, it will be a few years before another death metal band usurps the crown from this lot. And yes, there really is a song on this album called 'Chapter For Transforming Into A Snake' Transforming a previously stagnant subgenre of metal into an art form, more like!!! Essential. Limited vinyl edition.
Nile- the band that saved the otherwise stoic death metal genre. Whilst bands like Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation and Master plough their steadfastly traditional furrows, always delivering but never known for their ability to surprise, four dudes from South Carolina turned up when no-one was looking and gave us a lesson in how it's done. This is not only a brutal barrage of blastbeats and a riotous rapier of riffage, but a demonstration of how the music can progress- in Nile's case incorporating Eastern scales, melodies, chants and percussion and adding time changes beyond the usual 500 BPM death template. There may still be no tunes one can immediately whistle, or punch one's fist in the air to a la good old trad metal, but these here slabs of metallic concrete will be practised by young hopefuls all over the world in years to come, the way Nile themselves heard Death and Slayer- their two most obvious influences- and kept on until they were better than both of them. That said, it will be a few years before another death metal band usurps the crown from this lot. And yes, there really is a song on this album called 'Chapter For Transforming Into A Snake' Transforming a previously stagnant subgenre of metal into an art form, more like!!! Essential.
Some bands are happy just to 'coast' and consolidate what they did before: their albums appear regularly like the clock-on and off sheets at a million factories. Nile, on the other hand, are content only with perfection- which is why 'In Their Darkened Shrines' is THE death metal album of the '00s and remains unchallenged. Nile were always going to be the special ones, and their previous albums intimated this- but it was only here that they fully bloomed into the all-conquering force they remain today. Still every inch a furious, fast, pummelling, blasting, full-throttle technical death metal record, but featuring more twists, turns, and twiddles on the genre than from a dozen bands put together, the album's occasional bursts of melody, fluid soloing and irregular diversions into sludge and doom are counterbalanced by a flair for epic song structures, restrained dynamics and of course the customary Egyptian instrumentation and vocal inflections. Frontman Karl Sanders obviously knows his stuff and labours lovingly over the source material that draws equally on ancient North African mythology and HP Lovecraft (the author, not the psych band!!)- and as if the lyric sheet itself wasn't lavish enough, turn over the deluxe gold-lettered booklet and be treated to a full account of the history and theme behind each title. None of this would matter, of course, if the music wasn't up to scratch- but the fact remains that Nile are THE single greatest death metal act to emerge since Carcass trod the boards, and alongside Amon Amarth and Kataklysm, one of only three acts capable of actually dragging the genre out of its self induced quagmire into somewhere exciting whilst still remaining intrinsically metal. If you're into metal- you MUST own this. If you're into prog, you might be interested to know that the last track is a twenty minute concept piece divided into four sections. . .
Anyone that knows their history will realise that early Pentagram represent one of the great lost US late 60's hard rock bands who can stand along with The Frost, Amboy Dukes, MC5, Stooges, SRC and Rationals as early pioneers of American hard rock. This is the ultimate and essential collection of unearthed gems from the early 70s line up of the band who made the stunning 1972 psych gem "Be Forewarned" under the name Macabre (which appears here). Most of the tracks were recorded in 1973/74 and have been digitally remastered to give the best possible sound quality. Hugely important in the development of metal/stoner rock and essential for fans of Detroit Rock, War Pig, Leaf Hound, Blue Cheer, Black Sabbath, and '60's heavy psych in general. Awesome stuff!
Yet more rare early material by this band who are seen as champions of early metal, but in actual fact were closer to late '60's early '70's hard acid rock bands such as MC5, Amboy Dukes, SRC and others. The band penned the highly regarded acid psych classic "Macabre" (a version of which can be found here) and also recorded some great heavy material in a similar vein with ripping fuzz/wah wah lead guitar breaks. This is a 2-disc set containing rare and unreleased studio recordings (including great versions of The Yardbirds "Little Games" and The Stones "Under My Thumb") live rehearsals from the early 70's and a deluxe 28-page booklet that includes lyrics, detailed historical liner notes by drummer Geof O'Keefe and scores of never-before-seen Pentagram photographs. First Daze Here Too is 22 tracks of vintage Pentagram classics from the vaults of the influential and critically acclaimed D.C. legends.
Yet more rare early material by this band who are seen as champions of early metal, but in actual fact at this time were closer to late '60's early '70's hard acid rock. The band penned the highly regarded acid psych classic "Be Forwarned" under the name Macabre (a version of which can be found here) and also recorded some great heavy material in a similar vein with ripping fuzz/wah wah lead guitar breaks. This is a 2-disc set containing rare and unreleased studio recordings and live rehearsals from the early 70's with a deluxe 28-page booklet that includes lyrics, detailed historical liner notes by drummer Geof O'Keefe and scores of never-before-seen Pentagram photographs. First Daze Here Too is a brand new double LP set housed in a gatefold sleeve containing rare and unreleased studio recordings and live rehearsals from the early 70's.
The first real full-length album (although it's still just over half an hour long!!) from these seriously deranged Washington DC noisemongers. A minor concept album concerning the time the singer's ex-girlfriend was stalked by a maniac (himself?) who parked outside her house for days on end, thus featuring some suitably upsetting computerised narration, this is an exercise in utter dementia of the most stomach-churning order- although the lyrics are far less graphic and visceral than the actual music itself, which leaves nothing to subtlety and everything to sheer spasmoidal hatstand. Of course they're lovely people really. . .or so we keep telling ourselves. "Aarrg blood death" on record never sounded quite so good.
More wonderful extremity from the house of Relapse, this time from a Pennsylvanina 'criminal thrash' quintet that slay all opposition. Featuring ex members of Divine Rapture, Evil Divine, XX Maniak and Witch Haven. Just like the old tape trading days!! Wuuuurrrgggghhh!!!
Third album (originally released 2001) from the dirty, down-at-heel, brusing, pummelling, my- fist- your- face- after- ten- bottles-of-moonshine-and-some-mogadons Louisiana metallers, who specialise in swollen, painful, fat riffs, drums to break backs with and an unhealthy leaning towards misogyny and misanthropy. For band for whom 'sludge' is the order of the day, it would be surprising to find their roots lie in the hyperblast world of grindcore: however, that's exactly where they do lie, as this album's tendency toward blastbeats and Ben Falgoust's tortured, spitting, roaring vocal style demonstrate- although there's still enough groove and swagger there to keep you spliffheads happy. A 33- minute exercise in brutality which obviously worked.
2005-released studio album from brutal, slow, sludgemongous New Orleans monoliths. As if their music wasn't ominous and doom-laden enough, their real life circumstances (bereavements, car accidents, illness) have obviously had some bearing on their sound, making this their most angry and troubled album yet. Sheer cavalcades of riffs topped with death-rattle vocals and growling fuzz bass that could make an elephant give birth. Produced by Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal. Limited edition.
2005-released studio album from brutal, slow, sludgemongous New Orleans monoliths. As if their music wasn't ominous and doom-laden enough, their real life circumstances (bereavements, car accidents, illness) have obviously had some bearing on their sound, making this their most angry and troubled album yet. Sheer cavalcades of riffs topped with death-rattle vocals and growling fuzz bass that could make an elephant give birth. Produced by Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal.
The second album (originally released in 1998) by this immensely heavy, powerful and almost claustraphobically intense Louisiana band, whose roots are in Southern blues boogie but whose frontman's vocal style covers all bases from black and death metal growls/screeches through hardcore to spoken Gothy timbres. Musically the band veer from ultragrind blastbeats to slow, sludgy stoner grooves, proggy time-changes and Sabbaf-style-stompings- the one constant being that apart from two quiet intros, it's HEAVY all the way. Key tracks include 'Her Unsober Ways' 'It Was Just An Accident' 'Gagged Whore' and 'Build Fear' Full horns on the metal-o-meter.
A classic album of swampy grooves and tempo downshifts, that established the band as innovators and Ben Falgoust as a natural successor to, if not superior to, Phil Anselmo. This deluxe edition comes replete with the crushingly painful 'String Of Lies' mini CD, one of the band's first releases and long deleted until now.
Great double CD that contains the debut album from 1991 that contained stunning acid soaked trippy UK '60's styled psych/prog sounds including the awesome "Exploding In Your Mind" Amazing wah-wah guitar with phased effects and the psychedelic kitchen sink! The second disc contains of unreleased material from the Other Way Out sessions recorded in 1990! and features seven tracks including alternate versions of 'Plains Of Nazca', and 'Visitation' along with previously unreleased tracks.
Cd re-issue of the acclaimed 4th album from the Gary Ramon outfit.This new CD version of this now rare album contains classic Sundial Recordings from 1990 and 1991. Trippy late '60's UK styled acid/ progressive rock that's easily as good as the band's masterpiece "Other Way Out".
The definition of intense- and yet as psychedelic and unconventional as the best prog or kraut sounds. Extreme violence on record personified, Steve Austin's Texas- based lunatics were a potent force by the time of this, their fifth album, originally released in 1999- and you just know that the 'God' they were referring to in the title sure ain't the one Stryper sing about!!! Clanging, discordant guitars, rolling Beefheartian percussion lines, distorted minced vocals and the best tape loop and sample collection since the first three Therapy? albums all make for compelling listening. It's a 'lovely ugly brutal world' to quote the similarly deranged Diasy Chainsaw, and with songtitles like 'The Russian Child Porn Ballet' 'Bionic Cock' 'Daddy' and 'The Cold Harshness Of Being Wrong Throughout Your Entire Life' (JEESUS!!) it couldn't be anything else- but it's a world that, like the scene of a particularly unpleasant car crash, you won't want to leave. This band want your soul and what's more, children, they're going to have it.
Super rare 1970 album by this Canadian band heavily influenced by Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Diverse psychedelic proto rock with ripping guitar and keyboard jams, long tracks spacey effects etc. Great album and very rare. If you love early '70's UK heavy rock this one's a must. Digitally re-mastered and extensive liner-notes;
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