December 21 - 31 (#356 - 366)

#356) Gum Takes Tooth - Silent Cenotaph (2011) weird noise metal 


#357) Wildildlife - Six (2007) psychedelic noise metal

#358) True Widow - As High As the Highest Heaven and From the Center to the Circumference of Earth (2011) "stonegaze" 

#359) Comity - The Journey Is Over Now (2011) experimental hardcore

#360) Pig Destroyer - Book Burner/Blind, Deaf and Bleeding (2012)Blind, Deaf and Bleeding is a bonus EP of punk covers (Black Flag, Minor Threat and the Misfits to name a couple) that comes with the deluxe cd and lp versions of Book Burner.

#361) Crystal Castles - (III) (2012) 

#362) How to Destroy Angels - An Omen (2012)

#363) Igorrr - Hallelujuah (2012) "baroque-core"

#364) Whourkr - 4247 Snare Drums (2012)Whourkr is metal Igorrr

#365) Black Feelings (2009) noisy, kinda psychedelic rock

#366) Verdun - The Cosmic Escape of Admiral Masuka (2011) doom/sludge 

December 11 - 20 (#346 - 355)

#346) Winters in Osaka - Mutual Collapse (2010) harsh noise. sick. 

#347) Crowhurst - Nihil (2011) 1st record. ambient/noise

#348) Von Goat - Septic Illumination (2010) harsh lo-fi black metal.

#349) Slogun - Sacrifice Unto Me (1996) "True Crime Electronics"

#350) Love Sex Machine (2012) doom/sludge from France.

#351) Boss-de-Nage - II (2011) 

#352) Birds in a Row - Collected (2011)  hardcore.

#353) Hypomanie - A City in Mono (2011) "blackgaze" 

#354) Nadja - Dagdrøm + Spectrum Sessions (2012) 

#355) Hilkka - Escalation/Objective (2000) meh...mostly instrumental "indie rock"

December 1 - 10 (#336 - 345)

#336) Sigh - In Somniphobia (2012) proggy avant-black metal

#337) Johnny Aloha - Lavapalooza (2010) Richard Cheese side project

#338) The Casket Girls - Sleepwalking (2012) 

 #339) Locrian & Christopher Heemann (2012)

#340) Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine (2012) psychedelic black metal from Chicago

#341)Vampillia - Rule the World (2011) this is some odd shit. very cool stuff.

#342) Vampillia + Nadja - Primitive World (2012) this collab is how i heard of Vampillia. this is probably my favorite of all the Nadja collabs i've listened to. a great blend of both band's styles.

#343) Sigur Ros - Valtari (2012)

#344) Soft Kill - An Open Door (2011) goth/post-punk from the dude from Blessure Grave

#345) Old Man Gloom - No (2012)  noisy post-doom/sludge

November 21 - 30 (#326 - 335)

#326) Locrian - The Clearing (2011)

#327) The Catalyst - Marianas Trench (2008) 

#328) Horseback & Locrian - New Dominions (2012) 

#329) Vektor - Outer Isolation (2011) 

#330) Circle - Panic (2007) 

#331) Anodyne - Salo (2003) chaotic, noisy hardcore

#332) Nadja/Ovo - The Life and Death of a Wasp  (2010) 

#333) Pygmy Lush -Mount Hope (2008) 

#334) White Wizzard - Over the Top (2009) 80s metal

 #335) Furze - Trident Autocrat (2000) weird experimental black metal

November 11 - 20 (#316 - 325)

#316) Book of Sand - How Beautiful to Walk Free (2010) 

#317) Wolf Eyes - Black Wing Over the Sand (2007) sick stuff

#318) Fister - Bronsonic: Lethal Overdose Edition (2011) doom.


#319) Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire - Harmonies From Bleeding Mouths (2006)

#320) Psychofagist - Il Secondo Tragico (2009) 


#321) Atavist/Nadja - II: Points at Infinity (2008) drone doom

#322) Author & Punisher - The Painted Army (2005)  

#323) Author & Punisher - Warcry (2007) 

#324) Author & Punisher - Ursus Americanus (2012) 

#325) Bell Witch - Longing (2012)

November 1 - 10 (#306- 315)

#306) Pygmy Lush - Bitter River (2007) 

#307) Red Harvest - Cold Dark Matter (2000) 

#308) Book of Sand - Mourning Star (2012) 

#309) Lifelover - Sjukdom (2011) "narcotic metal"

#310) Wolf Eyes with John Wiese - Collection (2006) collection of out of print eps

#311)  Author & Punisher - Drone Machines (2010) 

 #312) Korperschwache - A Fistful of Nihilism (1996) 

#313) Openwound/Antigama - Blastasfuck split (2004)

#314) Kowloon Walled City - Gambling On the Richter Scale (2009) 

#315) Drudkh - Handful of Stars (2010) 

October 21 - 31 (#295 - 305)

#295) At the Graves - II (2010) 

#296) Clinging to the Trees Of a Forest Fire - Omega Drunk on the Blood Of Alpha (2008) 

#297) Celeste - Nihiliste(s) (2008) 

#298) Book of Sand - Destruction, Not Reformation (2010) 

#299) Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (2011) 

#300) Elizabeth - Where Vultures Land (2012) hardcore from Switzerland.

#301) Macho Distorto - To My Dead & Beloved (2011)

#302) Gay Witch Abortion - Maverick (2009) 

#303) Happy Days - Cause of Death: Life (2012) 

#304) Wraiths - Plaguebearer (2007) dark drone/ritual/ambient/noise

#305) Necrophiliacs - The Collected Works (2012) 

October 11 - 20 (#285 - 294)

#285) Botanist - II: A Rose From the Dead (2011)

#286) Botanist - III: Doom in Bloom (2012)

#287) V/A - III:Allies (2012) 

#288) Tomb - Total Occultic Mechanical Blasphemy II (2010) harsh black industrial

#289) Korperschwache - Ritual of the Ouroboros (2007)  

#290) Bongripper - Satan Worshipping Doom (2010) instrumental doom from Chicago

#291) Mz.412 - In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas Luciferi Excelsi (1995) 

#292) Aderlating/Crown of Bone split (2012) 

293) Hallowed Butchery - Funeral Rites For the Living (2009) 

#294) Lair of the Minotaur - Carnage/Cannibal Massacre (2004/2005) 

October 1 - 10 (#275 - 284)

#275) Mz.412 - Burning the Temple of God (1996) 

#276) Akercocke - Antichrist (2007) 

#277) Mummifier - Advanced Mummification Procedure (2010) deathgrind about mummies, satan, and satan mummies

#278) Caïna - Mourner (2007)

#279) Dead Raven Choir - Cask Strength Black Metal (2005) collection of out of print EPs

#280) Nekrasov - Into the No-Mans-Sphere of the Ancient Days (2007) 

#281) Ghast - May the Curse Bind (2008) 

#282) Sun Devoured Earth - I Wish I Would Never Wake Up (2011) 

#283) Circle of Ouroborus - Cast to the Pits (2010) 

#284) Botanist - I: The Suicide Tree (2011) 

September 21 - 30 (#265 - 274)

#265) This Heat - Repeat (1993) 

#266) Burmese - White (2003) 

#267) Nadja - Belles Bêtes (2009) 

#268) Anitgama/Psychofagist - 9 Psalms of an Antimusic to Come (2012)

#269) Behold! The Monolith - Behold! The Monolith (2009) 

#270) Oneida/Liars - Atheists, Reconsider (2002) .

#271) Behold! The Monolith - Defender, Redeemist (2012) 

#272) Book of Sand - The Face of the Waters (2011) 

#273) Horseback - The Gorgon Tongue (2011)

#274) 16-17 - Gyatso (1994) 

August 11 - 20 (#224 - 233)

#224) Brutal Truth - End Time (2011) 

#225) Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Angles (2008) 

#226) Nesseria - Nesseria (2010) blackened hardcore

#227) Nadja - When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV (2009) 

#228) Assault Squad Safety Scissors - The Children Are Our Future and So Are Flying Cars (2007)  

#229) Captain Ahab - After the Rain My Heart Still Dreams (2006) 

#230 - 232) Merzbow - Another Merzbow Records (2010) collects various tracks off splits and comps released between 1991 and 2001

#233) Great Falls - Fontanelle (2010) 

August 1 - 10 (214 - 223)

#214) Dreamend - And the Tears Washed Over Me, Wave After Cowardly Wave (2012) 


#215) Duchess Says - Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs (2008) 

#216) Hair Police - Certainty of Swarms (2008) 

#217) Richard Cheese - Live at the Royal Wedding (2011) 

#218) Verse En Coma - Rialto (2008) 

#219) Old Silver Key - Tales of Wandering (2011) 

#220) Noism ± (2008) 
 
#221) Death Grips - The Money Store (2012) 

#222) KEN Mode - Mennonite (2008)  

#223) Blood of the Black Owl - A Feral Spirit (2008) 

July 18 - 31 (201 - 213)

#201) Hammers of Misfortune - The Bastard (2001) 

#202) Emo Summer - Land of Emotional Plastic Furniture (1999) bad. not for me

#203) George Holdcroft - The FP Soundtrack (2011) 

#204) Disunicorps - Try (2011) 

#205) Disunicorps - Re:Try (2012) 

#206) Sutekh Hexen- Larvae (2012) 

#207) Panopticon - Social Disservices (2011) 

#208) The Paper Chase - Cntrl-Alt-Delete-U (2001) 

#209) Richard Cheese - Dick at Nite (2007) 

#210) Trust - Trst (2012) 

#211) Antigama/Drugs of Faith split (2007) 

#212) Nadja - The Bungled & the Botched (2008) 

#213) In Defence - Into the Sewer (2009) 

idiedtrying - For When I'm Gone, From While I'm Here

#194) idiedtrying - For When I'm Gone, From While I'm Here (2011)

1. Opening Credits
2. The Cactus Planter
3. The Distance Between Falling and Flying
4. Somewhere Beneath the Sunshine
5. The Distance Between Falling and Flying
6. SoHelpMeGod
7. Ending Credits

Psychic TV - Live in Basildon

#189) Psychic TV - Live in Basildon (2011)

 1. Thee Degenerate
 2. She Touched Me
 3. Unclean
 4. Riot in Thee Eye Ov Sky
 5. Southern Comfort
 6. Roman P.
 7. Retinal
 8. Ov Power
 9. Godstar

in my previous post about the Psychic TV Themes box i mentioned that you got a 7th disc if you ordered directly from Cold Springs, this is it. it was recorded on July 13 1986 at the Basildon Peace Festival in Gloucester Park, Basildon UK. musically it's not really like the Themes box at all and is more on the industrial/goth rock side, which i like but unfortunately the sound is pretty bad. it sounds like a bootleg and is even kinda glitchy at times. i guess i shouldn't complain too much since it was "free" but it's probably not a disc i'll revisit any time soon.

Psychic TV - Themes box set

#183 - 188) Psychic TV - Themes box set (2011)

Disc 1 - Themes
 1. Piano and Clarinet
 2. 23 Tibetan Human Thigh Bones
 3. Cowbell, Bicycle Wheels and Vibes
 4. New Guinea Headhunters Pipe, Large and Small Drum
 5. Piano and String Machine
 6. Recording made at Jonestown, Guyana at the time of the suicides
 7. African Initiation Drum and Animal Tusk Horn
 8. Various Temple Bells, Gongs, Cymbals and Vibes

Disc 2 - Themes 2
 1. Themes 2 part one
 2. Themes 2 part two
 3. Themes 2 part three
 Unclean
 4. Unclean
 5. Mirrors
 6. Unclean Monks


Disc 3 - Themes 2: A Prayer for Derek Jarman
 1. The Loops of Mystical Union
 2. Elipse of Flowers
 3. Mylar Breeze (Parts 1 and 2)
 4. Mylar Breeze (Part 3)
 5. Prayer for Derek
 6. Rites of Reversal

Disc 4 - Themes 3
 1. ???
 2. ???

Disc 5 - Themes 3 part 2
 1. ?
 2. ?
 3. ?
 4. ?
 5. ?
 6. ?
 7. ?
 8. ?
 9. ?

 Disc 6 - Themes 4: Lady Jaye
 1. I'm Making a Mirror
 2. I Like the Holidays (A Children's Story)
 3. Gobbledegook
 4. Mother Jack (A Children's Story)
 5. Candy Factory
 6. I Love You, I Know
 7. This is the Final War

Psychic Tv is the band Genesis P-Orridge formed after Throbbing Gristle. i love TG but for some reason i never really got into PTV. i decided to start with this 6 disc (or 7 discs if you order it directly from the label) set. i had only heard a few PTV tracks but nothing like what was in this set. here's what Cold Spring has to say about it:

For the first time, all THEMES albums by PSYCHIC TV released together, in a sumptuous, matt laminate, spot-varnished box set. The music itself was designed not only as soundtrack but also for subsequent use by Initiates of The Temple Ov Psychick Youth in their rituals as Functional music intended only to aid in the process of making things happen. It is a practical tool. Thee essential collection of rare, archive and modern PTV ritual / esoteric musick!
Each CD has been carefully remastered and is presented in it’s own matt laminate, spot-varnished mini-LP sleeve. The box also includes a 32-page booklet of rare photos and essays.
“Themes” was originally released in 1982 as a limited bonus LP with the first 5000 copies of the legendary PSYCHIC TV album “Force The Hand Of Chance”. Musicians: Stan Bingo, Peter Christopherson (Coil, Throbbing Gristle, Soisong), Genesis P-Orridge, and David Tibet (Current 93).
“Themes 2″ was originally released on LP in 1985 by Temple Records and subsequently reissued as an extended CD version by Cold Spring in 1997. Musicians: Genesis P-Orridge, Alex Fergusson, John Gosling (Zos Kia, Coil, Mekon). “Themes 2″ is presented here as a 2 CD set, including the full vinyl version – plus the original “Unclean” 12″ and it`s two B side tracks that were recorded in the same sessions.
“Themes 3″ was originally released on LP in 1986 by Temple Records and is presented here for the first time on CD, completely remastered. Musicians: Genesis P-Orridge, John Gosling (Zos Kia, Coil, Mekon), Mark Sangerman, Monte Cazazza. “Themes 3″ is presented here as a 2 CD set, with an unheard, yet legendary version performed in Boston, US by Genesis P-Orridge and John Gosling under the title of “Pagan Easter”.
“Themes 4″ is a brand new Psychic TV album, recorded by the late partner of Genesis P-Orridge, Lady Jaye and Psychic TV. Compiled by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Ryan Martin and Bryin Dall. Musicians: Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Larry Thrasher, Bryin Dall.

each track on Themes 1 is named after what the recording contains. the liner notes state that "Almost all the instruments used were acoustic but many of them have specifically ritual or Psychic properties and that is why we chose to use them. Certainly the illogical intensity of these recordings far exceeds those made with conventional acoustic instruments."
as mentioned in the statement from Cold Spring this album was recorded as both a soundtrack to The Temple of Psychick Youth's First Transmission and as "Functional music intended to aid in the process of making things happen."
i really dug these tracks, especially "Tibetan Human Thigh Bones".

Themes 2 collects tracks used in Derek Jarman films while Themes 2: A Prayer for Derek Jarman collects tracks that were used but were previously unreleased. the liner notes state that while Themes 1 was to be used "at the time it was released within ritual to try and consistently generate certain psychic states...", Themes 2 is to be used as "a facilitator of internal psychic and emotional observation."
there's a lot of cool experimentation throughout these tracks and a couple more straightforward pieces, i'm interested to see the films they were written for.

Themes 3 Disc 1 is a live recording of Thee Temple of Psychick Youth done on April 22 and 23, 1984 in Chicago. it was an event featuring "almost 20 video monitors, slides, super 8 films and video projections" presented "in an assemblage manner that made it impossible to focus on more than a third of the images at any one time." it was set up this way with the intent to answer the question "does the leakage from the edge of vision find a more direct path to the 'subconscious' and result in a more primal and evocative effect?"
Themes 3 Disc 2 is a previously unheard alternate version of the set on disc 1 that was recorded April 22 1984 in Boston. it was almost entirely pre-recorded tape and video.
they're both cool records, it's a shame there's no video of either performance though.

Themes 4: Lady Jaye is a disc that collects tracks that were all written by Lady Jaye. Cold Springs says it's a new album but it's more of a "rarities" collection with 2 previously unreleased tracks. 

all in all it's a rad box set and is worth picking up for Genesis' liner notes alone.












































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King Creosote + Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine

#180) King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine (2011)

 1. First Watch
 2. John Taylor's MOnth Away
 3. Bats in the Attic
 4. Running on Fumes
 5. Bubble
 6. Your Own Spell
 7. Your Young Voice


it's crossover time again. this time it was Adam's pick. he hasn't done his post on this album yet so i'm gonna keep mine brief.
this is a collaboration between singer/songwriter King Creosote from Scotland and English electronic artist Jon Hopkins. i'd never heard of either of these guys before and really had no idea of what to expect so i was pleasantly surprised to find the album was a kind of blend of folk/pop and electronics. i really enjoyed the mellow, sometimes melancholy arrangements. it's a great summer downer album. i also really enjoyed Creosote's voice, it sounds very familiar at times but i can't quite place it. 
i would definitely check out each members solo stuff.

(127A) Buck 65 - 20 Odd Years: Vol. 4, Ostranenie (2011)

(127A) Buck 65 - 20 Odd Years: Vol. 4, Ostranenie (2011)

1. Days Go By
2. Dolores
3. Joey Bats
4. Legendary

     Buck 65 is my guy. I tend to love everything he releases (can't wait for the next full-length) and this EP was no different. He has been releasing this series of EPs over the last couple years and has not been very informative about what has been going on and when the next release is coming. This is actually the second "Volume 4". I don't know why, but there was another release under a different name that was/is only available on amazon.com for download as far as I can tell. It was 3 songs and completely separate from this was and was "pulled/cancelled" for some reason. Quite awhile after that he released this new "official" Volume 4. 

     As usual, he displays his broad range of musical influences and styles. He includes collaborations that only improve the songs he's written as he has tended to do since he released a 3 CD long album called "Dirtbike" a few years back. On this EP he collaborates with very talented Singers like Jenn Grant (with whom he has worked with A LOT lately). He has a song about baseball,  one about a silver screen movie star, and a song straight out of the old west. Pedal Steel and turntables. Great as usual, can't wait for the long delayed "Volume 5" (6?). (127)

(123A) The Flaming Lips 2011: With Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band (2011)

(123A) The Flaming Lips 2011: With Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band (2011)

1. The Fear of Litany
2. Do It!
3. Brain of Heaven
4. untitled interlude
5. Atlas Eats Christmas
6. untitled outro

     I have a feeling that oksentaminen thought at least close to the same thing as me when he saw that this team up even happened and it was negative and doubtful. When i first saw that The Flaming Lips made an EP with Yoko Ono, I assumed it would be bad and not my favorite. I avoided listening to it for quite awhile and when I finally did, I was proved wrong. It definitely fits in with all the other experimental EPs from 2011 but it ended up being one of my favorites. It was less experimental from many of the others and is almost the opposite ofr the Lightning Bolt release i just reviewed. Surprisingly good stuff, and once again, a couple tracks from this were featured on "Heady Fwends". (123)

(122A) The Flaming Lips 2011: With Lightning Bolt (2011)

(122A) The Flaming Lips 2011: With Lightning Bolt (2011)

1. I'm Working At NASA On Acid
2. I Want To Get High But I Don't Want Brain Damage
3. NASA's Final Acid Bath
4. I Want To Get Damaged But I Won't Say Hi

     This is another entry from The Flaming Lips 2011 string of releases. It is an EP with another experimental band called Lightning Bolt. I have never heard Lightning Bolt before, but their style reveals itself a bit on this release. The first 2 songs are listed as The Flaming Lips with Lightning Bolt and the last 2 songs are Lightning Bolt with The Flaming Lips. It's a very experimental EP and at least worth a listen. Track 1 is the best and I'm sure thats the reason it made it onto the full length release "Heady Fwends". Not my favorite but still worth the couple listens I gave it. I'll listen to track one again  in my life at least. (122)