On Sunday there is a record fair taking place, it's a quite small one but there's usually plenty of vinyls and if you wanna dig, come!
I'll be there helping out Mats from ex Jack Daw Records (might open again, soon) and maybe finding a couple of gems.
Place: Kåren
Time: 10-16
Yesterday I went to a second hand shop and searched for a bag good enough to bring along when doing a bit of record hunting. Since I am quite fed up with carrying bags when going to fairs. I found one at last! I do not like brands when it comes to clothes so I soon made it my own by covering the big brand on front with H.P. Lovecraft and his lovely tentacles. Love to make adjustments like that. So, now it's ready for hunting! And will be following me also to the concert on Tuesday, when I get to see Cannibal Corpse & Behemoth. Ghhhharg.
One more CD that Record Heaven were kind enough to send me, and I really am glad they have such good taste in music. ;)
Skraeckoedlan - "Äppelträdet"
Transubstans Records, 2011
I heard about these very young guys about a half a year ago when reading Close-Up Magazine.
It was a small article but it caught my attention and I checked out their music via Youtube. They play a fuzzy type of stoner with a touch of doom and one can really tell that Skraeckoedlan (The Horror Lizard, yeah!) have been listening to a lot of High On Fire, Kyuss, The Sword, Sleep, Mastodon as well as a fair amount of Captain Beyond and good ol' 70's rock.
The singing is excellent through the whole album, a real american stoner type of singing mixed with a hint of swedish á la November. The songs are also most of them written in swedish - I salute them for that! I've got a soft spot for when bands can make good swinging songs in my native landuage, without them being boring or too soft which happends all too often.
They rule when they keep to the swedish material, cause there is a few faults in the english grammar but that is more understandable when thinking of their young age. I'm sure album number 2 will not have these little mistakes lyrically.
They really shine and impress me in the mighty track "Äppelträdet" with it's sheer heaviness and thick guitar riffs. "Cactus" is another impressive tune and here I step into a time machine and fly back to the 70's, reach a swedish space rock scene and land in a dinosaur-egg. Not sure what that means, eh? It means I like it, big time! "Fågelsång" also lets me fly into space and end up somewhere in the orbit of last song "Rokh". The album has perfect playtime.
I've earlier in the blog written about the young american band Elder which I love and I consider Skraeckoedlan being a swedish equal to them, a bit less doom-oriented perhaps.
I've listened to this CD lots of times now and I can indeed say that it has grown to be one of my favorites released 2011. If I'd make a top 20 of 2011 this would be on it.
The nice guys of Record Heaven also runs the record label Transubstans Records and has kindly decided to sponsor my music addiction by sending me some CDs, thank you!
I am a bit of a good customer of Record Heaven and it's one of my absolut favorite shops!
They have sooo many nice re-issues of 70's hardrock and prog from all over the world.
And not only that - lots of psychedelica and metal. Best of all they are really helpful and ships the records fast which I really appreciate when I get really hooked on something.
And Transubstans is a really interesting label and has released stuff from bands like: Abramis Brama, Brutus, Graveyard... You see?
So, let's take a look at one of the releases then! :)
Anima Morte - "Face the Sea of Darkness"
Transubstans Records, 2011
My first experience with Swedish instrumental band Anima Morte was when a ordered a few vinyls from Record Heaven a year ago perhaps and decided to throw along their single "Viva Morte!"(from 2007) in the order since they reminded of Goblin, which I adore, but with a more modern (Swedish?) sound.
This is their first album, also from 2007 but now avaliable again via Transubstans Records, with 2 extra bonus tracks.
Goblin created lots of creepy 70's prog and mainly soundtracks to Italian horror classics like Suspiria, Profondo Rosso & Dawn of the Dead and in my book they really did something original in their time - or any time at all in fact!
Anima Morte tries to do something similar, except there are no movies to go along with the music but that doesn't bother me at all. Which other group do they remind me of as well? Morte Macabre, that's right! Both bands certainly has a modern edge to the music but still manage to pull it off very nicely. "Face the Sea of Darkness" is really good, the haunting choirs (do you like Mellotrons?! I do!) are really effective and there are plenty of Moog and Hammond too.
A song like "Devoid of A Soul" does succeed to give me a bit of the creeps, I love the Moog here, and it surely brings to mind a few horror flicks.
Also, in that song I come to think of Goblin's first album "Roller" which is in fact not scary at all but quite groovy. That puts a grin on my face and I feel very at ease.
This is really atmospheric music and if one loves Italian horror also very relaxing, stimulating and complex. One discovers more after a few listens.
And those who does not find this creepy enough should keep in mind that Anima Morte is true to the old school prog, not blasting away and growling about zombies - although I like that as well - but quite intelligently delivers a eerie feeling and paints landscapes inside ones mind.
It is not blood everywhere on those walls where Anima Morte live and breathes, just smudges here and there that makes you think "Oh my, is there a corpse somewhere? Where the hell is it?!" rather that revealing the full plot right away.
A groovy haunting. Yes, that could sum it all up! Anima Morte delivers a groovy haunting.
I recommend you to listen to "Twilight of the Dead" and read some good Poe or master Lovecraft. "Twilight..." must be my favorite track BUT like most of the music I like one should listen to the album in full to enjoy and get the right feeling.
I'm just so thrilled that music like this comes out of Sweden. And I hope to hear more of the music of the morbid Anima Morte soon!
"Devoid Of A Soul":
I had a really good weekend, most of the Sunday I spent with my giant headphones on listening to music. I've finally perfected my little corner of music so that we can use the second recordplayer more often and fall asleep every night listen to Hawkwind if we like (or I like, should I say) hehe!
Pimped with Sleep-sticker. I'm really starting to get addicted to lime green on black. ;D
I promised more cats as well as records so
here's Zeus with the Immortal pillow I made out of one of my old shirts. Handmade. Zeus approves!
Zelda has healed up allright after the eye-surgery and is looking cool.
Listening to a bit of Japanese doom.
Guess I had to have a picture with me staring at a cover, since that's what I am particulary good at. ;)
Incredible Hog were an british underground rock band in the good ol' 70's and didn't get much attention although their music is good and shows a lot of proto metal tendencies and some heavy blues (with a tad of glam). This is "Volume 1" and I've got the Rise Above Relics re-issue on blue vinyl with the extra little vinyl of 4 songs which has been lost but now found and a 16-paged booklet with lots of photos.
I said to a friend that one knows that it is good music if there are band photos and one of 'em is holding a cat. She pointed to the mustasches and the long hair and yes I agreed that hairy men + cat must be the ultimate to create good rock.
Hey it works for Mikael Åkerfeldt for instance, he's got many cats. ;)
I find the vocals a bit unusual for 70's hard rock, they are quite soft but it suits well since the riffing is pretty hard and I do like some variation of my 70's music, even though I guess I'd love it if everyone sounded like Deep Purple all the time as well.
Have a listen of some songs, I found a good video with pictures and info, check out the different type of album covers there as well:
From Anton and his great doomish blog I got the tip of a swedish crust/doom-band called Åtgärdslandet. Now, I loved the name from the start and the simple logo so I had a listen and it was goood! Anton was kind enough to help me get a physical copy of the 5-track demo, which I received in the mailbox the other day, from the singer also named Anton.
Now, I'm not an expert of crust punk (yet ;)) I must confess but what I have heard I've really liked. It's a matter of economy and time for me, as I would love to dig into it more...
I haven't got much info on this band but as I can understand they are based in Örebro and consists of Anton who screams and plays the guitar (he also did the mixing), Mikaela who plays the bass and and Martin the drummer. They are from Örebro and I believe the demo was recorded in late Mieszko's (Nasum) studio Soundlab in November of last year. Many great bands have recorded there, for example Wolfbrigade and Disfear.
Anyway, the tracks of the demo are real aggressive bunch, with a feeling of doom and especially the first song "Stabbed In The Back" has a part in the middle where the doom metal takes over and hell, that really does the trick for me. Rest of the song is pure punk and "ett jävla driv" in swedish. ;)
"Inte en jävla chans!" which is next gives me some grind as well and one hell of an attack delivered from Anton. I feel like I've been hit by a car and it just keeps hitting me, in a good way that is.
"Utförsäkrad" is my favorite and I like the different types of vocals which are presented here - different types of screams and it does remind me a little of black metal. Also the lyrics "I väntan på livet, väntar vi på döden" - brilliant. There is no better time than now to protest and make good punk, kicking the right-winged politicians in the nuts.
More black metal-feeling right in the crusty landscapes, just love the mix of different styles which are nicely blended together with the punk - "Ayn" is the longest song and also the one with the most clear soundscape sometimes, as it goes a bit mellow and melancholic.
Self-titled last song "Åtgärdslandet" is just a fist in your face! Pure, heavy as fuck and with really impressive drumming.
I played the CD to someone the other day and the person said that one song is a cover of another swedish well-known crustband. Is that right?
Thanks for this demo, guys! I enjoy it! If you make an album I must have it!
The sun is shining and I'm beginning this day with some doom määätelll from Tokyo, Japan!
I'm talking about Church Of Misery with their debut "Master Of Brutality" which of course reeks of Black Sabbath worship. Just look on the cover! I find this absolutely gorgeous since Black Sabbath will always be my favorite band of all time.
Also - all of their songs are about murderers like John Wayne Gacy and sometimes there are interesting sound clips that is related to that person.
And the whole album is so freakin' good! Such a treat for the ears if one loves doom/stoner. I love it from the start and this is gonna spin so many times cause it puts me in a good mood.
Eargasm!
This is a re-issue by Rise Above Records, a finelooking 2-LP with a plum/purple colour. You know, I've got a soft spot for coloured vinyl - delicious! I just wanna eat 'em. Ehum, well maybe just play them will do!
The crazy doomsters from Japan have done a brilliant cover of Blue Öyster Cult's "Cities On Flame (with rock'n'roll)" included on this album. As I like that old band as well, I am very pleased with the result.
I just feel like going to the Inferno Festival in Norway more than ever,
there are many nice bands this year - and of course Church Of Misery! Dammit!
Here comes something I'd like to call - Jävligt otippad musik or Freakin' weird music we can call it in english (although that is not the correct translation)!
Since this blog concentrates on extreme metal and much progressive rock I would like to break the boundaries from time to time with different kinds of music - related to maybe the progressive kind. I will not shock you completely, I am not a dance music kind of person, or the kind that finds radio music "quite nice" nor am I a secret lover of a special kind of samba or whatever. ;)
BUT yes, there are things that can stimulate the brain that does not fall easily into a certain category.
So here's some weird spacey tips! Prepare for take-off!
About 2 years ago while I was going through almost the entire stock of the local record shop I found Tomita - "The Bermuda Triangle" from 1978. I looked at the cover and got instantly interested and curious of what this might be, so I asked the owner Pelle and he said it was strange japanese music that dealt with science fiction. Since the LP seemed to be themed with the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle only I could not let it go and had a listen. Such mysteries makes me go all childish inside like Tin Tin (every documentary I find of the Triangle I must see!). Anyway, I must have had a strange face when I heard it cause it was so odd and spacey, it was like being inside a space ship that had landed in the sea and was floating dramatically together with glowing jellyfish or... Well, you understand - it was weird.
"I like it, I think" was my second response. And since it was cheap I bought it.
It is indeed strange experimental electronical classical music, and feels like a true soundtrack to an amazing movie. He uses such a rich variety of instruments, so many different Moogs and Rolands and a mellotron and computersounds, tape machines and so on... The funny thing is that on each LP there is a list of what he used exactly and it's overwhelming.
Since I've bought this I've found a couple of more, like "Kosmos", "Bolero" and his first LP "The Snowflakes Are Dancing" and they all sound like nothing had ever sounded before. In fact, Tomita was very popular, especially in Japan but also generally recognized for his original work. Read more about Tomita here. So drink a cup of lapsang and listen to this:
Last time I was in Gothenburg I bought a few records as I told you, and "Are you Spongled?" with Shpongle were one of 'em. A cheap CD, but I had heard about them for some time ago and though that if I didn't like it I'd give it away to someone but after a few listens I got completely hooked. So what is Shpongle? Some kind of mellow psychedelic dance music that incorporated lots of world music from Africa, India to Brasil. Psybient some call it. A mixture os psychedelic and ambient. Very weird music but also very impressive if you ask me. So stimulating for the brain to listen to.
Shpongle consists of two men - young Simon Posford who's main project is Hallucinogen and much older hippie Raja Ram. Simon Posford mostly creates trance music and is the owner of record label Twisted Record and does all of the programming and such. Raja owns label Tip World and used to be in a band in the 60's, opening for Led Zeppelin and other great acts.
In Shpongle he plays the flute, which he does brilliantly, and mostly seems to be smoking a lot of weed and dropping a bit of acid, hah. Lots of ramblings of this man is incorporated on many tracks of the 4 album they have released. Cause he really is a man that can speak forever...
Anyway, I had to have the rest of the CDs (the vinyl is sooo expensive!) and although the first album is the best the others are brilliant too. A very good mixture. One doesn't get tired of all the sounds.
