Noctum - "The Seance"

Noctum

"The Seance"

Tranbsubstans Records, 2011

Originally released on High Roller Records, here's a nice re-issue from Transubstans.

"The Seance" starts off with a mysterious vibe straight away, as if there are ghosts hiding in the shadows around, and when the guitars kick in I directly think of "Black Sabbath". Someone has to be quite deaf if not thinking of the british Gods and their massive influence on the young lads of swedish Noctum! This is retro hardrock with a good amount of doom inspired mostly by Sabbath, Pentagram and Witchfinder General. Although I think the vocals of David Indelöf gives away that they are from Sweden. And it's the vocals that trouble me some from the beginning, finding David a bit whiny in his type of singing. But after a while I start thinking of Zeeb from Witchfinder General (love 'em!) and I am way more relaxed. David delivers the best in the 3 last songs "Children Of Darkness", "The Fiddler" and "The Serpent Bride" and it almost feels like the album was made like in the 70's - just recorded in a few days and the last songs being where he truely found his way. I'd like to think that anyway. ;) Overall the production is old school and sounds very organic and analogue.

Noctum are absolutely a bit more heavier both musically and in lyrical themes than other retro bands like Graveyard, Witchcraft or Horisont. And yes, the music fits better with the theme than I think Ghost does (cause the latter are in fact quite more pop than metal, in my book).

There is a strong metal essence in Noctum's debut that I think also attracts heavy metal fans all over the world. It's going to be interesting how Noctum will sound like on album nr 2.

Buy the album at Record Heaven.

Check out "Children Of Darkness" and enjoy!

Patches in the mailbox, yay! Now I've really got a lot to do.

Yesterday I got home, together with my girlfriend, from the concert with Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse. Both bands were brilliant in their own way! I think I'll write a little post about that soon. :) Got plenty of music to write about all the time, more now since some records found their way home from both the visits in Gothenburg (recordfair was great!).

Bare with me and I'll return soon with lots of metal and psychedelic stuff!

Skraeckoedlan - "Äppelträdet"

Time for another release from Transubstans Records!

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.

So, need I say I recommend it? :)

Buy it here!

http://www.myspace.com/skraeckoedlan

Video to a song off their new 12" (I want!):

Anima Morte - "Face The Sea Of Darkness" & weekend

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. ;)