(The various artist releases are listed alphabetically for the sake of easy browsing)
| Asymmetry (CD) | 2005 | Totalrust Music |
Musical misery comes in many forms. Amongst them you'll find doom/black, doom/death and funeral doom on this compilation. It contains just about everything that can hurt inside, making it concentrated agony. The manifestations of this agony include loneliness, aggression, lamentation, intense depression and paranoia. In other words, everything needed to satisfy the soul that has been deprived of all hope.
The compilation includes a lot of underground obscurities. Some of them - like Wreck Of The Hesperus and Asofy - have even contributed totally unique tracks to this release. All of them hold a high standard and show every single band at their most talented. Having also signed other promising acts such as Wraith Of The Ropes, it would seem that Totalrust Music will be an extreme doom force to be reckoned with in the future.
I recommend this CD to anyone who fancies the darker aspects of doom metal. In my humble opinion this is one of the most needed additions to any extreme doom collection. Besides, like all good despair-addicts, you know you need it and you know you'll love it.
Lux Incerta
1. 'Clear Water'
Whelm
2. 'A State Of Decay'
Remembrance
3. 'Beyond The Waters'**
Mary Bell
4. 'Armageddon Jam'
Asofy
5. 'Luce'*
The Knell
6. 'Into Shattered'*
Mar De Grises
7. 'Mar De Grises'
Saturnus
8. 'Murky Waters'
Wreck Of The Hesperus
9. 'Utter Rot'*
Abysmal Darkening
10. 'End It'
* Exclusive track for this release.
** Exclusive version for this release.
Approx. 75 minutes
| Blue Explosion - Tribute to Blue Cheer (CD) | 2000 | Black Widow Records |
One thing I know is that its never too late to correct such a sad oversight, because as comps go, this is one of the very best. West coast Hells Angels-style proto-metal rockers Blue Cheer, dubbed "the loudest band in the universe" back in the late 60s, fit the very definition of "stoner forefathers." Many of the best bands stoner/doom bands in circulation back around 2000 were happy to pay homage to these pioneers. The disc is bookended by doom overlords Pentagram, the only band to appear twice. "Long live the legend who are!" sez Bobby Lieblieng, whose right upfront about his feeling about the 'Cheer. Pentagram's covers are two of the very best, most faithful versions on the CD. Maryland doomsters Internal Void provide a respectful cover of the classic 'Parchment Farm.' In fact, the entire comp is filled with superb covers, most of them faithful, but a few "updated" by such means as more modern vocals or tempo changes. I would put the tunes by Natas, Wicked Minds, and Drag Pack into the latter category. It really doesn't matter, as all the bands seem to have a serious case of "Cheer Love," and it`s mighty infectious.
At 78 minutes, this comp is a stone bargain, especially when you consider the fact that there is not a bad song on the whole thing. If you are unaware of what a serious influence Blue Cheer is on the present stoner/doom community, then it`s time for you to find out. Just listen again to Bobby: "Joe's and my reason for continuing on heavy forever!" Yeah, Blue Cheer muthafukka!
Pentagram
1. 'Doctor Please'
Internal Void
2. 'Parchment Farm'
Hogwash
3. 'Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger'
Thumlock
4. 'Out of Focus'
Natas
5. 'Ride with Me'
Fireball Ministry
6. 'Fortunes'
Norrsken
7. 'Pilot'
Garybaldi
8. 'Fresh Fruit & Iceburgs'
Rise and Shine
9. 'Sun Cycle'
Wicked Minds
10. 'Just a Little Bit'
Standarte
11. 'Sandwich'
Space Probe Taurus
12. 'Second Time Around'
Drag Pack
13. 'Come and Get It'
Vortice Cremisi
14. 'I'm the Light'
Ufomammut
15. 'Peace of Mind'
Pentagram
16. 'Feathers from your Tree'
Approx. 78 minutes
| Britannia Infernus (2CD) | 2001 | Godreah Records |
'Britannia Infernus' is a wonderful overview of British Occult and Black-metal over the past 30 years. The CD's are split up between old school and new school. The songs are ordered according to the timeline of their release date. This in essence means we get two rather different CDs; the first one mainly features old occult material and the second one features modern-day Black-metal. As such the second CD is not interesting for pure doom fans.
Some of the first Doom-metal bands or bands playing a form of "Proto-doom" are featured on this first album. Aside from Black Sabbath bands like Black widow, Witchfynde and Pagan Altar are featured. Some tracks have never before been released on CD or are, like the Black Widow track, rare versions. That oddly enough also makes of this compilation a nice, but not complete, overview of some early doom! Atomic Rooster's 'Death Walks Behind you' might even sound familiar to a lot of newer fans due to Paradise Lost covering this track. I am particularly charmed by Black Widow's opening track, while perhaps not even metal this is just a charming melodic rock track with that overwhelming 70ties feel all over it.
Overall I think the first half of the first CD will appeal most to the average doom fan. Thereafter the CD moves into NWOBHM and Thrash bands. This does leads to the amusing fact that both Satan and Sabbat are featured on the same disk (Satan featured Greame English and Steve Ramsey who later moved on to Skyclad and Sabbat featured Matrin Walkyier who founded Skyclad - and who is now again involved with a Sabbat reunion).
All in all this compilation has been put together most professionally, has a very informative booklet and gives a good overview of occult music over the last 30 years. However if you, like me, are not into Black-metal the second CD will be of little interest to you and if you are a doom-metal purist you probably will only enjoy about 3 or 4 songs in total. I myself also question the presence of some bands like Bal Sagoth, and wonder if you can really combine pagan bands like Sabbat with Black-metal bands under the same flag? Nevertheless this is a great way to find out Doom-metal's history as well, even if it is only an accidental side effect (and as such not representative for all early doom, just a few bands with a more occult message).
Note: Also check: www.historyofblackmetal.com for more information.
CD1:
Black Widow
1. 'Come to the Sabbat'
Atomic Rooster
2. 'Death Walks Behind you'
Black Sabbath
3. 'Black Sabbath'
Angel Witch
4. 'Angel of Death'
Venom
5. 'Bloodlust'
Pagan Altar
6. 'The Black Mass'
Widow
7. 'Come to the Ritual'
Witchfynde
8. 'Cloak and Dagger'
Hell
9. 'Save us from those who would save us'
Satan
10. 'Blades of Steel'
Cloven Hoof
11. 'Cloven Hoof'
Warhammer
12. 'Halloween'
Onslaught
13. 'Fight with the Beast'
Sabbat
14. 'A Cautionary Tale'
Antichrist
15. 'Staking the ovens of death'
CD2:
Ragnarok
1. 'Thunderhammer'
Cradle of Filth
2. 'The Forest Whispers my name'
Megiddo
3. 'Eldest of Lightings'
Bal-Sagoth
4. 'Dreaming of Atlantean Spites'
December Moon
5. 'Twinned with Destiny'
Ewigkiet
6. 'Wonder of the Cosmos'
Aborior
7. 'The Essence of my dreams'
Hecate Enthroned
8. 'Upon the Kingdom Throne'
Phantasia
9. 'Screams of the Atdeous'
Forefather
10. 'Immortal Wisdom'
Meads of Asphodel
11. 'Christs Descent into hell'
Reign of Erebus
12. 'Stromwinds of Weifer'
Thus Defiled
13. 'Of Shadow and Storra'
Old Forest
14. 'Curse of Thundermoon'
Anaal Darhrakh
15. 'Pandemonic Superblast'
Approx. 146 minutes
| Cry Now, Cry Later -volumes 1 & 2- (CD) | 1998 | Pessimiser |
First of the doom bands is 13 with their track 'Writhe'. This track is one of their fastest, allthough that doesn't mean anything but that it's mid-tempo. It is almost as filthy and disgusting as their other tracks, but not quite. On the good side, the aggression in the music has become more active. And as always, the lyrics intend to hit hard and leave marks.
Next one up is 'Methamphetamine' by Eyehategod. It was re-released on their rare tracks compilation 'Preaching The "End-Time" Message'. Unlike most of their tracks, this is pure sludgecore. It's not even as ugly as many of their other songs. It only lasts a minute and a half as well, so if you're only interested in this track, the compilation it was re-released on is a better buy.
Track eleven is 'World Of Hurt' by Grief. This is by far the doomiest track on the compilation. It's slow, loatheful and heavy, not to mention one of the longest tracks. It is everything one wants from a sludge/doom song. It is also the CD's highlight.
16 also presents a doomy piece of sludge. It is mixed 50/50 with a quite rapid pace. It doesn't stand out amongst the masses, but still worth noting anyways.
Those who want something heavy might want to look out for IAbhorHer, an ultra heavy and ultra loud death metal band with strong doomy tendencies. 'Hoofed Locusts' is pissed off and straight into the face. Truly one of the positive sides of the compilation.
The following track, 'Celebration Of Wounds (Greetings From My Gut)', is just as loud and almost as heavy. This time it comes from Cattlepress. It's sludgier, but strongly influenced by death metal as well. It is the longest track on the CD.
Those who like all different kinds of core would probably want this CD. It's a decent representation of the extreme part of this scene. However, most doomsters might find it to have too many up-paced songs. In a doomsters view, because it contains some really important bands, and one of the very few 13 songs ever released, this is more of an essential part of an old-school sludge/doom collection than something you'll listen to every day.
Spazz:
1. 'Loach'
13:
2. 'Writhe'
Crom:
3. 'S.O.R.'
4. 'Hate, Fear & Power'
Fishsticks:
5. 'Suck City'
Stapled Shut:
6. 'Lost Thought'
Crisis:
7. 'Smash To Pieces'
Eyehategod:
8. 'Methamphetamine'
Despise You:
9. 'Aquí Solito (Como Siempre)'
Meatshits:
10. 'You Wish You were Me'
'Orgasm Through
Masterbation'
'Your Nothing'
'Outro (Abominate)'
Grief:
11. 'World Of Hurt'
Capitalist Casualties:
12. 'The Roast'
Cry Now, Cry Later Compilation-2:
16:
13. 'Fucked For Life'
Excruciating Terror:
14. 'Life Ends'
IAbhorHer:
15. 'Hoofed Locusts'
Cattlepress:
16. 'Celebration Of Wounds (Greetings From My Gut)'
Lack Of Interest:
17. 'Force Fed'
Fleabag:
18. 'Bune Che Debune'
Dystopia:
19. 'Anger Brought By Disease'
Factoria De Miedo:
20. 'Sangre De Niños'
Despise You:
21. 'Bunk Existence (Arbor Village Plan)'
Stapled Shut:
22. 'Kill the Corporates'
Bonus Songs:
Black Army Jacket:
23. 'Meow, Meow, Meow AKA Corpselos'
Cojoba:
24. 'Hueliendo Pega/Sniffing Glue'
Pisspoor:
25. 'Shadow'
Unruh:
26. 'To Go Without'
Approx. 77 minutes
| Destroysall - A Tribute To Godzilla (CD) | 2003 | Shifty |
We all know Godzilla, the colossal lizard like monster that has repeatedly run rampage in Tokyo and other cities. It's kind of hard to forget something that huge. In any case, in 2003 it was the 35 year anniversary of the movie "Destroy All Monsters", in which Godzilla was obviously the star of the show. In light of this big event Shifty Records gathered together a bunch of their signed bands along with some more Godzilla fans, and created this tribute.
As the good tribute this is, the sound of the music matches the image of Godzilla. In other words; loud and heavy. Sludge/doom bands like Fistula, dot[.] and Rwake dominate the CD, but you will also find stoner, hardcore and the first track of a promising avantgarde sludge/funeral doom band called Mammoth. Despite the genre differences there is one thing that they all have in common. Yep, you guessed it: loud and heavy.
Shifty Records and their assembly of bands have a distinct sound of their own. Though I would hesitate to call it mainstream, I would still claim that this sound is one that is generally well liked. The bands which don't come from Shifty's entourage have much the same sound and fit in nicely.
I am usually not very fond of v/a compilations. But in this case the CD sounds more like an album made from the co-operation of the bands. It feels much more meaningful than normal, not to mention that I'm a fan of Sloth anyway. Despite the fact their track is only a bit doomy, I still would say that this is one of their best ones. In general, if you like the Shifty sound, then you wouldn't want to miss out on this one.
Mammoth
1. 'In This Dying Moment'
Terminal Lovers
Terminal Lovers
2. 'Mr. Astronaut Glenn'
Sloth
Sloth
3. 'If I Were Godzilla'
Hangnail
Hangnail
4. 'Invasion Of The Neptune Man'
Gigantasaurus!
5. 'Reptilian Tonnage Of Gargantuan Enormity'
Space Face
Gigantasaurus!
5. 'Reptilian Tonnage Of Gargantuan Enormity'
Space Face
6. 'Leen Gizzard'
Fistula
Fistula
7. 'King Kong Is Dead'
dot[.]
dot[.]
8. 'Nonresistance City'
Negative Reaction
9. 'Godzilla Vs. Noo Yawk'
Rwake
Negative Reaction
9. 'Godzilla Vs. Noo Yawk'
Rwake
10. 'Smog Monster (Live)'
Patheticism
Patheticism
11. 'Go Jet Jaguar'
Leviathan A.D.
Leviathan A.D.
12. 'By North Star, Gamera'
Third Degree Burnout
13. 'Anarchy Fell Through'
The Crunky Kids
14. 'Gojira No Gyakushu'
Solace
Third Degree Burnout
13. 'Anarchy Fell Through'
The Crunky Kids
14. 'Gojira No Gyakushu'
Solace
15. 'Mother Godzilla'
Approx. 77 minutes
Approx. 77 minutes
| Doom Capital (CD) | 2004 | Crucial Blast |
One thing I've noticed in the reviews I've read about this album is that the reviewers often include a healthy chunk of the press handout that came with the CD. There's no doubt about it, the D.C./Maryland doom scene is a fascinating - and often incestuous - one. In this case, however, incest is not necessarily a creepy word invoking pictures of your leering Uncle Albert. When it comes to these amazing musicians, the fact that they've often been in each other's groups in the past seems only to highlight their strengths and ability at musical interplay. So I'm not going to go into too much detail about the history of all these bands except to tell you that they descend musically from Sabbath through Pentagram, and that the trademark Maryland doom sound owes a lot to just that lineage. If you want history, read Crucial's informative notes (errors notwithstanding, ha ha) and the thumbnail band bios.
If you're like me, a huge fan of the above-referenced style o' doom, then for the sake of the Southern Lord get your wallet out and get this comp IMMEDIATELY. Most comps may be ass, but this one is definitely a doomed-out winner. Rare tunes, including ones by Clutch and the much-underrated Internal Void, abound. There is guitar genius from Wino, Dale Flood, Kelly Carmichael, and...well...just about everyone; biker doom from Earthride; doom with a southern tinge from Black Manta; white doom (I just made that up) from your spiritual advisors in Life Beyond; and there's even a Maryland super group in the form of Los Tres Pesados. I simply cannot mention all of the groups and describe all of the tuneage, because it would make this review twice as long and three times as boring. Suffice it to say that this disc is chockablock with quality Sabbathy doom, with amazing guitarists, fat tones, ace songwriting, and superb rhythm sections. You'll hear old favorites stretching out and new favorites putting their own spin on the old school. Its all so good, you can't help but get an adrenaline rush. If you're an old school doom fanatic, that is.
Crucial Blast has done us a great service with this fine effort. I'm heavily into this doomed musical community, and there were still groups on this disc that I had yet to hear. I daresay you will say the same. This comp definitely fits into my small but worthy "Comp Hall of Fame," along with 'Judge Not,' 'Blue Explosion,' and 'Dark Passages.' The cool thing about this disc is that it raises the possibility of sequels: what about another comp of Maryland-style doom without limiting it geographically? How would Europe's True Doom bands mesh with all of this? And what about Pentagram themselves? Questions, questions.....I think its time to listen to War Injun again, while I ponder these weighty matters.....
Clutch
1. 'Sea of Destruction'
Earthride
Earthride
2. 'Grip the Wheel'
Hidden Hand
Hidden Hand
3. 'Rebellion
Internal Void
Internal Void
4. 'Black Wings of Deceit'
Life Beyond
Life Beyond
5. 'Rising Sunn'
Nitroseed
Nitroseed
6. 'Class War'
Unorthodox
Unorthodox
7. 'Lifeline'
Countershaft
Countershaft
8. 'Black Sky'
War Injun
War Injun
9. 'Dangerous Prayer'
Black Manta
10. 'Days of Yore'
Leviathan AD
11. 'Breathing Rust'
King Valley
Black Manta
10. 'Days of Yore'
Leviathan AD
11. 'Breathing Rust'
King Valley
12. '$2 Brain'
Carrion
Carrion
13. 'Damned to Know'
Los Tres Pesados
Los Tres Pesados
14. 'The Ruler'
Approx. 66 minutes
Approx. 66 minutes
| Doom Fuzz Compilation 2003 (CD) | 2003 | Obskure Sombre Records |
The bands on this disc are mostly American and Canadian, as befits a Quebecois label. There are also a few European groups thrown in for good measure. Americans Abdullah, long a personal fave, leave the doom behind in favor of rockin' out with their cocks out. Flood presents the listener with some fuzz doom with a southern flair, while Canadian knuckleheads Goathorn give up some great 80s-inspired epic thrash. Ya gotta love 'em! I've heard a lot about Mister Bones, and it's a treat to finally hear their brand of bellowing southern rawk. Orodruin and Voodoo Shock throw down some top-notch psycheDOOMelic-style trad doom, and the list just goes on.....from garage fuzz punk to stoner-friendly riff rock to sludge to death doom, the fine folks at Obskure Sombre are here to make your next bong session as heavy - and extreme - as possible.
If I didn't mention all the bands it doesn't mean I didn't like 'em, just that I don't have an infinite amount of space. Trust me, there's plenty of tasty tuneage on this sampler, although you may not be into every one of them. No matter, 'cause the price is a bargain on this dude, so take a chance!
Abdullah
1. 'The Heart Denies'
Bitchin' Camaros
2. 'Cool Haunt'
Flood
Flood
3. 'Sally'
Goathorn
Goathorn
4. 'Fate Strikes'
Indescinence
5. 'Catalepsy'
Martiens, Les
Indescinence
5. 'Catalepsy'
Martiens, Les
6. '2000 WAJC'
Mister Bones
Mister Bones
7. 'Seems Like Yesterday'
Negative Reaction
Negative Reaction
8. 'The Tradoshian'
Nostradama
Nostradama
9. 'Le Jour n'Apparait'
Orodruin
Orodruin
10. 'Unspeakable Truth'
September 12
September 12
11. 'Keine Arme, Keine Schokolade'
Voodoo Shock
Voodoo Shock
12. 'Cordial Vicinity'
While Heaven Wept
13. 'The Drowning Years'
Approx. 80 minutes
While Heaven Wept
13. 'The Drowning Years'
Approx. 80 minutes
| Dreams of What Could Have Been (CD) | 2004 | psycheDOOMelic |
Ordinarily my taste tends towards the Hellhound label/Maryland old school for which this label is justifiably well known. Frankly, a lot of the more extreme sludge leaves me unimpressed, if not irritated. I mean, call me a wuss or whatever, but I get enough of those screaming vocals pretty quickly, and at the end of the day a lot of the songs start sounding the same. So imagine my surprise when, after several listens, the bands on this comp started growing on me like bad on evil. Yes, this is heavy sludge at its bleakest, dark doom without compromise. Yet every single one of these bands has something strong to recommend them, and they sound as different from each other as any bands artificially lumped together are likely to, shredding vocals notwithstanding. But don't expect muscle cars and beer, 'cause they don't play that.
Soulpreacher starts things off with the surprisingly melodic, spacey 'Remember the end' that slowly builds into a crushing sludge/doom monster, with a mixture of clean and shredding vocals singing of depression and mental illness. Fistula's guitar tone and song arrangements seem more stoner than sludge at times, though the treated, screaming vocals will chill your right down. Grief's brutal sludge/ doom is full of energy, and is it just me or do they have a scary good drummer? Thee Plague of Gentlemen is the only band on here with members I know personally, and it's hard to believe that such nice (not to mention wickedly funny) guys could produce this neck-breaking, tempo-changing doom, but I've seen them do it live and its all for real. Whew! New York music veterans Negative Reaction come through with their bludgeoning, super-downtuned space doom; UK newcomers Ramesses bring it with their noisy, infectious, sludgy riffs (coming along nicely, gentlemen!) and Moss strips the hopeless sludge back to its sledgehammer, distorted basics, just to make sure we're left with the proper feeling of despair.
As their discography demonstrates, psycheDOOMelic is a label with the highest standards. So really, I'm not surprised that they could take a series of groups about which I generally know little and make a worthwhile compilation out of 'em. As with all comps, the value is in hearing new groups among the bands you've heard before. A comp's Achilles heel is the lack of continuity, but in this case I'm happy enough to be hearing the new stuff that it's really not an issue. So salute the spirits of Winter, Autopsy and Hellhammer by picking up 'Dreams...' There's something new, crushing, and depressing for everyone on this. And with a running time of 79 minutes, this disc is a stone bargain in quantity, if nothing else.
Soulpreacher
1. 'Remember the end'
2. 'Whore'
Fistula
3. 'Crocodile Princess'
4. 'Drug Smuggler'
Grief
5. 'Ostrich'
6. 'Bored'
Thee Plague of Gentlemen
7. 'Your love is king (of the dead) Part 2 & 3'
Negative Reaction
8. 'Nod'
Ramesses
9. 'Black Domina'
Moss
10. 'Beyond Despair'
Approx. 79 minutes
| Dutch Doom Day 2002 (Live CD) | 2002 | No Label |
The evening was a huge success, with even people from foreign countries coming to see the featured bands play. The bands that played that night where: Pantheist (funeral doom), Officium Triste (death/doom), Whispering Forest (Gothic/Doom), Jack Frost (gloom rock), Antimatter (emotional rock) and Thee Plague of Gentlemen (Trad. Doom). A special surprise for everyone was the fact that Officium Triste also took to the stage with Duncan (ex-Anathema and now Antimatter) and Danny (Anathema) to perform the Anathema classic 'Sleepless'.
Officium Triste's guitar player recorded the entire night and now brought a compilation of songs out on CDr. This means that this release hovers in-between bootleg and official release I guess. No official print will be made of it and it's meant to be something for the people who visited the event or otherwise are interested in hearing these bands play live.
The sound quality is surprisingly high. I will admit I did not expect this at all. It's not some bootlegs where you hear the audience more than the music or the volume of the music keeps shifting. The entire recording perfectly captures the live atmosphere also. Making it a true testament to the events that took place.
Every band is featured with two songs, except of course the song Officium Triste did with both guys from Anathema/Antimatter. The order in which the bands appeared has also been kept intact and you do not have any strange breaks in-between the different bands. The music and songs sound just like this was exactly the order in which they where performed. As if each band stood ready to immediately start playing after the previous one (something which for sure not did not happen, esp. Thee Plague of Gentlemen took about half an hour to sound check if I remember correctly!).
Overall this is a great compilation to listen to if you visited the gig and it can be ordered for just 5 Euro from Pim (send an e-mail to: info@officiumtriste.com). I for sure enjoyed it a lot and it gave me some fond memories back to that doom filled evening. Hopefully the next Dutch Doom Day (already being planned) will be even more successful!
Pantheist
1. 'Lust'
2. 'Envy us'
Officium Triste
3. 'Pathway of Broken Glass'
4. 'Fading like a dying Candle'
Whispering Forrest
5. 'Dead inside'
6. '999'
Jack Frost
7. 'Some you'
8. 'Mother Mary sleeps with me'
Officium Triste with Duncan & Danny
9. 'Sleepless'
Antimatter
10. 'Alternative 4'
11. 'Saviour'
Thee Plague of Gentlemen
12. 'Motown Misfortune'
13. 'The Ocean has no size'
Approx. 67 minutes
| Firebox Sampler Vol. 1 (CD) | 2004 | Firebox Records |
The first three songs of the sampler start off with devastating, fast outbursts of brutal death metal. Firebox' own Scent of Flesh teaches us the Art of Beheading, De Lirium Order show us the ways of a Morbid Mind, while Aborted explore as usual familiar Carcass territory. All three tracks are brutal, super tight and enjoy an impeccable production.
A first change of style is observed with the fourth track of the Finnish band Withering. Their melodic dark/death metal brings bands like early Paradise Lost and Septic Flesh to mind. Numen play again something completely different, an indefinable mix of folk and black metal. Gloria Morti represent once again brutal death metal tightness, although weird keyboard atmospherics and guitar harmonies half way through the track, add a surprising twist.
Next on the bill are Alghazanth, who are given the chance to display their own particular point of view on the subject of melodic black metal. Skyforger from their side, propose a strange mix of folk, power and black metal. Somewhat cheesy, but it works well. Obscene Eulogy with their unpronounceable song title (sounds Finnish to me) have a darker, more aggressive approach.
From now on we enter more familiar doomy territory. The Eternal are represented with 'Down' from their successful gothic doom debut 'The Sombre Light of Isolation': well-produced, catchy and (dare I say?) poppy material. Miseria is another folk metal exponent and their energetic rhythms can't help but bring images of dancing gnomes to my mind (although the nasal vocalist spoils the fun a bit). Aarni offer something completely different with their avantgarde doom, and this demo edit version of 'Squaring the Circle' is perhaps one of the most intriguing and interesting tracks on this compilation.
There is no doubt that 'Reason' is Officium Triste's best album to date and 'The Silent Witness' gives an excellent idea of what to expect of this album: slow, extremely melancholic and well-produced doom in the vein of the Peaceville 3 and Shape of despair. Last but no least, the versions of the My Shameful and Umbra Nihil tracks might be unfinished, but give already an excellent preview of what to expect of the upcoming albums of these bands. It seems that both have further improved their style and judging from the first samples, no fans will be disappointed.
This sampler doesn't give at all the idea to be there solely for promotional purposes. Rather, it seems to reflect the musical taste of Firebox' mastermind Rami. Its varied content will probably appeal to a certain extent to most fans of extreme metal and the fact that this samples comes completely for free, should be applauded.
Scent of Flesh
1. 'The Art of Beheading'
De Lirium Order
2. 'Masterpiece of a Morbid Mind'
Aborted
De Lirium Order
2. 'Masterpiece of a Morbid Mind'
Aborted
3. 'Parasitic Flesh'
Withering
Withering
4, 'Reborn'
Numen
Numen
5. 'Negu'
Gloria Morti
Gloria Morti
6. 'The Ennightenment'
Alghazanth
7. 'Drakomorphos'
Skyforger
Alghazanth
7. 'Drakomorphos'
Skyforger
8. 'When using rides'
Obscene Eulogy
9. 'Jursikaa Kyrpaa!'
The Eternal
Obscene Eulogy
9. 'Jursikaa Kyrpaa!'
The Eternal
10. 'Down'
Miseria
Miseria
11. 'Whispering'
Aarni
Aarni
12. 'Squaring The Circle'
Officium Triste
Officium Triste
13. 'The Silent Witness'
My Shameful
My Shameful
14. '...of Dust'
Umbra Nihil
Umbra Nihil
15. 'Fear of the Void'
Approx. 71 minutes
Approx. 71 minutes
| Greg Holtsclaw's Songs of the Dead II : Idle Hands (CD) | 2000 | And Here My Troubles Began... |
The main theme here is horror movies and all the tracks have something to do with that, with the exception of The Ultimate Warriors. As Greg Holtsclaw writes in the inlay: "any comp I ever do will feature a song from them, just to destroy the theme of the comp." I would also claim that two really annoying bands don't really fit in with the horror movie scenario, The Keyboard Masters and John Wiese. The first band is basically a parody on DJ's, and while I do get the joke, the music doesn't fit in. It's so (purposefully?) bad that I have to skip it every time. The John Wiese track also gets skipped as quickly as I can get my hands on the remote control. It's totally misplaced random noise that's played far louder than the rest of the songs. Thus, if you've got your volume up to get a good listen to the other tracks, you'll risk ruining your speakers when this comes on.
There are, however, some very recommendable tracks here. The 29th track, which is by Sloth, is the very reason that I'm reviewing this, but I'll get back to them later. The previously mentioned The Ultimate Warriors have a short but really catchy live punk/core track. Your mind will be playing "I've been fighting, fighting the world" for a long while afterwards. The third band is Racebannon and their track is my personal favourite on this compilation. 'The Rocketship Exploded' is a space-horror influenced core/conga line mixture with a totally insane yelling and mumbling. It's the weirdest track I've heard in a long time, but it also hits all the right spots of rabid madness. Awesome!
The whole compilation mostly contains different kinds of core, punk, noise and crust. Thus, while this is not a sludge/doom compilation, Sloth still fits the bill. Their track seem to be about O.J. Simpson. At least that's how I interpret the lyrics: "OJ did it, so can I, so can I! And I will laugh, and I will laugh!". It's not really about a horror movie, but it's still somewhat horror related in the way that it sort of reminds one of a Friday the 13th movie. Or, maybe that's just me and this has got nothing to do with horror at all. At least it's a quite funny sludgecore track in their classic humping way.
There isn't much here that can be claimed to be even close to doom metal and thus this is not anything I'd recommend to someone looking for doom metal. The whole reason this was reviewed was because it's part of the Sloth discography. However, if you are looking for silly core stuff then I'd reccomend that you take a listen to the three tracks I've mentioned as my favourites. They truly highlight an otherwise dull compilation.
Forcefedglass:
1. 'Fifteen Mintues To Fairvale'
The Sutek Conspiracy
2. 'Real People'
Devola
3. 'Song About People Who Should Disappear'
Spirit of Versailles
4. 'The Exorcism of Moon River'
Usurp Synapse
5. 'Brundle Fly'
I, Robot
6. 'Etcetera'
Curb
7. 'E.G.S.H.N.A.T.S.'
Illithed
8. 'Big Top Evil'
Last Remaining Pinnacle
9. 'Untitled'
The Ultimate Warriors
10. 'Untitled'
To Dream of Autumn
11. 'Tribute'
Suicide Note
12. 'Horror Theme Song'
Rep Seki
13. 'That's What I Call Jujitsu'
Leval Blessing
14. 'Refiners Fire'
Curb
15. '37th Triangle'
The Pervatrons
16. 'Untitled'
I, Robot
17. 'Now I Owe You A Favor'
Locust
18. 'Keep Off the Tracks'
Facade Burned Black
19. 'Forty One'
The Keyboard Masters
20. 'This Is Mhy Left Foot...'
Devola
21. 'Urethrea Infection'
Dead Letter Auction
22. 'Housebroken'
Lick Golden sky
23. 'Snufffilmfuckstar'
Rune
24. 'The End In The Beginning'
Devola
25. 'Six Count'
Stellina
26. 'The 20th Winter'
Racebannon
27. 'The Rocketship Exploded'
John Wiese
28. 'Batman Dracula'
Sloth
29. 'How To Get Away With Murder In A P.C. Society'
Approx. 67 minutes
| Heaviosity (CD) | 2005 | Gallipoli |
For me the most impressive band on the CD is the first one out, Obiat. It's a really awesome 11 minute-long, heavy stoner/doom track. At least, I'd call it a sure-fire headbanger. The deep bass also means that you should have decent speakers to get its full effect. It is also the only track on the compilation with an epic sound to it. Core Of The Earth should also be mentioned alongside Obiat as they stand out from the crowd and both bands have a similar feeling.
The rest of the bands vary between presenting relaxed and grooving tracks. Only a few of them can be considered as really heavy in my eyes. There are other people who say that heaviness comes solely from the riff structure. They might view these bands differently than I do and when reading this review that should be taken into account.
I think that generally this compilation would appeal more to fans of stoner rock that fancy the groove rather than the heaviness. Hence I feel the name of the CD is a bit misleading. The name aside, we're still looking at high quality music. The colorful and slightly psychedelic artwork is also quite fitting. The compilation might not be what all stoner/doom fans are looking for, but there is definitely no harm in checking this one out.
Obiat
1. 'Stare The Distance'
Drift
Drift
2. 'Brushhogg'
Iron Hearse
Iron Hearse
3. 'Temples Of The Gods'
Sada
Sada
4. 'On'
Core Of The Earth
5. 'Ripshine'
Palace In Thunderland
6. 'Sonic Throne'
Suns Of Thunder
Core Of The Earth
5. 'Ripshine'
Palace In Thunderland
6. 'Sonic Throne'
Suns Of Thunder
7. 'Last Of The High Rollers'
Ditchliqour
8. 'Megalomotherfucker'
Agnosis
Ditchliqour
8. 'Megalomotherfucker'
Agnosis
9. 'A Kick In The Ribs While You're Down'
Outburst
Outburst
10. 'Orange Alert'
Centrifuge
Centrifuge
11. 'Disbelief'
Color Of Darkness
12. 'Break Me Down'
Anti Climax
Color Of Darkness
12. 'Break Me Down'
Anti Climax
13. 'Earn Your Spurs'
Whores Of Tijuana
14. 'Trip Manhattan'
Salt Of The Earth
Whores Of Tijuana
14. 'Trip Manhattan'
Salt Of The Earth
15. 'The Purity Of Oblivion'
Mothertrucker
Mothertrucker
16. 'Waxing The Shaft'
Approx. 79 minutes
Approx. 79 minutes
| In Search of Weird Truth (Tape) | 2001 | Weird Truth |
I must admit that I wasn't very enthousiastic about the way this tape kicks off. Primitive grind tracks with irritating screamy vox and the unavoidable B-movie sample (Bloody Gore) are not really my thing and my ears started to beg for something different. That came with the excellent thrashy doomcore of Apocalyptic Raids, a band which revives the spirit of good old Hellhammer influenced, hateful metal. Gnome is an unique entity -and the living proof that Japanese metal can sound quite weird to European ears sometimes. Imagine an atmospheric mix of oriental keyboards, heavy guitar riffs and a vocalist which sounds like the son of an unholy marriage between Dani Filth and Marge Simpson. At first sight quite weird, but fortunately the combination works quite well once you get used to those vocals. Definitely something to check out!
After the old-school brutal death metal assault of Serenade, we are treated to one of the highlights of this album. Mourning Shadow is a project of Makoto (main man behind Weird Truth Productions) which immerses itself in the dark realms of slow, nihilistic doom. A chanting introduction flows into painstakingly slow, heavy riffs with the recognizable clean guitar in the background in the tradition of the mighty 'd'. A deep, relentless grunt implements the whole. I'm looking forward to hear more material of this band!
Side B kicks in dynamic with two brutal death metal assaults (Voracious Gangrene and Beast Petrify). To my big surprise, the following band (7th Moon) plays modern metal with a gothic touch. Both female and male vocals, staccato guitars and a quite 'mainstream' general sound, makes this band stand out in the compilation. Not bad at all, I may add. Nyarlathotep (be careful, this is a Japanese band and another project of Makoto, this is not the US avantgarde ultradoom band with the same name) steals the show with its avantgardish death metal. Imagine the faster parts of diSEMBOWELMENT with jazzy drums and maybe you'll get the picture. Excellent stuff.
Just like in every good compilation, the best has been saved for last. And what a last track this is! Worship takes us to a longer than ten minute journey in the company of some of the most suicidal and mournful music ever created. Their emotional funeral doom has a certain quality, a 'charisma' which attacks the attention of the listener through each second of it. The dry, expressive grunt of Fucked Up Mad Max is unequalled in its ability to capture the essence of madness and misery. After his tragic death, I can only add that he shall be missed.
If you are into extreme underground metal, don't hesitate to visit the site of Weird Truth Productions at http://weirdtruth.jp/ where you can order this compilation. However, don't hesitate to take a look at the other releases of this excellent underground label as well, because they are really worth the attention of a demanding doomster!
Side A
Bloody Gore
1. 'Provoking horror'
Bloody Gore
2. 'Fields of the dead bodies'
Apocalyptic Raids
3. 'tyrant/emperor'
Gnome
4. 'Oriental flower'
Serenade
5. 'Plague of time'
Mourning Shadow
6. 'Mourning shadow'
Side B
Voracious Gangrene
7. 'Kill to possess'
Beast Petrify
8. 'Petriferous betrayal'
7th Moon
9. 'I'm the king again'
Nyarlathotep
10. 'Lost effigy (remixed)'
Worship
11. 'Solicide and the dawning of the Moonkult'
Approx. 58 minutes
| Listen Without Distraction/A Tribute to Kyuss (CD) | 2004 | Dias De Garage Records |
So it was all the more surprising when I read about 'Listen without Distraction' coming out, only to realize that nobody's ever done a Kyuss tribute before. Almost 10 years on, and never a tribute? It should have been done years ago, but maybe everyone felt a bit daunted by the idea. After all, can you imagine doing better versions of 'Demon Cleaner' or 'Gardenia' than the masters themselves did back in the 90s? I can't either, but I'm glad that Hugo at Dias de Garage had the balls to do it anyway. The funny thing is, knowing what little I do about the Kyuss boys, they'd probably be the last ones to view the group's output as a sacred cow, enshrined forever in the Halls of Heaviness. I imagine that they're as interested in hearing these interpretations as the rest of us.
Like any compilation, 'Listen without Distraction' is hit and miss. More hit than miss, definitely, but at least everyone gives their all, and whether the version is faithful to the original or not, there is always respect. My personal faves are Cygnus' 'Thumb,' Buffalo's 'Odyssey,' and Sunferno's 'Gardenia.' All are pretty faithful versions, although the last one has an organ to give the song a cool europrog sound. That's how it is on this sampler: even the covers that follow the originals most closely have their own twist, and some have a good deal more than that. Your three favourite cuts will undoubtedly be different than mine, which is cool. That's probably the way it should be.
It's odd that it took a record label from the "bottom of the world" in Argentina to come up with this compilation of South American artists covering Kyuss songs. Props to them, sez I. The label already has two excellent releases under their belt (Dragonauta and Buffalo), so why not take the bull by the horns for their third release? After all, it's good enough for Scott Reeder (just read the liner notes), so it's got to be good enough for you and me, right? The real value in this is that hopefully it will encourage other, more prominent labels in other parts of the world to do the same thing. How about a doom compilation of Kyuss tracks? It's all good, but in the end the best thing about it is that it inspires me to go back to my collection to listen to the originals again.
Cygnus
1. 'Thumb'
Avernal
Avernal
2. 'Green Machine'
Melissa
Melissa
3. 'One Inch Man'
Sandero Luminoso
4. 'Love has Passed Me By'
Taura
Sandero Luminoso
4. 'Love has Passed Me By'
Taura
5. 'Writhe'
Los Natas
Los Natas
6. 'Allen's Wrench'
Buffalo
Buffalo
7. 'Odyssey'
Cruzdiablo
Cruzdiablo
8. '100 degrees/Whitewater'
Superextra
Superextra
9. 'Space Cadet'
Sauron
Sauron
10. 'Phototropic'
Sick Porky
Sick Porky
11. 'Demon Cleaner'
Sereen
Sereen
12. 'Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop'
Sunferno
Sunferno
13. 'Gardenia'
Poseidotica
Poseidotica
14. 'Asteroid'
Regular Xon
Regular Xon
15. 'El Rodeo'
Gallo de Dina
16. 'Spaceship Landing'
Approx. 74 minutes
Gallo de Dina
16. 'Spaceship Landing'
Approx. 74 minutes
| Nativity in Black - A tribute to Black Sabbath (CD) | 1994 | Columbia |
The album starts out with Biohazard covering 'After Forever' and I must say, although I don't like Biohazard at all, they have a refreshing view and this is one of the few songs I do like. White Zombie is next and simply butcher 'Children of the Grave'. Of course I believe that this song is holy and it can not be tampered with by anybody, so I am biased. Megadeth cover 'Paranoid' in a slightly enteraining way but not to a level that it impresses me. 1,000 Homo Dj's (with Al Jourgensen of Ministry) with 'Supernaut': I'm not even going to waste any words on this (kiddies might pick up on a few too many swear words here). Ozzy and Therapy? cover 'Iron Man' and of course nothing bad about Ozzy but this cover is only half a cover because of him and as such not that interesting.
I am skipping Corrosion of Conformity (Lord of this World), Sepultura (Symptom of the Universe), Ugly Kid Joe (N.I.B.) and Bullring Brummies (The Wizard). All right covers but they don't add anything valuable to the songs. Bruce Dickinson with Godspeed covering 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is worth it, because (or should that be only?) of Bruce singing Sabbath. The man has a brilliant voice so that is always a pleasure to hear.
Now who allowed Faith No More with 'War Pigs' (live version) on this album? I have nothing against this band but they seem to compete with 1,000 Home Dj's for the cup for worst and least respectful cover ever. Type O Negative is allowed to close the album with 'Black Sabbath' and just when I had given up hope surprise me with a very interesting cover. They don't mindlessly play the song like Black Sabbath and also don't destroy the song as such creating a very dark and haunting version. So I guess I'll forgive them for calling Black Sabbath a goth band in the booklet.
The best however is saved for last. Cathedral with 'Solitude' is the real closer of this album in the shape of a bonus track. Perhaps they don't add too much to the song but it's well done and it still baffles me why a cover of a band like Cathedral was only put on as a bonus track.
Biohazard
1. 'After Forever'
White Zombie
2. 'Childeren of the Grave'
Megadeth
3. 'Paranoid'
1,000 Homo DJ's
4. 'Supernaut'
Ozzy w/Therapy?
5. 'Iron Man'
Corrosion of Conformity
6. 'Lord of this World'
Sepultura
7. 'Symptom of the Universe'
Bullring Brummies
8. 'The Wizard'
Bruce Dickingson w/Godspeed
9. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'
Ugly Kid Joe
10. 'N.I.B.'
Faith no More
11. 'War Pigs' (live)
Type o Negative
12. 'Black Sabbath'
Cathedral
13. 'Solitude' *
* Bonus track
Approx. 72 minutes
| Scene Killer (CD) | 2001 | MeteorCity |
There are additional contributions by members of Iron Man, Giant Sloth, and Eternal Elysium. Over two years in the making, this is pretty much a stoner must-have for 2001. Extensive diary notes from Mr. Hogan outline the progress of this on-again, off-again project in detail, and are an interesting read in themselves.
So how does it sound? The answer is heavy, psychedelic, heavy, bluesy, heavy, distorted, and stoned out. Do I hear a Hell Yeah? You probably had the same feeling of anticipation that I did when you found out who was on this, and it does not disappoint. You can hear bits and pieces of the musicians' main bands: a bit of Core here, Solace there, and above all Solarized. The feeling is looser than the CDs of these bands might lead you to expect. Although some of the songs on "Scene Killer" are quite well developed, more of them have a loose jamming feel, like a drunk brontosaurus stomping buildings in your home town, his mug pasted with a shit-eating grin. Anyone into the northeast US stoner scene will want this essential document!
1. Intro
2. Island Zero
3. Pit of the Soul
4. You Know
5. Aurora
6. Interlude
7. Back of My Mind
8. Midnight Snack
9. Psychic Down
10. Wasteland
11. Found
12. Buckshot
13. As You Look
Approx. 62 minutes
| Step On A Crack (Volume Two) (CD/LP) | 1995 | Sound Views 'Zine/Go-Kart |
This (almost) all girl sludge/doom band was active in the early 90's and has influenced a lot of the modern sludge/doom scene. Sadly, they didn't release a lot of tracks. Only a total of 11 was ever released; three of them are only found on various artist records. 'Witch' is one of those tracks.
The track is three and a half minute long and is very typical of the filth that these ladies are capable of. As usual, they are occupied with women's rights and their social position. And of course they snarl exactly what they think about it.
The compilation also contains a rather pleasant surprise in the form of IAbhorHer. They mix grindcore and doom into an aggressive, heavy, violent and otherwise worthwhile track. They also produced a 7" called 'Crowskin' in 1994, but that's all.
The Wives:
1. Schpilk
Deadguy:
2. Pins And Needles
Electric Frankenstein:
3. Teenage Shutdown
The Templars:
4. New York
IAbhorHer:
5. Processed Bliss
Sweet Diesel:
6. Nope
Mind Over Matter:
7. Self Fulfilling Prophecy
The Hot Corn Girls:
8. Tourettes
Die 116:
9. ChristmasLand
The Wretched Ones:
10. Old Songs
Holeshot:
11. Tag You're It!
Murphy's Law:
12. Fucked Up
Neglect:
13. Living To Die
Vicious Beatniks:
14. Joan Of Arc
13:
15. Witch
The Devil Dogs:
16. Radiobeat
Hell No:
17. Wiseacre
Iron Prostate:
18. Cleavage To Beaver
Garden Variety:
19. Push
20. (Bonus Track)
Approx. 69 minutes
| Sucking The 70s - Back In The Saddle (2CD) | 2005 | Small Stone |
The only really bad thing about 'Back in the Saddle' is that it's been four long years since its ground breaking older brother, 'Sucking the 70s' came out. Hell, I could easily see one of these volumes coming out every year, never mind the work involved. Other than that, it's all a matter of taste, and as long as you're in the groove, you'll find something to love on this new one. There's tons of variety. First off are the most outstanding tunes, firsts among equals. There's a big handful, including Colour Haze's take on 'One Way or Another' (NOT Blondie, but Cactus), Acid King's psychedelic doomed-out version of Steve Miller's 'The Stake,' which to the unschooled could easily seem like an original composition, Novadriver's 'Sin City,' which sounds as bratty as Robin Zander wearing 80s Angus Young horns and painting graffiti on an nunnery, not to mention Throttlerod's whip crack cover of Willie Dixon's 'I Just Wanna Make Love to You,' as first interpreted by Foghat. Which btw was their best song, 'Slow Ride' notwithstanding (RIP Lonesome Dave). And let's not forget Roadsaw's awe-inspiring version of Zep's 'When the Levee Breaks,' which achieves the near-impossible feat of besting the original, mainly because Robert Plant is so annoying. In my opinion, of course.
Yes, this album is about re-interpreting and re-defining, not simply covering. The vast majority of these groups - which are mostly (but not exclusively) SmallStone artists - succeed beyond anyone's expectations. Sure, there are some clunkers. Los Natas, a group whose output I have collected assiduously and enjoyed thoroughly since the late 90s, stumbles on their curiously wooden 'Born to Be Wild.' There are some songs - 'Dreamweaver' and 'Honky Cat' come to mind - which I could cheerfully never hear again. However, given Valis' and Halfway to Gone's reinterpretations of these FM staples, I can at least say that I can tolerate these songs for the first time in many years. Sadly, Whitey Morgan and the Waycross Georgia Farmboys' novelty country take on 'Running with the Devil' doesn't do anything for one of the few Van Halen songs I can actually stand.
Part of the fun of this compilation is getting to hear new work from old friends thought long defunct. This collection boats tuneage from Halfway to Gone, Roadsaw, and Red Giant. Rumors and facts surrounding these groups' dissolution have been floating around for quite some time, so it's good to see 'em back with some recent material.
Granted, this is not the ground breaker that the first one was, back in '02. How could it be? But as a document in a continuing series showcasing superior musician's re-working and re-interpretation of classic heavy 70s grooves, it makes perfect sense. How about a comp. of takes on late 70s punk? Orange Goblin shows us the way on 'Back to the Saddle'; with their great cover of The Damned's 'New Rose.' Or maybe a prog collection? There are endless fields of heaviness yet to be mined. One more thing: harvesting all this talent was no mean feat, and we owe big ups to the label for taking the time to do such a splendid job. Cheers!
Disc 1:
Sasquatch
Sasquatch
1. 'Are You Ready?'
Puny Human
Puny Human
2. 'Crazy Horses'
Clutch & Five Horse Johnson
Clutch & Five Horse Johnson
3. 'Red Hot Mama'
Dixie Witch
Dixie Witch
4. 'Rock Candy'
The Brought Low
The Brought Low
5. 'Don't Lie to Me'
Novadriver
Novadriver
6. 'Sin City'
Colour Haze
Colour Haze
7. 'One Way or Another'
Alabama Thunderpussy
8. 'Man on the Silver Mountain'
Dozer
Alabama Thunderpussy
8. 'Man on the Silver Mountain'
Dozer
9. 'Mongoloid'
Acid King
Acid King
10. 'The Stake'
Halfway to Gone
11. 'Honky Cat'
Antler
Halfway to Gone
11. 'Honky Cat'
Antler
12. 'Those Shoes'
Brad Davis (Fu Manchu)
Brad Davis (Fu Manchu)
13. 'Outlaw Man'
Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned
Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned
14. 'Season of the Witch'
Whitey Morgan and the Waycross Georgia Farmboys
Whitey Morgan and the Waycross Georgia Farmboys
15. 'Running with the Devil'
Disc 2:
Throttlerod
1. 'I Just Wanna Make Love to You'
Red Giant
Red Giant
2. 'Saturday Night Special'
A Thousand Knives of Fire
A Thousand Knives of Fire
3. 'Bonie Maronie'
The Glasspack
The Glasspack
4. 'Rock n' Roll Singer'
Roadsaw
Roadsaw
5. 'When the Levee Breaks'
Greatdayforup
Greatdayforup
6. 'Super Stupid'
Fireball Ministry
Fireball Ministry
7. 'Turn to Stone'
Los Natas
Los Natas
8. 'Born to be Wild'
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder
9. 'Two of Us'
Orange Goblin
Orange Goblin
10. 'New Rose'
Mos Generator
Mos Generator
11. 'Garden Road'
Honky
Honky
12. 'Snortin' Whiskey'
The Muggs
The Muggs
13. 'I Don't Need No Doctor'
Amplified Heat
14. 'Neighbor, Neighbor'
RPG
Amplified Heat
14. 'Neighbor, Neighbor'
RPG
15. 'Parchment Farm'
Valis
Valis
16. 'Dreamweaver'
Approx. ? minutes
Approx. ? minutes
| The Cold, The Silent (CD) | 1999 | Dragon Flight |
The tracks most Doom-metal fans will probably find interesting would be those of Skepticism 'Ever Dark Green', Novembers Doom 'Dawn Breaks' ('For every Leaf that falls' version), Ningizzia 'Beneath the Silent Moon', Shellyz Raven 'Nihlist' and Canaan 'Codex Void'. Not all of those of course being Doom-metal in the purest sense of the word (Shellyz Raven for example play Gothic-metal) but I do think these are the bands most Doom-metal fans would enjoy. This actually just leaves two, in my opinion pointless, blackish noise tracks by Krieg and Ember.
All in all this is a good compilation album for getting to know the lesser known bands of the Darkwave and Doom genre. Almost all the tracks on this compilation have a very dark and cold sound and as such this compilation really does credit to its name. I also like it that all the websites (or e-mail / snail mail) of the various bands have been printed in the booklet. However, I miss the information from which albums all these tracks came.
Nocturath
1. 'A Drive for the Approaching Season'
Dream into Dust
2. 'Somnolent'
Chants for the Fallen
3. 'Silence Cast Thy Veil'
4th Sign of the Apocalypse
4. 'Hell and Back' <;br>As All Die
5. 'The Hunger Inside'
Skepticism
6. 'Ever Dark Green'
Krieg
7. 'Slit Their Throats to the Spine'
;Ember
8. 'The Shedding'
Novembers Doom
9. 'Dawn Breaks'
Ningizzia
10. 'Beneath the Silent Moon'
Shellyz Raven
11. 'Nihilist'
Veinke
12. 'When I Fall'
Canaan
13. 'Codex Void'
Approx. 73 minutes