Here is an album that chops off your head and shits down your throat. 12 minutes of furiously paced grind. Beefy like bison, fast like cheetah, strong as ox, unrelenting like a razorback swine and about as resilient as a honey badger. This album was a pube away from making it into my top for 2011...which I will be posting tomorrow on the first day of the new year.
Exactly 366 days ago I started this blog up and I'd say I rounded up at least a couple loyal viewers.
Thank you to those who make frequent visits, banter in comments, send me recommendations, click the download links and hopefully support the shit you do like.
David Gold, driving force and mind of Wood of Ypres passed away last night (December 22) in a car accident hours away from where I am typing this shit-hole out (Barrie, Ontario). Not the best text message to wake up to in the morning, hearing about it from a close friend.
I had discussed having an interview with Mr. Gold only about a week ago, and I was eerily listening to The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues while out for a run the day he passed away. I remember thinking to myself 'Hey you know what, the fuck is wrong with me? I haven't yet posted this brilliant album on my blog for the Severed Head legion scum to check out, I'll do that later tonight'. Though I never got around to it, because I was watching Game of Thrones instead like a true fucking dicksmith.
If I was a believer in anything, I would say a part of me knew this was coming. But let's be real here, I didn't. The world just decided to swallow a more undeserving humanoid than those bile human beings who shove glass vases up their asses until bloody rectum ensues.
This dude was a passionate and patriotic Canadian with a genuine passion for all things music, if someone ever made me stop and think "Living in the Northern Cold does kind of fucking rule!", it was this man. I do recall having a conversation with him one night while he was in Kuwait about a local beer we both loved by the name of 'Steam Whistle', I was joking about doing a 'Steam Whistle' Woods of Ypres t-shirt design. Fuck.
Here it is, oozing in patriotic glory, The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues. If you don't like it, I don't even want to hear about it. Better yet, never come back around these here parts, your kind isn't welcome here.
Oh right fuck, I have a blog I should post on. We have been over this whole charade before many a time. I host no feeling of obligation in explaining why I have been absent simply because fuck you. Ok no, come back, I love you.
I believe music blogs are best when they are updated on the daily with interesting and exciting shit for loyal readers to steal from. I want to be this, but being this isn't entirely feasible all the time. Try as I may, try as I might.
Upcoming will be my top albums of 2011, and some interviews with some dudes.
Stay tuned.
Seriously, I go out of my way to hate music like this. Why? Because, it's popular and a large group of fedora wearing dicksmiths who have every intention to remain ironic and against the grain as they possibly can will sit here and try to tell you how it defines music. but the reality of it is, I am no better than any of them, I really just need people to hate, and hate I will do.
Moving on. This album is pretty tits though. No music defining here, just some groovy ass tunes that kind of make me want to grow a beard, throw on a flannel, fill a flask with gin, and go fishing. Nothing at all wrong with that. If you need bleaker.
Jeff: Me. 12cm!
Xavier: But he has the smallest cock of the band.
Jeff: How do you know that?
3) You guys are not listed in the Metal Archives, let's fix that. Shall we? I will even write the first review.
We've just submitted the band on Metal Archives, but it can't be approved because we have no physical release yet.
4) Which five albums out in 2011 will be on The Great Old Ones top 2011 list?
Jeff: Ulcerate - Destroyers of All
Ben: Wolves in the throne room - Celestial Lineage
Sebastien: Altar of Plagues - Mammal
Xavier: Deafhevean - Roads to Judah
Léo: Rihana - Talk That Talk!
5) Be honest, have you ever found anything you enjoyed listening to on this blog? If so, what:
Xavier: We already know some bands you talk about on your blog, but I really enjoyed listening to Italy's The Secret! Great discover, just saw that they signed on Southern Lord.
6) Does anyone in the band have any cool H.P. Lovecraft inspired tattoos?
Ben: Nope. Jeff is the only band member who has tatoos, but we really can't show you a picture without hurting your psychological health...
7) Black Sabbath or Dio?
Black Sabbath! No discussion.
8) Which three bands influence the sound of The Great Old Ones the most?
Wolves in the throne room, Year of no Light, Neurosis
9) Are there any upcoming international tours planned for The Great Old Ones anytime soon?
We really want to tour in Europe in 2012, but we have nothing planned yet. We're actively searching.
10) What are the winters like in Bordeaux, France?
Sebastien: Snowy and foggy. with wolves everywhere!
Ben: Rainy. But that leaves us time to compose new material and rehearse for live shows.
11) When is the debut album set for release, and where can we who still purchase CD's buy it?
April for CD's and digital, June/July for the LP. It will be released by Antithetic Records (US) and LADLO Productions (FR)
12) You guys have been in the studio recently, you must have an interesting story to share?
Ben: Well, Jeff recorded his guitar first because he went on tour just after his session with his other band, Tormenta. When Xavier and I recorded our guitars, we realized that Jeff recorded a part of a song with the wrong tonality! But finally, this error brings a lot to the whole ambiance of the track. (So we are keeping it.)
13) I can't stop imagining how incredible it would be if the French rugby player Sébastien Chabal did guest vocals on the debut album. Do you think his growls would be superior to Jeff's or Benjamin's?
Jeff: Chabal is a pussy...
Sebastien: A pussy with a beard...
Xavier: A beard bigger than Jeff's one...
Ben: I think he must do guest vocals on a Cannibal Corpse album
14) Will The Great Old Ones give Severed Heads Open Minds an early preview of whats to come on your debut?
It will be dark, heavy, hovering and oneiric, that's all we can say.
15) Fuck, that's vague, how about some early artwork previews?
We're working on artworks at the same time we answer theses questions! Jeff made great paintings for that and he need to finish some work. When we will have a release date for the album, we will show you some arts. (You can see his work here: Jeff Grimal Art)
Al-Namrood, meaning "The non-believer", is a black metal act from Saudi Arabia that stomps on your fucking skull. The patented cold & frostbitten harshness found in Scandinavian black metal is ever so not present. Instead, an atmosphere as searing hot and unforgiving as the lands in which these lads are from. Desert black metal.
I'm going to go ahead and include the outro.
Grab if you like: Melechesh, Blood of Kingu, Behemoth
Ed Gein's Car, brilliant. Releasing their LP in 1984, the same year notorious serial killer Ed Gein died of cancer. Within weeks Ed Gein's Car were kicked out and banned from every single bar they played at in the outskirts of New York so they moved to New York City to infect the 'Big Apple' with their witty hardcore/punk assault. They were regulars and a favorite at legendary CBGB's. If it's good enough for CBGB's, it should be good enough for you, fucker.
Grab if you like: Misfits, Iron Prostate, Bad Religion
Okay, so here we have your standard album cover...you know the type, black & white with a brutalized baby face that looks like it was born with a pipe bomb in it's skull. It's a rare condition...that happens to no one.
Do not fucking watch this if you are not at least a little bit desensitized and or depraved. It's basically a one minute snuff flick. I only post this because I got a laugh out of the bands Facebook status "ULTRA//NEGATIVE MUSIC VIDEO. Watch before it's banned by youtube" (I watched it, pussy)
Holy fuck. Through The cervix of Hawqah is fucking it man. I know I already jumped the gun early in the year by calling Mitochondrion's Parasignosis album of the year, but I can at least assure that both of these will at least make it on my top 5 for 2011.
After hearing their EP Revelations in Excrement I was expecting great things from Antediluvian.
They took those expectations of mine and beat me over the cerebrum for a solid 36 minutes.
Ben sharp is Cloudkicker. Together they rule. Here are two new Cloudkicker releases that deviate away from the signature Cloudkicker sound. If I'm being honest, I probably wouldn't pay much heed to these albums if they were not created under the Cloudkicker banner.
I respect Ben Sharp as a musician and appreciate all his latter efforts, so I'm giving these both a fair chance. Mainly post-rock in it's sound with very little to do with metal. I need to listen more. I have no doubt these will probably grow on me.
Yep, once again Blasphemophagher offers your ear holes an unholy onslaught, chalked with bible spitting and altar vomiting. I have listened to this album all day today, those Jehovah Witness's are lucky they didn't knock on my door because I would of dick punched the bullshit out of them.
Over the next couple of weeks I am going to be doing interviews with some gnarly bands! Some that have new material on the way and some that have already released new material, but all of them rule. Follow the fuck out of this blog from now on, set as homepage, show it to your grandmother and most importantly spread the word, or else a nun will die.
Always hunting for continual participation. (contact at: chris_dalessandro@hotmail.com)
Fuck fucking yes, it is a sunny day today. A healthy dose of vitamin D is in order, and by that I mean Drudkh. Sunwheel is so warm and serene in sound, enjoy it. We should compile a list of anti-depressing songs on here, I may need them to survive the winter. Post them in comments. Or not, either way, fuck you very much my friends!
Those who do not like black metal, real black metal, would listen to this, cringe and probably ask something along the lines of 'how can anybody listen to this?'. Fuck those people and everything about those people. Here we have Paysage d'Hiver's 2000 demo that spans for 52 minutes of solid ambient black metal. The aural palette will be enveloped in a whirring, almost dizzy atmosphere created through repetitive riffing and noise.
Brace yourselves, I'm doing something that I haven't done in a little while...posting an album for you mongrels to check out. Amazing, I know. Here we have King of Asgard, with former guitarist and drummer of one of my favorite folk/viking metal bands Mithotyn. Sadly it is no Gathered Around The Oaken Table, but it does still stand on it's own two feet and remains to be enjoyable, especially in these cold dark days.
The intro is pretty in your face 'fuck you', and the rest of the video is in your face 'fuck the world'.
"Hey, lets cause ruckus and destroy like the underprivileged sacks of shit we are!" This is the message, and I don't see much wrong with it. It's not me, it's them.
Winter is upon us, time to get out the hockey skates and listen to cold atmospheric black metal. Drudkh encompasses everything I want to hear during these dark cold times. I live in the northern cold of Canada so all of what I am saying seems appropriate, but If you dwell in an area where these seasons don't affect you, then you are weak!
Grab if you like: Kroda, Wodensthrone, Black Lotus(All these are essential albums to have, enjoy the melancholy)
I'm hammering away right now trying to figure out the best way for me to run some type of music stream. The stream isn't meant to run constantly, just when I feel like hosting it. I'm pretty fucking retarded when it comes to web shit, I literally understand zero of the web languages, so if any of you know of any good ways for me to do this. Get in touch.
Winter approaches, and for some reason Finntroll's Visor Om Slutet reminds me of these dark, cold times. A self-proclaimed "acoustic/experimental" EP chalked full of trollish jaunts and rather intriguing interludes that find themselves to have a cinematic quality. It all comes together though, and when listened all the way through, it's as if you dropped 3 sheets of acid, downed a bottle of bourbon and went strolling though the forest. I can only imagine what type of creatures you would find on that particular journey, but this would be the soundtrack.
Grab if you like: Manegarm, Les Batards Du Nord, Kromlek
Somber and foreboding, heavy and groovy, folkloric in storytelling, executed to fuck. Giant Squid are doing it right, the latest effort Centoes has all the ingredients to be an album contending in my top 20 for 2011. Get this, play it over and over until it sinks in. You're welcome.
Happy Halloween scoundrels, carve a pentagram in your chest and listen to The Magus! This shit was written in 1986, but was released in 1991. Death metal with tinges of black metal and thrash and fully developed for its time. Full of grime and blasting blasphemy.
Grab if you like: Beherit, Sarcofago, Bestial Warlust
The Secret from Italy play a blend of brooding hardcore that goes straight for the throat. Add in dashes of black metal, grind and crust for a healthy serving of intensity. Punch a nun in the spleen.
Hail Satan, hail Acid Witch. Grimy guitar tones and filthy ghoulish laden vocals, rolled up into one fine release. It's catchy and chalked full of odd samples from some type of Satan worship documentary.
Perfect for this time of year, get into it.
Grab if you like: Hooded Menace,Ramesses, Shroud Eater
The riffery is a magical beast on this album of technical death metal decadence. I'm really not kidding here, the riff in the first twenty seconds of the first song is worth owning this album alone.
To me, Vintersorg have never made an album as good as Ödemarkens Son. The melody's on this album are what shine through over everything else, whether those melody's are created by the guitar, vocals or my personal favorite, the way the bass drum follows that harmony. A lot of the magic and allure of this album do come from the vocal styles though, his clean baritone vocals are captivating and powerful, and at times a female vocalist is present, delivering even more magic.
A colossal heap of Epic Heavy Metal with a nod of Doom. It sounds like the world ending. For this, I am going to let the album do the talking, I wouldn't do it justice.
Grab if you like: Ereb Altor, Battleroar, Seamount
For this post, instead of posting an album I think is full of kick assery, I am going to go back and scour the blog for old posts that may/probably have been missed by some of you. Specifically I will choose those that should have a spot on your daily spin cycle. Most of these are chalked with melancholy, perfect for autumn.
Friends of the virtual world, I have cock blocked your ears and I am sorry. I'm the shittiest dude. My spare time has all but been consumed entirely by freelance design work and Mario Kart 64. I have been doing an album design+layout for a band based out of Illinois, if they don't mind I will try to post a couple examples.
Here's the deal. I am going to do whatever I can to at least start posting an album a day, maybe even two if I'm feeling giddy.
I compiled a couple videos from the trip. I had a dick load of footage that I just made more watchable. Nothing fancy, just 4 dudes in the raddest place on earth being complete fucks.
Holy fucking fuck, I am back and spewing shit on the world wide web once again. Iceland was the tits and I will live there. I met one dude who was pretty familiar with Metal, so it was a breath of fresh air to talk to someone with similar interests for once. Everything was Bon Iver this and Sigur Ros that while there. So we had a nice long discussion about Darkthrone, can't go wrong there...except he didn't know who Fenriz was.
Champion, a band that used to be. From the gloomy city of Seattle where everything grungy, droney and sucky spawns. Promises Kept however, is the exception. This is one of my favorite hardcore albums, partly due to the nostalgia of my hardcore youth straight edge days and partly because the energy on this album is infectious...like yawning, or gonorrhea.
Instrumentally it gravitates to fast paced, melodic hardcore brimming in positivity. The structure almost seems as if it were to be tailored for live shows. After all, hardcore is all about the strength and unity within the scene, a live set is like the ultimate hangout session for these dudes. A hangout filled with stage-dives, sing-a-longs, high jumps, head walks, jumping jacks, and hardcore pride! And there isn't a fucking thing wrong with that.
This Monday, me and three friends embark on a two week trip to Iceland. Arguably the coolest place on earth. Geysers spout, waterfalls topple, fjords weave, volcanoes erupt, mountains peek, obsidian's ridge...you get the idea. This place rules.
I'll be trekking along the same lands as the vikings had during the 8th century, so a plethora of viking/folk/power metal will be accompanying me on my 32 GB iPhone. Not BjörkorSigur Rós, fuck that.
Here, a list of albums I am most stoked to listen to whilst in the land of ice.
