Parasight, Pure Sight, Parasite, You will See

Mitochondrion (Canada)

Parasignosis

January 18, 2011

Cavernous occult death metal supreme. Absolve your will to this plague from within. Drink to the blood of stone, thirst to the bile of ash, feast on the flesh of iron, and reap and ignite the impure. The tomb from which this emanates consumes with vitriolic wisdom, pure deathly spirit that curses the crescent below the cross. The spear of Satan shall strike down Saturn, and the purity will melt your lead idol. Omnivorous and omnipresent teacher for the adept of high agony to transcend parasanity. Only pure order can come of this infinite consuming of the nature of the beast, the throne of the worm, the blood and sperm of God and the hallowed parasite. The All parallels the Fall. Much like the world's favourite beverage of consuming blackness, Parasignosis is for Strength. I'm catching these diabolical alchemists live tomorrow night, and this album has been on repeat all week. Take a listen and transcend this vile earthly realm. Become one of the eleven.

I Wish to Be Alone with My God

Akercocke (UK)

Choronzon

November 4, 2003

Welcome to Satan's burlesque cabaret, hosted by none other than the Son of the Morning himself, Lucifer the Light-Bearing Fallen One. Hell's house band, Akercocke, the sharpest dressed men in death metal, will be providing tonight's soundtrack. Gentlemen and VIP only beyond this point. The blood of Christ shall be served all evening, aged over 2000 years to sinful perfection for only worthy occasions such as this. Only the finest of exotic dancers shall provide the entertainment; seduction and temptation know no bounds down here. Give in to your desires, and partake in deathly defilement. Bear witness to a head-spinning display of brutality with an un-fucking-touchable sense of class. Eternal black mass orgies shall follow as the after-party. Brutal avant-garde death metal, one of the best vocalists in the business and a subtle keen sense of progressive flair around the edges and a ruthless display of instrumental pyrotechnics. Light that cigar, this harem oasis amidst the desert of Hell awaits your presence.

Southern Sugar

Witch Mountain (USA)

South of Salem

2011

In a nutshell: Bluesy, soul-stirrin', hip-shakin', sexy swingin', southern-fried sludgy witch doom metal. This will keep that midnight oil burning strong and low all through the night. The sultry evocative vocals bring to mind Janis Joplin, and melt like hot wax over the steamy restraint of the seductive drum beats. Less is oh-so-much more with the smokey riffs made up of Black Sabbath, Goatsnake, Sleep and Electric Wizard. A hint of country twang and a heaping serving of lust-inflected blues show off the curves of this bewitching mistress of the night. An undercurrent of occult vibes blends well within this bubbly cauldron of analog spirits. Bask in this authentically vintage sound with herbal respite. Slow down and feel the mood massage its way from within, let it caress you with a warmth that craves to be shared amongst others. You don't choose to sway your being to these sensual rhythms; you just do. Burning under the sun after a hard day's work never felt so goddamn good. This comes highly recommended, read more for the stream.

It was All Very Sudden

Rituals (USA)

Rituals

March 20, 2012

Everything about this package had me drawn towards it. From the smoky ambience of the artwork's abstract depth of the flesh of ghosts, the ambiguously occult name of Rituals, right down to the effectively post-blackened font, I knew I was going to enjoy this. I could describe the music as down tempo atmospheric apocalyptic post-doom with soaring ethereal leads ala Year of No Light or even Godspeed You! Black Emperor in the cinematic scope of the arrangements, using textbook examples of post-rock dynamics, of buildups and release. The subterranean, ritualistic rhythms pounded out by drums and bass from the depths of the underworld create the firmament unto which the dying rays of a burnt out sun gleam with decrepit radiance in the form of cerebral tremolo auroras. The music really fits the vast and barren land from which it comes. Listen to this as you doze off to sleep, or have it provide a background accompaniment to some artistic endeavor, and good things will come. Read more to listen.

The End of Night

Locrian (USA)

The Crystal World

November 25, 2010

To be honest, I've been having a hard time with this one, but in a way that drives my intrigue to solve the mysterious riddles fragmented throughout this cinematic ambient soundscape. Of course, there are no definable answers, much like the infinite reasons for the meanings of life. I feel so strongly about it, but have a hard time finding the proper way to describe it. One way I could put it is with an analogy with the law of alchemical physics that states that energy can only be transformed from one form to another, but not created out of nothing. This process is exemplified through Locrian's The Crystal World. Where ugliness can be terraformed into beauty, and from the energy expelled through anguish and surrender can gestate into a form of hope and the realization of optimism. It simultaneously channels the unclean spirit of mankind on earth and a profound alien signal interception from deep space. The cover art is fucking magnificent and suits the drones found therein. In the end, a simple proverb comes to mind: it's not about the destination or the answers, its the journey you go through to get there, the meditation, the questions. Listen alone, at midnight, during a full moon. Read more for a stream.

We are Just Cut-Throat, Worshipping Sin

Bulldozer (Italy)

The Day of Wrath

March 13, 1985

Bulldozer's roots stretch way back to 1980, but for various reasons and circumstances, took 4 years to stabilize the lineup and release their debut material, resulting in 1985's infamous The Day of Wrath. For all intents and purposes, this is primitive proto black metal, in its gloriously neanderthal infancy. Imagine a dirtier uglier more obnoxious Venom, but unlike the Brits, have only grown in credibility with their influences on the extreme metal underground. Besides, how can you not expect anything but pure raw sick and twisted excellence with a cover like that? The tunes are backed with whiskey-breath over-the-top attitude ("Cut-Throat", "Whisky Time"), motör powered hellspeed ("Fallen Angel", "The Great Deceiver") and straight up black mass rock and roll ("Insurrection of the Living Damned", "Welcome Death"). Grab a beer and celebrate the birthday of a mildly significant, yet thoroughly fucking awesome piece of obscure metal history. Read more for an album stream.

Ascend, Oh Beast of Fire

Portrait (Sweden)

Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae

May 9, 2011

Here's how to keep the spirit of true satanic heavy metal burning strong in a world plagued with enslavement, plight and false light. Throw that raggedy leather jacket back on, and don your occult paraphernalia for this one, because hellfire this magnificent is a luxury best served fatally skull thrashed in all manner of blackened damnation. Right out of the gates, "Beast of Fire" rips to shreds anyone within burning distance, setting aflame Mercyful Fate's midnight storytelling with the corrosive venom of Satan's hounds. "Infinite Descension" is the most like King Diamond's material, torn from the flesh of the 80's with murderous intentions. Darkness reigns over these sounds, the blues have been effectively annihilated as acoustic flares stand out in "The Wilderness Beyond" and "Darkness Forever". Landscapes of sorrow and shores of hopelessness are the eternal horizons showcased on the epic prophetic Dissection-channeling finale, "Der Todesking". Fucking tasty. Hail Satan and all that other cool shit. Read more to listen...

But in That Fatal Portrait, My Spirit Came to Life Again

King Diamond (Denmark)

Fatal Portrait

February 17, 1986

It's time to send your mind on a trip into the land of dreams and mist. Before there was Ghost, before there was Emperor, and even before there was Bathory, there was a small satanic cult called Mercyful Fate. The leader of this nefarious band was the banshee ghost pitched King Diamond. In 1986, the King, having split from the others, released his first solo collection of odes to all things evil, dark and occult. The works of this infamous ringleader during the mid-80's from both bands are probably my favorites of the classic heavy metal style in general. The degree to which everything is so over-the-top and yet so iconic is surely commendable. By the first sounding of the 'ooohhhhs' in The Candle, like a choir of hallowed hellcrows, you will either love it or hate it. Proto black metal witch shrieks surface in The Jonah while the bombastic 80's is made manifest in the catchy melodies of Dressed in White and the anthemic Halloween. Read more and listen to this classic.