Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Atman – Like Pure Unawaited Magic (1996)


Country: Spain
 
Tracklist
 1. Prelude... On My Existence 01:10
2. Some Impressions From The Kingdom Of Plenitude 05:13
3. Beautiful Or Beautiless 04:23
4. Poetry And Passion (The Illumination Of The Aura) 06:00
5. Personification Of A Feeling 04:15
6. Remembrances of a Moment 05:15
7. Martyrs, Blasphemizers And The Sick 05:06
8. A World Without You, Imagination 05:43
9. An Epilog, A Fairwell... 02:10
 
 Another early Catalan black metal project that was formed in 1992, featuring Kali Yuga Psy Atman (Drums),
Koan Psy Atman (Guitars) and Darshan (Vocals, Guitars, Bass).
"Like Pure Unawaited Magic" was their debut album, recorded between 1994 and 1995
on an eight-track analogue at Metall Pesad Studio in Barcelona,
and presents a mix of fast black metal with atmospheric/experimental parts
with the addition of unique operatic soprano vocals by Fuencisla.
During the period 2001 - 2011 four more albums were released, followed by a split with Melangia in 2019.

Monday, 28 July 2025

Sign Of KatuMarus – In Nostro Omnium Fletu (Demo 1995)


Country: Spain
 
Tracklist
 1. In Nostro Omnium Fletu 06:08
2. Mayhemic Archangels Reach The Highest Of The Agonies 03:40
3. Under The Purest Blackened Skies 07:35
4. The Cries Of The Thousand Legions 04:39
5. But Eternals Beheld His Vast Forests (Judas Iscariot Cover) 07:48
 
 Short lived Catalan project created around 1995 by Katu-Marus 
(aka Jordi Martinez also in Dawn Ov Hate, ex-Gorthaur, ex-Asgaroth, ex-Beheaded Lamb).
Sign Of KatuMarus was one of the first acts to emerge from the scene in Catalonia
together with bands like Ork, Zhatsaraeth and Gorthaur.
The project released only one demo in 1995 entitled "In Nostro Omnium Fletu"
and also participated on the Judas Iscariot tribute album "To The Triumph Of Evil" in 2006,
covering the song "But Eternals Beheld His Vast Forest".
"In Nostro Omnium Fletu" was re-released in 2006 on CD by Ad-Inferos label
and later in 2023 on cassette by Pesta Negra Records.

Sunday, 27 July 2025

Red Harvest – Hybreed (1996)


Country: Norway
 
Tracklist
1. MaztürNation 03:13
2. The Lone Walk 10:07
3. Mutant 03:42
4. After All... 04:20
5. Ozrham 09:44
6. On Sacred Ground 09:34
7. The Harder They Fall 04:07
8. Underwater 08:33
9. Monumental 06:22
10. In Deep 12:27
11. The Burning Wheel 05:54
 
 Red Harvest is a Norwegian industrial metal band, formed in 1989 as a Slayer tribute band.
They released the demo "Occultica" in 1989 followed by the demo "Psychotica" in 1990,
before releasing their debut album "Nomindsland" in 1992.
From 1994, with the album "There's Beauty In The Purity Of Sadness" the band moved towards
an experimental hybrid of progressive metal, gothic rock, industrial, and doom metal.
1995's "The Maztürnation" and 1996's "HyBreed" allowed the band to reach a wider audience,
resulting in them opening for American gothic metal act Type O Negative on their European tour in 1997.
In 1998, they released an EP entitled "NewRage World Music", which was re-released in 2001
and contains the original EP and four bonus tracks with minor alterations under the title of "New World Rage Music".
After the original EP release, the band perfected their progressive industrial-tinged sound
and their follow-up "Cold Dark Matter" album was released in 2000.
In 2002, "Sick Transit Gloria Mundi" was nominated for a Spellemannprisen,
the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy Award and an alternative Grammy in the "Best Metal Album" category.
In 2004, Red Harvest released the album "Internal Punishment Programs" and in 2006 the "Harvest Bloody Harvest" DVD.
"A Greater Darkness" followed in early 2007 and in 2008, they released "The Redline Archives",
a compilation of remixes and alternate versions of previously released tracks along with a number of unreleased songs.
From 1998 and later their sound drew elements from industrial metal bands such as Godflesh and Ministry, Neurosis, Voivod,
fellow Norwegian black metal bands and certain styles of electronica, such as drum'n'bass, industrial, and gabber.
The band played a show on 24 October 2009 in Oslo, to mark the twentieth anniversary from their formation.
According to their official website, Red Harvest disbanded in May 2010, stating no specific reasons for the breakup.
They eventually reformed 5 years later in 2015.
Most of their members are also part of the project
Dunkelheit.

Monday, 30 June 2025

Raism – The Very Best Of Pain (MCD 1996)


Country: Greece / Finland
 
Tracklist
1. Chaosphere 03:54
2. Killing Machine 04:49
3. Les 120 Journees De Sodome (A Velvet Ballad For Desade) 04:37
4. Alienation 04:10
5. What Kind Of Hell Is This Anyway? 04:32
 
 Raism was the continuation of Diabolos Rising project that featured Magus Wampyr Daoloth (Thou Art Lord,
The Magus, ex-Necromantia, ex-N.A.O.S., ex-Danse Macabre) and Mika Luttinen (Impaled Nazarene).
The band took its moniker from Gilles De Rais and here the dark atmosphere of Diabolos Rising is left aside
for a more groovier and catchier industrial metal melodies with anti-social and misanthropic themes.
Sotiris Vayenas of Septic Flesh is handling the guitars
while Spiros Antoniou (also from Septic Flesh) is responsible for the cover art of the MCD.
In 1997 Raism released their only full length album entitled "Aesthetic Terrorism"
where most of the tracks are followed by a hardcore techno remix version of them.

Sunday, 29 June 2025

GLOD – Gnosis (1995)


Country: United States
 
Tracklist
1. Black Song For A Dead Sun 06:03
2. Overmind 04:46
3. Redgnosis 11:37
4. Breath Of Fire 11:10
5. Return To Zero 13:15
6. Molecular Noisefloor 21:19
 
 GLOD (aka G.L.O.D. God Loves Over Dose) officially began around 1988 and consisted of Frank107 on vocals,
effects and manipulations, David Martin samplers and keyboards and Michael Dead on stick guitar.
A couple of home-recorded tapes were put out in limited editions,
the first being "23V" and the second being "The Gold Tape".
Around that time Frank, Shelley Soma and Mike Dead began to put out the self-published booklets,
on each solstice and equinox, which later became known as "Glod Propaganda".
As work commenced on the self-titled first LP, which was initially put out as a limited edition on marbelized clear vinyl,
then later on CD with additional tracks, GLOD coalesced into a coherent sonic endeavor
comprised of Frank, David, Mike and SSoma as a percussionist and auxillary vocalist.
Wolfgang joined late in the production, in time to make it on the CD as a second percussionist for the song "Sacriscar".
Their first CD was an exploration of sound and texture in a ritualistic format,
with not much regard for commerciality or the numerous technical obstacles which confronted the band members.
At the same time their early live performances quickly gained them attention with their occult symbolism,
ritualistic drumming, body manipulations and usage of blood sacrifice.
After the release of the first CD, Mike Dead departed the band, choosing to pursue his own path.
Also the band upgraded their home studio equipment, played some live dates around the US
(including some in the Midwest with Ordo Equitum Solis) and produced a video titled "A Private Release",
which was a sort of documentary to the events which centered around the making of the first CD.
With work on the new CD underway, GLOD signed on with the Italian label Musica Maxima Magnetica,
which also re-released the first CD in Europe.
For "Gnosis" GLOD worked with guitarist Dreike, Wolfgang shifted from drums to bass guitar
and a new drummer, Xian, was joined from the Detroit percussive band Batterie Acid.
On the visual side, Frank and SSoma produced the cover artwork and text.
"Gnosis" is a more coherent elaboration of the gnostic state that the band explored with their first release.
It explores ritualistically styled old elegies using the interplay of violin, trumpet and kettledrums 
juxtaposed with sublimely textured samples, non-traditional guitar and aggressive bass.
Weaving seductive rhythms, psychedelia-tinged trance laden with atavistic percussion and ecstatic vocal chants.
The compilations "Magnetic Submission" and the Charnel Music release "Arrhythmia III" followed.
By 1996 GLOD started working on their third CD that saw the light of day in 1999 under the title "Babe In Abyss".

Saturday, 28 June 2025

Alquimia – "Coatlicue" Goddess Of The Earth (1992)

 
Country: Mexico
 
Tracklist
Coatlicue Diosa De La Tierra:    
I. Coatepec (Hill Of Snakes) 02:38
II. Tlilán (The Temple Of Darkness) 01:48
III. Coatlicue (The Goddess Of The Earth) 03:11
IV. Festividades (Festivities) 02:56
V. Danza De Xilonem (Xilonem's Dance) 04:26
VI. La Dualidad De La Diosa (The Duality Of The Goddess) 03:10
VII. Procesión (Procession) 02:45
VIII. Ofrenda (Offertory) 03:49
IX. Sacrificio (Sacrifice) 05:53
10. Walkyrias 05:55
11. Alkaest 04:19
12. Avatar 04:08
13. Aura 03:34
14. Inquisición 03:28
 
 A project that started in the late 80s by Mexican female multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Margarita Saavedra.
Her work explore the experimental scene with risky blends of musical genres achieving a sonic amalgamation.
While her basic tracks feature vocals and piano, Alquima enhances her recordings with layers of looped vocals,
electronic processors, sound effects, samples, synthesizers, gongs and bells.
The result is a sound that combines the musical traditions of Latin America
with influences of avant-garde, classical and improvisational music.
Alquimia developed an early love of music and singing, partly from her mother, a classical opera singer.
She went on to study in France and Canada, before making her permanent home in England.
Although she has often been far from home, her interest in the ethnic musical styles of her home country
made her learn various pre-Columbian percussion instruments and flutes,
while her search for new sounds inspired her use of modern music technology.
Alquimia has recorded many albums, both as a solo artist and with writers and musicians such as Hans-Joachim Roedelius,
Rüdiger Gleisberg, Peter Mergener, Anton Zinkl, Mark Powell, Art Of Infinity, Carlos Robledo and others.

Saturday, 31 May 2025

T • A • G • C – Digitaria (1986)


Country: England
 
Tracklist
1. Blood Burns Into Water 03:03
2. Dog Star 04:23
3. Balag Anti 08:12
4. Chozzar Over Abyss 02:13
5. Pre-Eval 05:03
6. Ghost Cultures Under Collapse 06:59
7. Noosphere 08:12
8. Lux Nox 09:07
9. Tzaddi (1994 CD Bonus Track) 01:27
10. The Abominable Plateau Of Leng (1994 CD Bonus Track) 01:56
11. Sekhet (1994 CD Bonus Track) 04:59
12. ShgL 3.33 (1987 CD Bonus Track) 03:36
13. Sunset Eyes Thru Water (1987 CD Bonus Track) 05:39
14. Po-Ema (1987 CD Bonus Track) 02:41
 
 The Anti-Group Communications (or T.A.G.C.)  is an open-membership collaborative art and information project
formed in 1978 by Adi Newton and Steven James Turner of Clock DVA fame.
The T.A.G.C. acronym refers to the four different types of DNA Nucleotide: thymine, adenine, guanine, and cytosine.
The group's main objective was to combine interactive and mixed media art, installations,
and research on psycho acoustics and philosophical concepts to produce fascinating presentations.
The first non theoretical action devised by T.A.G.C. was the film "The Delivery", a 16mm triptych projection and soundtrack,
and the Anti theater performance "The Discussion" designed for five tape recorders and multi-video projection systems.
These two works were first presented at the "De Doelen" center in Rotterdam on Saturday, September 22nd, 1985.
"The Delivery" has been exhibited at the "2nd Atonal Festival" in "The Ballhaus Tiergarten" Berlin, Feb 18th 1985
where the soundtrack was recorded on a mobile 24 track system.
This document was released as "The Anti Group - The Delivery" on Atonal Records.
After these initial performances T.A.G.C. concentrated on audio development.
It was during this period 1985 to 1987 that the above recordings were realized
along with the highly acclaimed ambisonic album "Digitaria" which is a technological and ethnological work
based on the ideas of the Sabean cults of ancient Khem and the Dogon tribe of Mali.
Having worked through these areas, it became the next logical step to move into the application of Psychophysics 
developing the use of frequencies and Psychoacoustics with computer aided technology.
Performance of these ideas took place at the "3rd Atonal Festival" at "Alte TU-Mensa" Berlin on December 13th, 1986
and "SO 36" Berlin on Feb 14th 1987 and at the "Museum Of Contemporary Art" Prato, Italy on Sept 23rd 1988.
It was at this time also that T.A.G.C. displayed their first Meontological visual experiment "Burning Water".
The recordings utilized in these performances were released as part of a series of recordings
entitled Meontological Research Recordings 1 + 2.
T.A.G.C. performances were held at the Electro-Acoustic Music Academy Stockholm, August, 23rd 1990
and at the ARS Electronica symposium on Virtual Reality held in Linz, Austria on September 8th, 1990.
Meontological Research Recordings 3 + 4 followed where Recording 3 explores the central ideas 
expressed in the Coulier Noire and Recording 4 centers around the current research project
into the development of methods and techniques to aid expanded consciousness
in collaboration with R.E.S.T., SpaceTimeTanks and Relaxation Center Chicago, America.
All these psychoacoustic experiments and carefully constructed aural rituals are usually accompanied 
by lengthy liner notes, explaining the theoretical underpinnings of the recordings.
In this way, T.A.G.C. presents itself explicitly as acoustic research rather than music.
 Although the group disbanded in 1996, Newton continued the project with CD releases and live performances in 2009.
T.A.G.C. audio recordings are released on Newton's Anterior Research Recordings label.