Friday 30 November 2012

Pan.Thy.Monium ‎– Khaooohs (1993)


Country: Sweden

Tracklist
1. I Månens Sken Dog En Skugga 01:50
2. Under Ytan 03:56
3. Jag & Vem 05:54
4. Lava 07:37
5. Lömska Försåt 06:55
6. I Vindens Våld 00:50
7. Klieveage 02:48
8. Ekkhoeece III 00:44
9. Khaoohs I 04:47
10. Utsikt 08:12
11. Khaoohs II 00:40

Pan.Thy.Monium was a Swedish progressive/avant-garde/death metal band created in 1990 
and led by Dan Swanö with several members from another project of his, Edge of Sanity
Swanö constructed as a concept of the albums the fight between the virtual god 
Raagoonshinnaah (god of darkness, rain and emptiness) and his opponent Amaraah (god of light).
The first demo …Dawn was never released to the public. There are only a few copies in the possession of Dan and friends. Dawn of Dreams was released 1992 and neither had any track titles nor a list of band members. 
At this time nobody knew who Pan.Thy.Monium was. The first trace to Dan Swanö was a greeting 
in the booklet of the album The Spectral Sorrows from Edge of Sanity from Benny to Pan.Thy.Monium
After that the identity of Pan.Thy.Monium was revealed. In 1993 Khaooohs was released.
 After its release the band fell silent. Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-Ion was recorded 1996 in which 
Amaraah wins over Raagoonshinnaah in a last fight. This marked the end of the band.
Pan.Thy.Monium never played live, even if there is a track on Khaooos which sounds like that. 
Also it is said that none of the songs has lyrics, and that the vocals were used mostly as an instrument. 
The band members were: Derelict (Robert Karlsson), Aag (Dag Swanö), Mourning (Robban Ivarsson), 
Day Disyraah (Dan Swanö) and Winter (Benny Larsson).

Memory

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Proscriptor ‎– The Venus Bellona (1995)


Country: United States

Tracklist
Act 1. An Initium For You 00:58
Act 2. I Am The One 02:49
Act 3. Our Blood And Veins From The McGovern Regiment 02:28
Act 4. Hi Ri Ri Tha E Tighinn 02:06
Act 5. Lady Day Eve 04:34
Act 6. Madeleine 05:06
Act 7. Kiss Of Shame 01:38
Act 8. Tractatus 01:24
Act 9. My Legacy: A Crysknife 00:51
Act 10. Serpentine Of Six-Fold Stars 05:52
Act 11. The Barren Stones Of Lughnasadh 02:40
Act 12. Far Away From Balkan Hills 01:27
Act 13. De La Fletus Des Athroll (After The Massacre Of Glencoe) Part II 02:34
Act 14. Chomere! 01:02
Act 15. Commanding The Dragon Of Keppoch 02:03
Act 16. Ground's Afire 00:51
Act 17. Defeat 01:24
Act 18. We Raise Our Silver Goblets In Triumph 01:48
Act 19. We Procured The Non-Existence Of Xalteun 01:43
Act 20. Finem Habere: Flames For You / I Ran (So Far Away) 06:55

Proscriptor is more known as the drummer/mainman of Absu
His project as Proscriptor is more than a little different to what Absu explore musically. 
"The Venus Bellona" is a wonderfully strange & unique album based around the superstitions, folklore & mythology 
of Proscriptor's ancestral bloodline which hails from Glencoe, Scotland.
Combined with occult themes, & Proscriptor's mystical being, this collection of songs is nothing short of interesting.
At times hypnotic, as evidenced in "I Am The One" with its verbal assault, & chimes, 

while "Our Blood & Veins From the McGovern Regiment" is a more militaristic affair, with marching snare drums, 
bag pipes, & the sinister Proscriptor injecting verbal hallucinations. 
The diversity of  "The Venus Bellona" is one of its impressive features, & the incorporation 
of an extensive range of instruments (synths, percussion, acoustic guitar, grand piano, organs, mellotron & fife) 
is both appealing as well as contributing to this fact.
The 20 Acts presented here range in sound from ambient/darkwave to experimental/acoustic/folk.
For a bit of "new wave" nostalgia, a twisted version of "I Ran (So Far Away)" (originally by A Flock of Seagulls

is covered & given a bracing, & thoroughly entertaining, extreme metal treatment!
Released on golden CD as a multi fold-out digipack by Cruel Moon International (sub-label of Cold Meat Industry

& also as a red vinyl on a limited edition of 726 copies.

Memory

Thursday 1 November 2012

Fleurety ‎– Min Tid Skal Komme (1995)


Country: Norway

Tracklist
1. Fragmenter Av En Fortid 09:37
2. En Skikkelse I Horisonten 11:33
3. Hvileløs? 05:24
4. Englers Piler Har Ingen Brodd 12:33
5. Fragmenter Av En Fremtid 05:38

Popular music styles like "post-black metal" or "shoegaze-black metal" owes very much to mid 90's Norway's scene.
Back then there were terms like "avantgarde-black metal" or "progressive-black metal
for releases like Ulver's "Bergtatt", In The Woods "HEart Of The Ages", Ved Buens Ende "Written In Waters"
 and of course Fleurety's debut album "Min Tid Skal Komme".
The band was formed in 1991 by Svein Egil Hatlevik and Alexander Nordgaren 

and released their first demo Black Snow in 1993. After that came the 7" EP A Darker Shade of Evil in 1994. 
Both of these were in a fairly traditional Norwegian black metal style, with very high-pitched screaming vocals, 
giving the band a characteristic sound.
In 1995, the band released the album Min Tid Skal Komme, as a cooperation between Aesthetic Death Records 

and Misanthropy Records. This recording, that was ahead of its time on many levels, featured a rock/progressive/psychedelic/jazz black metal style with atonal harmonics, folk music elements and enchanting female vocals 
by Norwegian pop singer Marian Aas Hansen.
In 2000, Fleurety released the album Department of Apocalyptic Affairs

This album showed an even more eclectic musical style, spanning metal, progressive/jazz and electronica, 
and featured an array of guest musicians from the Norwegian avantgarde and black metal scene.

Memory