La Mancha Del Pecado / Xazzaz ‎– La Fetichista split tape

Yet another split between La Mancha Del Pecado and Xazzaz. Miguel Pérez offers two dense subterranean and Lovecraftian harsh drone/noise invocations, while Mike Simpson tortures his guitar and amp once more with layers of swarming feedback and disharmonics close to Skullflower's best. 2013 tape on Agorafobia Tapes and Molotov.

Download

Xazzaz - Smoke Jaguar/Ghost Wolf cdr

Over-the-top distorto-guitar noise on the first track, but all the money's on the second track, which is a wild psychedelic ritual drone with hazy electronics, guitar feedbacks and ecstatic percussion, quite reminiscent of Matthew Bower's Total. Superb. 2012 cdr on Molotov.

Download

Xazzaz - Untitled cdr

Damn me if Matthew Bower isn't proud of his disciples. This one could have been one of the greatest post-reunion Skullflower releases, with its combination of a menacing serpentine riff with psychedelic electronics and a buried sound. Listened to the riff and don't tell that this could have also been the drone version of Carl Orff's "Veris Leta Facies" from Carmina Burana. The sinister drone black metal evilness gives way to ten minutes of industrial drone stasis, a mix between a factory and a Sunn O))). The second track is an interplay between low-frequency electronics and bass drone throb, like Culver working on a spaceship. An essential release of the North-East English underground. 2012 cdr on Molotov.

Download

https://mega.nz/#!9b5WTIrK!MvH-6vg-J0L94lqyUpIj4sP52sCVXI4GwJp_hNtN-lI

Xazzaz - Black Hearts and Brittle Bones cdr

This one sounds deceptively quiet, beginning with a beautiful droning sound of what I think is accordion, sounding very similar to fellow spirit Culver, and around the three-minute mark a siren-like guitar feedback comes in, after which things become suffocating. For the remaining 9 minutes we are treated with harsh and miserable guitar improvisation, somewhere between Earth 2, Skullflower and oozing black metal, thereby sounding similar to Mike's dungeon black drone project Satanhartalt. Just great. 2012 cdr on Molotov.

Download

Xazzaz - Obit cdr

We've talked about Mike Simpson, Xazzaz, his label Molotov Productions with the great visuals and the bands he plays in (Gigantmæcg, Satanhartalt, Dark Bargain and Oppenheimer) before. Xazzaz is his solo project, in which he plays guitar-based deafening noisedrone with over-the-top bass distortion and swarms of feedback, under which sometimes you can hear a hint of riffing. 2012 cdr on Molotov Productions.

Download

Gigantmæcg ‎- Bone And Steel cdr

Swarming hellish, bad-trip noise and motorik drum rhythms buried real deep under the noise by Mike Simpson of Xazzaz and George Proctor of Mutant Ape, etc. 2013 cdr on Molotov Records.

Download

Xazzaz ‎– Smalltown Zombie Massacre cdr

 

Xazzaz is the solo project of Mike Simpson, whose work with Oppenheimer and Dark Bargain I have already covered; he is also in Satanhartalt and Gigantmæcg, and runs the very good Molotov Productions. In Xazzaz he plays savage, industrial-grey guitar punishments which sound like Skullflower on some really bad-quality drugs. Very hard. 2010 cdr on Molotov Productions.

Download

HaiKai No Ku - Blood Sunset CD-R

I'm in a sleepy mood, so I thought I should post something monotonous, slow and heavy. HaiKai No Ku is a project of Jerome Smith [bass-also playing in Oppenheimer (already covered here), Charles Dexter Ward and Female Borstal], Sam Booth (drums), and Mike Vest (guitar-also in Bong, Space Victim, Lobster Priest, and Basilica). The presence of Mike Vest should already say a lot about what to expect here: psychedelic vastness under a lot of guitar feedback, while the riffs and the slow, crushing drums pay homage to Skullflower IIIrd Gatekeeper-era, along with a touch of the blues. Ideal for grey mornings. 2013 cdr on Molotov Productions.

Download

Oppenheimer (Culver/Wrest/Charles Dexter Ward/Xazzaz project)

Oppenheimer is one of the many groups in which Lee Stokoe of the almighty beacon of deep drone Culver and Matching Head Tapes plays. Also playing are Jamie Stewart of Wrest and Satanhartalt (whose works will one day be covered here), Jerome Smith of Charles Dexter Ward, Female Borstal (also including Lee!) and Haikai No Ku, and Mike Simpson of the amazing Xazzaz, also of Satanhartalt and Molotov Productions. All these guys are contributors to the small but powerful North England underground noise/drone scene. Here, though, they play something slightly different, showcasing a deafening but highly rhythmic type of skronk/noise rock, which is heavily influenced by the motorik style as well as containing some surprisingly rock 'n' roll parts, especially in the 2015 release. As obvious in the liner notes, instrument duties are exchanged among the band members. Worth checking out.

2012 CD-R (Molotov Productions)

 

Download

2014 CD-R (Molotov Productions)

 

Download 


 2014 tape (Matching Head)



Download (removed after artist's request)

2015 CD-R (Molotov Productions)



Here they are aided by Dean Glaister of drone monks RYN.

Download