LK Ultra's Top Albums for 03/28/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
2. Acid King - Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere***
3. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press
4. Queen Crescent - Self-Titled
5. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
6. The Atomic Bitchwax - Gravitron***
7. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
8. Stoned Jesus - The Harvest
9. Bretus - The Shadow Over Innsmouth
10. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other
11. Wooden Stake - A Feast of Virgin Souls
12. Strange Broue - Self-Titled
13. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
14. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
15. Alucarda - Raw Howls
16. Venus Sleeps - Dead Sun Worship
17. Evil Invaders - Pulses of Pleasure*
18. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
19. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
20. Doomraiser - Reverse
21. Black Rainbows - Hawkdope
22. Boar - Veneficae***
23. Taken By the Sun - Self-Titled
24. «Wicked Inquisition - Self-Titled***
25. Dopethrone - Hochelaga***

« New Listing
*Album available on itunes

** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

☠No release available yet

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ALBUM Spotlight on:

SHEPHERD – ‘Stereolithic Riffalocalypse’

I woke up one day in early February to find the world in the clutches of Sheppo-mania. Everybody and their uptight older brother had downloaded the new album from Indian stoner / sludge wunderkinds Shepherd. Newsfeeds clogged, sharing reached epidemic proportions and nobody was dissatisfied. The Bangalorean trio then topped off an otherwise successful month with an appearance on the reviewer / podcaster aggregated top albums list The Doom Charts with the #4 spot. Now, to top off March, they have reached all new absurd heights of glory by taking your humble narrator's top spot for the week's best albums. Is there no end to Shepherd's tyrannical, terrifying momentum?!?!

For those in the know, Bangalore has built up a great reputation in recent years as a heavy metal haven in India and Shepherd may be the city's finest export yet. Though I'll readily admit I'm no expert. But if they are, they've done it with music and not image, they've done it with variety, quality, originality and a sense of humor. All eight songs on the 45-minute opus are excellent and though the band establishes an identity there's enough variation between the songs to keep things interesting throughout. The music is always based around huge heavy riffs and sticky melodies. There are grungy moments of dark harmonies and there's just enough bite in the vocals to appeal to both clean singing and extreme metal fans. But don't think the band are people pleasers, with song titles like "Black Cock of Armageddon", "Turdspeak" and "Wretch Salad" it's evident that they don't care what people think of them and that's refreshing to see in a world of P.C. nazis and obsessive social networkers.

With a place at the top of my list of personal favorite albums it goes without say that I highly recommend this album, but it's worth doubling-down on the recommendation (the entire list above is a recommendation). I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that 'Stereolithic Riffalocalypse' will break the bank with an appearance on most stoner/doom/sludge year-end lists, if you haven't heard the band yet, again they're at the top of this list, click the link and enter a world of hurt.

LK Ultra's Top Albums for 03/21/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Acid King - Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere***
2. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
3. Queen Crescent - Self-Titled
4. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
5. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
6. Bretus - The Shadow Over Innsmouth☠
7. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other
8. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
9. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
10. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
11. Alucarda - Raw Howls
12. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
13. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
14. The Atomic Bitchwax - Gravitron***
15. Stoned Jesus - The Harvest
16. Doomraiser - Reverse
17. Black Rainbows - Hawkdope
18. Wooden Stake - A Feast of Virgin Souls
19. Boar - Veneficae***
20. Taken By the Sun - Self-Titled
21. Strange Broue - Self-Titled
22. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo†††
23. Evil Invaders - Pulses of Pleasure*
24. Venus Sleeps - Dead Sun Worship
25. Dopethrone - Hochelaga***

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

☠No release available yet

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LK Ultra's Top Albums for 03/14/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Queen Crescent - Self-Titled
2. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
3. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
4. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
5. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
6. Alucarda - Raw Howls
7. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
8. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
9. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
10. Bretus - The Shadow Over Innsmouth☠
11. Acid King - Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere***
12. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
13. The Atomic Bitchwax - Gravitron***
14. Doomraiser - Reverse
15. Black Rainbows - Hawkdope
16. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other
17. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo or link #2
18. Taken By the Sun - Self-Titled
19. Strange Broue - Various EP's
20. Zoltan - Tombs of the Blind Dead EP*
21. Patrick Bruss - The Gorgon's Gallery
22. Lord Loud - IN EP
23. Stoned Jesus - The Harvest
24. Soundcrawler - The Dead-End Host
25. Wooden Stake - A Feast of Virgin Souls

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

☠No release available yet

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ALBUM Spotlight on:

HANDS OF ORLAC – ‘Figli Del Crepuscolo’

Danish specialty label and distributor Horror Records unleashed a pair of gems on bandcamp late last year. I reviewed the first of those, 'Cauldron Messiah' by Evil Spirit back in February at this location (the album's still going strong at the #9 position on this week's list above). The second of those is the subject of this week's album spotlight.

This Italian doom quintet started out in 2009. The band's mission statement was pretty simple: make 70's sounding music with Black Sabbath style riffs and a strong emphasis on horror themes. It's safe to say the band has lived up to its goals. Keep in mind that, aside from a few bands and artists, The Devil's Blood, Jex Thoth and Blood Ceremony among the most notable, the metal world wasn't exactly ablaze with black candles shining for this kind of sound back in 2009. Since that time there's been an explosion of what is labelled "female-fronted occult rock". And while the music world is richer for its blossoming, it's obvious that Hands of Orlac have pushed their own boundaries to stay relevant and distance themselves from the crowd.

An older pic of the band, from my good friend Dr. Doom's
lamentably dormant website, Dr. Doom's Lair. [Source]

The most apparent result of this is that the band's second album is significantly darker than its self-titled 2011-released predecessor. In fact, the distancing has nearly rendered the band unrecognizable. While once, one might have been forgiven for mistaking the band for one of the handful of others of the style they helped to grow, the band has found a stronger identity by embracing a deeper shade of doom. Vocalist The Sorceress has mostly holstered the flute which characterized the debut. The psychedelic retro Rock overtones have died and risen from the grave dressed in Metal. And the band is better looking for it.

Let it be said for those who haven't heard it, but the 'Hands of Orlac' album is a true standout within its style, a fore-runner to terrific albums by Occultation, Shinin' Shade, Mount Salem, Doublestone and Mountain Witch. In terms of mood and feel, 'Figli del Crepuscolo' blows it out of the water. The freshman album was a warm-up, a sweet, bright introduction to the band, the latest is a master's thesis in darkness. The fact that the album title translates into English as 'Children of Twilight' suggests that the band is ever darkening and that absolute night still lies ahead. There are two links at the #17 spot on this list for you to check the album out, although I don't think the whole album is streaming anywhere, if it is I haven't found it yet.

LK Ultra's Top Albums for 03/07/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

Lord of Doubts - 'Into the Occult'

1. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
2. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
3. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
4. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
5. Queen Crescent - Self-Titled***
6. Alucarda - Raw Howls
7. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
8. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
9. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
10. Acid King - Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere***
11. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
12. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo†††
13. Strange Broue - Various EP's
14. Zoltan - Tombs of the Blind Dead EP*
15. Patrick Bruss - The Gorgon's Gallery
16. Doomraiser - Reverse
17. Occultation - Silence in the Ancestral House
18. Goat Wizard - Self-Titled
19. Stoned Jesus - The Harvest
20. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other
21. Bretus - The Shadow Over Innsmouth☠
22. Widow & Children - Self-Titled
23. Phantomass - Self-Titled
24. Burning Saviours - Unholy Tales from the North*
25. Evil Invaders - Pulses of Pleasure*

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

☠No release available yet

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STONED JESUS – ‘The Harvest’

Stoned Jesus released their third full-length album on February 24 and it already has some long-time followers scratching their heads. If you're a fan of the band and haven't checked out this latest one, be prepared to hear a slightly different side of the band. I stop short at calling it a more "popular" sounding album, but I would argue it is more accessible to the average stoner or doom head and the six songs on the album seem to fit a little more comfortably into each of those two subgenres, much moreso than on previous efforts.

Previously, the Ukrainian power trio has been known for expansive 10+ minute-long suites. The longest of the first four tracks on 'The Harvest' reaches a mere fingertip past the seven minute mark. The trade-off here with a slight detour in direction is a renewed sense of focus. If nothing else the band proves that they can smash, grab the loot and run with the best of them. It should be noted here that while it may be easier for those taxonomically inclined to point at each song and label it as stoner rock or doom metal, nothing on this album really sounds like anything else anybody else is doing. First and foremost Stoned Jesus is still a prog band, and that sensibility will out by the nine-minute long "Silkworm Confessions" (see the official video at this location).

'Seven Thunders Roar'

The first inkling that I saw that the band was hankering for a repertoire of shorter material was when they released the four-minute edited version of "Electric Mistress" from their last album, 2012's 'Seven Thunders Roar'. It's impossible to get a nine minute song onto 7 inches of etched vinyl and maintain a high fidelity, and thus the edit. But when Stoned Jesus released "Here Come the Robots" on their bandcamp page in January, the first song off their then unreleased new album, it was obvious that the band had a change in philosophy in store. It was hard to imagine when the song came out how this rollicking three minute barn-burner was going to fit in between a pair of expansive 10 minute monoliths, for example.

Now that 'The Harvest' is here, everything falls into the place, the pieces match, and there's a logic behind the sequencing of the album. It's not to everyone's taste and that seems to be par for the course this year. It's been difficult, if not impossible to find a bigger-name band in this underground niche of heavy music with a new album out that isn't dividing opinion. That may not be what makes it out there in the reviews, but we reviewers talk behind the scenes and initial impressions of the stuff that's been coming out has been largely mixed. I think it has to do with bands redefining their territory and finding their own niche in an ever-expanding circle of competition.

Judge for yourself by clicking the link to the album at the #19 spot.

Secrets of THE DOOM CHART

Anybody here who used to follow the old Paranoid Hitsophrenic blog I used to run will probably recall the Super Doom Charts. I got the idea when I opened the Paranoid blog to review submissions. I'd always try to give an honest critique of the music, but sometimes I would rave about an album and find myself moving away from it quicker than I thought I would. It got me thinking. I'd made quite a few online buddies who also blogged or podcasted about doom and stoner music and I wondered, with all the album reviews we collectively threw out there on a monthly basis, which albums were we actually listening to and digging. I threw the idea of doing a music chart based on reviewers opinions and listening habits and I was surprised at the positive response. We did the first one in May of 2013. It became a big hit, Uncle Acid himself said he saw them, which would have been right around the time they were touring the UK with Black Sabbath.

Much to mine and many other people's horror, the idea died with the Paranoid blog a year ago. The last Super Doom Chart went up on the old Paranoid blog on March 1, 2014. I was having internet problems and I accidentally deleted the post and had to re-do it from scratch the next day. It wasn't long after that that I gave up trying to beat my head against the wall by fighting through the lack of internet.

Anyway, a year passed and now the concept has returned. This time around I'm not hosting it on my site. I decided to post it on a neutral site on which many of the others involved in putting it together could share equal administrator status. I didn't want to make the concept "mine" this time around, if I ever did. You might say I wanted to spread the blame and well, I have. Right now the admins for the new site represent The Sludgelord, The Evil Engineer, Stoner Hive, Doomed & Stoned, Fast n Bulbous, More Fuzz websites, Hand of Doom Online Radio and the band Motherslug. It's a great group. There are more people involved of course, and we'll get to that motley group in a moment along with all the requisite links.

But first, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to let you in on a little secret.

Because I compiled everybody's individual list into the chart I'm privy to the knowledge of which bands just missed the Top 25 cut. They're all great bands and certainly worthy of a little extra attention. In fact, compiling this chart has helped me discover quite a few awesome bands myself as I'm sure it's helped a few others do the same so I'll present to you right now, the next ten on the list.

Call it the Doom Charts "bubbling under" chart:
26. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo
27. Grimmage - Tales from Beyond

28. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other

29. Occultation - Silence in the Ancestral House

30. Wo Fat - Live Juju

31. Diesel King - Concrete Burial

32. Goya / Wounded Giant split

33. You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons - Population IV

34. John Carpenter - Lost Tapes

35. Lord Dying - Poisoned Altars

You can find the Top 25 at this location.

Here's the full list of contributors:

A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n’ Bulbous); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect); Cam Crichton (Motherslug); Clint (Hand of Doom Radio); Doktor420 (Stoner HiVe); Double A Doom (The Sludgelord); Gram Pola (Dirty Denim); Ian Gerber (WTF is Stoner Rock?); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); LK Ultra (You May Be Dead & Dreaming); Lyk (Phantasmagoria); Melissa (Doomed & Stoned); Mr. Fuzz (More Fuzz); Pat Harrington (The Electric Beard of Doom); Paul Rote (Bandcamp); Skip (Ride With the Devil); Soggy Bob (Soggy Bog of Doom); Steve Howe (The Sludgelord); Steve Miller (Vertical Chamber Apparatus); Tony Maim (Stoner HiVe); Ulla Roschat (Wicked Lady)

The response to the newly re-formed Doom Charts has been amazing. As of this writing the list has been shared 397 times on facebook and has averaged about 100 pageviews an hour in the 30 hours since it was first posted. That may not sound like a lot, but You May Be Dead & Dreaming is lucky to hit 100 views in a day (when I'm not posting or sharing links that is, on a good day I'll hit around 200 here). The chart has been seen in 57 different countries. To quote the immortal Reverend Bizarre, that's "Doom Over the World"!

Every link on the post has been clicked at least twice. Hopefully the list has spread the word just a little bit about some kick ass bands and websites, which was my ambition. Everybody benefits from a "collective" like this, none more so than the band Elder, whose link has been hit about 100 times. Also, I think we introduced quite a few people to the bands Shepherd, Holy Serpent and ZQKMGDZ, who are all incredible. Their respective links have been hit around 50 times each.

And all of those numbers continue to climb, by the way.

Next month the plan is for somebody else to curate the list and put it all together. Hopefully we've built a more sustainable model of the Doom Charts that will survive any internet blackouts or personal maladies. Also, expect to see more contributors, I have to admit, this month's list was kind of a rush job but we got it finished and posted in fine fashion. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Top Albums for 02/28/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
2. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
3. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
4. Alucarda - Raw Howls
5. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
6. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
7. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
8. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo†††
9. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
10. Strange Broue - Various EP's
11. Zoltan - Tombs of the Blind Dead EP*
12. Queen Crescent - Self-Titled***
13. Patrick Bruss - The Gorgon's Gallery
14. Doomraiser - Reverse
15. Occultation - Silence in the Ancestral House
16. Goat Wizard - Self-Titled
17. Phantomass - Self-Titled
18. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other***
19. Widow & Children - Self-Titled
20. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
21. Acid King - Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere***
22. Burning Saviours - Unholy Tales from the North*
23. Evil Invaders - Pulses of Pleasure*
24. Taken By the Sun - Self-Titled
25. Bretus - The Shadow Over Innsmouth☠

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

☠No release available yet

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DOOM CHART - Top 25 Albums for 02/21/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
2. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
3. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
4. Alucarda - Raw Howls
5. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo†††
6. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
7. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
8. Strange Broue - Various EP's
9. Zoltan - Tombs of the Blind Dead EP*
10. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
11. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
12. Patrick Bruss - The Gorgon's Gallery
13. Occultation - Earthbound EP
14. Goat Wizard - Self-Titled
15. Phantomass - Self-Titled
16. Widow & Children - Self-Titled
17. Queen Crescent - Self-Titled***
18. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
19. Doomraiser - Reverse
20. Burning Saviours - Unholy Tales from the North*
21. Spectral Haze - I.E.V.: Transmutated Nebula Remains*
22. Galleon - Self-Titled
23. Obrero - The Infinite Corridors of Time
24. Acid King - Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere***
25. Saturnalia Temple - To The Other***

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

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ALBUM Spotlight on:

GOAT WIZARD – ‘Self-Titled’

This album's been circulating for a while now. Goat Wizard's self-titled album has been out there for about six months and I'm continually horrified by how little response it's gotten. This is the unfortunate album that proves presentation is 9/10ths of an album sale. At a time when fatigue is setting in for many of the cliches adorning stoner rock culture, especially the use of the words "wizard" and "goat" in band names, this excellent band calls themselves Goat Wizard and releases their self-titled debut. That might have been a mis-step.

A fuzz by any other name would be as thick, but alas, this is a materialistic culture that collectively refuses to look past the surface of things. Had they called themselves "The Generic Stoner Band" they might have come across further, but their sound is so much more than a name implies.

First and foremost is an attention to songwriting. The music here is anything but lazy or half-assed. It's uproarious, and though it's not the most entirely revolutionary album you'll ever hear, it's infectious as hell. "Nosferatu" and "Devil's Claw" have been burning up my personal charts since Christmas and I'm still listening to the whole album from time to time. I've included each of those songs on the accompanying podcast to this site, you can find "Nosferatu" at this location and "Devil's Claw" at this location.

When I picked this up (again, around Christmas time) it included a bonus, seventh track called "Dragon Sword", which is the equal of any of the other six tracks though the mood of it is slightly different so I suppose the band didn't feel it fit in with the rest of the album. It doesn't look like that track is still included with the album download, but that's the price of snoozing. There's still time to download the album from bandcamp, however. Just click the link listed above (#14 on the chart) and give it a listen. Throw your biases and pre-conceived notions out the window, Goat Wizard isn't run of the mill stoner / doom rock, it's a cut above. The only thing cliched about it is the band name, unfortunately. Then again, they make no illusions as to what you will hear. No joke, this album kicks ass.

DOOM CHART - Top 25 Albums for 02/14/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
2. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
3. Alucarda - Raw Howls
4. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
5. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah††
6. Strange Broue - Various EP's
7. Zoltan - Tombs of the Blind Dead EP*
8. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo†††
9. Occultation - Earthbound EP
10. Goat Wizard - Self-Titled
11. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
12. Phantomass - Self-Titled
13. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
14. Patrick Bruss - The Gorgon's Gallery
15. Widow & Children - Self-Titled
16. Spectral Haze - I.E.V.: Transmutated Nebula Remains*
17. Galleon - Self-Titled
18. Lord of Doubts - Into the Occult†
19. Burning Saviours - Unholy Tales from the North*
20. Orb - Womb**
21. Doomraiser - Reverse
22. Ooze [ИЛ] - Black Swamp [Чёрная Топь]**
23. Shepherd - Stereolithic Riffalocalypse
24. Obrero - The Infinite Corridors of Time
25. Maze of Roots - Two Chapters**

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
*** Pre-order only
† Available on cassette only
†† Available on vinyl and cassette only
††† Available on vinyl only

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STRANGE BROUE – ‘Kult-Aid’

If you've never listened to the Jonestown death tape, it's arguably the most disturbing recording ever made. It explicitly describes Rev. Jim Jones instructing his followers to kill themselves. The instructions are complete with quick and ready-made hows and whys when some stray followers begin questioning whether they can go through with it. And then he starts talking about the children. All the while the congregation laments, wails and moans in the background, the volume and urgency rising and falling but sounding unmistakably damned. If you're easily disturbed, you don't want to listen to this thing.

Strange Broue's latest two-song offering makes use of it. Matter of fact a clip from it is the first thing you hear on second track "Kult-Aid". When the music does get going, it may be the best song Strange Broue has offered up yet. Then again, it may just be a psychological reaction to the relief you feel when the Jonestown clip ends. I wouldn't put it past the Broue. After all, Jim Jones was notorious for the psychological manipulation of his followers, all cults do this. Strange Broue tortures the ears momentarily with a disturbing clip, then relieves that stress with a nice big heavy riff. It's like a reverse Clockwork Orange technique to get the listener to join the Strange Broue kult. And it's impossible to resist.

Something tells me Strange Broue has been planning this for some time. The very name of the band brings to mind the cyanide-laced purple kool-aid Jones served his followers, now that you mention it. This EP is a recruitment tool, there can no longer be any doubt. Strange Broue remains for the moment a one-man band. I know the band leader's name is Max, but if it turns out that 'Max' is an abbreviated form of the name 'Marshall Applewhite' then I'm out, I mean I'm running and not looking back.

But until such time as that information is revealed I'll continue to monitor the progress of the Strange Broue kult. There are now 10 songs up on bandcamp on six different one and two song releases and they're all excellent. I threw a brief overview of the music in January which you can find at this location. You'll probably want to grab these while you can because there will be a time, it might a year from now, it might be five or 10 years from now, but these early demos will become cherished rarities the way Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats 'Vol. 1' is now.

DOOM CHART: Top 25 Albums of 02/07/15

Top 25 Albums

#). artist - album title

1. Alucarda - Raw Howls
2. Crowned in Earth - Metempsychosis
3. Zoltan - Tombs of the Blind Dead EP*
4. Occultation - Earthbound EP
5. Kabbalah - Primitve Stone EP
6. Pombagira - Flesh Throne Press***
7. Goat Wizard - Self-Titled
8. Strange Broue - Various EP's
9. Phantomass - Self-Titled
10. Hands of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo**
11. Widow & Children - Self-Titled
12. Patrick Bruss - The Gorgon's Gallery
13. Spectral Haze - I.E.V.: Transmutated Nebula Remains*
14. Galleon - Self-Titled
15. Burning Saviours - Unholy Tales from the North*
16. Evil Spirit - Caulron Messiah**
17. Misty Grey - Grey Mist
18. Orb - Womb**
19. Ooze [ИЛ] - Black Swamp [Чёрная Топь]**
20. John Carpenter - Lost Themes*
21. Cryptrip - The Great Magmatic Leviathan
22. Maze of Roots - Two Chapters**
23. Howling Black Soul - Self-Titled
24. Doomraiser - Reverse
25. Stone Cadaver - E.P.

*Album available on itunes
** Streaming only
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ALBUM Spotlight on:

POMBAGIRA – ‘Flesh Throne Press’

Photo by Vic Singh [image source]

Pombagira's sixth album won't be released by Svart Records for another month and a half, so maybe it's a bit early to start the hype train rolling. But if this confusing and poorly-worded early review from The Sludgelord is any indication, that train's already picking up speed. Okay, full disclosure: I wrote the article linked above and I meant every poorly chosen word of it ... but I might have a few words left in the bag, so bear with me.

'Flesh Throne Press' is Pombagira's second double album, the first was their May 2008 debut 'The Crooked Path'. The band has evolved remarkably in the ensuing seven years. The debut threw heavy slabs of doomy riffs and gruff heavy metal vocals atop an aggressive attack. As ambitious as a 5-song double album debut truly is, one could pigeonhole that band into the stoner doom category. The new album is miles away from what nearly anybody else, anywhere is doing. The closest band I can think of in terms of similarity or resemblance is the incredible Aleph Null who use considerably more traditional structures and ideas.

As heavy as Pombagira was in their infancy, banging and crashing, they are now leagues heavier, deeper and darker both sonically and emotionally.

'Iconoclast Dream' [image source]

Of course, the evolution started much earlier, arguably on the band's fourth album 'Iconoclast Dream', a 42-minute single track that heralded the coming direction. That unbelievably heavy guitar tone was already in place, the band was discovering a moodier approach but the ideas present in the piece were still very much couched in the trappings of stoner metal. Nothing wrong with that approach, but Pombagira seem to have left it behind like an old mate that just won't grow up on their two subsequent releases, including this new one.

When comparing 'Iconoclast Dream' to 'Flesh Throne Press', it becomes apparent that much of the mood Pombagira projects as a band comes from drummer Carolyn Hamilton-Giles. Guitar snobs make note, the drums are a real instrument. Carolyn has traded heavy impact for a slightly muted approach making for a more overall psychedelic / shoegaze-y direction for the band. She's not invisible back there, but she invisibly weaves a blanket of order on what could otherwise be a chaotic affair. She uses tom patterns in lieu of crashing beats where appropriate, and her performance runs the gamut of power and subtlety. Her presence is absolutely essential to holding the ideas, mood and textures of the album together, by not calling attention to herself, the mind focuses on the deep modulating guitar tones creating a semi-hypnotic state for the listener.

So there you have it, if you've checked out the Sludgelord link then you get a double review for a double album. 'Flesh Throne Press' is 13 songs and 86 minutes long and will be released on double CD and double LP by Svart Records on March 23, 2015.