Best of 2011

I don´t know if this is the best or not, but this is what I´ve enjoyed more. There is no order and there are a lot of good records left behind, I know... If I´d do the list the next week probably it would be diferent.  Thank you all for comment and read the blog! See you next year!

Amplifier - Octopus

Arbouretum - The Gathering

Graveyard - Hisingen Blues

Norska - Norska

Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Jack And The Bearded Fishermen - Places To Hide

Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar

Of The Wand And The Moon - The Lone Descent

Universe217 - Familiar Places

Primus - Green Naugahyde

Toxic Holocaust -Conjure And Command

Ghoul - Transmission Zero

Black Cobra - Invernal

Integrity - The DestroyORR

Ramon Zarate - Oyster

Jardín De La Croix - Ocean Cosmonauts (2011)

1. Blacksnout Seasnail (7:38)
2. Vostok (5:31)
3. Island Of Atlas (9:57)
4. Maelstrom (6:59)
5. Challenger (5:28)
6. Math Of Vortex (8:26)
7. Caronte (6:35)
8. Japanese Rockets (4:40)

Wonderful work of this quartet of musicians from Madrid. Second album of a high quality instrumental progressive/math rock. Very good songs, well executed and technically outstanding compositions. Very enjoyable work. One of the last surprises for this year. 

bandcamp

*link in comments

Necro Deathmort - Music Of Bleak Origin (2011)

1. Jaffanaut
2. In Binary
3. Temple Of Juno
4.Überlord
5. For Your Own Good
6. Devastating Vector
7. Blizzard
8. The Heat Death Of Everything
9. Moon

New album of this duo of London. A very good mix between drone/doom sounds and electronics and industrial passages. 

bandcamp

*link in comments

Infidel - King Of Cynical Control (2011)

01. No News, Good News 07:53
02. The Pessimist 07:16
03. King Of Cynical Control 09:33
04. Song For The Black Sheep 05:54
05. III-Your Falacy 06:49
06. Shades Of Solitude 09:25

Another great band from Greece, wich offers to us an interesting album of doom wrapped in progressive and heavy metal  sonorities. The powerful production gives strength and energy, and the clear voices, a sort of mix between  the vocal registers of Ozzy and Fondelius (Count Raven), give to this album an epic touch, making it at the end, an excellent work.   

myspace

*link in comments

Yamantaka//Sonic Titan - YT//ST (2011)

1.- Racoon Song 1:10

2.- Queens 3:50

3.- Oak Of Guernica 2:44

4.- Reverse Crystal/Murder Of A Spider 6:41

5.- Hoshi Neko 4:43

6.- A Star Over Pureland 7:00

7.- Crystal Fortress To The Sea Of Trees 5:03

Delicious piece of psychedellic weirdness. These guys of  Montreal with an asian roots, don´t play the "typical" psychedelia, here there is much more. From the ritualistic rock/doom sound of Jex Thoth that wrap all the album until the sludge of "A Star Over Pureland", and even some pop sonorities like in "Hoshi Neko", makes a really interesting album.The hypnotic female vocals really helps to get into their music. Highly recommended.
You can buy a physical copy here.

myspace

*Link in comments

Vektor - Black Future (2009)

1. Black Future 5:03
2. Oblivion 4:54
3. Destroying The Cosmos 6:47
4. Forests Of Legend 10:16
5. Hunger For Violence 5:30
6. Deoxyribonucleic Acid 4:45
7. Asteroid 6:49
8. Dark Nebula 10:28
9. Accelerating Universe 13:31

I know that I´m late with this album. Everybody talks about them, and I had not heard them until three weeks ago or so... This is a little masterpiece!!! The revival of thrash metal gives us this very welcome breath of fresh air. Very young band with a huge talent, heirs of the technical and progressive sound of bands like Voivod, Coroner, Watchtower, Death and many others. It sounds old school, but It sounds fresh. Must have discography!

myspace

*Link in comments

New Risen Throne - Loneliness Of Hidden Structures (2011)

1. Lungs Into Declining Structure 6:14

2. Echoes From The Loss 5:28

3. Loneliness New Risen Throne 9:17

4. (I) 4:38

5. Lands Filled With Silence And 10:36

6. (II) 6:54

7. A Vision Of The Hidden 8:32

8. (III) 4:40

9. Breath Of Growing Structures 8:57

Currently the best and most terrifying band of dark ambient that I´ve ever heard. These romans really know how to build the sound of fear itself. Turn the lights off and prepare to feel the darkness. This is not for beginner ears. 

myspace

*Link in comments

Blotted Science - The Animation Of Entomology (2011)

01. Ingesting Blattaria
02. Cretaceous Chasm
03. Vermicular Asphyxiation
04. A Sting Operation

An album of technical virtuosity of this bunch of amazing musicians. Ron Jarzombek (Watchtower, Spastik Ink, Gordian Knot), Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) and Hannes Grossman (Obscura) . Crazy and complex structures, surgically executed with and unbelievable technic giving as result  a sonic orgy. Great sutff. I leave you a funny video of "cretaceous chasm" and the remake of King Kong, wich synchronizes the audio and the images.

myspace

*Link in comments

Vargton Projekt - ProgXpriMetal (2011)

01. Jaipur 05:27
02. Ujevkoszonto 00:47
03. Uggarderojr 06:33
04. Rjoredraggu 02:45
05. Birka Trilogy I – The Gathering 01:50
06. Birka Trilogy II – Rendition 04:01
07. Birka Trilogy III – Defender & Believers 08:56
08. Norrsken 05:28
09. Lvorna 07:47
10. Capriccio 01:07
11. U Playin On My Drum 05:05
12. Outrott 01:07
13. Allegro Vivace 03:08
14. Digerrojr 01:40
15. Vargton 06:49
16. Naudljaus 04:17
17. Tokeri 1 05:02
18. Tokeri 2 03:08

Mats Hedberg (guitars), Morgan Ägren (drums) and Björn  Jansson (vocals) are the core of this project. Progressive metal with some rock fusion and jazzy influences. Totally amazing the work of guitars and percussion, but the voices are truly dispendables to me. A long album with a lot of details needed of more than a couple of listenings.

myspace

*Link in comments

Windhand - Windhand (2011)

1. Black Candles 06:11
2. Libusen 08:23
3. Heap Wolves 04:52
4. Summon The Moon 10:51
5. Winter Sun 11:39

Fantastic first full lenght of Windhand, in the line of his demo, in fact their two songs are included here. This is one of a few groups that does not boring me between the bands that follow the Electric Wizard sound. It has something special that hooks you up. Amongst the ultra-saturated doom scene, this is a really worthy band.  

Facebook

*Link in comments

Trash Talk - Eyes & Nines (2010)

1. Vultures
2. Flesh & Blood
3. Explode
4. Harsh Wednesday
5. Envy
6. Rabbit Holes
7. I Do
8. Trudge
9. On A Fix
10. Eyes & Nines

Agressive, fast and short songs for one of the best albums of the last year in his genre. Mainly hardcore and thrash spirit although there is some sludge song. Pure adrenaline!

myspace

*link in comments

NAPE - The Void Yukio (2011)

01. Humid Geometry 04:24
02. Blades at the Door 07:40
03. The Void Yukio 14:39
04. Trailing Random Artefacts 08:42
05. Ruthless Formation 05:45

Imagine the most alien parts of Meshuggah and mr.Thordendal, add to it some of the industrial heaviness of Godflesh, and a touch of jazz. This is NAPE. Interesting, instrumetal and experimental music. Do you wanna taste it? 

*sorry there isn´t videos available.

myspace 

*link in comments

Onna - Onna (2009)

01.- La Cortigiana Dal Velo

02.- Enfolding Your Breasts

03.- Were You To Become A Mother

04.- Le Chat Noir

05.- La Chanson

06.- Esther´s Make Up (live 1983)

07.- Balsam And Ether (live 1983)

08.- The Swan Song (live 1983)

09.- La Cortigiana Dal Velo (live 1983)

10.- Salamander, Salamandra

Keizo Myanishi is the manga artist behind this band. Together with Michio Kurihara at guitars, they created a really tripped out psychedellic music. This album is in fact a compilation: tracks 1-3 are from a 1983 7” (track 3 being an outtake), tracks 4-5 are outtakes from the “Katawa” album [2007], tracks 6-9 are live from 1983 (feat. Michio Kurihara on guitar!!), track 10 is a solo track from the cassette-only version of “Katawa”. Totally recomened if you like the most lysergic and psychodelic sounds. An evocative trip for your senses.

*link in comments

Serious Beak - Huxwhukw (2011)

1. Baxwbakwalanuksiwé 02:23
2. Han 08:17
3. Swagger 05:11
4. Gödel !Xun 02:40
5. Tuī / Tuō 07:23
6. Anhrefn 02:29
7. Sporãs 02:43
8. Lähendama 02:17
9. Fljóta 03:44
10. Taheu Nadryvy, Taheu! 04:33

Instrumental, progressive, experimental, talented compositions, excellent production, empathy... These are the australian Serious Beak. Another great surprise for this year. Really good album!
You can buy a copy here: artascatharsis.bandcamp.com

myspace

*link in comments

Blue Aside - The Orange Tree EP (2010)

1. The Traveler Of Time And Space 5:23
2. Otis’ Sun 7:32
3. Orange Eyes 9:03
4. Black Rays 6:48
5. The Inevitable Journey 7:33

Is this the perfect mix between traditional doom, progressive rock, and psychedelia? If it´s not it´s very close. Excellent first EP of this band, which moves into Black Sabbath, Pentagram, and Pynk Floyd sound, being as a result this wondeful work. Really fresh record in these times of musical saturation.

myspace

*link in comments

466/64 / Under Vultures - split (2011)

Label request.

This is the first reference of the label Tu Pa Tu Tu Pa Records. 466/64 grindcore-powerviolence from Tenerife and Under Vultures grindcore-death metal from Madrid. Good sound, good songs, and tons of violence and crazyness. You can buy it here: Tu Pa Tu Tu Pa Records

466/64 myspace

under vultures myspace

*link in comments

Black Sabbath - Paris 1970 (DVD)

1.Paranoid
2.Hand of doom
3.Rat salad
4.Iron man
5.Guitar intro
6.Black sabbath
7.N.I.B
8.Behind the wall of sleep
9.War pigs (rare version)
10.Fairies wear boots

According to the announcement of 2012 Black Sabbath´s reunion I let you wich is probably one of the best musical dvd ever. The mythical show in Paris when the gods just had recorded their two first albums. PURE MAGIC. I´m so happy about the good news!!! 

blacksabbath

*links in comments

Moksha - Sang De Roure (2011)

01.- Sang De Roure
02.- Esgarriat
03.- Humanitat Podrida
04.- Cavalgant La Corda Fluixa
05.- Corre I Caure Caure I Recarure
06.- L'Antidot
07.- El Bastó
08.- Corrupció I Màfia
09.- La Puta Ruiina
10.- El Sot

Absolutely brutal new album of the catalans Moksha. Sang De Roure (Oak´s Blood) is his 5th full length work and it sounds, heavier, darker and more crushing than ever. Ugh!

myspace

*linl in comments

Graviter - Myopia (2011)

1.Inversion 08:28
2.Obscured 06:29
3.Cause and Effect 07:00
4.Sink Beneath 05:08
5.Moments of Indecision 08:03
6.Ripple 05:47
7.Myopia 06:14

From New Zeland arrives this fantasic first album of Gaviter, some kind of dark and melancholic rock stuff. These guys are clearly followers of Opeth and Katatonia in their last periods, but with his own personality, so you know what you´re gonna find in it. Enjoy it!

bandcamp

*link in commets

Pigsty - Planet Of The Pigs (2009)

1. Inspection Report
2. Brand-New Dawn
3. Untranslatable
4. Time Has Come
5. Demon Alcohol
6. Santa's Last Ride
7. Just A Playground
8. Pure Business
9. It's Too Easy
10. Reborn 

Brutal and very accesible album of grindcore with some touches of groove metal. Insane as the style demands! Enjoy it.

myspace

*link in comments

:Of The Wand And The Moon: - The Lone Descent (2011)

1. Sunspot
2. Absence
3. A Pyre Of Black Sunflowers
4. Tear It Apart
5. We Are Dust
6. A Tomb Of Seasoned Dye
7. Is It Out Of Our Hands?
8. Watch The Skyline Catch Fire
9. The Lone Descent
10. Immer Vorwarts
11. A Song For Deaf Ears In Empty Cathedrals

I´m not used to listening neofolk, but this album since the first listening it seemed to me fantastic. For sure, one of the surprises of this year. Taste it!

myspace
*link in comments

Cynic - Carbon-Based Anatomy EP (2011)

01. Amidst The Coals  2:14
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy  6:34
03. Bija!  2:30
04. Box Up My Bones  5:41
05. Elves Beam Out  4:05
06. Hieroglyph  2:31

The brand new EP of the progressive masters is here. They follow the way of his last EP, it means that the progressive sounds are the stars in this work, leaving aside the extrem parts of his beginings. Personally I love both periods, so I´m enjoying this little taste awaiting for a new full lenght album.

myspace

*link in comments

Negurâ Bunget - Focul Viu (DVD) (2011)

01. Primul OM
02. Wordless Knowledge
03. Intro Bruiestru + Cunoaşterea Tăcută
04. IIII
05. Al Locului
06. Norilor
07. Hora Soarelui
08. Cel Din Urmă Vis
09. II + III
10. Văzduh
11. Ţesarul De Lumini 

My friends, today I proudly offer to you the complete DVD ( dvd9 not dvdrip) of the most creative an outstanding black metal band at the present. The romanians Negurâ Bunget recorded his first live album, Focul Viu (live fire), at Bukarest 2008, with an excellent quality of audio and video. A tracklist mainly based in his two last albums, N´Crugu Bradului and Om, played by the original line-up, will make us enjoy this work as never. A romanian jewell that everybody must have. Highly recommended!

myspace

*links in comments (7 parts)

Morkobot - Morbo (2011)

1. Ultramorth  7:31
2. Orkotomb  3:38
3. Orbothord  3:52
4. Oktrombo  4:43
5. Mor  9:45
6. Oktomorb  3:21
7. Obrom  3:53

When I heard this record my first thought was: Zu. Well after a few listenings I have to say that sometimes this becomes even more weird an experimental than them, but they are still keeping closer his sound. Add some of Primus to the equation as well and you´ll have the spawn! Good, good, good!

myspace

*link in comments

Ghoul - Transmission Zero (2011)

1. The Lunatic Hour 04:06
2. Off With Their Head 03:16
3. Destructor 03:05
4. Death in the Swamp 01:34
5. The Mark of Voodoo 02:52
6. Brain Jerk 04:30
7. Blood Feast 03:43
8. Morning of the Mezmetron 08:17
9. Transmission Zero 03:29
10. Tooth and Claw 02:28
11. Metallicus Ex Mortis 02:29

A rare way to mix death metal, thrash and rock and roll. It´s sounds familiar but not the same as always. Interesting stuff. Good videoclip by the way. Give them a chance.

myspace

*link in comments

Smohalla - Résilience (2011)

1. Quasar 03:31
2. Au Sol Les Toges Vides 07:38
3. Le Repos Du Lezard 05:10
4. Oracle Rouge 04:27
5. Marche Silencieuse 05:13
6. L’homme Et La Brume 06:50
7. Aux Mille Dieux 05:53
8. Nos Sages Divisent 06:45

Certainly an unorthodox work of black metal, with a symphonic and progressive sound. Maybe not a masterpiece, but it´s a very interesting stuff anyway. Enjoy it!

myspace

*link in comments

The Ruins Of Beverast - Enchanted By Gravemould (2011)

1. The Desert Lair
2. The Moselle Enigma
3. Hours Of The Aequinox
4. Enigma Of The Absolute
5. To Have And To Hold
6. Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium

After the fantastic "foulest semen and sheltered elite" album, here we have a compilation of old recordings. Interesting way to see the black metal. Hard listening, but it´s worth!

myspace

*link in comments

Trembling Blue Stars - The Last Holy Writer (2007)

01. By false lights

02. Idyllwild

03. Sacred music

04. This once was an island

05. The coldest sky

06. Schnee gletscher glas

07. November starlings

08. Darker, colder, slower

09. From a pale blue rosary

10. Say goodbye to the sea

11. The tenth of always

12. A statue to Wilde

Sixth album of Trembling Blue Stars. A work mostly full of sadness and melancholy moments, with an oniric sound, mix of synth pop and electronica. Good record for those moments of stillness and tranquillity. Highlight for "sacred music".

myspace
*link in comments

Kartikeya - Durga Puja EP (2011)

01. Durga Puja 05:27
02. Enter My Dome´2011 03:30
03. Nemesis (Acoustic Version) 03:45
04. The Path (Live) 04:35
05. Triangular Tattvic Fire (Melechesh Cover) 04:00
06. Arise (Sepultura Cover) 02:50

Interesting new EP of this unknown band to me. They´re like if you mix the math metal of Meshuggah, with the ethnic sound of bands as Melechesh and the solo works of Karl Sanders. With an excellent production and a couple of good covers I think that this is a very good begining to introduce these guys. Enjoy it.

myspace 

*link in comments

Vallenfyre - Desecration EP (2011)

1. Desecration 05:05
2. Iconoclast 03:35

Short EP for this new superband. Check the line up out:

Gregor Mackintosh (Paradise Lost), Hamish Glencross (MY Dying Bride), Adrian Erlandsson (At The Gates/Paradise Lost), and Scoot (Doom). It´s the swedish sound that all of us know, but it sounds really good. Waiting for their new album (A Fragile King) due for release on november.

facebook

*Link in comments 

Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar (2011)

Disc 1: Andvari

1. Ljós í Stormi

2. Fjara
3. Þín Orð
4. Sjúki Skugginn
5. Æra
6. Kukl

Disc 2: Gola
1. Melrakkablús
2. Draumfari
3. Stinningskaldi
4. Stormfari
5. Svartir Sandar
6. Djákninn

This is one of those bands that years ago started to play black metal and today, as Ulver or Manes did,  his sound has evolved to something very diferent. This album is a continuation of Köld or better said, a step forward in his music. Very interesting album for a very interesting band. I´m sure that it will be one of the best of this year.

Myspace

*Link in comments

Pantera - Nosatsu EP (1998)

1.Becoming
2.Domination
3.Hollow
4.New Level
5.Psycho Holiday
6.Primal Concrete Sledge

Live in Japan in 1994, but the record was released in 1998. For Pantera´s fans, an oddity with a very good sound quality. Some of their classics  performed with the energy of live. Enojy it.

myspace

*Link in comments

Peter Murphy - Ninth (2011)

01 Velocity Bird
02 Seesaw Sway
03 Peace To Each
04 I Spit Roses
05 Never Fall Out
06 Memory Go
07 The Prince & Old Lady Shade
08 Uneven & Brittle
09 Slowdown
10 Secret Silk Society
11 Creme De La Creme

After seven years without an album, here we have his 8th studio work. Nothing new, just good music. If you know him you know what can you expect, if you don´t, taste it... A guy with class.

Myspace

*Link in comments  

The Fucking Wrath - Valley Of The Serpent´s Soul (2011)

1.) The Question
2.) Rebellious Axe
3.) Swan Song of a Mad Man
4.) Altar of Lies
5.) Blank Slate
6.) The Neurodyssey I.) Valley of the Serpent’s Soul II.) Caverns of Fire III.) Endless Black Flags
7.) Grandelusion
8.) Goddess of Pain

And here we go again... The Fucking Wrath from California offers us a very good work where you can find metal, rock, hardcore, sludge... with a powerful production, a "metallic" cover artwork and 8 tacks to headbang ´till death. The show must go on!

myspace

*Link in comments

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu (2009)

1. Korppi
2. Danjon Nolla
3. Kangastus 1968
4. Suuri Pää Taivaasta
5. Myöhempien Aikojen Pyhien Teatterin Rukoilijasirkka
6. Dub Kuolleen Porton Muistolle
7. Muukalainen Puhuu
8. Kerettiläinen Vuohi

Original, weird, psychedelic and dark... or better said, black! You are not gonna find much works like this. A really good album of psychedelic black metal from Finland. Not easy to catch it, but it really worth to do the effort.

myspace

*Link in comments

The Blueflowers - Watercolor Ghost Town (2009)

1 Watercolor Ghost Town
2 A Reason
3 I Can’t Stop My Heart From Breaking
4 Any Three Words
5 The Weight
6 Just for Show
7 Float
8 I Wasn’t Her
9 You’re Not the Only One
10 The Strangled Song
11 Helpless and Hopeless

Well, let´s go with something less malignant. A bit of good easy-listening music with and angelical fermale voice. Americana, alt-country, folk and a very good taste, all of it wrapped in a cinematic atmospheres. Remarcable first album. Enjoy it!

myspace

*link in comments