Great Albums You’ve Never Heard Of… Probably

Great Albums You’ve Never Heard Of… Probably is bringing up some fine releases, which are either from new artists or albums that never caught on the way they should have.

Paavoharju – Tuote akatemia / Unien Savonlinna EP // NMMREM XXIV

Paavoharju is a Finnish folk / ambient band / collective which has a truly unique musical style (something along the lines of freak folk). Their both full-lengths Yhä Hämärää (2005) and Laulu Laakson Kukista (2008) are enchanting pieces. They combine mysterious folk, lo-fi, ambience and surprisingly catchy elements, somehow usually avoiding to be artsy or annoyingly indie and getting to huge depths of natural feel.

Between the full-length albums Paavoharju released a largely unknown Free Download EP Tuote akatemia / Unien Savonlinna in 2006. It is a varied effort, mainly in good sense. The EP starts with a bang; two tracks that are among the best Paavoharju tracks of all time, forebodingly beautiful Nuo Maisemat and a live version of Kuljin Kauas. Usually live versions are to be passed with a shrug but Kuljin Kauas (Lepovaunu-05 Live) captures the live feeling extremely well. It adds so much raw-power to the composition, it competes side-by-side with the original album version. I didn’t know Paavoharju could be so heavy live!

Listening the album well over 10 times it is quite descriptive that a few months after the last listen, from the last 5 tracks I can only remember one, Pepe. Pepe is a left-over sounding Joose Keskitalo track, alike “Italialaisella laivalla” in Laulu Laakson Kukista LP (Joose Keskitalo is a Finnish singer-songwriter known of his Eponymous project). I do like Pepe and even had a short crush to it, but in my books, its quality is lower than nearly any track in first three Joose Keskitalo records (which are all near-masterpieces).

By no means is the end-album bad, it is just a lot less catchy and more of freaky ambient origin. Tavataan 12-7-2004 has some beautiful piano work. Mitä Sinä Et Ole nears worthlessness and is only saved by haunting female vocals. Tartu Tähän Hetkeen encompasses the Paavoharju ambient sound, but feels bit more raw and unpolished than most of the ambient pieces in their full-lengths. The last track Salatut Käyvät Julki is a melancholic pretty guitar and pump organ outro, very Rural-Finnish.

A good release with two extremely strong tracks and only one filler. Kudos to them for not trying to make money with a collection of oddities, but it really could have been a “real” release. It is almost as captivating and magic as their full-lengths, but not quite. If it wasn’t a free download I would not recommend it for Paavoharju beginners. But as it is, if you enjoy the pieces here you will for sure love the full-lengths.

8+/10

Free Download: http://archive.org/details/mia061

Joose: “Nimenomaan tonin laulua!”

Hyvämakuinen yleisönjäsen: “Hieno.”

Tarkasti analysoiva yleisönjäsen: “Tää on musiikkia.”

Kanellos – Destroy music // NMMREM XXII

I have been curious about Kanellos since I spotted the track Assassins in the sky in Fuck your speakers vol. 2 music collection. It is among the best material on those 2 cd’s I listened and reviewed.

Sure enough, I finally bumped to a Kanellos release. Destroy Music is his fourth release, making switch to a new ground, Sirona-Records when the previous releases by Kanellos have been released on Dramacore and Glitch City. Both labels which I can recommend as they have some truly great stuff in their catalogues.

Like so often I did not know what to expect from the release. And sure enough, peculiarities lied in await for me. I had to double and triple check the genre of the release to figure out what exactly I am listening. One of the main genres is supposedly Hip Hop but I have never heard Hip Hop like this. Especially as it is completely instrumental. Is this some sort of Ambient Hip Hop? That cannot be a genre.

Second track In a breath sounds like its recorded in an echoing hall with something between you and the sound taking away the “top” of it. It is for sure a peculiar feeling and switch of the sound after the intro Gouvernementalité. When Gouvernementalité has an epic lead melody and something to grab on In a Breath fittingly seems to blow by you with harmonies that float around and just manage to avoid contact.

Lie in Wait a short spacey ambient piece leads to the main goodness of the EP. Calmingly ominous All Broken has a tasty beat and atmosphere to spare. Infectious, lovely dirty overpeaking. Groovy Yanqui follows and doesn’t notch down the quality. It takes some of those spacey ambients introduced in Lie in Wait and places them in a sandwich with an organic beat, and munchy, almost sexy bass riff. These two tracks, especially All Broken sound like Kanellos could be a great pair with the underground rap group SDSA; and their suicidal hiphop lyrics.

Like the end of All Broken also Yanqui transforms towards ambience and flows into a distortion space-hymn which is naturally followed by more of cosmos in the title track Destroy Music. It is a very FluiD (pun intended) transformation and indeed, does remind me of the album Envisioning Abstraction: the Duality of FluiD.

More surprises; space-hymns flow on to the final track No One Left, which supplies distant guitar and piano melodies (?) and suddenly a catchy rhythm. With all the different sounds Destroy Music equips, it proves that good old craftmanship is not dead, and leaves a lasting impression.

“The passion for destruction is a creative passion” – Mikhail Bakunin


8+/10

Free download: http://archive.org/details/Siro584Kanellos-DestroyMusic

Glanko – Telekommand EP // NMMREM XIX

Glanko, classified as IDM (short for intelligent dance music) did not gain my interest with the genre title. I very rarely enjoy dance music. With the track 9003 (/w mote) on my Facebook wall by Pollux I thought I need to give it a listen. Boy was I surprised; 9003 sounds like it is from a movie, assessing melancholic violins and orchestrations in a mellow ambient and rather organic atmosphere. A thrilling neoclassical track, but nothing like the rest of the album.

Purely electronics driven; first half of constantly glitching; wonderously mystical Maikurofomu CC walks a tightrope and slips off balance only to regain it with a somersault.

Second track Telekommand A has probably the best hook of the album, with the bass line at 2.50, peaking already at 2.55 to the sudden glitching bassdrop. Many times have I found myself humming this bassline, along with the bassdrop after listening this EP. It is a shame, in reality the best hook of the album, is never repeated. But the strong bassline stays there for quite a while and mildly changes form constantly. As if there is one thing that Glanko’s Telekommand lacks it is memorable melodies and hooks. Telekommand is a very enticing entity but it doesn’t have jaw-droppers except a few individual moments and the fourth track, 9003 (w/ Mote). When 9003 (w/ Mote) is pure 10/10 material the rest of the album fades into 8/10 territory.

It doesn’t mean it is not a strong very original entity with a high base level. The mystical atmosphere stays intact; melodies and mixtures of sounds I’ve never heard anywhere else. There are a lot of stuff happening beyond the surface. Kudos to the artist for not overpeaking the tracks and allowing an extreme volumedose!

9-/10

Free Download: http://archive.org/details/siro570Glanko-TelekommandEp

Great Music Videos – Fall 2012 – A Forest of Stars, Swallow The Sun, Agalloch

Something different for a change. Music videos and fan videos that I have enjoyed lately.

A Forest of Stars – Gatherer of the Pure (official music video) (61 000 views)

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I will still label this as the best music video I have ever seen. It was released in June 2012 and made an intense impact. In fact with the second view. The first was stunning but after the second view I had time to focus on the other aspects besides the plot and music. Since then I must have rewatched it over 20 times.

The video is very game-like reminding of the beginning of a masterful game, Braid. It also has a Limbo-like dark colour and character scheme. But still does it uniquely that its clear its not a rip off of any single influence. The track Gatherer of Pure is a good one. First time ever, when listening the track from the cd; I actually wish I was watching the music video instead. Without the music video the track just isn’t complete. It even works to that extent that for a lyrics freak like me, the lyrics of track are just a minor point. The most important point is the balance of the dramatic composition and dramatic events in the video which are very well adapted together.

The graphic illustrations are of course nothing short of stunning with absolutely beautiful shots from an imaginary place. The clever use of yellow and black and white colour scheme with at times sparked with red, blue and other effectcolours is a remarkable effect. After the video looks like just a misshapen love story, do not miss the end. It is such a distorted piece of plot-twists that will blow you away.

Swallow the Sun – Emerald Forest And The Blackbird (Unofficial Video) (4800 views)


In fact, it is a fan video of clicheic forest photography. But, the photography is so stunning that it doesn’t bother at all. Absolutely beautiful forest shots encompassed with one of the best songs of 2011. A stunning view that takes you away for a wintery forest walk in Finland. Very topical as the winter is coming…


Agalloch – The Sowilo Rune (“The Sowilo Man” fan video) (2300 views)


A fan video, named “The Sowilo Man” is of course a take on the events from the move The Wicker Man (1973). One of my all time favourite movies. Taken from The White EP that encompasses a lot of elements and voice clips from the movie. For everyone who loves the film; this video is a welcome revisit to the lovely looking, beautiful yet in the end dark schemes of the movie.

And a word of advise for everyone not familiar with the original Wicker Man. Do not watch the Nicholas Cage version (2006). Find the classic Wicker Man of 1973 or better yet, the extended edit. It has lots of great scenes that were cut out of the theatrical version without the agreement of the film creators. Some of these parts are in this video as well.

Sergeant Howie: “And what of the true God? To whose glory churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? Now shall what of Him?”

Lord Summerisle: “Oh, He’s dead. He can’t complain. He had his chance and in modern parlance. Blew it.”

Once Were Ghosts – Transient Silence // NMMREM XVIII

 

Cover_thumb

Once Were Ghosts is a post-rock project originating from Las Vegas. When Las Vegas always brings in the image of flashing lights extravaganza, constant motion and hectic surroundings, Once Were Ghosts might be placed in this abstract moment when the city sleeps. Suitably Transient Silence clocks only a pinch under 7 minutes, the short wander you can make in deserted alleyways seeing shut down light signs, before everything bursts to flame again.

Transient Silence is driven by beautifully crafted guitar melodies setting the atmosphere high immediately. Imagine those November nights when it is raining, windy and cold outside and you are warm inside under the linen covers sipping warm blackberry juice and reading a book. The guitar melodies are accompanied by a drum machine which is a bit over the top, drums being a lot faster and technical than the guitars. Drums still manage to sound good but no doubt they aren’t the perfect par for the stunning guitar lines.

The shortness of Transient Silence is also a charm as it is easy to listen 2 or 3 times. Especially the first 2 tracks are top notch melancholic post rock, bringing in mind the strongest outputs of Escape The Day and This Empty Flow. In only 7 minutes it is hard to give yourself up to a complete flow as you know the fun is not going to last for long, but nearly every time Once Were Ghosts takes me over on the very first notes. Give this one a try, it is one of the best 7 minutes you’ll spend.

The Amoeba / Boris Clitoris

This triple issue deals with three free download EP’S. The Amoeba – Gayest Shits (2009), Boris Clitoris Swastikat – Swastikore (2010), Boris Clitoris – Boris

Clitoris (2012). Even with two different artist names the releases are in fact from the same artist and with the same style.

All of these albums are free downloads and good ones too. In total the three EP’s combined clock just under 24 very entertaining minutes. A summary of the genres in the albums could be melodic breakcore comic metal lounge mashup. It’s probably easier to just compare it straight out to Nero’s Day At Disneyland but with some metal and psychedelic comics thrown in.

The first EP, Gayest shits feels like more effort was given to it than the latter ones. It sounds to have the biggest number of layers and versatility. It is also heaviest of the three, Boris Clitoris has seemingly developed its sound towards more melodic and minimalistic output. Funnily, even though the music sounds more minimalistic, on the newest release the melodies are possibly more complicated than before. Just take the bass line of Difficult Listening or the god-knows what instrument driven melodics of Hyena Clitoris from the S/T EP.

What separates Boris Clitoris from many electronic artists is the sheer quality and variety of
melodies. There are for example 8-bit melodies (super nerd, Comic Sans), heavy melodic riffs (evil satan!, I’m An Alligator), odd distorted melodies (Swastikat, Mooie Man), some sort of progressive lounge (?) (Hyena clitoris, Difficult Listening), overly happy melodies with sound clips (Yellow is the color of the sun, Organ Grinder). Each song has a vibe of being an unique successful experiment, though every EP has the sort of trademark heavy tracks and overly melodic tracks. But the tracks are full of surprises, the heavy as shit riff may be suddenly entwined with a melody straight out of kindergarden, and as well the child’s play may have a distorted ear-bleeding-beat. Or even the occasional noisewall. You never know whats in store, and that makes the experience immensely entertaining.
If I have to nitpick on something it would be the volume levels, through all albums the tracks have different volume levels, meaning the listener has to keep adjusting the volumes. Given the versatility of tracks it is no wonder that there are glitches like this. Also, maybe its the nostalgia-syndrome, but the output of Amoeba / Boris Clitoris has goon slightly downhill with every new release. While i’d rank Gayest shits near 10, Swastikat Swastikore is probably just under 9 and the self-titled a solid 8.

If you are into Venetian Snares or Nero’s Day At Disneyland The Amoeba / Boris Clitoris is for you. And if you happen to like metal as well, all the better.

I could say all of the above all just summarize all in Boris Clitoris’s words “Fucked up, epileptic, retarded, spastic, childish, bedroom produced, free to download music.”

Free Downloads:

Boris Clitors – Boris Clitoris (free download when you name your price to 0, I didn’t)

Music Video of Mevrouw van Iersel:

Night In Gales – Necrodynamicg

In 2001 when Necrodynamic was released, Modern Melodeath was on a really big ascension with names like Soilwork and In Flames leading the pack. Night In Gales previous effort Nailwork was released in 2000 and while being a bit of an oddity, still had most of that 2000s’ melodeath touch.

Criminally underrated stands Night In Gales Necrodynamic. It is often referred with a shrug as the weakest effort of a mediocre melodeath band. While it may be true that Night In Gales never were better than a mediocre melodeath band, they did succeed in composing memorable songs and good album entities. In Necrodynamic Night In Gales is probably as far from melodeath as they’ve ever been. Ironically lyrically they are almost only about death. The songs usually encompass a sort of thrash metal-edged drive with nicely raw and muddy sounds; far away from the typical “modern melodeath sound”, but still melodic and heavy.

The most unusual thing about Night in Gales has always been the compound words in their lyrics. In earlier albums their guitar work was at times also very odd and while not always perfect, still original. Like guitar work the lyrics turned less experimental with time, but still have a pinch of old. How about:

Down for more of those nothings
Neonecrononsense and unlight
Saw a skeleton eatin’ its gravestone
But I keep these words inside

The songs have plenty of groove and while the lyrics aren’t filled with oddcompoundworks anymore; they are still pretty fun.

I really got into Necrodynamic nearly 10 years ago and the song trinity Deathmouth Daisies, Song Of Something and Right From The Morgue is still as fun and rocking as they used to be. There are a lot of albums which I then thought as masterpieces but find hardship in appreciating now. Necrodynamic is still fresh. An album which I’ve always enjoyed and never mixed it up as being a masterpiece.

It is the sort of album you may have heard about; but didn’t know how good it is. Hell, rest of Night in Gales albums were re-released in 2008, but not Necrodynamic. While it may be because of copyright reasons, it still does criminal injustice to the album. I think it was just the wrong time for a modern melodeath band to release an album which was not modern at all.

83/100

Yona-kit – Yona-kit LP

“A day later, Yasuko was shot out of the whale’s blowhole, landing safe on the deck of the yacht, still at sea. She spoke of bizzare goings on withing the whale’s gut…Progressive, avant-experimentalism, hardcore, ambience, metal, and a few less savory things all being digested together to form a racket the likes of which had never been heard. Days passed and Chiller Whale was nowhere to be found. The Skin Graft crew began to lose hope of ever seeing their pals again, until just moments before the search was to be called off, Chiller Whale appeared at the ship’s bow! He opened his mighty jaws to reveal the castaways, stronger than before, shoes shined and united under the moniker Yona-Kit (Jonah-Whale). They : stepped out and rejoined the Skin Graft crew. “I’ve got it all on tape!” exclaimed Steve. “


Math rock with a pinch of Japanese obscurity

Dirty, raw, psychedelic, odd and well, slightly annoying at times. Truly one of its kind. Yona-kit’s only LP is a real menace, the groove is on and the sounds are just right when you want your dose of lo-fi crunchiness. The tracks have a real energy and live feeling, but instruments also have their own space to operate and are visible parts of the entity. The image of the band is also stunning and the LP cover looks like it’s been ripped out from a cheap copy of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s or Terry Gilliam’s puppetshow rip-off movie. And that is just right!

Initially I came across this record searching for covers of an English child ballad Two Corbies (also covered by Sol Invictus); and Yona-Kits cover shone out by its sheer uniqueness.

The album boasts three clear hits with Franken-Bitch, Skeleton King and Two Corbies; i would also add the obscure (well everything else about this album is obscure too) instrumental Dancing Sumo Wrestlers near their rank. Hey, a song name like that alone is close to a classic!

The 23 minute anti-magnum opus Slice of Life is a very fitting way to end the album. After about 5 minutes the rest of the 18 minutes is a repeat of the same riff. Oh how I was disappointed at first listens that the blissfull jam just stalls its development. I later came to appreciate the feeling of stopping the album in the midst of a great riff!

SDSA – Drug Life mixtape

They say that rock does not have danger anymore and they are right because most of what normal people label as rock is done by rich men in their 40-50’s or corporate money making machines. Back in the day the best selling rock was filled with real cocaine-flavoured fantasies. But now those same people are still making songs. Or those who were smart enough to survive it.

“I’m steady noddin’ out like I got the narcolepsy
girl I like you so I put the GHB up in your Pepsi”
– SDSA – Operation (Feat. Spunky Smith) (Prod. By FluiD)


They say that metal does not have danger anymore and again they are right. The 90’s church burnings and mainstream’s ideology of heavy metal being of satan is far out sight.

But we are only talking about mainstream. With a short dive underground you can easily find music where danger still lives. Take for example an Iraqese band Acrassicauda who played metal literally between bombings and in the fear of authorities finding out what they are doing and shooting them. So when Esa Holopainen of Amorphis (or any other renowed metal musician) tells that metal does not have danger anymore of course it is like they say…

Danger is definitely not out of underground music and that is why it is such a juicy goldmine to find real emotions of. And if there is a single album that has been the definition of danger lately it is SDSA’s brilliantly named “Drug Life”. And what the hell, the album is a free download from Bandcamp.

SDSA is short of Suicidally Depressed Substance Abusers but this is no emo-shit. Apparently most tracks are influenced by really fucked up real-life situations and that is why they don’t end up making tracks often.

Fuck, im talking about rock and metal, but the stuff that’s tweaked my built-in danger meter lately the most; is underground hip-hop from Detroit. I never knew I could like hip-hop quite this much, but I always knew there must be jewels like this somewhere. Stuff that is too raw to ever be in public attention. Stuff that doesn’t have much distinctively good beats so to fully appreciate you have to dig deep to the drug-infused lyrics and mean vocal lines.

This stuff is full of danger and disfigured streetviews. Listening them, you can really hear that things in Detroit are fucked up.

education is shit, you cant live in this country without staying lit
– SDSA – Operation

The beginning of Drug Life contains more humour and is more on the fun-loving side of abusing drugs and yourself. The middle part (Japan Remix (Feat. Katha Underground) (Prod. By De-Paul), Midnite Snack and Mos Cryptic is the weakest. However it does lead way to brilliantly gloomy last 30 minutes of the album which makes the album a tight entity.

Is this picture really from 2010 or the 80s’?

“now we’re all getting raped like the drunkard out of party
that smoked too much chronic and drank too much bacardi
but this type of rapist is being sponsored by our government
i feel like i’d be fake if i wasnt speaking on this shit
the way they keep cutting my grandfathers pension
makes me want to hang myself with my own fucking intestines”
– SDSA – Operation

Like I said they are not emo-shit; their lyrics are full of pitch-black humour and abusing people, or themselves. To close this review, here is one of the juiciest bits of the pitch-black-humour sort. In my minds eye I can see this scene in JAM.

“We’re in a parking lot and the visions all hasty –
if you think i’ll let her go then you must be crazy
i wasnt about to drop of and ask for a number
i tore off her clothes and we fucked in a dumpster

you can call it sin but i threw her in
she had leftover tacobells on her chin
and a banana peel upon a heel
saw some bloody puke so i didnt kneel
grabbed a garbage bag and i took a seat
pulled out my dick and fucked her feet

we got trashfucked girl knew how to suck
she never woke up you can call it luck
tried a dozen positions i loved her style
she was my centerfold and i was Jay Geils”
– SDSA – Crash The Club (Prod. by ProBangers.com)

Overall score: 9/10

Download the album for free from here: http://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/drug-life

Weeping Birth – Anosognosic Industry of the I

Weeping Birth must be one of the best hidden gems of Brutal and Technical Death Metal. This project of Metal monster mind Vladimir Cochet released its first album in 2003 but robbed the bank with their second effort in 2008. “Anosognosic Industry Of the I” destroys, chills and occasionally even puts in a beautiful melody. Mainly destroys.

Seventy-plus minutes of monster riffs and huge tempos is, as a thought, very hard to digest but somehow “Anosognosic Industry of the I” is made fluid. For times when the listener may feel sated of crunching riffs, the occasional melodic bits are the perfect relief. These moments are for example the crazy guitar solo of “Hurle à la Mort”, “Orgasmic Fetid Breath”‘s ominous guitar lead turning into a melodically outbursting chorus, or the beautiful track “Shadowless”. Most memorable melodics are, you guessed it, topped over crunching high-speed riffs. The album does have dynamics but it is truly itself only when the gas pedal is stuck down.

The clean vocals and the over done, bit dull-sounding drum machine aren’t at par with the rest of the release but they are nonetheless only minor inconveniences as especially the drums are very well-programmed. The only clearly weak track is “Detestable Birth Tapestries With Snakes Embroidered”, which verse riff is simply just off, making an otherwise strong track rather annoying. With deep self-examination one might also come to note that “Love, Death’s Betrothed” is perhaps too technical for its own good, putting in massive disruptions after each other. On early listens it can be mindblowing in a WTF-fashion, but later on the surprise wears off.

The album is a surprisingly flawless piece, having almost no weak moments. “Anosognosic Industry Of the I” excels at constant variation, wonderful riffs and well-timed dynamics to give the listener a breather now and then. The top moments include for example the frantic and devious last two minutes of “I Was” and the evil break of “Der Tanz der Toten” with French vocals seemingly ready to gnaw the skin off your bones. But most of all “Shadowless”, an almost Classical composition, which seems to consist of a continuous bridge slowly leading towards the inevitable orgasmic peak.

Prepare to get bewildered, amazed and confused. “Anosognosic Industry Of the I” brings in a similar shock factor as Havoc Unit’s album “h.IV+”  – for me these two are the best Extreme Metal albums of the 2000s.

Overall Score: 9+

The review was originally released in Metal-observer: http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=18866