Peace, love and death metal

This is my most favourite day of the year. There no darkness in our small hours these weeks. In recent years I’ve learned to love the light and appreciate night more as an emotional experience. There’s enough darkness in our years, so let’s celebrate the summer we have here.

Chang Ffos - “Iron Icon” mp3
Chang Ffos - “The Throne Of Sasquatch Ascending” mp3

Ever heard of Chang Ffos? Me neither, but their sludge have enough buzz - or the other way around - that it’s easy to appreciate them.

Death By Kite -”Himmelfahrtskommando” mp3
Death By Kite - “Bhf. Asta” mp3

Danish Death By Kite have a stupid name, but their debut album is of high quality. Trio’s mission was to combine different elements from band members’ musical backgrounds, but in my opinion this is rather something new because it sounds so natural. Shoegaze indie with danceable beats - this album is 50/50 about killing yourself in misery and then dancing the misery away.

And This Army - “Blackbeard” mp3

Rarely, music I listen to paints an image of a city, its streets or other, should I say, man-made structures. Mostly my music is all about backing up what comes inside of me, soundtracks to emotions and current feelings. Of course there are exceptions, like Swedish Broder Daniel’s Cruel Town, that spoke so clearly about a place and about leaving it for survival. It still was an album that gave notes to every cruel town there is and especially to those located give or take 1 000 kilometres from folkhemmet of nordic safety. (On this matter, if you have an old issue of Vice, The Laisvall Issue to be precise, stored somewhere, please read it.)

While listening to New York’s And This Army they kind of invite me to their home. Their self-released debut Foe is by all means an album full of organic and emotional music that depending on your mood, makes you either transcend or descend into other levels. However, And This Army’s keep their feet well on the ground: Foe trusts on the holy trinity of recognizable vocals, innovative guitar work and strong beats. It makes it all sound like it have never been made before, even if you can pinpoint references from Neurosis to Sonic Youth and Gang Of Four to Black Sabbath.

It’s not that And This Army comes flawless. At times their music feels as if it’s being dragged or forced through the route. Also, I would’ve changed the track order. Still, at least by the time Foe reaches “Blackbeard” and “Stranglehold” it becomes evident that this band truly masters their vision of music. Their representation of urban insecurity does have an breath of fresh air which makes Foe so well worth remembering.

Listen to Foe

Hebosagil - “Temple” mp3

When I write, I love to start describing a band by saying something like: “Imagine being hit by a train”. I use figure of speech to describe the weight and velocity of music, so that you, a reader, would believe me that the band I’m talking about really is heavy metal music.

In Hebosagil’s case, it’d be an underestimation to say “Imagine being hit by a train”. There is a short cut, no imagination required: just listen to their music and you are being hit by a heavy object, in this case a heavy sonic object.

Hebosagil is relatively young and unknown Finnish band. Some thrashy demos under their bullet belt they’ve refocused to much more original and way more heavier sound. They use reference points such as High On Fire, Autopsy and Skitsystem. Sludge, filth and destruction indeed are the keywords here.

Cosmic EP is 25-minute multiheaded monster. The core is in the slower, but oh so heavy (believe me?) songs, such as the opener “Temple”, but for the sake of not stagnating at times Hebosagil’s music burst into blastbeats, noisebreaks and stoned guitar leads. Everything is kept well together - and even if this quite far from what you’d call lovely, this EP has a charm you can’t help but love. Drums sounds like a violent thunder and that’s always a compliment.

For the lovers of heavy and filthy music, Hebosagil’s Cosmic EP is available for free download at their homesite. Highly recommended, this is one of the best Finnish self-financied (and other) work I’ve heard for months, if not years.

An updated link to Neurosis’ Given to the Rising stream @Fanatic Promotion’s eCard

Neurosis - Given to the Rising album stream @3voor12

Kongh - “Zihuatanejo” mp3
Another new definition of “heavy”. And I really mean heavy: down on your knees, crawling through mud, dragging dead people and body parts in ear-destroying noise while trying to keep your pace faster than that of the lava just few moments behind you heavy.

And This Army - “Blackbeard” mp3
Emotionally pretty much the same as above, except the dead people are being dragged inside the mind and there are no ear-destroying noise, there are those damn whispers. Whole recording can be streamed here.

A Swarm Of The Sun - “I Fear The End” mp3
Swedish A Swarm Of The Sun have now a downloadable mp3 of the song “I Fear The End” available. It’s still as breathtaking as it was on the first time. Also a video - or preferably - a visual presentation of the same track is online. Official release date for their first EP The King Of Everything is set for April 30th.

Omega Massif - “In Der Mine” new track @Myspace
Geisterstadt is the title of their debut album. There are several demo tracks available on their website; if you like your instrumental music heavy this is highly recommended.

Last Days Of April - “Who’s On The Phone” mp3
From the album Might As Well Live - out in mid-March. I’m glad they never change.

Logh - “Saturday Nightmare” mp3
From the forthcoming Logh album North - out in early April.

Neurosis - “Water Is Not Enough” mp3
First mp3 from the forthcoming Neurosis album Given To The Rising - out in May.

Soulstab - “The Uuh Aah Dialog” mp3
- download Shake Your Stuff! demo 2006

A Swarm Of The Sun - “Refuge” mp3
…but for your own good, listen to “I Fear The End” from their MySpace first.

Herem - “Dawn of the Last Day” mp3

Finnish doomsters Herem have released their second demo Dogs Of Doom. Three tracks, free download here. (via Roklintu)

Cult Of Luna - “Heartbeats (Elektronisk Balanserad)” mp3 at MySpace

Cult Of Luna’s MySpace have alternative keyboards and drums version of the opening track for Somewhere Along The Highway. Available for limited time only, so click download.

I think I’ll put this blog on hold for some weeks or so. I’ll have some wedding arrangements to finish next week, they’ll keep me busy. And yes, it’s me getting married. It’ll be a great day.