Word of Mouth #6: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Deafheaven - Sunbather on YouTube

'Sunbather' is a release courtesy of Deathwish Inc. (yes, them again, and god damn it is it glorious).

Yeah, I'm spreading the word about the album that Metacritic, Pitchfork Magazine, Spin Magazine, and Rolling Stone Magazine are declaring the top metal album of 2013. Indeed, its score on Metacritic is a whopping 92 percent, based on 17 critic reviews. The "Best Albums of 2013" page (click here for source) states: "It's the first time a metal album has occupied the #1 slot in our year-end rankings."

Anyway, as I listen to this now, I am astounded at just how texturally rich this release is. I'm four tracks in and I have heard post-rock, black metal, shoegazing, post-hardcore, orchestral, psychedelic, and surely many other wakes of music...so far. Last year's "The Seer" by the legendary avant-garde outfit Swans evoked a similar, inaccessible sound that, without understating it, mindfucks the listener into gleefully masochistic submission.

Is this a review? No. It's a means of spreading the word. Many have heard of Deafheaven's praise by now, and may think I'm riding a bandwagon by publishing this piece, but I'm fucking thrilled to do so. These guys deserve not only your attention, but your recognition for the hard, complex work the guys have put into this release.

Word of Mouth #5: Future Of The Left - How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident

Future of the Left - Bread, Cheese, Bow and Arrow on Soundcloud

Future of the Left - How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident (Full Album) on YouTube

From the album 'How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident', released through the band's own label Prescriptions Music.

Holy shit...

This one dropped this past October, and somehow I only became privy to its existence tonight, after watching TheNeedleDrop's video review on this album. In retrospect, I feel deprived of stimulating aural bliss from works like these. So anyway, after watching the video review, I checked them out, given that he mentioned the band's past works (McLusky was name-dropped) and the music seemed genuinely interesting just from his description of the music within this album. With all of that in mind, and getting hooked just from the opening song (which I linked to up above), I came to really like this shit.

So I'll shut up about all that and tell you that if you haven't heard this album yet, and you think you could appreciate their music (if Anthony Fantano's review of the album is anything to go by at least), then GIVE IT A LISTEN. 

Oh and in closing; spread the word! I'm doing that here, and good god if you love music like this as well then you'd share the love, too.

Word of Mouth #4: Sandveiss - Scream Queen

 

 Sandveiss - Blindsided on Youtube

From the album 'Scream Queen', which is a self-released effort. You can purchase the album through their bandcamp page.

What a stunner! Sandveiss are a hard rock/stoner band, utilizing blues-rock riffs not unlike those of Kyuss & Queens of the Stone Age (those are always welcome). They come as a surprise to everyone (including myself) from straight out of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Revel in those riffs. Thanks, Sandveiss!

(I don't know how the "center" function doesn't work in this instance, but that's the best I can do at this point considering this image isn't widely available and the publisher's functions are wonky, to say the least)

Happy 20th Birthday DOOM!

Doom turned 20 years old today, and this post is to celebrate that milestone. This series remains one of my favourite, from all the way back to the time of its release. No other FPS game, for me at least, has hit the same notes as Doom still does to this day. It's simple but complex; at times scary but most of the time downright thrilling; has a simple but awesome array of weaponry; you travel through Hell; has a fantastic, very active, and most of all astonishingly creative modding community; and it's what a game needs to be: fun.

Here are a select few pictures to celebrate. And if you don't have this game, then why not? It's cheap, easy to attain, and the array of mods is so large and fantastic that you may just find what you're looking for if you just care to find it.

 

 

Thanks to emortal982.deviantart.com for this one.

Thanks to art.kracov.org for this one.

Word of Mouth #3: Doomriders - Grand Blood

 

Doomriders - Dead Friends on YouTube

From the album 'Grand Blood', courtesy of Deathwish Inc. (a quality Indie label run by Converge's Jacob Bannon, who plays alongside of Doomriders' own Nate Newton no less).

Did you catch the previous LP known as 'Darkness Come Alive'? Did you enjoy it? Then perhaps you'll have every reason to enjoy this one as well. While this isn't exactly a recent release anymore, given that it's been out for almost two months as of this writing, this band cannot be ignored. That's why this shoutout is for Nate Newton's side-output. 

On the topic of Converge, when their 'Live at the BBC' record drops in "early 2014", I'll shout out to them as well. I have to, given that they're easily one of my favourite musical acts around.

Enjoy, and spread the word!

Doomriders is Nate Newton, Jebb Riley, Chris Pupecki, and Q.

Word of Mouth #2: Samsara Blues Experiment - Waiting For The Flood

Samsara Blues Experiment - Waiting For The Flood on YouTube

From the album 'Waiting For The Flood', courtesy of Electric Magic records.

My second post in this series (however long it may last) is a shout out to a Blues & World inspired act from Berlin, Germany. This is the band's latest, 48-minute outing, released on November 14th of 2013. Given that the Blues is awesome all-around, and I have been looking around for new Blues releases, my stumbling upon the news of this release drove me to spread the word about this group and this release specifically.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Nabbed an image of the cover from a different location, because previous image couldn't be centered as desired.

Word of Mouth #1: Mutoid Man - "Helium Head"

 

Mutoid Man - Gnarcissist on YouTube

Stream the entire album on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/earsplit/sets/mutoid-man-helium-head

From the album 'Helium Head', courtesy of Magic Bullet Records.

Enjoy, and spread the word! This supergroup consists of the awesome man behind the kit at Converge & All Pigs Must Die, amongst others, and the voice that has carried Cave-In since their inception in the mid-90's.

Mutoid Man is Stephen Brodsky & Ben Koller.