FROM THE SWAMPS

Fell Voices is a band akin to Ash Borer, Paysage d'Hiver, Wolves in the Throne Room, etc. that melds ambient music and natural themes with fierce black metal. Their output is minimal, and they only emerge from obscurity once in a blue moon for a live performance, but what they have created is something truly special. Check out this demo it's really cool: Fell Voices

Written In Waters is one of the first avant-garde black metal albums ever to be released. It's a queasy, sickening, twisting ride through hellish landscapes. Very much so an acquired taste, but definitely worth the time listening to if you like your extreme metal weird  or experimental . Also if you like seemingly impromptu jazz sections there is plenty of that in here. Lots of surprises. Written In Waters

Grand Mutation is the result of an hour-long jam session between noise artist Lasse Marhaug and accomplished organist Nils Asheim. Accurate words to describe this album would be (of course) dark...atonal...commanding...hypnotic...and these artists achieve a synergy that works very well.  Another great installment in Marhaug's staggeringly prolific discography. Organ music is perfect for Halloween time, no? Grand Mutation

Carnival Of Souls is a film that I watched the other day that completely blew me away. It felt like a David Lynch-type movie that came out way before his time, a mixture of the "Hitchhiker" plot in The Twilight Zone and the movie Repulsion . But as this is a music blog and not a film blog, I'll just talk about the soundtrack. The soundtrack itself wasn't released until 1998, probably because Carnival Of Souls was a B-Movie, and didn't receive the recognition it deserved when it first came out. The music is all original, and it is composed almost entirely of atmospheric, and often atonal, organ music (the protagonist is a church organist so it makes sense). The soundtrack also includes bits of dialogue from throughout the film that complement the organ music quite well. For fans of Leyland Kirby, or The Caretaker , definitely check this out. The music is very similar in many ways. Carnival Of Souls

The only recording from Münn, of Woodsmoke Records. Woodsmoke, run by Paul Riedhl, the guitarist/vocalist of Blood Incantation , is known for being on the cutting edge of crushing, nihilistic doom and black metal, fostering bands such as Hell , Ancestortooth , and Leech . Münn is no exception. If you want doom in the same vein as Wormphlegm , this band is for you. Selbstmordwald Rehearsal 2/27/08

Whitehorse is an Australian sludge band, with a very unfortunate name choice , that I believe may have doomed them to internet obscurity. They are an amazing, original, super heavy band, that truly deserves more attention and listens. Their music has the nihilism and lumbering drudge of a classic Corrupted or Noothgrush song, but with more melody, and technical 'progression' and inventiveness. Seriously, give it a try. And if you like it, buy it on their bandcamp . It's really good. Progression

Wormphlegm was a Finnish doom band that was active for a mere six years, producing one EP and LP, after which deciding to call it quits. This music is crushing, dark, misanthropic, demented, and nihilistic--all important traits in making some good extreme  doom. Along with the heavy drone dirges they create, they are known for rumors about them engaging in self-harm to step up the insanity of their vocals. And trust me, the rumors totally make sense. Their vocals sound so genuinely twisted and deranged, that at points the music gets pretty...disturbing. If you're into this kind of thing,  Tyranny  is the band that came out of Wormphlegm's dissolution. Also really good, just not as crazy, more like traditional funeral doom. Track Listing: 1. Epejumalat Monet Tesse Muinen Palvenltin Lauran ja Lesse 2. Tomb Of The Ancient King 3. Return Of The Ice Age And The Tortyrant Tomb Of The Ancient King

Alright, this is a weird one, but bear with me. For those of you who are into Bollywood, international spooky music, or spooky things in general, this'll be right up your alley. It's a compilation of funky disco tunes from Bollywood B-horror movies in the '70s. What's not to love? It's good Bollywood music if you like that sort of thing, and of course lots of silly spooky sound effects, screams and stuff like that. Enjoy! [Also if you are interested in a remix done of the album by one of the compilers himself, check out  Hindi Horrorcore ] Bollywood Bloodbath

Just some really good straight-up old-school death metal. Nothin' too fancy shmancy, and if you like  Autopsy , this is definitely for you! Watch out for these guys, they're making waves~~ I ndhentet af døden

The Body Lovers were a group of experimental musicians led by Michael Gira following the dissolution of Swans. This album was recently reissued including a previously unreleased track on the second "Body Haters" CD. Below is a description provided by the label (Young God) that is a certainly more apt description than anything I could ever come up with, i.e. 'some pretty dark experimental shit.' " THE BODY LOVERS DEBUT NUMBER ONE OF THREE, IS THE FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THIS "PSYCHOAMBIENT" INSTRUMENTAL "SOUNDTRACK-WITH-OUT-A-FILM" PROJECT. ESSENTIALLY ONE SHIFTING AND RADICALLY MORPHING STREAM OF SOUNDS AND TEXTURES (WITH ID POINTS PROVIDED FOR THE LISTENER'S CONVENIENCE), THE MUSIC ON THIS CD IS IN GIRA'S WORDS, "A METASTASIZING SONIC FLOWER GARDEN", CHARACTERISTICALLY, THIS IS NOT PASSIVE AMBIENT MUSIC. SENSUAL ONE MOMENT, TURNING BRUTAL AND CATACLYSMIC THE NEXT. SOUND SOURCES INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM ELECTRONIC & SYN...

Snail is a psychedelic grunge/stoner metal band from Seattle and this is their first album. Though it may not sound like it, this is some very original stuff, and can give you some hardcore jollies the whole way through. I mean, why else would I feel compelled to post this thing? Super stoned out and groovy, I'm lovin' it. If you dig this for sure check out Sons Of Otis and Fudge Tunnel . Track Listing: 1. Deep See Fishin' 2. Confessions 3. Sprain 4. O.D. 5. Chewing Aspirin* 6. Hard Lung 7. Full-Acid 8. Intuition 9. Lycanthrope 10. Your Song 11. R= Theta [Instrumental] Snail

Really fucking good funeral doom. Not too slow though if glacial speeds are normally a turn-off for you. Seriously should be legendary status but it's flown under the radar for a long time. There's a really cool bird song motif between songs which is sweet, and all of the tracks on it are totally solid. It's a cryin' shame that pretty much all they released before they broke up was this album and their self-titled EP (both of which are amazing). If you like this consider catching them for their reunion set at  Maryland Deathfest  next year! They'll probably tour after that though so you're probably good. Track Listing: 1. ...Majestic Thou In Ruin 2. Paled 3. Thy Bitter Woe 4. The Transfiguration (And It Was So) ...Majestic Thou In Ruin

Not much is known about Wilburn Burchette, but apparently his music has been put into the spotlight by record collectors in recent years. And I believe for good reason! He custom-made his own guitar-like instrument ("impro guitar"), which he primarily used in his recordings, as well as a synthesizer. He released several albums over the course of the '70s, most of which being treatises on the occult, spiritual transcendence, and expanded states of consciousness. A lot of his records had full-color manuals included on how to listen to the music while in meditation, which is part of why his records are so valuable to collectors. This is his most well-known album, and I'm sure you will enjoy it if you like ambient music. It's dark and mysterious, while comforting at the same time, knowing this "Master" is guiding you via music through a spiritual realm that he seems to know well. Track Listing: 1. Dawn of Awakening 2. Regeneration 3. Transformat...

Timeghoul was a death metal band from Missouri that redefined extreme metal for good. Though while they were together they never received the recognition they deserved (as it often goes), in recent years thanks to the internet their music has resurfaced, out of obscurity. They were very much ahead of their time, pioneering an atmospheric and "cerebral" brand of death metal, steeped with musicality, narrative, and experimentation in an era of generally simplistic and gore-obsessed death metal. Not that that stuff is bad or anything, but just saying. Without them, modern death metal bands like Blood Incantation and Chthe'ilist would surely not exist. Track Listing: CD 1 -Tumultuous Travelings Demo 1. Rain Wound 2. The Siege 3. Gutspawn 4. Infinity Coda -Panaramic Twilight Demo 5. Boiling In The Hourglass 6. Occurrence On Mimas CD 2 -Webster Sessions - Rehearsals 1993 1. Project 1 2. Project 2 3. Project 3 -Live In Saint Louis, MO - 1992 4. The ...

Rippikoulu is a Finnish death-doom band that came out with two demos in the '90s, only to disappear with near-legendary status for twenty years after their guitarist passed away. In 2014, they got back together and released an EP that's pretty universally regarded as weaker than this demo. Musta Seremonia  is what earned them their place among the best of the best death-doom bands, especially because 1993 was around the time that the genre began to form, with  Anathema ,  Asphyx , and  My Dying Bride  defining it. If you're normally not one for demos because of the sound quality, don't fret. It really doesn't sound much like a demo, it's mixed and recorded surprisingly well--not amazing or anything, but not your typical "demo-quality." Somehow I have neglected to mention by now that the reason why  this thing is so legendary is how MASSIVE it is. Chugging riffs accompanied by thundering drums and brutal vocals. Also, apparently they are the fi...

Bloodmoon is an up-and-coming sludge band from California. Their sound is truly unique, with elements of black metal, post-metal, and psychedelic experimentation in the mix. It's difficult to really pin down who one could compare them most to--they're equal parts Oranssi Pazuzu , Floor , and Indian . Voidbound  is only three songs long, but Bloodmoon manages to cram so much in so little time. Throughout the album, there's really never a dull moment, and it stays consistently solid. I discovered them by seeing them live a few years ago, and I was truly blown away. There's really nothing like 'em out there, so grab their album for free on Bandcamp before they blow up! Track Listing: 1. Voidbound 2. Back World 3. The Singing Flame

Nadja is a music project between husband and wife, Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff, that mixes elements of dark ambient, doom metal, drone, and shoegaze. They've put out a ton of stuff, and have pretty much stayed active since Nadja started as a solo project by Baker in 2003. Once Buckareff joined the project, their sound definitely changed, and not necessarily for the worse. It just depends on one's own personal preference, if you like shoegaze-type stuff better, their later stuff as a duo is definitely for you. If you want more of a metal sound, stick to their earlier albums . I chose to post this because A) it's one of my favorite albums, B) for some reason, ever since Touched  was reworked in 2007 by Nadja as a duo, the original 2003 version of the album is kind of hard to find online, and C) since I fell in love with Nadja via the 2003 version of this album by finding a copy of the CD in my local library a long time ago, I thought it deserves more exposure, especia...

Loveliescrushing is an ambient/shoegaze project that has existed since '91. Bloweyelashwish  is an extremely underrated album, and is some of the simultaneously heaviest and most ethereal shoegaze I've ever heard. Almost all of the songs are little snapshots--super short songs that introduce a musical idea and quickly fade away before you even notice. It's really interesting, because the haziness and ethereality of the music is matched by the ethereality of the form of the album itself. Seriously, even though it sounds like an emo band, it's not. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with emo just...I don't know, just don't be turned off by the artsyness/drama of the name. This is some seriously inventive stuff; it's abrasive yet atmospheric, and violent yet gentle--as good shoegaze always is. Track Listing: 1.  babysbreath 2. teardrop 3. i want you 4. fur 5. dizzy 6. plume 7. burst 8. tinkerwech 9. charm 10. moinaexquisitewall...

Little Princess was a Japanese grindcore group comprised of all women. They're really strange, even for grindcore, because in between each song on the EP they have little spoken-word sections that are supposed to be a princess party or something. One of them says the name of the song really sweetly in Japanese and in English, they go at it, and then there's a cute little applause. I think this is the only thing they ever released. It's pretty hard to find so I just kind of ripped all of these songs from Youtube and put it in a zip, so you're welcome I guess! Track Listing: 1. Carpet Man 2. Disqualified Human Being 3. Red Handkerchief 4. Shiny Diamond 5. Dried Squid With Mayonnaise And Soy Sauce 6. Debuo More Food 7. Monsieur P 8. Downstairs Neighbor Song Collection

Assück was a grindcore band that existed from 1988 to 1998. They contributed to the development of the "deathgrind" subgenre, along with bands like  Brujeria  and  Nasum . The "deathgrind" sound is defined by a somehow even higher level of technicality in the music, and as evident by the name, more of a death metal influence. Misery Index  is considered one of the best grindcore albums ever made, so if you're not into the genre, this may be an exception for you. It's so good that a band named themselves after it. Track Listing: 1. Qed 2. Salt Mine 3. Corners 4. Dataclast 5. Blight of Element 6. Talon of Dominion 7. Unrequited Blood 8. Wartorn 9. Sum and Substance 10. Riven 11. Reversing Denial 12. Lithographs 13. Intravenous 14. Moment of Failure 15. In Absence Misery Index

Velvet Cacoon was a black metal band from Portland, Oregon that heavily incorporated dark ambient elements in their music. They existed only for a short time, from 2001-2009, and during then released a few albums, including Genevieve , that helped define the then-developing subgenre "atmospheric black metal," or "ambient black metal." The "atmospheric black metal" sound varies widely from band to band, but in the case of Velvet Cacoon, they can be placed in this category based on their steady wall of hazy and cold guitars, hypnotic and ocean-like deep drones beneath the haze, as well as unusual vocals that are low in the mix, contributing more as instrument in itself rather than taking the foreground. In addition to their unique sound, they're just a couple of weird dudes. If you're interested, here's the link to an interview  they did with their label before releasing Genevieve . DXM addiction, asexuality, self-mutilation, eco-terrori...

Not much is known about Dopamine, other than they were from China, and they only existed for a few years. They released one self-titled EP, and this, kind of. They didn't actually release this themselves, apparently Dying Away in the Deep Fall  is a fan-compiled collection of demos that the band recorded. Anyway, one would never have guessed that upon hearing this thing. It sounds pretty professionally done, not 'rough' at all really, and the songs definitely feel like they have cohesion. The album has a very unique sound, a mixture of math rock, post-rock, and black metal. Very forward-thinking stuff, so if you aren't into blackgaze and post-black metal, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't know though, maybe this could be an exception to the rule for you. Track Listing: 1. 水棱 2. 迷夜 Pt.1  3. 迷夜 Pt.2  4. 溶解 5. 死于深秋 Dying Away in the Deep Fall

Warhorse was a stoner/doom band from Massachusetts that broke up only a few years after their first studio album, As Heaven Turns To Ash , came out. And what a damn shame it is that they did! The whole album is heavy and slow as fuck. Pretty much exactly what you would expect from a band signed to  Southern Lord  early on in the label's career. Nothing too original or shocking, but if you love stoner metal, this will be perfect for you. Seriously some of the fattest riffs I have ever heard. If you've ever seen the meme "[slow heavy metal music playing]," " Doom's Bride " is the perfect song to imagine while looking at those silly pictures. Track Listing: 1. Dusk 2. Doom's Bride 3. Black Acid Prophecy 4. Amber Vial 5. Every Flower Dies No Matter The Thorns (Wither) 6. Lysergic Communion 7. Dawn 8. Scrape 9. ...And The Angels Begin To Weep... As Heaven Turns To Ash

Demoncy is a black metal solo project of Ixithra from Atlanta, Georgia. He was one of the first black metal projects to ever come out of the United States, along with bands like Von and Profanatica. Since Demoncy began, Ixithra has been joined by a shifting band personnel that has allowed them to tour. Faustian Dawn  is Demoncy's second demo, and it was the first one to really make waves in the scene. If you don't like Von, don't worry--it sounds nothing like them. The entirety of the demo feels cold and primitive. The vocals sound like the wailing wind, and all of the instruments blend into one singular, fuzzy, storm, chugging along in the background, not atypical for lo-fi black metal. However, Faustian Dawn  pretty much pioneered U.S. bands using this style, and came very early in the genre's formation even compared to their European counterparts. So yeah, even if you're not so into the whole 'lo-fi' black metal thing, I would still recommend the...

Thorr's Hammer was a project of future Burning Witch/Goatsnake/Sunn O))) members Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson in collaboration with Runhild Gammelsaeter, a Norweigan foreign exchange student, in 1994-1995. They released one demo and one EP, and upon hearing their music it is crystal clear as to why O'Malley and Anderson have enjoyed so much success in the doom scene. Dommedagsnatt  was their only EP, and it is very unique in comparison to other doom bands, especially at the time. The instrumentation sounds very much like that of Burning Witch, with droning, heavy guitars and sluggish tempos, but what makes this EP special is the vocals. It is difficult to believe that Gammelsaeter, a woman, produced the sounds that are recorded on this record--some of the gnarliest, lowest death growls I have ever heard. Along with these, there are some sections of pure, contemplative clean vocals that are a nice complement. Give it a shot, and if you like the vocals, be s...

Blasphemy is a Canadian black/death metal (or "war metal") band that has influenced countless bands in their aesthetic and sound. In case you are unaware of the genre, black/death metal or war metal is a hybrid subgenre of black metal that incorporates elements of death metal, mostly surfacing in the subgenre's technical veracity and vocal style (see Revenge  and Pissgrave ). It sounds like I am splitting hairs here, but blackened death metal is an entirely different subgenre, that incorporates the vocals and melody of black metal into an otherwise death  metal band (see  Behemoth  and  Angelcorpse ). Anyway, the subgenre distinction is not what is important. What is important is the new precedent for aggression that Blasphemy set in pioneering this subgenre. Fallen Angel of Doom  is the band's first album, and the fact that it came so early in the history of black metal's formation is astonishing to me. One of the most special things about this ...

Demilich is a Finnish technical death metal band that has achieved legendary status within the genre. The grooves they achieve, the complexity of their musicianship, the "belch" vocals (the lowest death growls possibly ever recorded)...are unparalleled. The only thing that comes remotely close is  Gorguts , maybe . The only problem is, the band has only released one album and a handful of demos, and is not really a band anymore. They play some shows sometimes, so you can catch them if you're lucky...but that's about it. Lucky for you, I am posting that one album today! So go ahead and take it, and let the headbanging commence... Track Listing: 1. When the Sun Drank the Weight of Water 2. The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed) 3. Inherited Bowel Levitation - Reduced Without Any Effort 4. The Echo (Replacement) 5. The Putrefying Road in the Nineteenth Extremity (...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness...)...

Altar of Plagues was an Irish post-black metal band that unfortunately disbanded in 2015. Their influence on the genre is incommensurable, and this album stands as testament. Mammal  is an album not unlike others AoP has put out (excluding Teethed Glory and Injury ). It continues the unique precedent set by White Tomb  and Sol , by mixing atmospheric, dark ambient elements, sparse samples of Celtic folk music, and of course a biting and technical  Deathspell Omega  brand of modern black metal. Revel in the destruction of humanity, by humanity. Genuflect to the gods of technocracy. Progress for the sake of progress. Track Listing: 1. Neptune is Dead 2. Feather and Bone 3. When the Sun Drowns in the Ocean 4. All Life Converges to Some Center Mammal

Corrupted is a Japanese sludge/doom band that incorporates dark ambient, acoustic, and spoken word elements into their music. Their typical sound is similar to that of  Grief  or  Whitehorse , with extremely downtuned guitars, guttural growls, and glacier-paced tempos. The band has many interesting idiosyncracies that I find tasteful, and not overly gimmicky: most of their album titles, song titles, and lyrics are in Spanish, with the occasional inclusion of Japanese or English; they refuse to do interviews or take promotional photos of any kind, the only photos of the band that exist source from fans who took them at live shows; they adhere to an aesthetic and methodology similar to bands in the powerviolence genre, by releasing many split 7" records and choosing bleak, black-and-white photos of landscapes or atrocities for their album covers; and they have written a good amount of songs for their studio albums that exceed 40 minutes. Compared to most doom band...

Bong is a stoner metal/drone band from the U.K. that takes cues directly from Sleep's Dopesmoker . If you enjoy  Dopesmoker  and other forms of drone doom such as Sunn O)), Earth, and Boris, I would highly recommend Bong, especially this album (it has a cover of Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun!). However, If you are looking for something with a lot of activity, variety of riffs, tempo changes, short song-lengths, etc. this album and artist is not for you. One kind of has to listen to this album with a different approach than your average metal. Track Listing: 1. Stone Mountain 2. Bethmoora 3. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Bethmoora

My name is Catfish, and welcome to my swamp. Here you may find dark music of all kinds--take what you like--but remember to support the artists/bands mentioned as best as you can. We all have our methods.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ...