FUCK PIETY

These guys vs. Jesus, guess where my money is?

Straigh out of the frozen, hoary wastes of Singapore (home of the equally crushing Abhorer) comes IMPIETY, who you are no doubt fully acquainted and obsessed with by this late in the Satanic-blackthrash game. Formed all the way back in 1990 (Abhorer formed in '87, for the record), these non-pious Hessians have always worn their primitive influences (Sextrash, Sarcofago) proudly on their lengthily-spiked sleeves, as evidenced by their original band name (it was "Sexfago"--lols).
There is little to no bullshit present on these, their first two full-length releases--just an unrelenting onslaught of blasting drums, tremolo riffs, hoarse screeching about "Socerique Baphostorms", "Anal Madonnas", "Sodomythical Frostgoats", and "Hymnvocations of Nazarethian Nunwhores", and an abundance of seething, malevolent, diseased misanthropy. Oh, and some cool keyboard noises.
Happy Friday the 13th you fucking un-Baptized heathen scum.


ASATEERUL AWALEEN (1996)

Download HERE


SKULLFUCKING ARMAGEDDON (1999)

Download HERE
Purchase HERE


Metallum/Last.FM

TOO MUCH FUCKIN VUH

LOL @ this picture

I was re-watching Herzog's Nosferatu (yes, AGAIN) just the other night, and, once again, I was completely bowled over not just by the dismal/beautiful cinematography and natural wonder of the whole goddamn thing, but by the creepy, hypnotic score contributed by everyone's favorite Teutonic prog-jockeys Popol Vuh. As usual, brief ponderance morphed into lingering obsession, and today, I present you with two more droning Vuh/Herzog collabos, namely 1972's Aguirre, The Wrath of God and 1982's Fitzcarraldo. If you are looking to be utterly bummed/mind-blown by either a movie or a movie soundtrack, I can heartily suggest each of these entries--both films are super crushing in a depressive yet visually stunning way, and the swirling Vuh tapestries which accompany them are their perfect audio marriage.
Forget what you know about these two flicks. Forget Klaus Kinski completely losing his shit and driving everyone on set nuts with each successive role. Forget Herzog accidentally killing off, like, half of his crew with each movie he made from 1970-1985. Forget the fucking critical acclaim and forget the jungle diseases and forget that episode of Metalocalypse where they go all "Dethcarraldo" on the Amazonian natives.
Just soak in the dark, bummer vibes Popol Vuh is laying down for you on this rainy Tuesday afternoon, and thank sweet, sweet Odin that Hollywood still hasn't started on Aguirre 2: Pizarro's Revenge (starring Tom Hanks!) just yet... Nor Fitzcarraldo, Shot In 3D!
Some things are still sacred.


AGUIRRE OST (1972)

Download HERE
Purchase HERE




FITZCARRALDO OST (1982)

Download HERE
Purchase HERE



Also, LOL @ guy playing one ride cymbal

Popol Vuh Last.FM

Infernäl Mäjesty - None Shall Defy The Fact That I'm Unholier Than Thou

I could have sworn Cobras had done a review of Infernal Majesty's None Shall Defy a while back but I could not locate it for the life of me. Maybe it's been buried deep within IllCon's catacombs? Maybe it was taken off mysteriously by those mysterious aliens?

Perhaps Bigfoot decided to come in and pummel it completely from record? Maybe it was sequestered by the pesky folks up there in D.C. in a similar manner to what happened at Megaupload? Or maybe Alex Jones is at it again and elves came, worked their magic, and stole it?

Whatever the case, I was originally going to feature Infernal Majesty's second album, Unholier Than Thou, but why not feature both albums?! Saweet! Thanks dude!! (You know you will be thanking me later!)

You know what I like about this band? They did what Slayer could not. They continued producing sick ass tunes. They did not get watered down by the music industry. They didn't grow beyond their music and act like they invented the genre or anything of the sort. And on top of that, they did not become egotistical pussies (talk about undisputed attitude!). Don't get me wrong, I highly respect Slayer's first 5 albums. In fact, I love Slayer! I still consider both Show No Mercy and Reign In Blood as favorites of mine. I even have a soft spot for Seasons... and Divine Intervention was a solid album to boot! However, the Slayer of today is like a decrepit version of the Slayer of yesterday. They simply are trying too hard now and their music has suffered. But I'm not here to talk about Slayer, I'm here to talk about one of Canada's finest!

OK, perhaps a little more on Slayer for a moment... Some consider Infernal Majesty a Slayer rip-off. OK, that's true to a point. Slayer were highly influential. Many bands followed their recipe. In the beginning of Infernal Majesty's career there is an obvious Slayer influence and their tone and approach were parallel to Slayer's at times but they went beyond that by adding an element of (if I dare say) black metal, technical thrash, and later death metal to the mix (rumor had it Corpsegrinder from Cannibal Corpse was doing live vocals for them recently). With that said, Infernal Majesty are therefore not a Slayer rip-off. They continue to shred, they slay, and pummel the listener into oblivion... Something Slayer seemingly has struggled to do on recent albums.

The band itself originated from Canada in 1986, so that should be a testament to how awesome they are. I mean Canada has thus far produced some of the best music, including metal, period. Bands such as Gorguts, Slaughter, Exciter, Sacrifice, Kataklysm, Malicious Intent, Razor, Revenge, and Blasphemy all came out from the boreal forest and tundra that makes up much of our neighbor to the north. Maybe there is something to be said about the cold, windswept climate up there that produces solid, no bullshit music? Who knows.

Anyways, None Shall Defy happens to be in my top-twenty, possibly even top-ten albums of all time. Unholier Than Thou is also a great album that is highly underrated but it does have its' flaws. The track, "Roman Song", is probably their strongest on the album as it shows Infernal Majesty at their best, however there is something about None Shall Defy that simply has not been topped, by both their contemporaries and the band itself.

So rather than me blabbering on for days about how great these releases are, I suggest you check them out for yourself!

Here

Buy Here or Here

Last.FM / Metallum

Official Website

How much more 'metal' can you get?! Jeesh.

Title Fight 2011: JGD vs. Judge Shredd

VERSUS

The other day, JGD and Judge Shredd came to blows over the merits of Suffocation's 1991 classic Effigy of the Forgotten versus Beheaded's lesser-known Ominous Bloodline. In order to help these gents bury the hatchet once and for all, as IllCon Director of Quality Control, I sanctioned an independentanalysis of the two records. Fortuitously, they lend themselves nicely to comparison. Each peddle a similar vein of technical slam, Beheaded with a decidedly grindy approach and Suffocation with a jazzy one, both have 9 tracks, both fall just shy of the 40 minute mark, etc. So we have our baseline; next we need a rubric. In order to drill down to elements that account for the major genre identifiers, after careful review I selected five criteria: musicianship, production, songs, slamz, and intangibles. Each criterion carries a maximum score of 5. This process enabled me to fairly pit a veritable slam classic against the underdog, a relatively obscure album that earned the Judge's unqualified recommendation: no small praise, mind you.

Before you get started, go grab the Beheaded from the Judge's post.

Now here is Effigy of the Forgotten in case you left yr copy in the car.

Now let's get it.

MUSICIANSHIP - Suffocation 5, Beheaded 3
Both bands posses top-notch rhythmic chug and an uncanny knack for propelling songs with strategic time changes, but Suffocation took this category easily. The solos, flecked with jazz, chromatic scales, and non-Western lines, allow Effigy to tower over Ominous. Throw in tons of whammy dives and pinched harmonics and you've got a recipe for a classic. Ominous' solos on the other hand come off as somewhat limp and were hurt by the fact that they sound like they are played on the same ultra-down-tuned guitars that carry the rhythm. Everything sounds like it was played on the G string which gives it this weird chopped and screwed aspect (that sounds awesome on paper but it's not really). Plus, the drumming. Yeah, they can both play 600 BPM but I'm pretty sure they didn't have drum triggers in '91.

PRODUCTION - Suffocation 4, Beheaded 3

This was comparing apples to oranges. If you're into warm bass tones, chunky drums, analog tape hiss, fat cables, etc., you're voting one way. If you're into the sonic equivalent of crisp lettuce filtered through a hard disk, you're voting another. You can prolly reckon which side I fall on. The Beheaded album has this sort of deathcore sheen that I can't stomach but that could be a matter of personal preference. I'm not about to introduce an argument about analog vs. digital because then the real nerds will come out the woodwork. But I will agree with The Judge about the drum tone: total weirdness (two snares?) that adds heft to each song and kind of rules. They actually got a point just for the drum sound.

SONGS - Suffocation 5, Beheaded 5
I gotta hand it to Beheaded here, they come through with some boss tracks. Tons of variety, interesting time changes, identifiably proggy read of brutal DM, each track is equipped with a good, solid structure and plan. Track-for-track, Beheaded matches Suffocation's impeccable ability to make a fairly proscriptive genre compelling.

SLAMZ - Suffocation 4, Beheaded 5

Before yr all WTF DUDE this was a controlled scientific study so it's a FACT. Please hold your questions for the end. This victory was enabled by the aforementioned drum tone and, indeed, learning at the left hand of the genre masters, Suffocation. This was a controversial category because, overall, Ominous Bloodline slams harder. HOWEVER, the slamingest track on Effigy, "Infecting the Crypt," slams harder than the slamingest track on Ominous Bloodline, "Rooted in Profundity."

INTAGIBLES - TIE
+1 to Beheaded for being from Malta. There is something to be said for conjuring abstract, abrasive DM in the Mediterranean vs. doing your thing in Long Island. +1 to Suffo for overall weirdness (jazz scales, eastern melodies), ideas, and variety. +1 to Beheaded for getting the job done with just 4 commandbros instead of 5. +1 to Suffo for artwork.

FINAL SCORE: Suffocation 20, Beheaded 18

In conclusion, Mullen and co. FTW. However, Beheaded is nipping at their heals with a solid effort. A classic, maybe not, but definitely worth your attention. That score is way closer than what I predicted going into this experiment. So kiss and make up, JGD and Judge Shredd, you're both winners.

BONUS :-O

Since we're sharing our fav brutal DM albums from weird Eurozone nations, I present you with 1997's Union Carbide by the Czech Republic's Garbage Disposal. This album rips on all fronts: slamz, skillz, songz, intangiblez. Vocals take the Demilich/Wormed approach you've been getting a lot of here at IllCon lately and add a hypnotic dimension. Bass work is rad and the overall highlight on the album, which is unusual in metal. When they bring the bass to the front of the mix they drape it in this Alice in Chains chorus effect which makes me nostalgic for the mid-90s. A couple tracks fall into a Coffins-esque death/doom plod which provides relief from all the face-pummeling slam. I dunno, just download the feckin' thing, yiz cunt.

Garbage Disposal - Union Carbide

Oppressor - As Blood Flows (1993)

Since this piece on Oppressor was recently posted here on IllCon a couple weeks back, I feel that the band doesn't necessarily warrant an introduction at this point. As Cobras pointed out, it is true that members went on to form the crap band Soil with Shaun Glass of Broken Hope fame. Why they did this, still puzzles me to this day. Even Metal Archives refuses to list Soil as a band, so go figure.

Regardless, I give Cobras superior kudos for posting that piece since Solstice of Oppression happens to be one of my all time favorite albums! I actually had to unearth it from my cavernous collection of CDs just to make sure I still had a copy (damn burglars are always sneaking away with my precious)! Oppressor were technical and brutal with just the right amount of experimentation thrown in the mix. They stood out among their peers but unfortunately are often overlooked. As a way of saying thanks for that previous post, I wanted to offer up this tasty morsel for y'all!

As Blood Flows came out in 1993, a year prior to their debut. This was not the first demo Oppressor put out though. Their first demo was titled World Abomination and released in 1991. While the As Blood Flows demo has most of the same songs that are also featured on Solstice of Oppression with exception of one, the demo still offers a unique glimpse into the beginning of the band. The production is similar to its successor, albeit a little less polished and rough around the edges, but is a fine listen nonetheless! This is more for the die-hard fans of the band or those who are fiends for this kind of shit, such as myself.

As an added bonus, I am also including Elements of Corrosion, which is their third offering prior to disbanding. I would offer you their second full-length, titled Agony, but that would just be too easy now wouldn't it?!

As Blood Flows

Elements of Corrosion

Parabellum - Sacrilegio (1987) / Mutacion Por Radiacion (1988)

This may seem like too much of a blanket statement, but a large number – the majority even - of metalheads worldwide have a pretty easy life. If some Norwegian dude singed his hair burning down a church or stubbed his toe kicking over a tombstone, he could go to the doctor gratis. If some long-hair from Tampa, stumbling out of a Morbid Angel show at three in the morning, finds his or her stomach churning from the dizzying mixture of headbanging and Colt 45, that individual can likely find a convenience store where Pepto Bismol can soothe the viscera and taquitos can calm the soul. But it's not like that everywhere, and some of the most bracing and relevant entries into metal's canon have originated in areas that were decidedly disadvantaged. One could call to mind Black Sabbath and Napalm Death's emergence from under the smog of Birmingham's heavy industry or the military dictatorship overseeing Brazil when Sarcofago and Sepultura first began making noise. More recent examples of metal bands springing up amongst the Middle East's theocracies bear the point out further. But few areas of the world were as harsh and unforgiving as Medellín , Colombia in the 1980s. As one of the primary centers for the international cocaine trade, at various points Medellín enjoyed the dubious distinction of being known as the world's most violent city. Cartels, most notably the one headed by Pablo Escobar, battled the police, paramilitary forces, and each other, turning the city into a warzone for much of that period.

But among the chaos, a small but dedicated metal scene arose, one that produced bands of striking consistency and consistent idiosyncrasy. I've written elsewhere about the background on this group of musicians and delved into the back catalogs of a handful, but there is one band in particular whose essence is difficult to really capture. I had heard this band referred to as the most extreme band ever recorded, a tag I had seen applied time and time again over the nearly two decades I've been into the heavier side of music. It's the type of description that would make most metal fans roll their eyes, both because of how overused the idea is and how subjective it is, but after giving this band a listen, it's difficult for me to say that the assessment is wholly incorrect. I'll spare the hyperbole of endorsing the idea that this band was the most extreme ever, but the music speaks for itself. In a nutshell (and again, hyperbole aside), it's a brooding, nihilistic slab of barbaric anti-music that channels the destruction and chaos of the band's surroundings into a destructive whirlwind of sound that makes Hellhammer sound like Pat Boone (and not metal-covering Pat Boone either). That band was Parabellum.

Parabellum has the distinction of being one of the earliest Central American metal bands, especially within the style of music they played. Formed in 1981, the band didn't actually record anything until 1987, but this six-year divide did little to smooth their writing process or refine their aesthetic. Theirs is a blunt, frantic approach where bilious vocals overlay music that can seem almost alien at times - caveman drumming, tinny practice amp guitar tone, solos that burst out over top of everything with no regard to key or metre like something Kerry King would come up with in the middle of a PCP binge, songs stop and start seemingly without rhyme or reason leaving queasy, detuned passages to bridge the gaps. It's music as pure negation, a whole-hearted attempt to reject everything that Western Civilization has ingrained in our collective mind regarding what constitutes tonality and structure. It's metal that would make most listeners scratch, rather than bang, their heads.

I do understand that descriptions like that make the thing seem like it's going to sound like some art school noise band, but the music speaks for itself. While so many artists attempted to seem edgy, crazy, or to fulfill some other socially-constructed role of rebellious other, Parabellum just sounds insane. I've played music for a long time and I really cannot figure out what their writing process must have entailed. My initial impression was that everything in their music seems to happen at random like some deranged heavy metal take on free jazz (years before John Zorn did it) but further listens reveal that the members are actually playing at least somewhat together. And this is the point I found most unsettling. People actually sat down and wrote this. While it sounds like the type of band Morlocks or C.H.U.Ds would start after hearing a warped Possessed cassette that fell down a storm drain and was washed down underground rivers into their hidden lair, this was all intricately plotted out by people that you might well walk by on the street.

Earnestness isn't always the first trait praised in heavy metal, a style that often leans towards larger-than-life themes and personalities, but it's a characteristic of Parabellum's music that has rendered it far more compelling than many other bands who have operated on the periphery of what most people would think of as music. It's like a black metal Shaggs trying to approximate the sound of a hydrogen bomb detonation, but for all the over-the-top discordance, there is a sense of vitality at the core that cannot be falsified, the sound of people playing because they have no other choice. If the extremity of an aesthetic statement could be measured by an artist's ability to channel dire circumstances into a creative outlet, the idea of Parabellum as heavy metal's apogee is not as bold a statement as it might initially seem and remains a lasting testament to the ability to transcend the worst of surroundings through the least likely of means.

Parabellum - Sacrilegio

Parabellum - Mutacion Por Radiacion

Wow, a bold entrance from our newest writer, Virginia's own purplerainingblood. I can't say I'd ever heard of Parabellum before, color me face-melted.
For those of you keeping track, that's four new additions to The Team in four days, with yet more on the way. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from all of these guys. Hell, I might even write something myself sooner or later...

- Cobras

AUTHORIZE - THE SOURCE OF DOMINION (1991) (+BONUS!)

OK, major curveball time. You guys ready for this?
I'm going to post Swedish Death Metal today. Please withhold your shock, disgust, and incredulity. It's time that I mix things up a little bit around here. A break from the "norm", if you will. Swedish Death Metal it is. I apologize for any hurt feelings, but this needed to be done.

That being said, AUTHORIZE are a rare and beautiful specimen of the genre, a big, chunky, meaty slab of Swedeath satisfaction with all the prerequisite elements in place--the creepy, semi-juvenile album cover, the quasi-confusing band name, the ambient, 3-minute album intro--they're all here. These guys only existed for a very brief amount of time, producing only this full-length and one track on the Opinionate sampler a year earlier (the track in question, "Darkest Age", appears on this album, too). But for such a flash-in-the-pan career, the relative quality of Authorize's tunes are sky-fucking-high, and their brutality levels are off the charts. I can never get enough of this type of shit, and hopefully, unless your taste in music is absolute pig crap, it will give you the same raging Swerection it gives me. Or whatever.

Man, that's a creepy well.

Download HERE


BONUS!

OPINIONATE SAMPLER (1990), featuring AUTHORIZE, APPENDIX, FALLEN ANGEL, and the almighty NIRVANA 2002


Remember? From before?

Download HERE

Authorize Metallum/Last.FM


BONUS BONUS!!!


PS: Don't forget to tune into IC Radio tonight between 10pm and midnight, wherein I will have the distinct honor of interviewing one of my internet/conspiracy heroes, the brilliant and sublimely freaky FREEMAN! (Yes, THAT Freeman.) We will talk about Obama being an ancient Egyptian clone, Illuminati pop stars, UFOs, The Stargate Conspiracy, HAARP, and oh so many other IllCon-flavored treats...

MORTALIZED - ABSOLUTE MORTALITY (2003) + ABSOLUTE MORTALITY #2 (2004)

Kyoto, Japan's MORTALIZED have barely made a blip on the radar in their 15-year run on the international grind scene, probably due to their relatively miniscule amount of recorded output. I mean, through the course of three splits, a demo, a best-of compilation, and two EP's, the Mortalized catalog remains under 20 minutes total, leaving very little for the blast-hungry masses to chew on over the years. Take, for example, their first "non-split" release, 2003's Absolute Mortality. Containing four songs and clocking in at just over four minutes, it's hardly an ALBUM, which, I guess, Mortalized realized, following it up immediately with the almost SIX(!!!)-minute Absolute Mortality #2. Neither of them delicately-crafted prog rock epics by any stretch of the imagination, but hey, that's not the point.
The point is this: Mortalized grind really hard and really intense, boasting a frenzied, Discordance Axis-esque dual vocal attack that carries all the subtlety of a surprise leopard-mauling. These guys never slow down or relent, and the pummeling ferocity of the Mortality duo, while only consisting of ten minutes of actual music, will leave you feeling like you just spent 2 hours in the pit with Cannibal Corpse. Complete fucking anti-Christian, speed-worshipping, war-metal brutality, no filler, no pretense, and no bullshit. I've combined parts 1 and 2 together in one file, please use it responsibly. PS: Their 2007 split with Swarrrm comes highly recommended as well.

Download HERE


Metallum/Last.FM

GOOD LORD

Essentially comprised of the core triumverate of "Stabath", "Thorgrim", and, uh, "Gor Gho Phon", Dutch black metallers UNLORD managed three solid albums between the years 1997 and 2002, two of which being those featured here today. These guys aren't revolutionaries or anything--they stick to the black metal playbook pretty tightly--but they do it really goddamn well, delivering an unrelenting onslaught of blasting, hyperspeed drums, swirling keyboards, screechy/gargly vocals, and pleasingly dissonant guitars (check out the epic riffery present on Gladiator's "Bloodgrief") in abundance.

Do you like black metal? If the answer is "yes", the chances are higher than a collegiate tourist in Amsterdam that you'll dig Unlord. Dutch BM FTW?





SCHWARZWALD (1997)



Download HERE

Purchase HERE



GLADIATOR (2000)



Download HERE

Purchase HERE



Metallum/Last.FM

VORTEX OF UNBEARABLE TORMENT

Today's post is the tale of two Tormentors, one from Germany and one from Hungary.


First up we have the Teutonic Tormentor, best known for being the band that later turned into KREATOR. These dudes loved their spikes and leather, but truth be told, the two demos that they produced in their short run under this moniker (Blitzkrieg in 1983 and The End of The World in 1984) are both pretty close to unlistenable. Blitzkrieg in particular sounds like it was recorded through a ten-foot-thick wall of pure diarrhea, but hey, come on: these guys later became Kreator. FUCKING KREATOR. So cut 'em a break.
Besides, these songs are kind of fun in a pilsner-swilling, pub-thrash sort of way, kind of like that old promo picture of Slayer when they were like 18 and wearing corpsepaint, and Jeff Hanneman is grabbing that chick's boobs or whatever. You know the one.

This Tormentor.

BLITZKRIEG Demo (1983)

HERE


END OF THE WORLD Demo (1984)

HERE




Next up we have the Hungarian Tormentor, whose greatest claim to fame is that they served as proving ground for one Attila Csihar, right before he went on to unlimited notoriety singing for some other band on some album about Satan. The two demos they recorded before Attila left are not only heaps better than the two demos produced by their German counterpart, but better, actually, than most blackthrash recorded anywhere in the late 80's, especially their 1988 swan song Anno Domini, which really sounds and looks nothing like a "demo" at all. Both of these recordings are "full-length" (9 and 13 songs, respectively), and surprisingly vicious for their time and place.
Also, super lols at the way both of these demos begin by unapologetically plagiarizing the theme from Phantasm. So sweet.

That Tormentor.


THE SEVENTH DAY OF DOOM Demo (1987)

HERE


ANNO DOMINI Demo (1988)

HERE

DESASTROUS

Germany's DESASTER are just plain METAL AS FUCK. There's no two ways about it. I'll let their Last.FM write-up do the talking, because A) I'm lazy and B) It rules.

"Desaster was sprung in 1988. They are a (blackened) thrash metal band from Koblenz. Important musical influences include “Venom”, “Hellhammer”, “Motörhead” as well as the early “Sodom” sound. 1993 appeared the first official demo with the title “The Fog OF Avalon”. The first album, “A Touch Of Medieval Darkness”, appeared in 1996. Further albums followed, whereby the sound developed towards blackened thrash metal. The last albums were published over Metal Blade records."

Word the fuck up. If you like fun, semi-shitty blackthrash with self-referencing lyrics about BEING METAL (check out "Metalized Blood" or "Teutonic Steel" off of Hellfire's Dominion), Desaster are here to satisfy your jones. Metalize your blood with their first two releases, from '96 and '98 respectively, and maybe slaughter a couple posers on your lunch break or something today. Honor your roots, asshole.


A TOUCH OF MEDIEVAL DARKNESS (1996)


Download HERE


HELLFIRE'S DOMINION (1998)


Download HERE
Purchase HERE

Metallum/Last.FM

MONDAY AFTERNOON PSYCH ROCK DOUBLE FEATURE

Nice hat, Dad.

Everybody needs to just chill the fuck out. Seriously. Let's take a step back and look at the world's problems. I know it's a tall order, but bear with me on this. All the bullshit, man: war, politics, pollution, murder, injustice, strife, genocide, blah blah blah... Why? Why are we stricken with these avatars of evil, these manifestations of man's hatred toward himself?
I'll tell you why: because MOTHERFUCKERS DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHILL THE FUCK OUT. "The Guys in Charge" are full of stress and anger, and their mismanaged tensions are expressed through acts of aggression and wild grabs for the foolish concept of "power". They are unable to chill and just be Bros, so driven are they by lust for money and the urge to dictate the rights and thoughts of others. They need a bongload. They need a Ritalin. They need a fucking Quaalude. Imagine what a better place the world would be if The Guys in Charge figured that one out.

Seriously. CHILL THE FUCK OUT.


SPOOKY TOOTH - SPOOKY TWO (1969)


Speaking of chilling the fuck out, Spooky Tooth knew how to do just that, and display such knowledge accordingly on their second (and best) LP, Spooky Two. These hairy freaks are no stranger to the stray bongload, this much I can guarantee, and their crispy-ass tunes are bound to appeal to both the Bearded Hessian and the Flower Child. Sporting not one but two keyboard players, the Tooth's jams are darker and heavier than just about anything else that could be found at the time (see "Evil Woman" or "Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree"), with lyrical content occasionally lapsing over into a style verging on "morbid".
Now, I'm sure most of you are aware of Metallica's fondness for late 70's/early 80's NWOBHM, and the resulting attention that their obsession cast onto nearly-forgotten bands like Angel Witch, Budgie, or Blitzkreig in the late 80's. Well, Spooky Tooth experienced a similar resurgance in popularity via heavy metal, but in their case it was Judas Priest who cast the proverbial flashlight on their obscurity, covering the Tooth jam "Better By You, Better Than Me" on their 1978 album Stained Class. The fact that this song in particular was singled out in a trial in 1990, alleging that the Priest version contained subliminal messages urging suicide, guaranteed Spooky Tooth's inclusion in the ol' rock and roll history books--for better or worse.

Download HERE
Purchase HERE

Eric Stoltz?

Spooky Tooth on Last.FM


SALEM MASS - WITCH BURNING (1971)


Man, it just doesn't get much more chill than this sucker right here.
Don't be fooled by the title, band name, or album cover--the Satanic evil present in the music of Salem Mass is minimal, present in more of a conceptual/aesthetic manner than any sort of real, LaVey-ish dedication to the Dark Prince. What you do get is a shitload of laid-back, proto-psych jams laden with almost ridiculous amounts of organ noodling, almost poppy at points but refreshingly dark once the ten-plus-minute title track rolls around.
These dudes hailed from the frozen, hoary wastes of Sun Valley, Idaho, forming, recording this album, and breaking up all within the same year. Witch Burning is a testament to their almost-entirely uncelebrated genius, a trippy little treasure mired in a sea of mediocrity. May it guide you pure and true in your never-ending quest to CHILL THE FUCK OUT.

Download HERE

Salem Mass on Last.FM