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get down with solitude productions |
THE GOOD THE BAD THE UNSIGNED 5
Shroud Eater, From Exile, Portall, Al-Thawra, etc...
GOLD by JUSTIN GODFREY
From The Abominable Iron Sloth.
THE GOOD THE BAD THE UNSIGNED 4
Inswarm, Batillus, Final Redemption, Dirt Worshipper & More.
LIVING THE DREAM
by Jucifer's Gazelle Amber Valentine.
AGONIA RECORDS
Impiety, Aosoth, Temple of Baal, Inferno & More.
NOTES FROM NYC'S SCENE
By Flourishing's Garett Bussanick.
IT'S A 7 INCH EXTRAVAGANZA 2
Sons of Tonatiuh, Nazi Dust, Fetus Eaters, Lighthouse Project & More.
EXCERPT #1 "THE GREASE"
From a Book by Jucifer's Gazelle Amber Valentine.
THE GOOD THE BAD THE UNSIGNED 3
Of Legend, No Pity, Isthmus, El Supremo & More.
A JOYFUL NIGHT WITH THE MORIBUND CULT 2
Merrimack, Hiems, Dodsferd, Canis Dirus & More.
TALES FROM THE CUTOUT BIN XIV
Undercroft, Rademassaker, Bitch & More.
METAL REISSUES GALORE XVI
Arckanum, Realm, Brutality, Amen & More.
MILLIONS
Chicago Scene Report.
A JOYFUL NIGHT WITH
THE MORIBUND CULT
Dodsferd, I Shalt Become, Horna, Azaghal, Necronoclast & More.
TALES FROM THE
CUTOUT BIN XI
The Hidden Hand, Wurdulak, Gobblehoof, Insult II Injury, Master & More. |
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GET DOWN WITH SOLITUDE PRODUCTIONS |
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Russian powerhouse Solitude Productions continues to churn out depressive metal at an alarming rate. As we can see below most of their roster consists of regional bands that go for a melodic and folksy sound but there is the occasional foray into other countries. They have recently released powerful albums by Belgians Mose and the teutonic suicidal metal of Ophis. Pay attention, these maybe amongst the label's best releases ever. Read on and spread the word...
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If Burton C Bell and Dino Cazares were hopeless romantics with an ear for chamber music they’d renamed their band As Light Dies. On their sophomore effort Ars Subtilior From Within the Cage, Spanish quartet As Light Dies does a nice balancing act between the soulless metric sound of Fear Factory and the lush and overloaded arrangements from an overtly ambitious gothic metal band. That the results are not embarrassing and cheesy is an accomplishment unto itself. Over the course of nearly an hour As Light Dies vocalist Oscar Martin shows his multiple talents and personalities by singing (clean, growls and effected) in Spanish, English and French. It works to a degree because the music is just as over the top. As Light Dies bathe their metal with layers of crystal clear strings, church organ (in fact, they offer a full track of just that in “Die Letzge Fuge Vor Der Flucht”), plentiful of romantic violins and cellos, flutes that approximate Braveheart grandiosity, saccharine female vocals and melodic metal that approximates Viking fromage. Coming from a gothic metal hater, I must admit, this works in several levels. Sure, the sound of this band is all over the place (on “Sombra y Silencio” the band go full cheese, but I forgive them), but somehow, their songs flow and the arrangements though intricate are also easy on the ears. MySpace |
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Thanks for the Encyclopaedia Metallum otherwise I would have never been able to find the name of this band. They are called Otkroveniya Dozhdya (don’t even ask me what that means) and, like their label, they hail from Russia. Mramornye Tona Otchayaniya (meaning Marble Tones of Despair – go figure what that means) is their debut album and dates back to 2007. And damn if it is a somber affair. Without reaching funeral doom levels of lethargy these dudes keep it just as morose. These slow songs have a melodic and gothic backbone via riffs that if sped up could fit a Him song. But Finnish puff rock Otkroveniya Dozhdya is not. The guitars are peppered with the insistent use of keyboards while high guitar lines accentuate the sadness to suicidal levels. The vocals are brutal, guttural and deep but the music is only halfway there. For fans of the sweeter and most romantic side of doom only.
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If you play doom metal you must have a massive sound. The guitars must be fat, obsessive and ominous. The production must be up to par and this quality control should be spread to all the instruments. Featuring weak sounding music is not an option and in those cases where the results are thin or light they simply take the bands outside the doom genre and turns them into a joke. That’s an issue that plagues several bands that do not know how to approach a recording. It has happened with a few of Solitude Productions bands and it has happened in dozens of doom recordings. From all the releases I’ve checked by this label, this is perhaps the best sounding record. Ophis is a German doom band and Withered Shades is their sophomore album. It was properly produced by the band and Jens Ballaschke. At times, this is excellent. Very focused, full of imagination and inventive arrangements, especially during the best track “The Halls of Sorrow”. Best of all, Ophis stays in character and does not include any female vocals, violins, cellos, ghostly chants and cheesy gothic melodies. There is a downside to Withered Shades, clocking at over an hour of music, this beast could have used some trimming on those fifteen minute songs. What these krauts play is a solid combination of doom and death metal. More of the former as the speed remains under the limit allowed. Official Site |
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The Howling Void’s soleman simply Ryan is all over the place. He must have a lot of free time in his hands. He drums in a black metal band called The Hordes of the Morning Star, does the same plus provides noise and other duties to a noise grind project called Intestinal Disgorge. And as if that wasn’t enough, he provides all the instrumentation for a sludge drone duo called Normpeterson. If you think about it, it makes sense and this is the best way to go. Instead of mixing all his metal likings into a rancidmetal salad he focuses each project in a particular style. In the case of The Howling Void, Ryan is all about the doom. Symphonic and funeral. Knowing all this is knowing Ryan is an acid man, so the ‘symphonic’ part isn’t at all overwrought by copious servings of Casio keyboards and cheap programming. Instead, this multi-instrumentalist attacks the style head on with blunt riffs, a layer of ethereal atmospherics and a voice deeper than the hole on top of the Mauna Loa. MySpace |
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Wine From Tears has got to be the worst band name ever bestowed upon a metal band. It is romantic indeed, but so much it may give a diabetic coma to those unprepared for such enormous intake of sweets. Anyway, with a name like Wine From Tears what can we expect? Right, nothing but soft melodies occasionally hardened by distorted and utterly simplistic guitars, pop melodic songs hidden by the dark Russian skies and the depression of a generation under Putin, a thoughtful and meditative voice that somehow recalls that of a burping black-robe wearing Yeti, and enough rich keyboards to fill the high ceilings of a gothic cathedral. If you are familiar with the material that Solitude Productions is used to putting out, then you are familiar with Through the Eyes of a Mad and that may be good or not depending on who you are. MySpace |
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Möse vocalist and bassist Klootöör sounds like a drunken sailor that’s smoked one too many Cubans. But that’s a great thing in the world of metal. If not, just ask Lemmy or Brian Johnson. Klootöör really doesn’t sing that much. But when he does he drags his lines like he doesn’t want them to go away, he inflicts the pain and elevates whatever sad melody is being played. Halfway to Nowhere is Möse’s first full-length (2008) and has since been followed by a split with Warkorpse. This trio hails from Belgium and is formed by members of the infamous Thee Plague of Gentlemen. This is fine sludge. Ugly melodies moving at a hesitant pace. Dirty riffs apparently slowly find their way through a maze which forces the notes to constantly vary. The arrangements, force drummer Dedeystere to be creative which he does efficiently. But like many doom bands (with whom Möse shares many traits) and sludge bands Halfway to Nowhere ultimately proves to be too long for its own good. The last two tracks (including the title track) lack feeling, force, drive and rhythm and by the time we experience the last track we are clamoring for it to end. An unfit end for an otherwise neat record. Official Site |
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By now we should all know that yours truly isn’t all that into folk and gothic metal. The former instantly disqualifies Kauan from getting a good grade. The absence of the latter actually puts me in a good mood. This Russian duo plays light music. As I understand it, they used to play doom, but on their third release Aava Tuulen Maa all traces of rudeness have been erased. My father could listen to this. Hell, my grandmother could listen to this. What Kauan is playing could fit your local adult contemporary station. Soothing tunes like “Valveuni” could almost fit alongside some Enya type o’ shit. Yeah, it is pretty like the morning rise on the horizon or the aurola borealis and I like piano soundtrack work as much as any other film buff, but Kauan go soft. Way soft. And even though their ear-caressing appeal might reach those into post rock, it will be a stretch to get this into the hands of fans of the heavy. A tough sell. MySpace
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