paysage d’hiver

Miscellaneous Turn-of-the-Century-ish Recommendations

by David Rosales on July 24, 2015

In view of our recent emphasis on the fact that post-1994 metal landscape is a desert of creativity with very few well-realized projects, most of which were pretty underground efforts. By the turn of the century, death and black metal aesthetics had been absorbed into the mainstream mindset and so we can not automatically consider bands with said genre tags as underground. But the ones recommended below are, indeed, high-quality efforts (in the way of music writing) that were never hyped to any wide audience.

The turn of the century itself was one of the darkest moments in metal history when there was no relevant innovation being worked into metal. In place, a superficial re-mixing of styles done by the thousands became the obsession of scenes. Something had happened: Metal had reached its young adult life. Until now, childish enthusiasm and creativity had been enough for it to keep making discoveries. A spirit of rebellion had propelled it in the search for a deeper romantic meaning that drove it forward. Once this bottomed out with with mid-nineties albums by projects like Burzum, Ildjarn and Summoning, it was evident that metal would have to rely on a refinement of its technical approach that could keep feeding the aesthetics needs of its spirit.

In the following recommendations, we have thrown some worthwhile non-metal releases that are also strongly recommended. The reader is encouraged to explore each of these with all their attention and in reflection of the trails that the golden era left that are only in recent years fully crystallizing into promising proposals for a real re-start and future based on the previously mentioned refinement applied to a study and digestion of the older spirit in order for the genre to continue. This future is precisely what metal needs and not a return to anything. The past is the past. Metal must look ever ahead if it is to be an artistic movement with life. This post is in part to honor those releases and to offer a glimmer of hope that although metal is suffocated, it is not dead.

Summoning – Stronghold (1999)

Mütiilation – Remains of A Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI6fz8pi6dg

Worship – Last Tape Before Doomsday (1999)

Tenhi – Kauan (1999)

Jordi Savall & Ton Koopman – J.S. Bach, Die Sonaten Für Viola Da Gamba Und Cembalo (2000)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwxeE5LGgdA&feature=youtu.be

Paysage D’Hiver – Paysage d’Hiver (2000)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OgCIIqUzkI

Antaeus – Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan (2000)

Immolation – Close to a World Below (2000)

Gorguts – From Wisdom to Hate (2001)

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Tags: Antaeus, gorguts, immolation, Jordi Savall, mütiilation, paysage d'hiver, Tenhi, Worship

S.V.E.S.T. – Urfaust (2003)

by David Rosales on July 19, 2015

Playing a style of black metal that became more prominent and perhaps common after the turn of the century, S.V.E.S.T.’s “atmospheric” approach is of the sort that creates a fog out of different layers of intsruments playing different notes to form dissonant chords and having the drums by a vehicle for intensity. Although black metal per se has inclinations towards minimalism and ambience, this explicit brand of atmospheric black metal stretches song durations as long as it is necessary to induce the sense of evaporating time and alienating experience they are looking for. While many different bands can claim to be part of this, very few retained an anchor in reality and still building something meaningful. S.V.E.S.T. Urfaust is such an album.
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Tags: 2003, Abyssum, Black Metal, Cum Foeda Sanie Ex Ore, deathspell omega, fanisk, kaeck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Noontide, Parabellum, paysage d'hiver, Stormkult, SVEST, Urfaust

Today’s Recommended Playlist

by David Rosales on May 10, 2015

Sometimes we find ourselves looking for the music that suits the moment, the mood. Sometimes we want more than suitable, we want excellent, we want an experience, a window into another world. We waddle around swinging our fists frustratingly at the empty air and cursing our creator for giving us this craving for melody and rhythm that is not so easily satisfied. Then we realize the answer lies in Satan’s music. The rebel. The adversary.

So, while your neighbours and family members are falling asleep in Church this Sunday morning, you can draw a pentagram on the floor of room, scratch some runes, close the windows, light candles and turn the music on.