5 New Reviews ( Minimalism is the Key...)

Villainy- Villainy II-Dim- CD/ Digital ( Listenable)

So what do we have here is a mix of Fuzzed out Post Metal, Prog Metal and Post Black metal with a very classic BWOBHM over tone through out.  I almost feel that we are getting bands now that have found Bathory, Iron Maiden and Emperor all at the same time and then expanded the world to bands like Celtic Frost and Sodom and a whole new world was exposed to them as over all of this we have a total Voivod worship in guitar and drum textures going on , Villainy is not a one trick pony in any way shape of form. What you get with " DIM" is really the best experimentation of  80,90 and 00 of left field metallic ideas. I clearly know most of you will not think all of this works but it clearly does.  Villainy has made on monster of a metal album that will have a lot of styles and sounds for many of the more adventurous metal heads out there.  at the Heart  Bathory, Celtic Frost and Voivod really come out in the creation of what Villainy is releasing.

http://listenable.net/

Nhor- Momenta Quintae Essentiae- CD/ LP/Digital ( Lupus Lounge/ Prophecy Prod)

Delicate, Frail, Hopeful, Lost and Struggling these are the emotions I'm getting from this Nhor release . It's a mix of Neoclassic, Folk, Cinematic, Cold wave and Post Rock very much in the way bands like Ulver, Canaan, This Empty flow , Antimatter and David Galas have created stunning music that makes you listen and yearn for every note. The somber side of music is there Nhor comes from with lush strings, subdued pianos, haunting vocal melodies and an over all isolationist overtone to the album. I was not ready for something this minimalist to affect we so but it is and it does . Music like this plays on all your emotions and has a way to make you mind wonder to days gone by and what the future will bring. Stunning release that in no way is metal at all.

http://prophecy.de/

Twilight Fauna/Jennifer Christensen - Split 7" - (Red River Family Records)

While both these artist work with in the Black metal realm normally . This time out we start with Jennifer and this a full no Neoclassic/ Orchestral piece full of Viola and Violins it reminds me a lot of a band called The Rachels on 1/4 stick records if you like that band you will worship the talent and musicianship from Jennifer. This could very well be from Godspeed you black emperor as well as it has those vibes going on too.  Next up is Twilight Fauna and this is a very noisy black ambient track that is very harsh and almost unsettling compared to the delicate beauty of the 1st track but maybe this was done very much on purpose to push a new emotion to you.  Twlight Fauna is  Black Droning noise and is relentless in it's single harsh tone being layer and more and more harsh elements being placed on top of it.  This is a very ying and yang release. It's limited to 300 copies if your interested so do not delay..

http://redriverfamily.bigcartel.com/

Black Wizard- New Waste- CD/Digital ( Listenable)

And let the hate mail begin .. Man there is only one kind of metal that makes me really pissed off and its that retro stoner metal shit. Congrats Black wizard I should have know with the name that you were going to hit that genre running. Enough is enough this band sound like the 10,000 other bands that labels like Tee pee, Revelation, Rise above etc have thrown at me for over two decades now. Too much weed, groove and same old same old for this guy. We get it you love Sabbath and Ozzy and now it's time to rehash all they have done for the 100,000 time. I just don't get it.

http://listenable.net/

Council of Nine- Diagnosis- CD/ Digital ( Cryo Chamber)

This truly sound like a sci fi soundtrack for a story of them traveling through space seeking a new world to colonize and that spacial deep dark ambient element with those wavering drones and tones just takes it all over the top for me. This is escapist music for when you want to hope that a thousand years from not when people look back at man kind they see that there were many good things and that we did hold the key for the next generations to set forth the ideal of intellect and sciences that help build a star trek like utopia . I'm sure I'm over thinking this release but Council of Nine have truly made a stellar Dark experimental/ Futurist Ambient album that challenges the listener to paint the backdrop for this theatrical piece in the making. Where else can we had with this but to the stars and beyond...

http://cryochamberlabel.com/