Tag Archives: United Kingdom

Now Available for FREE: Basement Torture Killings – The First Cumming

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Basement Torture Killings – The First Cumming (Self-released, Summer 2008)

 
London-based deathgrind/goregrind band Basement Torture Killings are also sometimes referred to by the acronym BTK — not coincidentally, the same initials used by serial killer Dennis Rader (in which case the letters stood for “Bind, Torture, Kill”). With this sort of pedigree, and with song titles such as “Drill Bit Erotica,” “Cut, Drained and Disposed,” and “Necrophiled and Cannibalised,” your first reaction might be — as mine was — to expect them to be one of those super-extreme-brutal-death-wacko bands. You know, where the whole thing sounds so muddled and the guitars and bass are both equalized so low that you can’t distinguish between them? And usually the vocals sound more like a handful of crickets tossed into a bunch of stomach acid inside a blender set to “puree”? I don’t know how people listen to that sort of thing, to be honest, and if you’re with me on that, then you’re in for a pleasant surprise just as I was when I first heard BTK’s music.
 
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The “Signmeto” Unsigned Band of the Week: Jamie Parker

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Hello, readers.  To be honest with you, as much as I’ve bitched and moaned about the workdays dragging by, I really can’t believe it’s already Monday again!  This weekend went by far too quickly, but not only that, it hardly feels like last Monday was a whole week ago.  I’m guessing this is because school is just about wrapping up for this semester (only one more week to go!) and I’m trying to make sure everything is caught up and turned in before the deadline, and so it is starting to feel like days are slipping away from me.  But enough about that, like I said, it’s Monday, and you all know what that means!  It’s time for the “Signmeto” Unsigned Band of the Week!  As you know, this is the thing where I go to the “Sign Me to Roadrunner Records” website and check out the messages that bands have written to me asking for a review of their music.  Then I grab one of those bands, listen to the songs they’ve got posted, then I write about them here so YOU can discover some awesome new music. 

Today I’m looking at a solo artist from Dorchester, in the southern part of England, whose name is Jamie Parker.  He says the three songs currently included on his Signmeto page are just demo tracks that will soon be re-recorded with a new full band line-up, but they sound pretty fully realized to me.  I like where things seem to be going with this project so far, and if you like your stoner rock on the heavier end of the spectrum, then you’ll probably dig it as well.

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Coming Soon: Undersmile Reveal Cover Art, Track Listing, and More!

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Well, would you look at that.  It’s early Monday morning, it’s cold and rainy outside, and I have to go to work.  What a miserable way to start the day.  Just when I was thinking I could really use something dark and dismal to match my bleak mood, so that I could feel a little better, check out this treasure trove of incredible news I just found on Facebook!

I’ve been bubbling with excitement about a new Undersmile album ever since it was announced, as I mentioned when I wrote about that announcement back in November.  (Check out that earlier post if you need a brief introduction to the band and some of their earlier work.)  Well as it turns out, Future Noise has just announced a ton of brand new details about that album, Narwhal, which is now scheduled to emerge on 28 May 2012.

At the top of this post you can admire the artwork that will be adorning the new record (by artist Tony Roberts, who has done work in the past for bands such as Conan and Electric Wizard), and further down will be the full tracklist, as well as information on where you can hear a couple of these tracks now — plus how you can preorder a copy of the album!

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Get ’em While They’re Hot: Deep in the Mire Offering Three Free Songs

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Good evening!  I usually don’t get a chance to post anything on Sundays, but I was just listening to these songs I downloaded the other day from Leodensian prog-rockers Deep in the Mire, and I just felt that I had to toss this little announcement out there, so you could check them out, too.  You’re welcome.

These guys have been posting recording updates on their Facebook page for the past couple months, and making vague references to giving away free downloads during much of that time as well.  Then, a couple days ago, I got an email from bassist Sidge Rushton, who said:

Long ago (maybe FOUR MONTHS??!!) we promised you all some free DITM music. After numerous technical difficulties we worked out this was the best way to bring it too you.

 Go here:

http://soundcloud.com/deep-in-the-mire

You can listen to each song in full before you download it. If you want it click on the little downward facing arrow next to ‘add to set’ and it should start downloading. Up there is ‘Again’, ‘Biganeha’ and new single ‘The Moth’ all for free.

Download and enjoy and feel free to send the song to anyone you want.

Love and respect from the DITM Tribe.

I have to warn you, the downloads are pretty large, because these are WAVs rather than MP3s.  Of course, the upside to that is the sound quality is much better.  Also, as stated above, you have the opportunity to listen to the streams on Soundcloud before deciding to download.  In fact, I’m embedding the player for each of the three songs below, for your listening convenience.

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In Case You Missed It: Sanctorum – Semper Fidelis

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Sanctorum – Semper Fidelis (Auburn Fox Records, 21 March 2011)

Hello, friends.  I have to tell you, I am beginning to write this review once more, with some amount of trepidation.  That feeling has nothing to do with the album or the band in particular, but this is now the third time I’ve decided to sit down and write this, and the first two were cut short because I became otherwise distracted by some catastrophe.   Well, maybe that’s too strong of a word, but in any case, I’ve experienced a couple of unfortunate mishaps, each of which had me preoccupied on those particular days. So I’m hoping the third time will be the charm, for this review of Semper Fidelis, which happens to be the third album from Colcestrian metal band Sanctorum (following 2008’s Ashes of Redemption and their 2006 debut The Heavens Shall Burn).

This latest album is actually almost a year old by now, although I’ve only had a copy of it for the past two months — I actually just discovered the band after I reviewed My Ruin‘s A Southern Revelation when it was released back in December. Right around that same time, I learned that the bands would be performing together on an extensive tour across the UK (which, incidentally, just concluded last night in Sanctorum’s hometown of Colchester).

Anyway I hope I haven’t already frightened you away by talking about my own bad luck, because believe me– though I might have had some problems getting the opportunity to actually write about this album, there’s been no shortage of chances to listen to it, which I have done many, many times over these two months. (And, I might add, with no harmful side effects!)

So, keep on reading and I’ll finally get a chance to share this music with you, that I have been meaning to do for so long!

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In Case You Missed It: Visions – Home

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Visions – Home (Basick Records, 18 July 2011).

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Dear Reader, I have a confession to make.

I know this has the potential to forever diminish your opinion of me as a music critic, as a metalhead, and perhaps even as a person, but it’s something I need to get off my chest. 

Here goes… I’m just not that into Dillinger Escape Plan.  I never have been, and to be honest, I fail to understand why this band is held in such universally high regard by critics and fans alike, just as I fail to understand the majority of the music they make.

I accept that there are surely listeners out there who thrive on such frenetic chaos and see a complex beautiful sense of order in what appears to be only random madness to my simple ears.  But on the other hand, I expect that there must be some like-minded souls out there, nodding in agreement as they read these words, but afraid to ever speak publicly for fear that (like in the case of the Emperor’s New Clothes) they would be ridiculed by the others who DO get it (or at least who claim to).

Anyway, the reason this discussion is sort of relevant stems from my decision to listen to Peterbourian band Visions‘ debut LP Home, which was released earlier this year.  Since they are a relatively new band (formed in 2009), and given that this is their first album, I didn’t really know what to expect beyond what is written in the official press release and some other advertisements I’ve seen.

First, we have the fact that they had been signed by UK label Basick Records (and the fact that the album itself was mixed and mastered by members of labelmates Monuments and Chimp Spanner), which sort of hints at some proggy/techy/melodic-y leanings.  But at the same, I kept seeing that infamous marketing phrase “for fans of…” and in every case, it seems to include Dillinger Escape Plan.

Well, if any of that made me feel apprehensive at all, I decided to plow ahead anyway (or I guess I should say “plough ahead” since we’re talking about a British band here), and let me just say, I’m really glad that I did.

Keep reading after the jump for some more in-depth analysis, plus your chance to listen to some of the songs (including one available for free download)…

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Coming Soon: Undersmile Debut Album Promises to be ‘Hideous’

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Oxonian sludge quartet Undersmile have announced some new details for their forthcoming debut album Narwhal. 

First, near the end of last week, it was revealed on their Facebook page that producer/engineer Billy Anderson (whose impressive resume includes work on albums by such luminaries as Eyehategod, Melvins, High on Fire, and many others) is currently mixing the record.

Then, earlier today, a press release from Future Noise gave a tentative release date of 9 April, 2012.

Hel Sterne, one of the band’s two vocalists and guitarists, personally has assured me that the new release will be “hideous”.  She was also kind enough to provide the following video as a preview of what you can expect in April:

Narwhal will be the band’s first official full-length release, but is coming on the heels of their recent EP Undertaker (a split between Undersmile and Caretaker) which is available for streaming, or for purchase via either digital download or CD, at Bandcamp.

Also available for streaming or digital download at Bandcamp is last year’s EP A Sea of Dead Snakes, although sadly I have learned that the limited-run CD copies (which, like the split EP above, had been made available by Blindsight Records) recently have sold out.

Stay tuned right here for further information as it becomes available, or even better, “like” Undersmile on Facebook for updates direct from the source!