Highlights and Lowlights of 2018

Started by ConcreteMascara, December 14, 2018, 06:56:51 PM

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xdementia

that list is a thing of beauty! So organized!

brutalist_tapes

will have to check out a lot of the stuff mentioned here! listened to himukalt which i hadn't heard of before - great stuff!

grunt - castrate the illusionist
bizarre uproar - verikiima
xe - 18
death in june - essence!
slægt - the wheel (great mix of heavy and black metal - their best yet, imo)
craft - white noise and black metal
clandestine blaze - tranquility of death
akitsa - credo




ekastaka

#32
Top 15 LPs

1. Purity Renaissance - Purity Renaissance Aristocratic black metal. When I bought the promo tape earlier in the year, I was floored by it. The mastered LP sounds even better. The music and presentation are everything I find best in terms of black metal.
2. Graustich - Morality Ends My favorite PE/Industrial release of the year. It sounds malicious while keeping it subtle.
3. Circle of Ouroborus - Vangin Laulu Instantly captivated by anything this band releases. Melancholic dark metal.
4. Mania/Deterge - Lay Waste/Future of Pulse Constantly on the turntable this past year. The dedication to the compositions and themes is extremely impressive.
5. Cirrhus - Unimpeachable Madness Masterful USBM that stands on its own.
6. Interior One - Revenge Against Society This record is great in every way - the focus on sounds, mood, and subject matter.
7. Akitsa - Credo A long time favorite, while this record is a bit different than previous efforts, the quality is among their very best.  
8. Clandestine Blaze - Tranquility of Death Did not expect another album so soon after last year's City of Slaughter. Excellent as always. This project feels genuinely "evil" as opposed to the child like mass of overtly "satanic" black metal bands.
9. Terror Cell Unit - Psalm 137:9 The depth of sounds on display is insane. Usually I like to keep an arms distance from art and the process of art, but seeing how these guys operate makes my appreciation for this project increase even more. Genius.
10. BizarreSSMania - II Excellent collaboration. Everything on it sounds huge, yet intimate. The first half of side B is one of my favorite pieces I've heard all year. Unnerving, yet restrained.
11. Geography of Hell - Hiroshima 1945/Nagasaki 1945 This flows so well across both LPs. Well detailed and expertly executed.
12. Candelabrum - Portals Majestic black metal. I've seen complaints regarding how up in the mix the keys are, but I think that is my favorite thing about it.
13. Circle of Ouroborus/Cenotaphe Superb material from two idiosyncratic projects that compliment each other so well.
14. Vernichtung Durch Arbeit - Hungertod Forbidding and dark, very nice.
15. Infernal Darkness - Into Infernal Darkness... Truly depraved music. This is exactly how this sort of metal ought to sound. Makes Perverted Ceremony sound like a gay kids bop band.

Honorable mentions: Vile Gash, Cadaver Dog, City Hunter. Great records that provide a non-gay taste of modern hardcore/punk. I really liked these albums a lot, just found my mood for hardcore/punk reach record low levels.

Still waiting on acquiring some albums that would most likely have made my list like Necropole and Peste Noire. Never got around to buying the latest Lebanon Hanover.


Top 15 Tapes/10"/Comps

1. White Medal - Jorviking Anything by this project is essential for me and this release is no different. One of my absolite favorite contemporary black metal projects. Really like the leads featured on some of these tracks.
2. Zyklon SS - Moral War It just keeps getting better and better. The samples are woven into the tracks so well. The only con regarding this is the length. What a tease.
3. Blackwatch - In the Company of Dead Heroes This tape is incredible. Blackwatch has a sound and aesthetic of its own that really stands out among everything else currently in vogue. Really like the influence of 90s euro PE/Industrial, yet it avoids falling into tribute traps.
4. Najwyższy - An Orchestration In Shadows Supremely crafted black metal. Absolutely need more of this.
5. Annihilation of Human Faculties - s/t Endangered Species had a great year of top notch releases. This was my favorite of theirs.
6. Missing and Exploited Children compilation Great variation without losing any cohesion. Really stellar material from all contributions. This compilation will certainly be remembered.
7. Striations - Vietnamization The obsession poured into this release is astounding. The end result is no less impressive. Lucky enough to obtain a zine of the artwork made to accompany this release. Vinyl would do this release great justice.
8. FFH - Zyklon and Leather Excellent tape, but now I need to hear more new (and hopefully longer) material.
9. Deterge - Superannuated Considering the length, this never loses focus throughout the 100 or so minutes between both tapes.
10. Concave/Convex - Victory Over Body Fascinating and a bit disturbed, yet you can't stop from indulging. The constant output from this duo across their different monikers is the cream of the crop of modern PE/Industrial.
11. Agonal Lust - Modern Atrocities Deserves every bit of praise garnered. Extremely dark sounds and atmosphere.
12. Concrete Mascara - Decay Sequence Haven't been able to spend as much time with this release, but have been captivated by each listen. This project never disappoints.
13. Ærekær - MMXVII Intriguing and well done blend of dungeon synth with black metal. Not fully one or the other. Alluring and mystical.
14. Reptile Womb - Blood Sacrifice for Serpent God A genuine release that experiments with black metal and noise formulas without any sort of pompous wankery. Ends on a high note with a GG Allin cover.
15. Fless/Lampir My favorite material from both projects, really flows well together.

Highlights
- Ride for Revenge show. Was only able to go the first night. Its great that the promoters didn't just settle for whatever openers for this show as Ride for Revenge is mandatory on its own. They really put effort into curating an all around great show. Powerful headlining set that successfully translated the primitive ritualistic feel of their recordings. Excellent opening sets by all too, especially Reptile Womb.
- Genocide Organ/Anenzephalia U.S.A. shows. Was lucky enough to attend all 4 shows. Each performance was great, however GO's L.A. set stands as perhaps the best I have ever witnessed. Everything about it was perfect - the masterful performance, energy, video, and crowd response. The pre show was also great to be apart of and attend. Aside from the quality acts, it was great to gather everyone for one night. Both weekends provided a great time outside the shows as I got to spend time with people I've been corresponding with for a while and meet new people.
- Akitsa in L.A. Finally was able to witness this band. Excellent set.
- Prurient in L.A. High energy and captivating. Was worried about the use of guitar when I was first told about it, but it worked extremely well.
- Don't want to keep going on and on with shows, but it was a great year for live music personally. Others that stood out was Of the Wand and the Moon, Hellvetron, Nyogthaeblisz.
- Film wise, I didn't get to watch as much this year. Perfect Blue at the cinema was an amazing experience though.
- Fulfilling year spending time with people I value.

Lowlights
- Pest.

Zeno Marx

#33
Carol - 1996 Reconstructed (WEB version has extra tracks)
Control - Blood Will Rain
Control • Genevieve Pasquier • Kommando - Cold War, Hot Love
Dave Phillips - Clearing
Dead Can Dance - Dionysus
Fatum - Edge Of The Wild
Himukalt - Knife Through The Spine
Hum of the Druid - A Strange Export, The Conservative Road Beyond the Bizarre, Down-Home Paganism
Kjostad - Glacial Lake
Sissy Spacek - all the 2018ers
Skin Crime - Ghosts I Have Been
Tarab + Artificial Memory Trace - Obex
Yannick Dauby - Arches

reissues:
Against - Welcome to the Aftermath
Éliane Radigue - Œuvres électroniques
Masonna - Exploring Self-corrosive Noise With Coquette
World - WORLD (discography)

considerations:
Grunt - Castrate the Illusionist
Herz Juhning - Samsara
Martyria - self-titled
Offerbeest - Afrika
S.E.T.I. - Sleep Environments for Interplanetary Travel (10 hours)
Zygome - Demo 2018

labels:
Malignant
New Forces
Radio Raheem
Unrest Productions

haven't heard:
Alberich - Precursor
Am Not - Incursions
Am Not - Unpunished : Appendix
Cirrhus - Unimpeachable Madness
Fire + Ice - Wanderer 10"
Graustich - Morality Ends
Incapacitants - Breath Of Insect
Incapacitants - Zouvneree
Jeph Jerman – The Bray Harp
Militia - Ambiorix
Tarab - Housekeeping
Tomb Mold - Cerulean Salvation
Tomb Mold - Manor of Infinite Forms
Walker Phillips - My Love Sunday
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

Vermin Marvin

#34
CHAOS CASCADE // releases and live!
All from Obsessive Fundamental Realism was over the mediocre.
I only have first re-release from Veprisuicida on IR but that hit straight to the sweet spot.

Not too many that i not like from Filth&Violence and all hail to ruski perversions.

Haven`t heard all releases of last year but releases that are golden was all those 3 " from FA, UNCLEAN, Sex Noise comp, CONTORTUS, KSNK, MASKHEAD, YANA, ENTARTUN, SCATMOTHER+, SICK SEED, SNUFF, XE, LEGION OF ANDROMEDA, KALIYOGANOISE and Kazumoto Endo(!)... there must be more since this year was year of quality noise.

-Postages and post. them will kill this culture.

Peterson

Quote from: W.K. on January 09, 2019, 01:30:04 AM
Edit: Looking at the Curios & Oddities issued on cassette and record topic, I will add going to the thrift store and finding awesome tapes as a highlight as well. Especially finding tapes of religious or spiritual themed qualities, either prayers, motivations or help for life and local choirs, amazing what you can find in the rubbish of others.

You're telling me! Recently scored were two tapes of some weird therapy instruction/certification-type seminars, one of which deals with some hypnosis BS. Really good excerpts featuring anecdotes about patients, case histories, etc - been trying to copy some good moments for a certain Finnish friend for use in his work but it's slow-going as they're both C120s!

cr

Quote from: Vermin Marvin on January 11, 2019, 09:16:48 PM

All from Obsessive Fundamental Realism was over the mediocre.

all hail to ruski perversions.

-Postages and post. them will kill this culture.

Oh yeah!

New Forces

This might be the most useful incarnation of this thread I've seen on this board, gave me the push to check out a bunch of stuff I'd missed. In particular, it was a good reminder to catch up on some of the heavy electronics I'd missed... Graustich LP on Tordon Ljud is fantastic, been spinning that constantly the past few weeks. Bacteria Field Jake is spot-on with his review of the Operation Cleansweep record - both that it was too expensive so I didn't grab a copy (I think it was more than $50 in distros?) and that it is really good, a bit more high energy and dynamic without losing their usual plodding heaviness. I also failed to notice the Small Cruel Party - Island of Sleep reissue... catching up with that one now...
New Forces
https://newforces.bigcartel.com

Kjostad
Breaking The Will
Form Hunter
Cryocene

Zeno Marx

Quote from: spiritassembly on December 31, 2018, 07:14:29 PMDave Phillips 'Clearing' (Spalt-ung/Licht-ung)
I want to like his work more than I do.  It's disjointed, or something, in a way I can't deal with well.  Truly difficult listening for me.  But this one isn't.  This is genuinely scary and menacing.  Could easily be a horror soundtrack.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

MyrtleLake

Quote from: New Forces on January 13, 2019, 07:18:56 PM
I also failed to notice the Small Cruel Party - Island of Sleep reissue... catching up with that one now...
It would be worth pointing out, then, a very late 19 December 2018 reissue: Resin, Parched, Chthonic LP on Ferns Recordings. It is supposedly reworked. Not having ever heard the original 1991 cassette, I have no idea how much. It is a quite different tonal palette than Islands of Sleep. Noisy. Brooding. Drone-ish. Excellent. The one that dropped well below my awareness is the *brand new* recording ἡσυχασμός ["Complacency"].

brutalist_tapes

Quote from: New Forces on January 13, 2019, 07:18:56 PM
This might be the most useful incarnation of this thread I've seen on this board, gave me the push to check out a bunch of stuff I'd missed. In particular, it was a good reminder to catch up on some of the heavy electronics I'd missed... Graustich LP on Tordon Ljud is fantastic, been spinning that constantly the past few weeks. Bacteria Field Jake is spot-on with his review of the Operation Cleansweep record - both that it was too expensive so I didn't grab a copy (I think it was more than $50 in distros?) and that it is really good, a bit more high energy and dynamic without losing their usual plodding heaviness. I also failed to notice the Small Cruel Party - Island of Sleep reissue... catching up with that one now...
the graustich lp seems like it is worth buying, besides not having heard the whole thing.. i don't have a turntable rn, but think about buying it anyways. the 7" on f&v was great, only gave the tape one listen and wasn't impressed then.. maybe i'll have to listen again. "nelson" track from diversity tape sounded great! thinking about ordering that one too.  will have to get the operation cleansweep record also, reason for not mentioning it as one of the years best is that i haven't heard the whole thing. very nice thread!

P.i.L.-Lu

Quote from: Zeno Marx on January 07, 2019, 11:47:56 PM


haven't heard:

Fire + Ice - Wanderer 10"


Thanks for bringing this one up. Didn't know about this, really.

When checking out the song-list it seems warming up some oldies but goldies in studio. The first track being almighty Drag Girls in the Sunset.

Zeno Marx

a few revisions to my list:  Himukalt, Offerbeest, and Hum of the Druid (3 releases in 2018).
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

brutalist_tapes

will have to add the lebanon hanover LP - not usually af fan of this revival stuff, but this really hits a nerve..

bogskaggmannen

BJNilsen – Focus Intensity Power LP (Moving Furniture Records) -- despite the ugly cover this is the best Benny did in recent years, back to more isolationist ambience, less field recordings.
BizarreSSMania – II LP (Freak Animal) -- solid, but also time for experimentation and breath.
Jerman, Jeph – The Bray Harp LP (WCN)
Kallabris – Red Square LP (Inselkind Schalltraeger) -- pop music.
Mnem – Hegonon LP (Sentimental) -- alien, dry, chilling, wonderful.
Plurals – Tri Tone CLEAR LP (Silken Tofu) -- would probably hate seeing this in a live setting but works great at home.
Rusalka – Revisualizations TAPE (New Forces)
Treriksröset – Kristen Musik Från Rågsved LP TESTPRESS (Harbinger Sound) -- still don't have the original release but it delivers.
Treriksröset – Jkpg 2008 / Sthlm 2013 TAPE (Hatband) -- the Stockholm show is the winner for me, showing a new side of Tommy's work.
Yana – Oka TAPE (Freak Animal) -- a satanic Toukaseibunshi?

Lowlights... the Small Cruel Party "come-back" (?)-tape on Banned felt a bit meh, Deathpanel CD on Tesco, Strafe F.R. CD on Touch, Graustich LP (sorry, can't understand the praise for this one, but then again i'm totally uninterested in "heavy" electronics of today, think it all sounds flat), Anna Von Hausswolff new CD (pathetic rocking shit, she should record an pump organ album with vocals -- skip the "band").