Oh man... So many super good releases again this year. It's good thing that my record shelves are running out of space so I can't put the latest purchases into record shelves after one listen. Everything is easily available next to my stereo setup and listening chair and that's why I've been dwelling deep with the new releases. I have to brutally count out stuff like
Worth's Sacred violence noise and
Altar of Flies Återblick (WCN) to ease out the listing because those was originally released as tape during 2020 and 2021.
These are the ones I listened to a lot. And listed ones are not in any particular rating order.
Dressing: From the body to the door CD (Oxen)Well executed junk metal bashing and klanging spiced up with pedal noise. Starts minimally with smaller metal objects and crispy electronics. Builds up to total mayhem towards the end.
Scathing: No Night Worth Saving CD (Phage tapes)
Scathing: Blind nectar consumption TAPE (Satatuhatta)No night.. CD is cut-up noise but not too wild "everything goes" style. Kinda reminds me of Worth, but still bit more electronic and harsh. Ends up with a long ambientish dwelling in swamps and sewers track. Gives you room to breathe after the blasting. Blind Nectar consumption tape pretty much continues where the CD ends. Organic, psychedelic and surreal tape noise just the way I like it.
Spate: Dogmono CD (Sinkhole entertainment)This is some well made crispy mid and high end HARSH noise. Good focus on the frequence surfing on the top of the source material. Hands on feel with room sound. Has a live feel without layering sounds too much.
Barstool Mountain: Everything!Two tapes and one CD. Each released by different label. As a Mattias Gustafsson fanboy what there is not to like? Maybe bit "relaxed" and harsher approach than his works as Altar of Flies, but there's nothing wrong with that. Still organic, still super good, still top of the nordic noise scene.
Ames Sanglantes: Canada 666 LP (Hospital Productions)Wasn't familiar with this project before and still haven't heard any other releases than this, but nevertheless this vinyl is superb stuff. Good sounding harsh noise with vocals. Kind of "simple stuff" but when it's good, it's good. Canadian Masonna without the razor sharp cut-up feel.
Pain Appendix: Toward infinity TAPE (Satatuhatta)HEAVY and organic sound journey. Field recordings and GOOD junk metal bashing with carefully selected source material. Full of details and this one has sort of oldschool industrial feel with almost musical qualities at some point. Pull the strings!
Moozzhead: The Doors of Perfection TAPE (White Centipede Noise)Moozz fan here, so what can you do? Master of nowaday's harsh pedal noise. Cut out the dry bones and leave the flesh and fat. Juicy and always fun harsh noise with glassy bourbonic aftertaste. And I love bourbon and the sound of shattering glass!
Cyess Afxzs: Americhams CD (Rural Isolation Project)
Cyess Afxzs: Tápies TAPE (Satatuhatta)Both releases are masterfully composed artsy harsh noise. I almost dare to say that his works reminds me a bit of Jaakko Vanhala's noise... Constantly changing layers of sounds. Junk metal, pedals, ambience. Brutal and beautiful. Reminds me of a clinically white art gallery with nasty and abstract paintings and weird sculptures. This guy seems to know his sound and vision. Both releases are SUPER good stuff.
Skin Graft: Final Judgement CD (White Centipede Noise)This topic's starter already described this as "AOR noise" and that description fits pretty damn well haha! Dark, heavy and slowly building low end suffocating americanoise. Graps you from the throat straight from the first second and doesn't let go until the end.
Lettera 22: Surface ego TAPE (Second sleep)Slept on with the Exposition of clove vinyl, but at least got this. First copy was poorly dubbed version, but managed to get a new one. Not harsh but detailed broken tape noise with electronic beeping and humming. Italian version of Umpio's and SM/DP's insect electronix?
Violent Shogun: Brittle CD (Tordon Ljud)Rémi has been productive during last years, but it doesn't matter because every single release has been gold. Brittle is the quieter side of VS. He says: "Credits for the inspiration when I put this album together go to Altar Of Flies, Höh, Josh Peterson, Kjostad, Current Worming and Ochu." For my ears those are just the guidelines, because Brittle stands 100% on it's own feet. Perfect music for the late night listening and sleep deprivations.
Darksmith: Imposter CD (Throne Heap)Surreal field recordings, sound collages and tape manipulation. Sounds the same as the beginning of movie Blue Velvet looks.
Toanche Dwelling: Hyleidos TAPE (Absurd exposition)Murky, lo-fi, broken noise for the deserted factories and train yards. Another Lynch movie reference here, but if Darksmith was Blue Velvet, Hyleidos is Eraserhead. Timeless noise that could have been released in the 80's or 2020's. I love it!
Slacking: Cycling Through Bother & Bliss CD-R (Prose Nagge)First listen with this was in car while driving to cabin. Dark late autumn night in the northern part of Finland which is well known for it's UFO sightings in the 70's haha! Slowly evolving broken signals and soundscapes. Haunting loops topped with screeching metal sounds. Hypnotic stuff to listen in the dark or while driving your car through the forest roads while trying to spot some extraterrestrial action in the sky.
Corral Shut: Ramshackle CD (Satatuhatta tapes)BRUTAL, RAW and HARSH as fuck metal junk bashing and screeching. Nothing more to say about this blunt to the core masterpiece. If you like junk metal noise, you like this. Period.
Amek-Maj: Bar De Trod TAPE (Narcolepsia)Finnish noise superstar of the moment! He has developed a sound and style that is instantly recognized as Amek-Maj. Weird laboratory of some demented factory where wheels are constantly in motion and radio is stuck to play loops of classical music. Organic sound with layered details.
I might have forgotten something, but like I said in the beginning; so much quality stuff coming out all the time. Trying my best to keep up with the new releases, but it's impossible to catch or remember everything. One could easily enjoy contemporary top quality harsh noise with only Satatuhatta releases (couple of honorary mentions for 2022 goes to
Junkyard Shaman and
Free-Tala), because EACH ONE of the tapes or CDs the label puts out are top notch stuff, but checking out what is happening everywhere is important for me at least. And it goes without saying that I love everything what guys like
Aprapat and
Umpio/Kartio does. All their releases are in my top lists automatically including this year's
Reef Crasher TAPE (New Forces) and
Marisko CD (Satatuhatta).Couple of things still not heard like the new Kjostad CD or Masonna/Prurient CD. I think that those would include my top list, but I'll wait for the first listen till I got the physical copies. From more industrial side of noise I enjoyed
Grunt's Cast iron hand 10" (Old europa cafe) and
Geography of Hell's Verdun 1916 CD (Hospital Productions)Also a LOT of mega good re-releases came out this year:
Incapacitants: Feedback of N.M.S vinyl (Urashima)
Incapacitants: Quietus vinyl (Urashima)
Hands To: Bio electric 5-CD box (New Forces)
Monde Bruits: Tapes 1991-1994 5-CD box (Industrial Recollections/Audio Dissection)
Secret Apex: Secret Apex CD (Satatuhatta)
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on December 12, 2022, 03:23:25 PM
perhaps also addition:
BEST newcomers (as far as I know, they have no former noise projects at all)
Kylmäkovamaa
Haudat
RMSS
True that. My absolute favourite of these is definitely
RMSS. I know that he took his time to arrange his first tape before releasing it. Very different than almost anything else in the Finnish scene at this moment with his Broken Flag meets
Ashley C approach. A lot more than just "another noise tape." Really looking forward his (hopefully more) future releases!
