Aranis, Songs From Mirage

Belgium, 2010.

Aranis is a Flemish septet, playing music across the borders of classical, folk and (post-)rock. This is their third release.

Playlist:

1. Ouverture
2. Fresia
3. Chamber Rock
4. Reprise
5. Lullaby
6. Airesym
7. Aynu
8. Lever In Plakjes
9. Jelimena
10. Keria
11. Out Ama
12. Enjuminenna
13. Ilah
14. Finale

Link.

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Virus, Carheart

Norway, 2004

Virus are Carl-Michael Eide (Czral), Einar Sjurso (Esso) and Petter Berntsen (Plenum), all former Ved Buens Ende members. Signed to Norway's Jester Records, Virus compose avant-garde metal.

Playlist:

1 - Something Furry This Way Comes
2 - Carheart
3 - Queen of the High-Ace
4 - Road
5 - Gum, Meet, Mother
6 - Dogs With Wheels
7 - It's All Gone Weird
8 - Kennel Crash Recovery
9 - Hustler
10 - Bandit
11 - Be Elevator

Link.

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The Lounge Lizards, Queen of All Ears

U.S., 1998

I really didn't know about John Lurie – or The Lounge Lizards for that matter – until a few days ago on a bus ride where this friend showed me some tracks off of this record. I stood amazed; great rhythmic/melodic constructions and such harmonies that left me staggered.
On the other hand, it is (not just) jazz – whatever that might mean to you – but music which I'm sure you'll find, at the very least, amusing.


Playlist:

1. The First and Royal Queen
2. The Birds Near Her House
3. Scary Children
4. She Drove Me Mad
5. Queen Of All Ears
6. Monsters Over Bangkok
7. Three Crowns of Wood
8. John Zorn's S&M Circus
9. Yak
10. Queen Reprise

Link.

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Dog Fashion Disco, Adultery

US, 2006

This is to complete my previous post - to everyone who had never heard of Dog Fashion Disco. Shame on you. Their music is a fusion of metal, hardcore, jazz and lounge. This is a concept album, telling the story of a man who starts going insane after getting involved in a story of murder and rape.

Playlist:
1. The Uninvited Guest
2. The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington
3. Silent Film
4. Sweet Insanity
5. Desert Grave
6. Moonlight City Drive
7. Private Eye
8. The Darkest Days
9. Dead Virgins Don't Sing
10. The Hitchhiker
11. 100 Suicides
12. Adultery
13. Mature Audiences Only

Link.

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Polkadot Cadaver, Purgatory Dance Party

US, 2007

Polkadot Cadaver emerged from the ashes of Dog Fashion Disco. The amazing vocals provided by Todd Smith are reminiscent of Mike Patton's. Highly recommended for fans of Fantômas and more progressive-oriented stuff like 3 (also DFD, obviously). On a side note, gotta love the not-so-hidden message at the end of the album.

Playlist:
1. Haunted Holiday
2. A Wolf In Jesus Skin
3. Purgatory Dance Party
4. Deathwish
5. Phantom Limb
6. Long Strange Trip to Paradise
7. Bring Me the Head of Andy Warhol
8. Chloroform Girl
9. What's the Worst Thing That Could Happen?
10. Brainwash
11. Pure Bedlam for Halfbreeds
12. Sole Survivor

Link.

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Current 93, Baalstorm, Sing Omega

UK, 2010
Baalstorm, Sing Omega is the new album from David Tibet´s long running apocalyptic folk project Current 93. It´s also my favourite work by them.


Playlist:

1. I Dreamt I Was Aeon
2. With Flowers In The Garden Of Fires
3. December 1971
4. Baalstorm! Baalstorm
5. Passenger Aleph In Name
6. Tanks Of Flies
7. The Nudes Lift Shields For War
8. Night! Death! Storm! Omega!
9. I Dance Narcoleptic

Link.

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A Forest Of Stars, Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

UK, 2010

A Forest Of Stars are a British 5 piece (live they metamorphose into a 8 piece!) that play avant-garde black metal. This is their sophomore album, successor of the brilliant 2008 album "The Corpse Of Rebirth". Like their first release, "Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring" is a conceptual album, basically telling the story of the first "attempted communion with incorporeal beings" which ended up in disaster.
With this simple premise A Forest Of Stars crafted one of the most, if not the most, unique black-metal albums I´ve ever heard, tapping into a million different genres (neo-classical, progressive, ambient, thrash, black-metal, folk) and using a vast array of instruments (beside your standard instruments, hurdy-gurdy´s, synths, piano, violin, trumpet, flute and others can be heard on the album) to create a truly cohesive and, as i said before, unique whole that stands out as, in my opinion, the best album of the year. A true masterpiece.


Playlist:
1. Chapter One: Sorrow´s Impetus
2. Chapter Two: Raven´s Eye View
3. Chapter Three: Summertide´s Approach
4. Chapter Four: Thunder´s Cannonade
5. Chapter Five: Stafire´s Memory
6. Chapter Six: Delay´s Progression

Link.

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Eyvind Kang, Virginal Co-ordinates

US, 2004

«Kang’s work is difficult to classify, but can broadly be seen as a classical approach to jazz music with punk, ambient, and traditional folk influences. However, each of his solo efforts is almost in a different genre. Kang has also worked with musicians including Mike Patton, John Zorn, Trey Spruance, Tim Young, Marc Ribot and Beck, supporting the latter during a 2000 tour of Japan. In addition, he has been a guest musician on many albums, including Bill Frisell’s Quartet (1994), Secret Chiefs 3’s Book M and playing the viola on five of Laura Veirs’ albums.»

Playlist:

1. Go In a Good Way to a Better Place
2. I Am the Dead
3. Doorway to the Sun
4. Occultum Lapidem
5. Harbour of the Nade
6. Virginal Co-ordinates
7. Sidi Bou Said
8. Innocent Eye, Crystal See
9. Marriage of Days

Link.

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Mike Patton, Mondo Cane

US, 2010.

"2010 release from the Faith No More vocalist, an Italian language rock-meets orchestra hybrid. Recorded at a series of European performances including an outdoor concert in a Northern Italian piazza, this album features traditional Italian Pop songs as well as a rendition of Ennio Morricone’s ‘Deep Down’. Patton worked with a 30-piece orchestra and choir to create the uniquely new Mondo Cane sound."

So goddamn awesome.

Playlist:

1. Il Cielo In Una Stanza
2. Che Notte!
3. Ore d'Amore
4. Deep Down
5. Quello Che Conta
6. Urlo Negro
7. Scalinatella
8. L'Uomo Che Non Sapeva Amare
9. 20 Km Al Giorno
10. Ti Offro Da Bere
11. Senza Fine

Link.

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Under Byen, Alt Er Tabt

Denmark, 2010.

"The Danish band Under Byen (Danish for "Below the City") produce their own unorthodox interpretation of rock. Their soundscape is dominated by piano, cello, violin, electrically-distorted saw, organ, drums, percussion and the very distinctive and intense vocal of leadsinger Henriette Sennenvaldt. Under Byen’s music may best be described as a combination of rhythmic pop music and of a more avant-garde compositional soundscape."

Playlist:

1. 8
2. Territorium
3. Alt Er Tabt
4. Således
5. Ikke latteren men øjeblikket lige efter
6. Unoder
7. Konstant
8. Er noget smukt glemt findes det muligvis endnu
9. Kapitel 1
10. Protokol

Link.

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The Deserts Of Träun, Part III: The Lilac Moon

US, 2003.

David Murray's (Estradasphere, Sculptured) solo project is "a musical adventure allying the use of jazz, funk, classical, black/death metal, rock, fusion, world, video game and electronic music to sonically describe settings, character personalities and events to an original science fiction comic book epic."

Playlist:

1. Awaiting The Majesty Of Extremes
2. The Detective In Disguise
3. Report To The Fruitless Kingdom
4. The Detective & Gary Prepare
5. Searching The Swamps
6. The Court Of The Blackmetal Princess
7. Escape From The Crystal Caverns
8. Descending The Crystal Mountain
9. The Desert Of Träun
10. Greetings From The Lilac Moon
11. Seeking The Navigator
12. Prisoner In The Brig
13. Battle Upon The Space Galleon
14. Awaiting The Sun
15. Sailing The Electrolytic Ocean
16. The Gift Of The Whirlpool Vortex
17. Longing & Foreseeing
18. The Uncompromising Blizzard
19. The Cave
20. An Unlikely Visitor
21. Infiltrating The Fortress Of Absolute Zero
22. Showdown In The Atrium Of Fallacious Foliage
23. Homecoming In The Fruitless Kingdom
24. The Destruction Of The Elevator

Link.

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Estradasphere, Palace of Mirrors

US, 2006.

Estradasphere is the brainchild of 6 multi-instrumentalists, originating from a variety of musical backgrounds and trained in disciplines that include classical, avant-garde, jazz, video game music and heavy metal.

Playlist:

1. Title
2. Palace of Mirrors
3. A Corporate Merger
4. The Terrible Beautypower of Meow
5. Colossal Risk
6. The Unfolding Pause on the Threshold
7. Smuggled Mutation
8. Six Hands
9. The Debutante
10. Flower Garden of an Evil Man
11. Those Who Know...
12. Palace of Mirrors (Reprise)
13. The Return

Link.

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Secret Chiefs 3, Book M

US, 2001.

Book M is the third studio album by Secret Chiefs 3, an experimental group led by composer and producer Trey Spruance, former guitarist of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More. SC3 comprise a various range of musical styles including surf rock, Persian, Arabic, Indian, death metal, electronic and film music.

Playlist:

1. Knights Of Damcar
2. Hagia Sophia
3. Vajra
4. Ship Of Fools (Stone Of Exile)
5. Horsemen Of The Invisible
6. Combat For The Angel
7. Zulfiqar III
8. Siege Perilous
9. Dolorous Stroke
10. Blaze Of The Grail
11. Lapsit Exillis
12. Lapis Baitulous
13. Safina

Link (MegaUpload).
Link (RapidShare).

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Hella, Hold Your Horse Is

US, 2002

First LP by avant-garde/math-rock band Hella, which is Zach Hill on drums and Spencer Seim on guitar.

Playlist:

1 - The D. Elkan
2 - Biblical Violence
3 - Been a Long Time Cousin
4 - Republic of Rough and Ready
5 - 1-800-Ghost-Dance
6 - Brown Metal
7 - Cafeteria Bananas
8 - City Folk Sitting, Sitting
9 - Better Get a Broom!

Link.

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Estradasphere, It's Understood

US, 2000.
Demented eclectic music from the bastard children of Mr Bungle. Country meets gypsy metal meets Nintendo in an all-out attempt at proving they have more creativity and technical ability than almost every half-arsed prog band out there, and they do it whilst having fun. And prove it they did.

Playlist:

1. Hunger Strike
2. Cloud Land
3. The Transformation
4. Danse Of Tosho & Slavi/Randy's Desert Adventure
5. The Trials And Tribulations Of Parking On Your Front Lawn
6. The Princes Of 'Xibalba': The Princes
7. The Princes Of 'Xibalba': Los Dias Sin Dias
8. The Princes Of 'Xibalba': XQuiQ
9. The Princes Of 'Xibalba': Hunnahpu & Xbalanque
10. Spreading The Disease
11. Planet Sparkle/Court Yard Battle 1
12. D Flat Hell

Link (megaupload).

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Arcturus, The Sham Mirrors

Brilliantly constructed avantgarde-black metal for the masses. As with everything Garm touches, the album's appeal far transcends it's genre. This is a must for any metal collection and should be appreciated by all fans of progressive music.


01. Kinetic
02. Nightmare Heaven
03. Ad Absurdum
04. Collapse Generation
05. Star-Crossed
06. Radial Cut
07. For To End Yet Again

Link.

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