MetalVinyl

Tonight I'm listening to the flawed but in many ways revolutionary debut from Maudlin of the Well, My Fruit Psychobells... A Seed Combustible.

Brilliant, otherworldly writing but a deeply flawed recording. This album pushed avant garde and progressive metal in directions it had never been, possibly flying too close to the sun and trying to do things too far outside the bands skills at the time. Every track is quite different like they were trying to find their sound, but their later albums were the same, so varied and every track unique. But i love it, warts and all, and it started my fascination with experimental music in general. If you've been interested in Maudlin or Kayo Dot and never touched this one due to its reputation for being "unlistenable" please give it a go.

What I wouldn't give to hear this rerecorded.

Favourite tracks: (basically all of it)

Ferocious Weights

A Conception Pathetic

The Ocean, The Kingdom, and the Temptation

Catharis of Sea-Sleep and Dreaming Shrines

The Crystal Margin

Our Raw Heart by YOB (2018) on the left and Grief's Infernal Flower by Windhand (2015).

For those that haven't heard these bands, they are both are fantastic stoner/doom releases, but within those subgenres, they couldn't be more different, IMHO.

YOB is more proggy and sludgy with some fairly mellow melodic songs and very deep, introspective lyrics. They are known for having pretty long songs, even by stoner/doom standards, with 10 songs over the 10 minute mark on their last three albums. Adrift in the Ocean and Beauty in Falling Leaves are both pretty good entry points.

Windhand is slow and heavy as fuck, with a pretty psychedelic sound and dreamy, reverby, clean female vocals, which I've heard called doomgaze. Frankly, there's not a bad entry point, but Grey Garden and Forest Clouds were two of the first songs that got me into doom in the first place

Time for some epic, doomed Mork Borg TPK's.

Classic.

I’m a sucker for the riffs on this one. Fantastic pacing and catchy as fuck songwriting.

KAUAN - Ice Fleet.

Achingly beautiful music, doom, atmospheric, ambient, progressive.

If you haven't listened to them, they played two albums, Pirut and their masterpeice Sorni Nai live in full in Kyiv some years ago, it's here for those interested. If you've never cried to music with lyrics you don't even understand, give that a go.

I didn't have any vinyl starting with H, so tonight it's I.

Ihsahn - Das Seelenbrechen

Probably his most experimental solo album, and one I'm quite fond of, though i prefer After or The adversary personally. Standout part of this album has to be the semi improvised drum parts by Tobias Andersen range from groovy to unhinged and I love it.

In my opinion, Gojiras best work.

Love the story and lyrics on this album.

https://eadoom.bandcamp.com/album/ea-taesse

Atmospheric funeral doom with a neat gimmick of being in their own ancient language and lyrics based on sacred texts of said civilisation.

Combining my love of conlangs, worldbuilding and funeral doom!

Yea I'm skipping to the end of the alphabet for a special play because I felt like it. My first play tonight wasn't metal so here's this.

Glorious Ukrainian black metal with avant garde jazz and noir influence.

Belfast Doom trio I got turned onto a few years back and can't get enough of! Sadly missed my last opportunity to catch them live, hopefully it'll get to soon!

Album is Future Echo Returns

I adore this album. That is all.

This is Alcest - Écailles de Lune, one of the quintessential Blackgaze releases.

My copy here is the Prophecy Productions 10th Anniversary reissue, a lovely quality remaster pressed to a gorgeous deep blue and black swirled vinyl.

It's one of the albums where I sometimes play each side twice before turning them, maybe even their best album to date. Not really any filler track on that album just good stuff :)

Four Wise Ones: https://youtu.be/nkqj4vbwdIw

This band gets better with every release. This is a re-release of their 2015 album. Really good mixture of American folk music with black metal and hints of heavy metal. Check them out if you have never heard it.

Breaking Into Heaven being the last song makes it even more fitting. Such a great album. Can’t believe it’s been 14 years since it came out.

I think this is my favorite from these English blokes after Bloodlust. So many great riffs and melodies on display here.

I’m not well versed in the history of this band, but their newest album, Born Under A Mad Sign, is crushing. One killer riff after another. And those bass lines are so awesome, you can’t help but just tune out and jam.