Nord - Nord (2001)

Epic, homespun Québécois solo black metal. Drum machine, sporadic vocals, and hypnotic, surprisingly pretty leads and progressions from a fuzzy analogue haze of guitars and crystalline keyboards.

[This is the 2006 reissue version, which features 2 bonus tracks inserted into the original track order, stretching the album to 70+ minutes, but they're good so fuck it.]

Track listing:

1. Introduction

2. L'Homme

3. L'arbre qui écoute

4. Comme le disait Figaro

5. L'Ame de la foret [bonus]

6. Sagesse Oubliée

7. La nature donne et reprend

8. Sombre Jour [bonus]

9. Interlude

10. Déception partie 1: Croisade

11. Déception partie 2: Hypocrisie

12. Déception partie 3: Purification

13. La marche vers l'inconnu...

To cull undying flowers

Similar listening:

Vordven - Towards the Frozen Stream (1997)

Mystic Forest - Welcome Back in the Forest (2002)

Somei Satoh - Mandala/Sumeru (1982)

Two of many brilliant pieces from Japanese composer Somei Satoh. First, a yawning void of reverberating electronic and vocal drone, then, an extended piece of minimalism via a small chamber orchestra.

Track listing:

1. Mandala

2. Sumeru

From the depth of silence

You should also listen to:

Giusto Pio - Motore Immobile (1979)

Toru Takemitsu - A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden (1988)

Nihil Nocturne - Wahnsinn.Tod.Verrat (2006)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Nihil Nocturne - Necrohell (2003)

Nihil Nocturne - Entheogen (2008)

OK I have returned. There is an absolute mountain of re-up requests in my inbox, and I'll be getting to those sometime in the next few days. In the meantime, here's some strange, druggy black metal from a great band who I've sadly given up on (according to Metal Archives, they're still active, but they haven't released anything new since 2010 and their Facebook hasn't posted since 2013. ) The kind of record that actually feels like an attempt on the artist's part to cast some kind of spell or curse. I will never understand why this band didn't get more love. If anyone has a higher quality rip, please let me know.

[EDIT: Thanks to commenter emperorofthevoid, the link is now in 320!]

Track listing:

1. Licht, Verzehre Mich!

2. Conjuring the Tyrant of Hell

3. Psychophant Relic

4. Gnosis und Nacht

5. Demon of the Threshold

6. Dysangelist Fir

7. Succumb, Host! (The Glory of Death, Bound to His Sigil and Sword)

8. Ch.a.oe - Kathedralimpuls

Neon falling from a hollow place

You should also check out:

Lunar Aurora - Of Stargates and Bloodstained Celestial Spheres (1999)

Black Funeral - Ordog (2006)

Dissecting Table - Ultimate Psychological Description II (1993)

I'm been visiting with family back east, and won't be back to normal life for another week and a half, so posting will be slow-to-non-existent until then. That said: here's Dissecting Table. As I mentioned in my Zeni Geva post, I couldn't decide which Dissecting Table record to post and in the end, as with that post, I just went with my personal favorite. Ultimate Psychological Description II is a panic-stricken controlled cacophony of industrial noise, hectic percussion and synths, and distorted vocal ejaculations. Starting in the mid-aughts, Dissecting Table started releasing harsh noise albums at an absolutely insane rate, so there is a staggering number of DT albums that I have never heard; any tips on which of those are most worthy would be appreciated.

Track listing:

1. Hymn

2. Kill the God

3. Accomplishment

4. Execution

5. Dead Gods

6. I Get My Slogan

7. Control Matter

8. Untitled

9. Silent Violence

10. Camouflage

 Never ending trip to hell

More laid-back tunes for sunshine, good times, and fine wine:

Ramleh - Hole in the Heart (1987)

Stratvm Terror - Germinal Chamber (1994)

Zeni Geva - Desire for Agony (1993)

Got a request for some Dissecting Table, Zeni Geva, and Bastard Noise. The latter I don't really feel qualified to take on: I know Man Is the Bastard pretty well, and have heard (and even played a show with) Bastard Noise, but I really never took the dive on them, partially because I never knew where to start (hint, hint). Zeni Geva, though, is a very different story. Not only do I think they're one of the best bands to have ever graced this otherwise wretched thing we call human existence, but they've influenced my own music as much as any other band. Desire for Agony was the first record of theirs I ever heard, and it's still my favorite. If I ever finish working on this "my top 100 favorite albums" post I've been kicking around for 5 years or so now, you'll see this on it. Blunt, heavy noise rock with an undercurrent of Melvins-y sludge. I envy those of you who are about to hear this band for the first time, as there are bound to be at least a few of you. And here come the nerds to tell me why this is FAR from the best Zeni Geva record.

(A Dissecting Table post should be up soon as well; I'm having trouble picking an album.)

Track listing:

1. Stigma

2. Dead Sun Rising

3. Desire for Agony

4. Heathen Blood

5. Disgraceland

6. Whiteout

7. Love Bite

8. Autopsy Love

9. The Body

Total castration

If you like this, you should hear:

Tad - God's Balls (1989)

Creeps on Candy - Wonders of Giardia (1999)

Wanderer - Surrounded by These Firs (1995)

Related:

Wintermoon - Reh. Demo 1/1995 + The Mightiest Stand Above (1995)
Thy Serpent - Forests of Witchery (1996)

Lo-fi atmospheric black metal from this short-lived project featuring two future members of Shape of Despair, among many others. Grainy, hypnotic, mid-paced, keyboard-driven sounds for self-imposed isolation.

Track listing:

1. Wanderer

2. Surrounded by These Firs

3. Cold Steps Lead...

Abysmal sleepgates await

If you like this, listen to:

Nahash - Wellone Aeternitas (1996)

Reusmarkt - Fortress Ungh (1998)

Gutter Instinct - The Insurrection (2015)

Got a case of the Mondays? Bummed that you spilled coffee all over yourself before you even got to work? Feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the sheer, unflinching inhumanity of capitalism? Well, Gutter Instinct are standing by, waiting to help you shake the cobwebs and up your productivity by giving you an utterly unrelenting Swedeath ass-kicking. Everything about this EP and band is fucking sick. Probably one of my favorite death metal groups currently in operation -- they've since added some blackened elements to great success -- and their new(-ish) EP continues their 100% batting average, so don't sleep on that, either.

Track listing:

1. War Command

2. Under the Scythe

3. The Invisible Hand

4. We Hate You

Christian conservative scum -- We hate you

Greedy corporate scrum -- We hate you

Ignorant fascist scum -- We hate you

Right-wing populist scum -- We hate you

You should also hear:

Goat Torment - Dominande Tenebrae (2013)

Escarnium - Inheritus (2016)