Imperial Teen - What Is Not to Love (1999)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:

Imperial Teen - Seasick (1996)

This band's first record, which is linked above, is very special to me. I don't have the same kind of personal connection to their second record, What Is Not to Love, but I did listen to it a ton while I was living in my first apartment, which was also the setting for what turned into a pretty toxic relationship, so it does carry a certain amount of nostalgic significance. It's more focused than Seasick, which kinda plays more like a singles collection than a cohesive record -- but this is a reflection of a band that has learned to play to its own strengths: scruffy, guitar-driven power pop balanced by a few wistful, strung-out ballads, all from a decidedly queer POV. One of the ballads, "Crucible", is one of my favorite songs ever recorded. And the only song that doesn't really fit either camp, "Alone in the Grass", finds them in hypno-motorik territory, and it's one of the best songs on here.

Track listing:

1. Open Season

2. Birthday Girl

3. Yoo Hoo

4. Lipstick

5. Alone in the Grass

6. Crucible

7. The Beginning

8. Year of the Tan

9. Seven

10. Hooray (Live)

11. Beauty

A cold charisma

Shotgun wedding

And I'm familar

With the Kama Sutra

Also listen to:

Popsicle - Lacquer (1993)

The Apples in Stereo - Velocity of Sound (2002)

John Zorn - The Goddess: Music for the Ancient of Days (2010)

Related:

Painkiller - Execution Ground (1994)

The final installment of a trilogy of albums that found John Zorn at his most accessible by a very wide margin. (Actually, this man has about 4 thousand albums, of which I've heard maybe 20-25, so for all I know, he might have an album of vocal jazz standards sung by Norah Jones.) Ethereal but propulsive jazz fusion powered by a glimmering cloud of vibraphone, harp, piano, guitar, and more. Borders on easy listening at times. If, when you think John Zorn, you think chaotic jazz-grind or discordant avant-garde, this record might blow your mind a bit.

Track listing:

1. Enchantress

2. Ishtar

3. Heptameron

4. White Magick

5. Drawing Down the Moon

6. Beyond the Infinite

7. Ode to Delphi

The center has moved on and all that's left is free

You should also listen to:

Harold Budd - The Pavilion of Dreams (1978)

Midori Takada & Masahiko Satoh - Lunar Cruise (1990)

Eric Holm - Andøya (2014)

Massive, reverberating sounds from UK producer Eric Holm. Thunderous rhythms and static-ridden drones echoing through a vast, lightless expanse. From Holm's bandcamp: "Andoya [...] was made from contact mic recordings of pylons carrying communications cables that connected listening stations on an Arctic Norwegian island."

Track listing:

1. Måtinden

2. Stave

3. Åse

4. Kvastinden

5. Høyvika

6. Andøya

I know it's taking pictures from another plane

You should also hear:

All Sides - Dedalus (2007)

M.E.S.H. - Piteous Gate (2015)

Adversam - Animadverte (1999)

Italian black metal. Choral keyboards and dramatic, symphonic-inspired songwriting in the classic In the Nightside Eclipse tradition.

Track listing:

1. Miasma Demou

2. Monument of a Legend

3. Awaiting

4. The Path

5. N.O.D.

6. Geisterfalle

7. Hypertemple

8. Lucifer, Crowned, Avenger and Conqueror

I'll wake for my blood feud

The obscure powers sleeping in the earth

If you like this, listen to:

Tunrida - Heirarchy (1998)

Fog - Through the Eyes of Night... Winged They Come (2000)

School of Emotional Engineering - School of Emotional Engineering (2004)

The only album by this short-lived project, which mostly served as a live vehicle for experimental composer Ben Frost's solo material. An evocative, textural collision of classical minimalism, drone, and abstract post-rock. It's kinda fucked up that this is the first Ben Frost record I've posted.

Track listing:

1. To Be Continued...

2. ... Refrain

3. Falling for Sylvia

4. Of Angel Dust...

5. ... Refrain (Bloodline)

6. Redline

7. She Dreams in Car Crashes

8. Slicing the Skin Between My Toes

Living is a horizontal fall

Also listen to:

Labradford - Prazision LP (1993)

Locrian & Mamiffer - Bless Them That Curse You (2011)

The Resonars - Bright and Dark (1999)

Pitch-perfect Nuggets-style garage/psych pop worship, with a twist of Byrds worship. If my friend who hipped me to this had told me that it came out in 1969, I would have 100% believed him. They even have the severe stereo panning. Great cover of "I'll Keep It with Mine", too. This album and band are both completely new to me -- as I write this, I first heard it less than 24 hours ago -- so I can't really provide any context or information. But I very rarely rush to post something like this, so I obviously really like it.

Track listing:

1. The Golden Age

2. Bathyscope

3. Marina

4. Goodbye Melanie

5. Carrie Don't Care

6. Gina

7. Too Much Girl

8. Eden in Transition

9. I'll Keep It with Mine

10. If He's So Great

11. Under the Blazing Stars

12. Spider West

I can't help it if you might think I'm odd

If I say I'm not loving you for what you are

But what you're not

If you like this, listen to:

Gary Lewis - Listen! (1967)

The Misunderstood - Before the Dream Faded (1982)

Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows (1993)

Shara Nelson came up with Massive Attack, singing and/or cowriting almost half of Blue Lines, including "Safe from Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", their first two hits. Aside from one non-album track, that's where her involvement with The Wild Bunch ends, and I'm guessing it's because she started pursuing a solo career. What Silence Knows, her first solo record, is built on the same kind of danceable, soulful trip-hop that she made with Massive Attack, but skew more pop/R&B/soul. It's a great record, and I think it sold moderately well in England, but it didn't make much of an impression anywhere else, and seems to have largely fallen from pop cultural memory.

Track listing:

1. Nobody

2. Pain Revisited

3. One Goodbye in 10

4. Inside Out

5. Uptight

6. Down That Road

7. Chance

8. Thoughts of You

9. How Close

10. What Silence Knows

But if you hurt what's mine

I'll sure as hell retaliate

If you like this, listen to:

A Guy Called Gerald - Essence (2000)

HÆLOS - Full Circle (2016)

Arild Andersen - Sagn (1990)

Norwegian bassist/composer Arild Andersen's folk-jazz opus. Buoyed by an excellent band that includes the beautiful, dynamic vocals of Kirsten Bråten Berg and rock-leaning guitars of Frode Alnæs, Sagn succeeds where many others have failed: getting me to enjoy a fusion of jazz and Scandinavian folk.

Track listing:

1. Sagn

2. Gardsjenta

3. Eisemo

4. Toll

5. Draum

6. Laurdagskveld

7. Tjovane

8. Sorgmild

9. Svarm

10. Gamlestev

11. Reven

12. Nystev

13. Lussi

14. Rysen

15. Belare

16. Sagn

I want to see your face in every kind of light

In fields of gold and forests of the night

You might also like:

Bill Connors - Of Mist and Melting (1978)

Bill Frisell - In Line (1983)

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)