Windir - 1184

Windir was a band from Norway that formed in 1994. It was the brainchild of vocalist/musician Terje "Valfar" Bakken, and they blended a unique style of folk and black metal. While I've actually never given either of the first two Windir albums ("Sóknardalr" and "Arntor") a listen, I got into this band after my brother introduced me to them. "1184" was a bit of a transition into a more folkloric style of music and incorporated more electronic elements. It really is an absolutely fantastic album, and fans of black metal and folk metal alike will get something out of Windir.



The music is clear and absolutely a pleasure to listen to, and the vocals occasionally switch between the more traditional black metal style vocals and clear vocals. Ultimately, Windir is one of those rare black metal gems that you occasionally find that is actually capable of making black metal that doesn't hurt to listen to for an extended period (and that's coming from a huge black metal fan).

Windir unfortunately disbanded in 2004 after the death of Valfar. If this isn't a truly black metal way to die, I don't know what is: Valfar froze to death in the middle of a snow storm after he decided to walk to his family's cabin in the middle of January. In Norway.

You can find Windir's "1184" album for download here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JSW7KU0H

-K

Satyricon - Intermezzo II

I've had the discography of Satyricon for a while, but I've never really listened to the entire thing all the way through so it's understandable how this little gem of an EP slipped through the cracks.



Intermezzo II consists of four songs that add up to approximately 0:20:08. The vocals are certainly what one would typically expect, with the rest of the instrumentation being about the same. Satyricon's style, however, helps to distinguish them from most other black metal bands. Their infusion of pseudo-industrial metal really comes through on the final track, "Blessed from Below: Melancholy/Oppression/Longing." The really enjoyable track on this for me, however, is "I.N.R.I." (a Sarcófago cover). Frost consistently pummels away at the drums at a blazing 251 BPM, and it really is a bit of a mindfuck to hear such fast ferociously accurate drumming.

It's a great little EP and definitely worth having, if not just for a quick black metal fix every once in a while. You can find Intermezzo II for download here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/130579130/Satyricon_-_1999_-_Intermezzo_II.rar

-K

Khanate

I started listening to Khanate years ago after a friend of mine dragged me to a show they were playing at the Ottobar with Earthride and maybe like one or two other bands. At the time I liked them ok, but as I kept listening to them they started to grow on me as with the rest of the super-slow droning doom metal I listen to, like Sunn O))), Catacombs, and my personal friends Oak. They're a very unusual band that really kind of makes you sit back and think, even though your reasons for doing so don't quite seem apparent. Khanate produces beautiful music that really drives itself deep into your very being, whether through evoking certain emotions or just from the bass.

Here's a video of the song "Dead" from their album "Things Viral." It's a shame it's about half the length of the actual song.



You can find the album "Things Viral" for download here:

http://mediafire.com/?3m2ycnyntja

"Capture & Release" here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/235601530/capture.-.realese-MCNO.rar

And their self-titled release here:

http://rs458.rapidshare.com/files/147290117/Khanate.rar


-K

Anaal Nathrakh

Here's another recent discovery I made. I'm a bit surprised that I've never heard of this band before, just due to the sheer amount of material they've put out. Formed in 1999, Anaal Nathrakh hail from England. They blend a delicious style of black metal, grindcore, and a bit of industrial-esque sounds thrown in for good measure. Their sound is mind-numbingly horrifying, and in black metal that's always good thing. I almost checked my ears afterward to see if they were bleeding, but I got giddy of the thought that they might be and decided not to disappoint myself so hastily.

After seeing their logo in a google image search, I went to youtube and first listened to this track:



Upon finishing that track, I then listened to this one:



Upon finishing that track, I then logged on to Soulseek and downloaded their entire discography. You can find it here:

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4991132/Anaal_Nathrakh_-_Discography_%281999-2009%29

-K

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu

I just discovered this band earlier tonight. From their myspace (http://www.myspace.com/oranssipazuzu), "Oranssi Pazuzu’s music has a taste of Norwegian black metal and Finnish kraut-psychedelia. The sound is highly visual and atmospheric, embracing the dark corners of space and mind. Oranssi Pazuzu has existed since 2007." They definitely have a great jazzy feel to them, and the black metal influence is certainly quite heavy with the vocals. I would imagine the title track of their debut album as being included in the soundtrack to the Finnish release of Dead Space. At times very ambient, at others metal as fuck.

Here's a little taste:




For those of you interested in Oranssi Pazuzu's full-length debut album "Muukalainen Puhuu," you can find it at the link below:

http://rs711.rapidshare.com/files/240903501/Oranssi_Pazuzu_-_2009_-_Muukalainen_Puhuu.7z

-K

How this blog will now be operated

So, I've decided to make this blog devoted to music, but more often than not new bands and artists that I discover over time. I know there are a million music blogs on the internet, but instead of devoting this to a specific type/genre of music, expect to find posts dealing with all kinds of music (predominantly metal and all various sub-genres of metal).

Oh, and I'm also going to be using this blog as my way of memorializing my friend Kevin Hanningan who passed away on November 10th, 2009. He was an amazing person and his life pretty much defined what it meant to be a true music fan. He was at almost every show I ever went to, he introduced me to so many different bands, and he was so incredibly capable of creating amazing music. He basically had the musical Midas Touch. He was a beautiful person with a heart of gold, and was one of the most authentic, genuine, caring, and kind-hearted human beings to ever grace this planet. When he died, humanity truly lost one of it's best. He will be forever missed, and I hope that wherever he is he's right up at the front headbanging, with a Boh in his hand and his arms around everyone.

-K