I walked outside and heard the birds chirping as spring is here and a concept sprung to mind. I thought of more later on and after the third paragraph was inspired by the song by Lurker Of Chalice - "Piercing as they Might" on his 2005 album. Hope someone gets a small enjoyment out of it.
"Even the birds lay silent
As the wisping of the withered wind
Comes to a halt.
The air is dead,
The ground is drying
Not a soul dare tread
Over its barren surface.
Listen as the billows cry
Smell the fear
As the rivers run slower…
They are coming.
But lo!
I hear a sound
Is it real or imagined?
A single crow with a broken wing
Cries out in the night
Agony. Unbearable.
Can stand the suffering no longer.
Not a passing glance as they roll through
Who are they?
Where are they going?
I dare not ask or say.
Suddenly a battle cry
From afar
A lone warrior
Begins charge
They do not take notice
Continue on their unknown path
And unknown destiny.
I begin to turn
There is no safe place here
Not for a bird, and not for me.
Then I hear- what’s that?
The wind? I turn around
A thousand arrows flying from their bows.
All heading towards a point with inhuman precision.
Should I stay? Should I go?
Too late to know,
As it seems to be the end for the crow.
When all hope is lost,
A warrior is always there by your side
To protect you
Or in this case, a lone crow
The hero leaps to intercept
And he is no more.
Explosion. Fog. Rain.
When it clears, All I saw before is gone.
Was it a dream?
I see a crow. The sun shines. Grass begins to grow.
The wind howls and the crow flies with it
Wing broken no longer
To this day I do not know
Who they were or who the crow
But it goes to show
Wherever you row
A hero will follow."
By: hurricane_mario. March 31, 2009
Edit (March 2, 2010) - I just dug this poem up, and posted it here! Please comment/rate if you like it! Or, kindly step away if you dont! :P
Trist - Willenskraft (2009) (320 kbps) (Trist (Ger) - Willenskraft)
Genre: Black Metal, Dark Ambient, Ambient, Atmospheric Black Metal
About: Willenskraft means "Willpower". I thought Hin-Fort was a masterpiece but somehow he has 1-upped himself. The main difference is while Hin was just an ever-growing wall of sound, this album is all about dynamics. Track 1 is very minimalist while track 2 slams you in the face with this loud fast black metal. And so on. This album is pure genius, I will be listening to it obsessively.
Track 1 is 12 minutes long and fairly minimalist. It sounds as if you are laying on the edge of the water on an ocean beach letting the waves crash over you, as you hear them move from the right speaker to the left. Then gradually You hear these noises which I perceived as Whale/Dolphin calls.
Track 2 then introduces what sounds like either some kind of Troll or someone being tortured but 4 minutes in, fades into this epic black metal riff that I cannot even describe and a nice drum beat. As with Hin-Fort the album slowly changes to create this just great atmosphere.
Track 3 is then more waves crashing, but then instead of the whale-type noises you hear a gradually changing ominous sounding low ambiance.
Track 4 was also a highlight as It starts with this menacing low piano (which comes out of nowhere and is 3 times as loud as the ambiance, great surprise) but then once again a fast beat and epic black guitar riff. The screaming is actually quite fitting, the same screaming as in track 2 but it sounds great. I made out a few words but I'm pretty sure most of it is just screams with no lyrics. Very nice black screams.
Then in track 5 a gun fight breaks out, actually reminds me of the beginning of "One" from Metallica.
Then track 6 you'd think is going to be an ambient outro. But then it fades into another fast black metal part with screams. The difference here is there's kind of a keyboard ambient behind it which is actually a light flowing beautiful melody.
Pretty sure he drew this cover himself as I got it from his official website: http://www.sperber-illustrationen.de/gallery.html
Download
Unspeakable Horror Becomes a Bram Stoker Award Finalist
Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet (Dark Scribe Press, 2008) has reached the final ballot for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.
My story "Memento Mori" appears in the anthology, in very good company!
About this year's Stoker Awards, given by the Horror Writers Association.
Anthology details, including reviews and interviews.
To order Unspeakable Horror.
Congratulations and thanks go to editors Vince Liaguno and Chad Helder and to everyone involved with the work. And congratulations to all the other Stoker finalists!
 | Covenant, the first volume in the Deviations Series, is now available as a free download from the Deviations website. Click on the downloads link to access a variety of formats (second edition, ISBN 978-0-9819764-0-2). |
[end of entry]
Fuck The Facts - Complete Full Length Studio Albums Discography! (2001-2008)
Genre: A fantastic genre-bending band with lots of great and original ideas. Highly recommended. Basic genres are:
Early- Grindcore, Noise.
Mid- Experimental, electronic.
Later- Death Metal, Progressive Metal.
(but every album is different, see details below.)
About: Topon has stated numerous times that the name "Fuck the Facts" was chosen, in part, as a statement about his attitude towards the music he wrote. He tried not to feel hampered by genre labels, and that is reflected in the musical style. The earlier Fuck the Facts recordings up until approximately 2000 featured a combination of grindcore and noise.
Download Fuck The Facts - Discoing the Dead (2001) (grindcore, noise, death metal, electronic, experimental, disco, jazz)
Though those two genres were prominent during this era of recording, many other styles crept into the music as well including death metal, electronic and even as some as diverse as disco and jazz. When Discoing the Dead was released in early 2001, it retained many of these experimental styles, paving the way for the beginning of the first incarnation of Fuck the Facts as a full band.
Download Fuck The Facts - Escunta (2002 release date) (Noise, Experimental)
[This album is really all about mindfuck (similar to the movie- "The Machinist"). It's genius in my opinion. My favorite at first listen is "They Call It Dance Musick". Then there's "Fuck The Facts Is Sexy" which is what I would imagine getting run over with a train would sound like.
(Re-ripped on 07/27/2009 using EAC... more info and logs included)]
Vagina Dancer and Escunta, recorded in 2000 and 2001 respectively, are the core of these noise recordings. [However, Vagina Dancer is not listed on metal-archives as a full length album, plus it was only ever released on tape so I am not including it here.]
Download Fuck The Facts - Mullet Fever (2001) (punk, grindcore, experimental, rap, hip-hop, jazz, electronic, noise)
Mullet Fever was released in 2002 and featured a more punk-influenced grindcore sound. However, many of the songs included more experimental (for grindcore) styles including rap, hip-hop, jazz, noise and electronic. [Track 19 is actually closer to raw black metal] The album was largely recorded in one session of the band recording their own jam session and some minimal editing afterwards, and may explain why this album stands out on its own in terms of musical style and scope.
Download Fuck The Facts - Backstabber Etiquette (2003) (death metal, technical metal)
When Backstabber Etiquette was recorded in 2002, vocalist Mel Mongeon had replaced Christoff, and her distinctive growl was markedly different than Brent's deep sound. Mel's higher pitched scream became the norm for the band. The musical style became more heavily influenced by death metal and showed more technical aspirations.
Download Fuck The Facts - Legacy Of Hopelessness EP (2005) (electronic, grindcore)
Legacy of Hopelessness showcased a bit of a departure for the band in that it had a lot more electronic influences. Keyboards are featured on nearly every track, and are sometimes the primary focus. Of course, grindcore is still quite present as well as Mel's distinctive vocals. The change in musical style can probably be attributed to the fact that this was initially intended to be a solo release by Topon, but was migrated over to the band when it was realized that another full-length release was not quite feasible.
Download Fuck The Facts - Stigmata High-Five (2006) (Progressive Metal, Experimental, Metalcore, Grindcore, Death Metal)
Stigmata High-Five represents the latest musical style of the band. The grindcore and death metal elements are still present, but so are more progressive and experimental ideas mixed with metalcore elements. The album contains longer songs with more intricate riffs and atypical time signatures.
Download Fuck The Facts - Disgorge Mexico (2008) (Progressive Metal, Experimental, Metalcore, Grindcore, Death Metal, Jazz, Fusion)
Disgorge Mexico contains shorter songs than Stigmata High-Five but retains a similar overall musical style. In some cases, the experimental ideas are expanded further to the point where one track contains a section that is reminiscent of straight ahead jazz and contains a high register melodic bass solo typical of jazz or fusion. Rhythmic elements often featured in progressive rock are still present, and metric dissonance via polyrhythms are often present.
[Biography stolen from Wikipedia... <3 whoever wrote it.]
[In case you're wondering... Yes this upload and post did take well over an hour. But very worth it :D ]
Revolution Renaissance - Age Of Aquarius (2009) (Full Album)
Genre: power metal, melodic metal, symphonic metal, heavy metal, track 9: Folk Metal, Pagan Metal
About: The band line up alone should be enough to make you want this album:
Gus Monsanto - Vocals (Takara, Adagio (Fra), Overdose (Bra), Astra (Bra), Skyrion (Guest))
Timo Tolkki - Guitar (Stratovarius)
Justin Biggs - Bass (Descend (Swe), Dying Daylight)
Mike Khalilov - Keyboards (Empyreon, Forevers Edge)
Bruno Agra - Drums (Aquaria, Uirapuru)
But if not, just think of Stratovarius but with a more full, enveloping sound. This is a great debut album with this line-up. (Plus infinitely times better than that Saana crap. If you don't know what I'm referring to don't even look it up.) But the real gem of this album is the last track, "Into the Future", an uplifting melodic-folk-pagan masterpiece.
Sorry for the duplicate track, I may fix it later
Also...There seems to be multiple track listings, and since their official site does not have it, I'm using the most widespread one. Guessing metal-archives.com is wrong.
1. Age of Aquarius
2. Sins of My Beloved
3. Ixion’s Wheel
4. Behind The Mask
5. Ghost of Fallen Grace
6. Heart of All
7. So She Wears Black
8. Kyrie Eleison
9. Into The Future
Download
Second Edition of Covenant Launches; Appetite Forthcoming
The new cover for Covenant uses tweaked sunset and summit shots that I took while walking around my neighborhood. Constructed using MS Paint, MS Photo Editor, and MS PowerPoint.
I've posted the following on my website:
How does one attract buyers in a world where the dollar has become increasingly tight?
I asked myself: What happens if you remove the dollar from that equation?
More than just money rides in this world. Time rides. Vision rides. I thank you if you've read my material (bibliography's here), because it means you've spent your hard-earned time paying attention to what I've put out there.
By offering free downloads of Covenant (Second edition, ISBN: 978-0-9819764-0-2, distribution allowed, all other rights reserved), I only seem as though I am giving something away. Your time, your interest, and your involvement in something that has stemmed from my ego are blessings I do not for one second take for granted.
And because you are readers, I ask that you share (in all the responsible ways) what you've read, if you enjoy the work as the reviewers quoted on the download page have done. That would truly rock my world.
I am not one to shy away from money offered freely, but I would suggest that if you do want to spend some of that, then support your local library. Or make a donation to the Preditors and Editors Defense Fund, or help out the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund. Even though no royalties have come to me from Aisling Press (more on that situation here), several pennies will go to the Emergency Medical Fund if you buy the first edition of Covenant through this Amazon link.
Or use the money you might have spent buying my book(s) to buy someone else's book(s). Or find your own cause that you care about. Pay it forward.
In his article "Macropayments" (Locus, Sept. 2008), Cory Doctorow writes, "In an ideal world, people without a lot of discretionary income are given the electronic edition (which costs [nearly] nothing to distribute) for free. They act like the breezes that loft the dandelion seeds — they go around, telling people about the book and its merits. In this regard, they’re better than random breezes, for they undertake a directed distribution of the book, seeking to bring it to the attention of people who are likely to have a positive response to it."
If I can come even a smidgen toward approximating an "ideal world," I'll have done my job.
In my current plans, offering Covenant up for free is just the beginning. "Current plans" is the operative term here, because plans can change depending on circumstances. For me, this is about more than having misplaced my trust in a publisher that defaulted. It's about making connections — about meeting readers who have enjoyed my visions (the best ego boost in the world!) and taking that connection further.
I still submit material the old-fashioned way. My website is the best place to check for updates on current and forthcoming work.
Thanks for coming this far with me, and for being there. If all goes well I plan to post the second volume, Deviations: Appetite, before the summer. I know some of you have been waiting for it, since its original release date had been set for September 2008. (Preview with Covenant spoilers here!)
Thank you for your patience and for your company on the journey!
— Elissa
P.S. I am indebted to Jeffrey A. Carver for his excellent how-to article, "Psst! Wanna Buy a Free Ebook?" (The Bulletin of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Dec. 2008-Jan. 2009). That article and its invaluable tips inspired me to reissue Deviations: Covenant as a free download. You can see what Carver's done with his own work here.
The cover for Appetite incorporates this shot from June 2006.
| Covenant, the first volume in the Deviations Series, is now available as a free download from the Deviations website. Click on the downloads link to access a variety of formats (second edition, ISBN 978-0-9819764-0-2). |
[end of entry]
Gone Too Soon: The Absolute Best of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (2009) (Unofficial Compilation)
Genre: Progressive Rock, Classic Rock, ...later songs: Experimental, Avant-Garde, Jazz, Melodic Rock
About: Arguably the most talented and influential Progressive Rock band of all time. I compiled this tracklist because I was so annoyed at how selective and overall bad the "official" best of's and box sets and compilations are. They often just have the chart-toppers which, if you know anything about pop music they are often not all the artist's best songs.
So, I have included what I feel are their best songs, which spans from their first album in 1970 to their last in 1994. I spent a significant amount of time picking these 25 tracks, and I have listened to every album in their catalog, multiple times in the past so I have a good feel for what their best songs are.
There is at least one song from every studio album, plus Pictures at an Exhibition, often multiple songs from each album. It is in chronological order, so you will get a feel for how their sound has progressed over time. From a Classic Sound, to more Progressive and Experimental, to just plain Avant-Garde/Jazz on a track such as "Bullfrog", then back to the Progressive Classic style in the 90's, only somewhat more Melodic Rock-styled.
Enjoy! And if you like it, spread the word!
Track List (2:05:33):
1970 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
1. Take a Pebble (12:32)
2. Lucky Man (4:38)
1971 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Tarkus
3. Stones of Years (3:44)
4. Iconoclast (1:16)
5. Mass (3:12)
6. A Time and a Place (3:02)
7. Are You Ready Eddy? (2:10)
1971 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Pictures at An Exhibition (Live)
8. The Hut of Baba Yaga (1:06)
9. The Great Gates of Kiev (5:12)
1972 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Trilogy
10. The Endless Enigma (Part Two) (2:03)
11. From the Beginning (4:16)
12. Hoedown (3:47)
1973 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
13. Jerusalem (2:44)
14. Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2 (4:46)
1977 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Works, Volume 1: Black
15. C'est La Vie (4:20)
16. L.A. Nights (5:46)
17. Fanfare for the Common Man (9:46)
1977 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Works, Volume 2: White
18. Tiger in a Spotlight (4:35)
19. Bullfrog (3:52)
20. I Believe in Father Christmas (3:19)
1978 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Love Beach
21. Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman (20:16)
1992 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Black Moon
22. Affairs of the Heart (3:47)
23. Changing States (6:02)
1994 - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - In The Hot Seat
24. Hand of Truth (5:23)
25. Gone Too Soon (4:12)
Download pt 1
Download pt 2
Summoning - Stronghold (1999) (320 kbps mp3)
Genre: Epic Symphonic Atmospheric Pagan Black Metal
About: It's rather fitting that for my 100th post I have the most epic band and album of all time. The band is heavily inspired by the POEMS of J.R.R Tolkien rather than his books (More specifically this album is based on tales of the Nibelungs, Rhein Gold, Siegfried and Brunhild).
Every song just has this epic feeling like you're riding on the back of a Flaming Minotaur through an infinite battlefield slaying trolls while you're being fired at from a Pirate ship in the middle of a typhoon. Also, they have the best logo ever. (EDIT- I stand corrected.) If your heart is currently beating (or even if it's not) you NEED to hear this album.
More detailed reviews here
(For those wondering, the singer in track 5 is Tania Borsky, Richard Lederer's ex-girlfriend who sings for the band "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas"... that band is not metal but it has a similar epic atmosphere)
Download pt 1
Download pt 2
Austrian Death Machine - A Very Brutal Christmas (2008) (EP/Single) (As I Lay Dying side-project)
Genre: Thrash Metal, Metalcore, Hardcore, Comedy
About: "Austrian Death Machine is a metalcore/groove/thrash metal band from San Marcos, California. They are a side project by As I Lay Dying’s vocalist Tim Lambesis, as a tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger one liners."
-stolen from last.fm
This is worth getting for the Jingle Bells cover alone. It goes into the most amazing riff/breakdown two thirds through that I just cannot explain in words. It's inspired by the movie "Jingle all the way." I also love the dialogue in track three. "I don't care, I want your leather jacket NAOWWWWWWWW!!!!" Track 2 is the first single from their 2007 album "Total Brutal."
1. Jingle Bells 03:01
2. Get to the Choppa 02:47
3. Hell Bent For Leather (Judas Priest cover) 02:57
Download
Mägo de Oz - Barakaldo D.F. (2008) (Live Concert Audio)
Genre: Folk Metal, Power Metal, Heavy Metal
About: This live album has many of my favorite songs from them starting off with the explosive "La Voz Dormida". The band sounds as tight as ever. This also features the melodic rock band "Nexx" former singer, Patricia Tapia, on backing vocals. Plus a power metal version of a Mozart Composition, which is quite amazing.
This concert was recorded sometime between the 2005 album "Gaia II: La Voz Dormida" and their 2007 album "La Ciudad De Los Árboles" so that is why I have it tagged as 2007. A band with so many albums as Mago De Oz it is easier in my opinion to add a date before the album names.
Download pt 1
Download pt 2
Moonspell - Lusitanian Metal (DVD Audio) (2008) - Separate mp3 tracks
Genre: Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Black Metal, Gothic Metal
About: Moonspell is fantastic live. I had the good fortune to see them supporting Danzig (who sucks arse btw), and it was just awesome. The song Vampiria actually made me shake because of the atmosphere and how well it was played and the beautiful yet creepy red lights. Here is the track list for this concert.
Live At The City Of Ravens (Metalmania, Poland 2004):
1. Intro
2. In and Above Men
3. From Lowering Skies
4. Alma Mater
5. Vampiria
6. The Southern Deathstyle
7. Everything Invaded
8. Opium
9. Devilred
10. Abysmo
11. Ruin & Misery
12. Mephisto
13. Full Moon Madness
If you so wish, you can buy a 2-DVD set which includes: this concert, all of their music videos up to 2005, and various live footage from 1992-2005!
(I'm not sure why they have no material on here from post-2005, maybe they thought they were better a few years ago?)
Download
HeimatAerde (Discography 2008) - COMPLETE
Genre: Electronic body music, Dark Electro, Industrial, Medieval, Techno
About: This is quite simply the most unique band I have ever heard. Whether you like Techno, Death Metal, or Pop, this will appeal to you.**
The lyrics are all in German but who cares, the music is awesome. They also have medieval themes, less prevalent than in their older albums but it can be heard in their latest full-length too, such as at the beginning of "Vater" and at the end of their self-titled track. Here are some loosly-translated lyrics from that track:
"The life of light, I am full of pain
It rips out my heart bleed
The wind, he says, it is now
The body is resting in my arm
Steam rises up, it is still warm
You stay with me, I tear out"
**= Strongly recommended that you do the robot while listening
And here is some information about the genres:
Electronic body music (mainly known by its acronym EBM) is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic punk music. Dark Electro originally included horror soundscapes, and grunts or distorted vocals. Industrial uses an “industrial” aesthetic such as imagery devised around mechanical objects and industry itself.
Here is the band's official "biography":
http://www.heimataerde.de/heimataerde_eng/info_frame_eng.htm
HeimatAerde - Ich Hab Die Nacht Getraeumet (CDM)(2004)
Download
HeimatAerde - Gotteskrieger (2005)
Download
HeimatAerde - Kadavergehorsam (2006)
Download
HeimatAerde - Unter Der Linden (CDM)(2006)
Download
HeimatAerde - Leben Geben Leben Nehmen (2007)
Download
HeimatAerde - Vater (CDM)(2008)
Download
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