Inspired by Blut Aus Nord

These dudes... This band has two sole members that have been recording all this amazing shit since 1994. Such a good fucking year for music! They haven't stopped since. Another insanely talented band from France and their brand of Blackened ethereal mystifying metal is soo influential in the riffs I write. In German the name Blut Aus Nord means Blood from North. I cannot recommend this stuff enough. To start, I would recommend Memoria Vetusta II ; Dialogue with the stars, this album feels like space. There's a lot of material recorded by these guys and a lot of it is very experimental and I've grown to  appreciate it all as a collective... I could write about this forever, but I'll stop here and let the music speak for itself, which is what I prefer to do always.

 

Daniel Higgs: The Uncommon Musician

World renown, legendary Tattoo artist, whom these days only wants to be referred to as of now a Musician. Legendary on both plains if you ask me. Higgs has been relevant in both tattoo and music worlds for quite some time with his first and most recognizable project Lungfish where he layed down some crazy poetic vocals. His current project in which he plays his banjo and sings is on a whole other level. Some serious Spiritual and profound music laced with meanings left to the listener to interpret. His style is quite unorthodox and that's the main reason I'm all about. Higgs' Organic and free flow songwriting is something untouchable in many realms of understanding. Probably why Al Cisneros and OM decided to play a handful of tour dates with Higgs. Do yourself a favor and delve into Daniel Higgs' spiritual world of enlightenment. Support the man by purchasing some of his recordings HERE and never forget his contributions to the Tattoo world.

JEF WHTHD

Not only is this man responsible for some of thee most devastating releases Ive ever heard but he's also an amazing painter and tattoo artist. His flash is insane. I recently had the pleasure of playing an Art collective show that featured him Stevie Floyd, Jas Helena, Brian Proteau, amongst some other fine artists. I picked up some rad art work, played an awesome set alongside Funerary, and got to wrap out with Jef and he is one hell of a genuine dude. Cheers man, you are such an inspiration on so many levels and I looking forward to getting some of your artwork on my skin in the near future and visiting the new shop you and Stevie are opening in Portland. Keep it up. Hails Leviathan and the almighty Lurker of Chalice.

Obsidian Grave Druids Hymnal

Shameless self promotion plug..... this is off my lo fi demo Ive been working on for awhile, everything is organic and recorded within a couple takes, mistakes and everything included to keep it real and as genuine as possible     http://obsidiangrave.bandcamp.com/track/druidshymnal  this is the cover, o photo i took in the Oregon caves that had me feeling quite captivated and spiritual. This project is my "ode to nature" and the mighty aptitude all around us that we can harness and express from within. ObsidianGrave

GATEKEEPER VISIONS

Gatekeeper and Salvador Dali? and Rainy days.. with pills... shit

These dudes know whats up. 2 piece Electro group from NY.  Im down, like some evil knight rider fantasy dreamscape shit on opiates. They even came out with a VHS with videos of the songs  Damn.
Here's some images from the shit..

Old Familiar Comb Company

These dudes are legit! GO check them out, Quality, sustainable, "metal", beard and mustache combs . I was sick of breaking my wood ones and then i found this, complete with a bottle opener and even personalized if you wish. http://oldfamiliarcombcompany.com/   for good quality...

Hearses Live at Monstro's, Chico, CA 03/22/2014

 Here's a recent live clip shot by Scott Carlson from Ancient Altar. Check his band out.Good dudes and Heavy Tunes. Also this is a song from the forthcoming Hearses demo. Your ears have been warned. We are set to record in the next few weeks

HELL III

If you don't own this you missed out like I did. I somehow missed this even though there should be a copy out there somewhere with my name on it. MSW is a friend of mine and I've got to watch the progression happen through the years and this motherfucker Impresses the "Hell" out of me. Once upon a time My band visited The Burial Grounds in Salem Oregon and I knew nothing of the place besides the few cult-like things i was following around on the internet which wasn't much, All I knew was that members of the project Munn may be there and maybe I would have the chance to meet them and talk about "real underground music".

The Burial Grounds greeted us with open arms and shared the mutual appreciation and affinity as did we for extreme underground music. Little did I know we were playing in the PALACE of all things fucking heavy and amazing. This particularly small scene and crew are responsible for more influential albums and music than I could even comprehend,  or keep track of for that matter. Mania, Merkstave, Hell, the Fools, Will 'o the Wisp, River, LEECH, and there's so much more..

So one night after another awesome basement show we played on another northwest tour Iii was taken to a dark place of the backyard and given a blank white tape with "HELL" written in sharpie on it. I was told to keep this close and to not share with many others. Well, I held up my end of the bargain but I had to show the band mates that night on our rainy drive from Salem to Portland and we popped the tape in and I proceeded to have my mind blown for the next 40 mins or so... my only response? "That Motherfucker" "I had no idea". Turns out that was a copy of the HELL I tape. Since then everything put out as "HELL" has been heavily influential and crushingly devastating.

Now we are here with the the Third Vinyl release in the Trilogy of Hell, and my favorite release yet. I don't EVER want everyone to understand what I'm talking about here because that would ruin all this, but I did have to share my experience with not only HELL but this scene I hold so close to my heart...

HEY Salem friends, sorry to get all sappy on your asses but I had to. ... Fuck 

(My only complaint to you my friend is that I wish I could afford all of your stuff, but if I did buy it all I couldn't pay my rent every month, you fucker)

INQUISITION cassettes

Fuck.

I'm not saying much here, if you know then you know. NOW I can blast this at the river this summer. Thanks HHR for doing this. Now can you please do the rest of their discography? I missed out the first time on the rest of their cassette releases. Inquisition Is on tour once again playing shows too big for me to enjoy them in a live setting. Inquisition, please do another tour at smaller venues with bands without egos. Thanks.

Mania Revel

out on Eternal Warfare A damn fine label.

Mania never ceases to amaze me from the first time I saw a "Mania set" in Nate's (aka Mania) basement I had no idea what to expect or what the fuck a "Mania set" was going to be. It would be something that changed my view on one man musical projects and what you can do live as a solo artist. Since then all of the recordings I've tracked down have never dissapointed. Revel continues on with the tradition except this release has alot more musical progression going on if you ask me. This is by far my favorite release yet and the music speaks for itself.

I don't know how many fucking guitar tracks he's used on some of these pieces but the harmonies are ridiculous adding an intense ethereal, otherworldly sound to the always harnessed chaos that Mania does so well. Stand out tracks are "The Storm" "Mirror" "Portals" and "Letting go". This album is much more trance induced and hypnotic leaving you with a sense of space and cosmic fury! Black metal to the infinite and beyond! Job well done my friend. Watch out for a vinyl release sometime this year.

New things.

Here's the deal,
 I do this blog for myself mainly, but also to share my interests with others. At first, this blog was intended all things metal, but as years have passed Obsidian Grave is more than the name of "this blog", my solo-project, and a song i wrote for one of my bands Hearses. Obsidian Grave is all things me, It's my true form of expression and this is the name I shall use for it . Apologies to anyone who may be let down by my future posts that shall not reflect "metal" at all. My taste is eclectic and I intend to express my interests right here. I got soo overwelmed with all the info and research I've found on the internet that this will serve as my file dumpster. Enjoy all the trash...

HERESIARCH - Hammer Of Intransigence

New Zealand Death! This album is 22 mins that is full speed blackened filth that is absolutely crushing! A total, must listen.  Carnivorous, evil, barbaric, crushing, speed and death. Atmospheric chaos that will pummel your mind into a barbaric abyss! A total apocalyptic assault! Featuring members of the crushing Diocletian you should know what the fuck to expect! pick it up at Dark Descent incd format or the Vinyl over at HHR.

  

         

Hellvetron - dEATH sCROLL OF SEVEN HELLS and Its INFERNAL MAJESTIES

DISGUSTINGLY HEAVY AND SINISTER! Unearthly, disemboweled, transcending, atmospheric,  Death and Doom. Fuzzy blackened melodies that will make all the hairs on your body stand up. Hellvetron is evil... and heavy as fuck! One of the few bands who have nailed the Death/Doom sound to the cross. One of the few bands to capture "HELL" through their recording. Sounds from the pits of Hell where the seven headed, ten horned beast dwells. Each composition is dedicated to one of his seven heads. Ancient Hebrew Ritualistic doom hymns in praise of the Qliphothic Tree of Death . 

Anhedonist

Anhedonist | NYC @ Union Pool | 31 May 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.

holy shit!!!!!!

                        Im back!!!! Sooooo much to catch up on!!!! start with my favorite band of 2011

                                                                       FUUUUUCK!!!

Vastum- Carnal Law

Trve old school sounding Death Metal. This band is one of many recent "old school" Deathmetal bands who've been popping up around the U.S. lately, which I'm all about. Reminds me of my childhood and the "raw-like" recording as well. Evil, shredding, disgusting, sludgy, sinister, ugly, mid tempo, primal, trve, blackened, Head-banging death, that will swallow  your soul! For fans of early Entombed, Bolt thrower, Dismember, etc. Pick up Vastums's Carnal Law on CD over at  20BUCKSPIN. 

Thergothon

Ever wondered where Asunder may have gotten some of their ideas from? Thergothon of course! This band is so killer. Just recently found out about this thanks to some friends in Salem (seems to be a theme in the last couple posts, i guess BGK is holdin it down)  From '94 which is pretty crazy. Some of the best funeral doom ive had the pleasure of hearing!!!! get funeral-ed up !!!

Funeral doom metal from Kaarina, Finland. From Thergothon's full-length album titled "Stream From The Heavens", released in 1994 under Obscure Plasma / Avantgarde Music.

Line-up:
Niko Sirkiä - Vocals
Mikko Ruotsalainen - Guitar, Bass
Jori Sjüroos - Drums

Hell - I, 12" limited

So once again because of my laziness i took this review from Pesanta Urfolk which is the label responsible for the release of this Hell of a record. Luckily my band has had the pleasure of meetin and hangin in Salem Oregon with this dude and he is no joke and neither is his music.So read up get inspired and go buy this LP before its too late because there are only a few copies left..........  

"For those of you who have never heard this monolithic Cascadian Doom one man Doom project, don’t beat yourself up over it. I hadn’t either. With only two tapes released that were so limited that you basically had to be a friend, family or room mate to get a hold of, sometimes these things are easy to miss.
But fear not, the wonderful Pesanta label has seen fit to re-release the first offering, simple entitled “I” on beautiful black and red semitransparent vinyl. Originally released on the sadly now defunct Woodsmoke label, the LP version has been remastered to suitably melt the skin from your skull.
Skillfully mixing sludgy feedback, pitch black drones, Sabbath grooves and Ninth Circle vocals, this is a serious Doom masterpiece. This thing is so heavy, all the food in my fridge spoiled, so massive I’m pretty sure if you turned it up loud enough it might actually shift the earth’s axis, with the speed of molasses at the arctic circle. Some oppressive and suffocation, it’s the audial equivalent of a sinking ship.
The LP version is limited to 322 copies, features beautiful black on red Gustave Doré cover art, comes with a 36 x 24 inch poster and a digital download card. Although, playing this thing on an mp3 is kind of like taking a BB gun to Afghanistan, you just need to dust off the turntable for this. This one is essential to all fans of DOOM."

Velnias - Sovereign Nocturnal LP

These words were pretty much right on. This is a killer band you should check if you haven't already. Velnias is def one of my fav current blackened bands!    

Velnias is very much a statement. It is a statement against man and all he builds and thinks is worthwhile. The universe is infinite, our minds are infinite, yet we choose to bind ourselves to such a very small existence and waste our time doing nothing. "Sovereign Nocturnal" can be best described as very organic, and almost ritualistic down tempo masterpiece; channeled through the musical styles and mixtures of black, folk, and doom metal. Reminiscent slightly of works by bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, yet with a style all their own, the songs show a very immense musical maturity that their last release lacked slightly. Now grown up and all-powerful, Velnias drags us into their nocturnal world, whether by our will or theirs.
In undertaking a more doomy aesthetic to this release, the band had much more room to incorporate different ideas within this new release. The songs are longer, allowing more compositions and small details within each bellowing track. This being said, each song does not sound rushed at all, but more carefully drawn out. As far as the sound and the atmosphere, an album cannot get much more encasing than this. Once drawn into this dark, melodic, and epic world, it is uneasy to find your way out until the end. This being said, the atmosphere is almost impenetrable. Seemingly, the goal of this release was to bring the listener outside of his or her current state and join theirs, in their netherworld of nature and somber nostalgia. One can almost taste their reverence for an untainted world, and their disregard for the fallible and insipid modern society that disappoints them."

iLSA / Hooded Menace Split LP

Here is a fine release with 2 amazing doom bands ILSA from Washington D.C.and Hooded Menace from Finland. My band recently had the chance to play with the Amazing crusty metallic doom outfit ILSA (out on tour) and if u ever have the chance to see them live, do it!! The Hooded Menace will be here in the states playing a handful of east coast dates together (both bands) and you should go if your in the area otherwise you are missing out big time!! Artwork is way killer done by Ilsa drummer Joshua Brettell. I need to get a hold of that ILSA Full length Lp as well. Anyone know where to find one? This split LP is available through Contagion Releasing go there and get one asap. Doom On!!!!!!