TITLES: I

I AM ABOVE ON THE LEFT s/t CD $11.98 R.A.I.G.

Formed in 2004, the Moscow-based quartet I Am Above The Left started out as a brutal noise ensemble, but quickly changed course and turned into the instrumental avant-rock that makes up this eponymous debut. This 10 song album is a live-in-the-studio affair, recorded in a single six hour session, which is surprising considering how developed and creative these almost entirely instrumental compostions are. I am Above The Left draw from a range of influences to play a sort of aggressive, post-Hardcore tainted post-rock/math-rock hybrid; the first track, 'lt. Columbo's Investigation' (all of the songs have weird, quasi-conceptual titles like that) opens with a flurry of crushing, angular avant-Metal riffing, a la a looser, improvisational Keelhaul or Collapsar; the complex, lockstep guitar lines and expansive textures of songs like 'I-330' remind me of some epic Pelican/Don Caballero hybrid; 'GOZHHx It!' is a sort of jazzy, psychedelic post-rock exploration with ghostly wailing over soft slow-core drums and rich, melodic guitar chords bathed in reverb. All of the songs are amazingly dense and complex, with lots of powerfully dynamic soft/loud shifts and stylistic changes, layered with eerie recorded speeches and captured radio waves. The band is clearly influenced by classic 90's math-rock, Slint, Don Cab, Rodan, etc., but theres just as much serious heaviness to be had, from slabs of crushing Zeni Geva esque noise metal, to chaotic metalcore raveups, Melvins-ish sludge, and even the epic melodic hardcore that erupts at the end of 'I>P (Information Is Power)'. And theres also elements of avant-jazz, majestic Godspeed! You Black Emperor/Mogwai rock and ambient Western soundscapes reminiscent of Souviners Young America, weird futurist prog rock, fragile drones, and modern composition are all incorporated into their dense soundscapes. I'd say that I Am Above The Left are the Russian answer to the avant-heaviness of groups like Kayo Dot and Time Of Orchids, far-out and hyperimaginative, yet far more accessible and melodic than you would expect from that comparison. Very highly recommended. The disc comes in a minimal full-color wallet-sleeve with little in the way of liner notes, but that does little to detract from the killer instrumental music presented here.

ICEBURN Hephaestus CD $14.98 Revelation

When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
Hephaestus is the legendary 1993 album from ICEBURN, and finds the band at the height of their post-hardcore / pre-avant jazz phase. Challenging and innovative, but tuneful, this album is one of the best post-hardcore records to come out during this weird phase in underground music, a 79 minute continous thought, with four epic jams broken into movements and containing strange, unorthodox guitar riffs and downtuned sludgy heaviness. If you haven't heard Hephaestus, imagine a weird, cerebral fusion of BLACK SABBATH-influenced hardcore, MELVINS, and Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis, out to an hour-long-plus cyclical journey. Excellent. Crucial. Monumental. Highly recommended.

ICEBURN Hephaestus 2xLP $14.98 Revelation

Crucial double-LP version! On black vinyl..
When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
Hephaestus is the legendary 1993 album from ICEBURN, and finds the band at the height of their post-hardcore / pre-avant jazz phase. Challenging and innovative, but tuneful, this album is one of the best post-hardcore records to come out during this weird phase in underground music, a 79 minute continous thought, with four epic jams broken into movements and containing strange, unorthodox guitar riffs and downtuned sludgy heaviness. If you haven't heard Hephaestus, imagine a weird, cerebral fusion of BLACK SABBATH-influenced hardcore, MELVINS, and Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis, out to an hour-long-plus cyclical journey. Excellent. Crucial. Monumental. Highly recommended.

ICEBURN Land of Wind and Ghosts CD $8.98 Mountain

When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy metallic breakdown in the middle of their sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
Land of Wind and Ghosts is the last CD released by Iceburn (under the Iceburn Collective moniker), and is a two guitar/saxophone/percussion improv behemoth recorded live with additional "bass ghosts" added later by Adam lane. The group crawl through 72 minutes of long stretches of ambient drones, near silence, and tense free-clatter that converge with floods of crushing noise guitar and heavy amplifier drone, and eruptive battlejazz that lumbers forward like a herd of honking prehistoric beasts, suggesting something similiar to a fusion of Peter Brotzmann, Earth, and Arthur Doyle and The Blue Humans imbued with a vague Eastern spirituality. The CD comes in a hand assembled 6" x 8" manila envelope with color art attached to the front and back, containing the disc and an eight part essay written by by Richard Gilman-Opalsky of Countdown to Putsch that explores the band's journey from post-hardcore icons to their immersion in free jazz and modern composition. Excellent avant/improv/hardcore/drone, recommended. Cheap too!

ICEBURN COLLECTIVE Meditavolutions CD $14.98 Revelation

When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
1996's Meditavolutions further explores ICEBURN's blend of heavy hardcore dirge with Coltrane inspired jazz improvisation and modern classical,totally amazing stuff that also incorporates elements of atonal avant-garde music and Indian ragas into their lengthy arrangements...the lineup of Gentry Densley on guitar and sitar, Greg Nielsen on tenor sax, James Holder on guitar, Doug Wright on bass, Randy Herbert on percussion, and Daniel Day on drums, really gets deep with their unique language of free heavy via jams like the icy and terrible overture "Trills And Cones", which draws lines between ICEBURN's post-hardcore and KING CRIMSON, as well as the blast of white noise of "Revolution II". A wave of metallic power surges with the operatic hymn "Vision", also the only track with vocals. And this also features the 22-minute Sphinx suite, one of their most accomplished works and the centerpiece of the album, opening with Hendrix-ian acid guitar spitting out middle eastern accents and locking horns with dissonant sax and evolving through a series of discordant improv. Totally essential for ICEBURN fans, and an important chapter in the history of avant-hardcore. Recommended.

ICEBURN COLLECTIVE Meditavolutions 2xLP $14.98 Revelation

Back in stock, and almost completely out of print, we managed to secure a small handful of this experimental jazz/hardcore masterwork. This DOUBLE LP GATEFOLD version of ICEBURN COLLECTIVE's Meditavolutions comes with 2 bonus tracks not available on the CD version, "History (Ancient)" and "Double Revolution" !!!
When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
1996's Meditavolutions further explores ICEBURN's blend of heavy hardcore dirge with Coltrane inspired jazz improvisation and modern classical,totally amazing stuff that also incorporates elements of atonal avant-garde music and Indian ragas into their lengthy arrangements...the lineup of Gentry Densley on guitar and sitar, Greg Nielsen on tenor sax, James Holder on guitar, Doug Wright on bass, Randy Herbert on percussion, and Daniel Day on drums, really gets deep with their unique language of free heavy via jams like the icy and terrible overture "Trills And Cones", which draws lines between ICEBURN's post-hardcore and KING CRIMSON, as well as the blast of white noise of "Revolution II". A wave of metallic power surges with the operatic hymn "Vision", also the only track with vocals. And this also features the 22-minute Sphinx suite, one of their most accomplished works and the centerpiece of the album, opening with Hendrix-ian acid guitar spitting out middle eastern accents and locking horns with dissonant sax and evolving through a series of discordant improv. Totally essential for ICEBURN fans, and an important chapter in the history of avant-hardcore. Recommended.

ICEBURN Poetry Of Fire CD $14.98 Revelation

Now available on CD through Crucial Blast for the first time ever!
When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
The CD version of 1995's Poetry Of Fire features 3 studio tracks as well as two lengthy live jams ("Discolor" and "Poem Of Fire") that are not available on the vinyl version. Rising out of their formative pre-avant classical/jazz years, this is definitely some of the heaviest stuff from Iceburn, the three studio tracks are super extended jams of heavy repetitive hypno hardcore riffs that are draped in free-improv clatter, subdued avant jazz exploration, and some creepy metallic drone constructs. This is essentially the midway point between Iceburns's origins as a heavy post-hardcore outfit, and their complete immersion in atonal avant-classical hugeness that would define their later works. Hence, this has some really heavy, dirgy pound on it that dredges up the burliest sort of riffs from the early 90's post-core sound, but jams those riffs over and over again, like a hypno rock TOOL or Rollins Band (or Gore, for a more esoteric reference), with abstract screaming vox used minimally. Then shit will just break down into a mass of percussive improvisation with free-blowing sax, or a proggy freeform workout with chunky guitars playing counterpoint and uncoiling hypnotic ragas out of the storm. Tight. Another crucial one from these legends of out-hardcore/heavy improv.

ICEBURN Poetry Of Fire LP $14.98 Revelation

Back in stock, and almost completely out of print, we managed to secure a small handful of this experimental jazz/hardcore masterwork. This is the vinyl version of the 1995 Poetry Of Fire full length from ICEBURN, on creamsicle orange wax !
When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
Poetry Of Fire is the 1995 3 song album, rising out of their formative pre-avant classical/jazz years. Definitely some of the heaviest stuff from Iceburn, these three tracks are super extended jams of heavy repetitive hypno hardcore riffs that are draped in free-improv clatter, subdued avant jazz exploration, and some creepy metallic drone constructs. This is essentially the midway point between Iceburns's origins as a heavy post-hardcore outfit, and their complete immersion in atonal avant-classical hugeness that would define their later works. Hence, this has some really heavy, dirgy pound on it that dredges up the burliest sort of riffs from the early 90's post-core sound, but jams those riffs over and over again, like a hypno rock TOOL or Rollins Band (or Gore, for a more esoteric reference), with abstract screaming vox used minimally. Then shit will just break down into a mass of percussive improvisation with free-blowing sax, or a proggy freeform workout with chunky guitars playing counterpoint and uncoiling hypnotic ragas out of the storm. Tight. Another crucial one from these legends of out-hardcore/heavy improv. On colored vinyl!

ICEBURN Polar Bear Suite CD $14.98 Revelation

When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
This 1997 album from ICEBURN features 3 epic tracks (ranging in length from 17-23 minutes) that are firmly positioned in the band's later modern composition/out-jazz explorations.This lineup contains the band's sax/guitar/percussion/two contrabass "small orchestra" setup, and rocks out their original, adventurous heavy improv style with touches of Miles Davis and Robert Fripp, punctuated with some heavy math-sludge riffs and acid guitar freakout. These tunes ebb and flow, moving from skittery, dissonant freeform workouts to devestating dirgy heaviness to climactic and melodic meltdowns. Polar Bear Suite was recorded live to DAT at a local coffee shop that the band performed at weekly. I remember seeing them on tour for this album, and the material was crushing live. Another excellent entry in ICEBURN's discography.

ICEBURN Power Of The Lion CD $14.98 Revelation

When it comes to the avant-garde and truly adventurous in heavy music, and hardcore punk and metal in particular, we don't think anyone is as crucial and ahead of their time as ICEBURN, at least in terms of exploring jazz and avant garde music within the post-hardcore framework. And we don't think any band has ever left more hardcore kids baffled than ICEBURN. Beginning as a skatecore outfit in Salt Lake City in the late 1980's/early 90's, ICEBURN would eventually evolve into a highly cerebral, totally crushing (but not always heavy) avant-jazz ensemble that could still whip out a massive hardcore riff or sludgy breakdown in the middle of their often-sprawling compositions. We're not sure if the band is even still around, as it has been a few years since anything new came out from them, but for now we are working on getting their entire back catalog stocked at Crucial Blast for anyone who missed out in the 90's when much of this stuff first hit oxygen.
Power Of The Lion originally came out in 1998, and features the band at what might be the pinnacle of their avant-jazz career arc, with their ambitious two electric guitars/two contrabasses/drums setup. The further these guys went into the vortex of modern composition and avant-garde jazz, the more our minds were utterly blown. Conceptually, Power Of The Lion is pretty heady, at least for a band that emerged from the straightedge hardcore scene of Salt Lake City in the late 80's. The band states that "...the 7 pieces, entitled Power of the Lion 1-7, were conceived as a modular music system, tightly connected yet richly diverse. They can be played in a vast variety of simultaneous combinations or collaged together in a linear or translucent manner. On the CD the pieces are presented in their pure forms, the essential raw materials and the residual improvisations. On the subsequent live performances of this band the collage theories will be put into practice. This is inspired in part by quantum mechanics. Theories [which contend] that all things are connected, all matter is neither created or destroyed only changed, scientifically we are all part of the same whole. The whole then becomes more than the sum of its parts because of the complex new relationships which arise." Heavy stuff. Musically, Power Of The Lion is an awesome, haunting journey through scraping,skittery improv, dreamy jazz-drones, and meticulously planned prog, sort of falling somewhere between the spacier jams of the late GRATEFUL DEAD, KING CRIMSON, and Coltrane/Miles Davis, but stretched out into infinity and sometimes momentarily erupting into heavy math/prog riffage. Beautiful instrumental outsider-jazz improv that we love to throw on as atmosphere music and max out in it's presence.

ICEBURN / ENGINE KID split CD $11.98 Revelation

Here's a killer split with our two favorite post-hardcore bands from the early 90's, Salt Lake City's avant-jazz/hardcore titans ICEBURN and post-rock crushers ENGINE KID. ICEBURN's side consists of "Danses", a lengthy improvisation on themes from Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring". Man, when this came out back in 1994, this split must have baffled legions of hardcore kids. ICEBURN alternate angry,sludgy riffage with pastoral, squiggly jazz thats totally breathtaking and beautiful. "Danses" might be one of our favorite recordings ever from ICEBURN, with it's promiment melodic figures and crushing dirge-riff, like some itinerant Am Rep noise rock band absorbing Miles Davis into it's gaping maw. Some pretty sinister stuff. This is followed by a live alternate version of the same piece. ENGINE KID's side actually sees the KID heading off into some pretty jazzy, ICEBURN-ish territory! At least that's how it starts, a droning instrumental post-rock passage with guitar strings being scraped and feedback softly howling - and then the band lurches into a freaking heavy dirge, a mega crunchy math-rock riff repeated like a mantra, GODFLESH-style, pummeling your skull with it's cyclical heaviness. ENGINE KID's post-SLINT/CODEINE style is still in full effect here, as is the sludgy,post-metal heaviness that we love so much from this band, but it's definitely jazzier,dronier stuff, very in tune with ICEBURN's material. I can't imagine anyone into stuff like OLD MAN GLOOM or PELICAN not loving a song like "Trailhead At Lake 22" (the opener on ENGINE KID's side). Oh, and for those that don't know, ENGINE KID also features one Greg Anderson on vocals and guitar, who went on to form Southern Lord Records and the bands SUNN O))), GOATSNAKE, BURNING WITCH, etc., after the demise of ENGINE KID in the mid-90's.

ICEBURN / ENGINE KID split CASSETTE $4.98 Revelation

The Cassette version of this killer avant-hardcore split!
Here's a killer split with our two favorite post-hardcore bands from the early 90's, Salt Lake City's avant-jazz/hardcore titans ICEBURN and post-rock crushers ENGINE KID. ICEBURN's side consists of "Danses", a lengthy improvisation on themes from Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring". Man, when this came out back in 1994, this split must have baffled legions of hardcore kids. ICEBURN alternate angry,sludgy riffage with pastoral, squiggly jazz thats totally breathtaking and beautiful. "Danses" might be one of our favorite recordings ever from ICEBURN, with it's promiment melodic figures and crushing dirge-riff, like some itinerant Am Rep noise rock band absorbing Miles Davis into it's gaping maw. Some pretty sinister stuff. This is followed by a live alternate version of the same piece. ENGINE KID's side actually sees the KID heading off into some pretty jazzy, ICEBURN-ish territory! At least that's how it starts, a droning instrumental post-rock passage with guitar strings being scraped and feedback softly howling - and then the band lurches into a freaking heavy dirge, a mega crunchy math-rock riff repeated like a mantra, GODFLESH-style, pummeling your skull with it's cyclical heaviness. ENGINE KID's post-SLINT/CODEINE style is still in full effect here, as is the sludgy,post-metal heaviness that we love so much from this band, but it's definitely jazzier,dronier stuff, very in tune with ICEBURN's material. I can't imagine anyone into stuff like OLD MAN GLOOM or PELICAN not loving a song like "Trailhead At Lake 22" (the opener on ENGINE KID's side). Oh, and for those that don't know, ENGINE KID also features one Greg Anderson on vocals and guitar, who went on to form Southern Lord Records and the bands SUNN O))), GOATSNAKE, BURNING WITCH, etc., after the demise of ENGINE KID in the mid-90's.

ICEBURN / ENGINE KID split LP $9.98 Revelation

Boss 12" vinyl version of this crucial out-hardcore split!
Here's a killer split with our two favorite post-hardcore bands from the early 90's, Salt Lake City's avant-jazz/hardcore titans ICEBURN and post-rock crushers ENGINE KID. ICEBURN's side consists of "Danses", a lengthy improvisation on themes from Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring". Man, when this came out back in 1994, this split must have baffled legions of hardcore kids. ICEBURN alternate angry,sludgy riffage with pastoral, squiggly jazz thats totally breathtaking and beautiful. "Danses" might be one of our favorite recordings ever from ICEBURN, with it's promiment melodic figures and crushing dirge-riff, like some itinerant Am Rep noise rock band absorbing Miles Davis into it's gaping maw. Some pretty sinister stuff. This is followed by a live alternate version of the same piece. ENGINE KID's side actually sees the KID heading off into some pretty jazzy, ICEBURN-ish territory! At least that's how it starts, a droning instrumental post-rock passage with guitar strings being scraped and feedback softly howling - and then the band lurches into a freaking heavy dirge, a mega crunchy math-rock riff repeated like a mantra, GODFLESH-style, pummeling your skull with it's cyclical heaviness. ENGINE KID's post-SLINT/CODEINE style is still in full effect here, as is the sludgy,post-metal heaviness that we love so much from this band, but it's definitely jazzier,dronier stuff, very in tune with ICEBURN's material. I can't imagine anyone into stuff like OLD MAN GLOOM or PELICAN not loving a song like "Trailhead At Lake 22" (the opener on ENGINE KID's side). Oh, and for those that don't know, ENGINE KID also features one Greg Anderson on vocals and guitar, who went on to form Southern Lord Records and the bands SUNN O))), GOATSNAKE, BURNING WITCH, etc., after the demise of ENGINE KID in the mid-90's.

ICEPICK REVIVAL Distress Signal CD $10.98 At A Loss

As with a couple of other key labels (Troubleman and Candlelight, for starters), I've been doing some recent back-catalog digging to rediscover those somewhat-forgotten bands and albums that I personally missed the first time around. Take At A Loss, for instance...even though this label is based right here in Maryland, up until recently, I had never heard a large portion of their releases. Which I'm kicking myself for now, as not only has At A Loss been putting out some of the coolest, most innovative heavy music of the past few years (especially to someone like myself that has an equal adoration of all things crusty, sludgy, and "progressive"), but as it's also only now that I'm hearing the awesome Distress Signal EP from Louisiana's Icepick Revival. Released in 2001, this disc rocks three songs in 19 minutes, of amazing technical metallic post-hardcore with heavy noise rock and math rock influences, loaded with dizzying time changes and cosmic electronic effects and crushing sludgecore grooves, at one moment like Dazzling Killmen mixed with Today Is The Day and progressive metalcore, then shifting into melodic sludge rock a la some sort of Afghan Whigs/Neurosis fusion underscored by melancholy piano tinkling. This was the last release from Icepick Revival; after this, the band broke up, and members would go on to form the even more mindblowing Collapsar. But even here, these guys were trafficking in amazingly complex, adventurous, and thoroughly melodic metal/hardcore/prog. Highly recommended.

ICHOROUS Lifender CD-R $9.98 RRRecords

More skull-devouring electronic malevolence from New Englander ICHOROUS. That Todekapital CD-R that was released on Audiobot totally killed, a brutal feast of heavy digital distortion/feedback improv with atrocious Death Metal throat waste disgorged into the soup. This long (at just shy of 60 minutes) offering issued through RRRecords is minus those great gore vocals, but with every song title chronicling different act of murderous violence ("Crushed", "Bludgeoned", "Hanged", "Stabbed", "Disemboweled", etc.,), Lifender is just as vicious in it's thick distorted assault. Most of the tracks run 5-14 minutes in length, and swirl together into a hateful miasma of harsh pulsations, CHERRY POINT / THE RITA strength wall-of-crunch, and shrill ear puncturing blats of ascending feedback. Heavy! Packaged in RRR's signature sealed xerox-mutated wallet sleeve.

ICHOROUS Todekapitel CD-R $8.98 Audiobot

TOtal death metal power electronics! C'mon, you get tracks like "Corpsearth" and "Lined By Meathooks", illustrated by fucking brutal blasts of feedback and hellish bass pulses and fronted by monstrous megadistorted vocals. Quite awesome. I'd align this with what Dominick Fernow is doing in PRURIENT, spinning vortices of amplifier wreckage and freeform squeal birthed at massively high volumes...but ICHOROUS is more relentless, mercilessly blasting the listener throughout the entire duration of the release. At around 20 minutes long, Todekapitel doesn't outstay it's welcome though, and delivers an efficient assault of high frequency violence that fans of the most brutal extremes of harsh noise will definitely appreciate. This disc follows a well-received debut on RRRecords (under the name ICHOR), and has been released in an edition of 100 copies. The disc comes packaged in a killer-looking foldout sleeve with insert, and the disc itself is silkscreened. ANother freakin' winner from Audiobot/FreakSendFuture, quite possibly the best cd-r label on the planet at this time.

I.CORAX Spectral Metabolism CD $15.98 Kaos Kontrol

Field recordings of nocturnal alien life from the lower levels of the Styx. Deeply menacing blackened dronescapes strafed by the sounds of chains being dragged across a cave floor. Distant tympani-like drums booming out the opening strains of some war ritual across a bottomless midnight void. Sounds like an Aural Hypnox release, doesn't it? It's not though, this disc was released on the longrunning Finnish noise label Kaos Kontrol, who is usually more known for putting out the most brutal power electronics and harsh noise imaginable. But this is most definitely a collection of ambient-soundscapes of the blackest sort, each track a whirling environment devoid of light, filled with low, far-off rumblings and delicate minor-key synthesizer drift, field recordings of the Finnish countryside twisted into a negative image of perpetual twilight and manipulated sound events appearing ghostlike at the periphery of your hearing. The vibe here is grim and doomy, an otherworldly psychedelic experience on par with the work of Zoat-Aon, Arktau Eos, Aeoga, Halo Manash and that entire helixes.org circle of subterranean drone sorcerors. So it's not at all surprising when I find out that this Finnish duo is formed by Jaakko Vanhala (of Zoat-Aon) and Anti Ittna Haapapuro, the guy behind Aeogo and the Aural Hypnox label himself. These guys are masters of deep-earth ritual drone and drifting ambient heaviness, both having worked with various ambient-doom, black metal, and occult ambient outfits in the Finnish underground for years; they bring a studied experience to the hour long descent into the abyss that is Spectral Metabolism. What sound like bird calls are abstracted into eerie digital cries, sightless monks chant endlessly in the depths, and sinister peals of what could be a massive horn, or maybe an ancient monstrous cello-like instruments roar in the blackness. It's ever evolving and on the heavier end of the post-industrial spectrum. Released in a limited edition of 1000 copies, packaged in an oversized A5 style gatefold sleeve with stark B&W photography and occult insignia.

MP3 SAMPLE: "Track 1" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Track 5" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Track 9" (excerpt)

ILLOGICIST The Insight Eye CD $11.98 Willowtip

Heavily influenced by the seminal technical death metal of the legendary Death (particularly their Sound of Perseverance era), Italy's Illogicist are back with The Insight Eye, a dizzying technical death metal statement that's still blowing me away. It's not that their doing anything particularly paradigm-shifting on The Insight Eye; the intricate riffcraft and convoluted song structures come from the collective progressive DM consciousness that's been previously explored by Death, Athiest, and Cynic. But what makes the top shelf bands in the tech-death movement stand out is an ability to infuse their extreme technicality with bitchin' riffs - being more of a fan of old school DM, I'm predisposed to the riff, but when bands like Illogicist can cough up memorable hooks in tandem with their mindboggling complexity, I'm in heaven. Willowtip is a crucial label in this regard - Tipton and company have a golden ear when it comes to snagging awesomely technical, infectiously catchy bands (Gorod and Electro Quarterstaff just off of the top of my head). And The Insight Eye is another killer release from the 'Tip, guided by guitarists Luca Minieri and Diego Ambrosi and powered by Necrophagist drummer Marco Minnemann, whose performance is both amazingly precise and organic. I also really dug Emilio Dattolo's bass playing on this disc; his use of bubbling jazz/fusion-informed lines and spidery fretboard runs nicely offset some of the more straightforward riffing, and it lends a different kind of vibe to Illogicist's sound. And there's a surprising amount of groove on here, with huge Meshuggah-esque machine grooves that only last a few moments whenever they kick in, but are lethal when they lock in. The disc has very cool artwork and packaging, with lyrics that approach the metaphysical, and pretty different from what I normally see from band's in this realm. One of the best progressive death metal albums of 2007, hands down.

IMMACULATE GROTESQUE Circles CD $10.98 Truculent

We actually carried Circles a couple of years ago (the album came out in 2003), but it went out of stock shortly after we added it to the C-Bloast catalog and we thought it was out-of-print and unavailable at the time. Turns out that wasn't the case, and this stellar collection of obliterating wall-noise and violently cut-up electronic distortion is once again ready to be poured into the skulls of brutal nosie freaks. Immaculate:Grotesque is Jeff Plummer, who is also the guy behind the Truculent label which has released a bunch of great heavy noise tapes along with some of Prurient's best early works. I:G shares Prurient's intimacy with severe high-pitched feedback and aggressive speaker abuse, but the five tracks on Circles weave the screeching feedback around huge slabs of churning distorted white noise and constantly evolving whirlpools of metallic drone that sounds massive. Tracks like "The Kitchen" and "Other People" certainly reach total wall-noise density that fans of The Rita, Cherry Point, and Knurl will go into epileptic fits over, but there is alot of detail and dynamic action occuring behind the multi-layered barrage, which makes this reminiscent of the textural, grinding waves of harsh white noise on Namanax's Cascading Waves of Electronic Turbulance. Apparently using synthesizers and post-production collage/layering techniques, Plummer creates an hour long plunge into amplified decay and brutal low/high frequency overload, and this has really gotta be played at high volume to fully feel the brain melting force behind these constructions. One of our fave "dense noise" albums.

IMPURE Corpses...Intense Stench CD $9.98 Gorgiastic

Gorgiastic Records continues to explore the nuances of the SUFFOCATION style of brutal deathgrind with this new full length from IMPURE. Intense Spanish ultrabrutal death metal in the vein of GORGASM & DEEDS OF FLESH but much more intense. Includes bonus video clip.

INCAPACITANTS Recycled Music Series CASSETTE $4.98 RRRecords

Formed in 1981, Incapacitants are one of the most well known duos in the Japanese Noise pantheon...hell, these guys are gods in regards to blasting mortal frames with pure, brutal electronic noise. Headed by Toshiji Mikawa and Fumio Kosakai, a couple of bankers if you can believe that, Incapacitants have primarily used feedback, electronic distortion, and vocals rendered into demonic abstracted howls to achieve their goal of "pure noise", devoid of musical concepts or direction. That translates into some of the most vicious sonic mindwipe this side of Masonna and Whitehouse, and on this entry into the notorious Recycled Music Series on RRRecords, they serve up two 17 minute sides of wheezing, rhythmic distortion blasts embellished with bits of fragmented electronic glitch, manipulated streams of feedback, and pulsating bass tones. An awesome blast-storm of dense, dynamic high-end skree, rumbling loops, melted tape dropouts, total pure ego-destroying NOISE. As with all of the Recycled Music Series tapes, each one of these is dubbed over a random commercial pre-recorded music cassettes that had been traded into the RRRecords shop. And each is one of a kind, as the nature of dubbed cassettes frequently allows for glimmers of the original audio content to sometimes subtly bleed into the artist's recording that has been dubbed onto the tape. Comes in a handassembled case/sleeve with duct tape scrawled in black marker across the front.

INCAPACITANTS Ministry Of Foolishness CD $9.98 RRRecords

One of the oldest Japanese noise outfits in existence, Incapacitants have been releasing their brutally loud and chaotic noise walls into the underground since 1981. The duo of Toshiji Mikawa and Fumio Kosakai use violently undulating feedback, monstrous screaming vocals, and damaged electronic noise to create their fields of "pure noise", their tracks ranking as some of the heaviest in the Japanese noise canon. Prior to forming Incapacitants, Mikawa and Kosakai were members of legendary improvised noise group Hijokaidan, and Kosakai had also been a former member of C.C.C.C.; during the day however, Mikawa worked as a bank employee and Kosakai a government office worker. Despite these seemingly mild-mannered jobs, these guys have created some incredibly brutal electronic destruction over the years. This 1995 disc that was released by RRRecords as part of their classic PURE Series features three mammoth jams, "Stone River", "Sky Valley", and "Village Wood", each one running 20-30 minutes in length, an hour of nonstop immolating skree and grinding feedback scrape, harsh walls of noise churning and swirling, swarming with electronic squiggles and jagged shards of distortion. Awesome. This disc is one of the few Incapacitants releases that's still available, as most of their stuff has gone out of print. Pretty crucial for fans of classic Japanese noise, the aforementioned Hijokaidan and C.C.C.C., Boredoms, Solmania, The Gerogerigegege, Merzbow, and Masonna, and other dealers of brain scraping electronic destruction. Packaged in one of RRRon's trademark xerox-damaged collage packages.

MP3 SAMPLE: "Sky Valley" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Stone River" (excerpt)

INFIDEL?/CASTRO! Bioentropic Damage Fractal 2xCD $11.98 Crucial Blast

Undefineable, uncatagorizeable, INFIDEL?/CASTRO! return with Bioentropic Damage Fractal,a 14-part, 2-disc epic of electro-acoustic ambient metal destruction that travels the extremes of density and sparsity, speed and sluggishness, length and brevity, beauty and ugliness. Hyper-complex and hyper-epic, the band weaves an engrossing tapestry of spastic electronic carnage, sweeping melodic bliss, futuristic heaviness, and swirling, hypnotic walls of sound. Concepts of degradation and the inherent instability of the organic are thoroughly explored in this cohesive and focused double CD. Intense. For fans of Fantomas, Sigur Ros, My Bloody Valentine, Discordance Axis, and Scanner.

INCAPACITANTS / AUTOEROTICHRIST split 7" EP $5.98 Spite

A double car-wreck on wax, unearthed. This rare split 7" from 1997 features Japanese noise legends Incapacitants and US harsh noise outfit Autoerotichrist. The Incapacitants give us "Funds Of Funds Of Funds", which sounds alternately like helicopters fucking and guinea pigs in a prison riot. Autoerotichrist's "Landmine Contrivance" is five minutes of satanic robot battle. Skullmelting.

INFERNAL HATE The Wisdom Of Obscure Dimensions CD $8.98 Gorgiastic

Heirs to the SUFFOCATION throne of tightly executed, lethal deathgrind! Demolishing, relentless and punishing brutal death metal, featuring INTERNAL SUFFERING's ex-drummer and Nils of DISAVOWED on bass. Recorded at the Excess Studios in Holland (SINISTER/PYAEMIA/DISAVOWED). Exterminating blast violence.

INFERNO s/t CD $11.98 Shove

These Italian blast brats have crafted a kick-azz, vicious fusion of clinical blastbeats and modern metalcore with ragin’ Euro hard rock moves, avant-jazz, sci-fi tronix, and old school, straight-up DR. WHO-worthy synth blurp. Relatively art/pop culture damaged, with sixteen tracks of modernized grind n’ roll laced with noise breaks, ragin' saxophone action, and weird electronica, closing out with a creepy casio waltz on dying batteries. Comparisons are tough, because I think these guys have something pretty unique going on with this self titled debut, but reference points might include current metalcore rockers EVERY TIME I DIE on a noise/jazz/prog trip hooking up with mid/late-90’s grind n’ roll a la SYSTRAL / ENTOMBED and DAUGHTERS/AN ALBATROSS/LOCUST indie blast. Super catchy, very rocking, and definitely heavy. Dope shit, we love it. The disc comes packaged in a swank digipack with a weird lenticular tv screen on the inside. Def recommended to fans of the Locust, Genghis Tron, Cream Abdul Babar, etc.

INSUICIETY Believe And Die CD $10.98 Crimes Against Humanity

Awesome dissonant sludge violence from Germany! Insuiciety play a sort of off-kilter, sinister brand of metallic sludgecore that sets itself apart from the hordes of Grief/Eyehategod disciples out there through the distinctively tortured and fucked up vocals of singer Ajka. Her heavily accented snarls and screams add an insane vibe to these songs, which features massive downtuned mid-paced doomage, spacey instrumental breaks, and sour, dissonant riffage cut with some surprisingly melodic hooks and weird rhythmic changes. It's like a gnarly mixture of 13's crust dirge, Kylesa, Polish anarchist hardcore slowed down to a molasses drip, chugging dirge reminiscent of early Isis, and Graves At Sea, a grim battle march through riot consumed streets and barren urban wastes, with nihilistic lyrics and apocalyptic imagery.

INVISIBLE FROG Space Makes Noise CD $11.98 Amanita

Manic drums n' guitar duo devestation, laying down intricate mini-cyclones of progged out math blast, like BOTCH and ORTHRELM in a death-duel, or Flying Luttenbachers getting slaytanic with Morbid Angel. These two Belgians create a dense cloud of complex structures, liquid metal crunch,and freeform shredding at 300 mph, Dizzying. Bassless, and we dont even care. 10 songs in 29 minutes make up a single, unwavering mainline of adrenaline soaked death-improv / carnivorous prog.

IOWASKA Vine Of Souls CD $14.98 Alternative Tentacles

Released on the venerable Alternative Tentacles label, Vine Of Souls came out back in 2001 but it wasn't until now that I finally heard Iowaska's ripping psychedelic punkmetal for the first time. And ripping this is, a trippy, ferocious flight through ecstatic psychedelia and ferocious metallic punk fronted by the powerful voice of Sam Skraeling, whose singing falls somewhere in between Eve Libertine and Siouxsie Sioux. This quartet from Essex, England only appeared on two other Alternative Tentacles compilations - Vine Of Souls is their only full length album, but it's a monster; serving up a dramatic sound that encompasses speedy, Dead Kennedys-style punk and brutal Discharge influenced thrash, the lysergic visions of Ozric Tentacles and Hawkwind, ripping metallic UK anarcho punk, and even tossing in funk, reggae, dub, and other styles that you probably wouldn't expect from a band that's as rooted as they are in the UK anarcho-punk tradition. Skaeling was actually the female voice on Amebix's No Sanctuary EP, which by itself is a crucial piece of anarcho/crust history, but it's not at all surprising to hear that Iowaska were equally at home performing at subterranean punk dives and UK space rock festivals. Vine Of Souls super striking album art sucks you in immediately, an eerie assortment of hand-drawn illustrations, calligraphic lettering, and agit-collage created by Skaeling that accompany each set of song lyrics, along with dramatic, live photos and dramatic images of the dreadlocked members of Iowaska surrounded by lanterns and candles. The music however is totally ferocious, as Skraeling belts out her furious declarations against patriarchal traditions, pollution, corporate greed, Christianity, and female subjugation, with lyrics that border on the militant. Skrealing also injects a heavy pagan/Wiccan vibe into Iowaska's lyrics and imagery, and that just further adds to the weird, mystical aura that surrounds this album. This album really blew me away, it's super rocking and catchy, thrashy and metallic, and sounds like a mindblowing mixture of Hawkwind and metallic crusty thrash, classic 80's UK peace punk and Acid Mothers Temple, soaring and fierce and magical. Awesome ! The 24 page full color booklet is freaking packed with lyrics and artwork; this is easily one of my favorite AT releases ever!

MP3 SAMPLE: "Modranicht" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Mother Earth" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Out Of My Head" (excerpt)

IRON HEARSE self-titled CD $11.98 Psychedoomelic

Luckily for anyone that is still fiending for more soulful, ironclad doom-rock in the style of The Obsessed (and come on, who isn't?), we've got the British power-trio Iron Hearse on deck with a re-issue of their debut self-titled full length, courtesy of Psychedoomelic. Of course, if you've been paying attention to the underground doom scene for the past couple of years, you've no doubt noticed that Psychedoomelic has essentially become the new Hellhound, proudly carrying the mantle for classic old-school doom rock and proto-doom goodness. Iron Hearse fits right in with a sound that takes me back to Lunar Womb-era The Obsessed, all the way down to singer Grant Powell's gruff, distinctly Wino-esque delivery. Sure, it's nothing groundbreaking, but these guys exude so much exuberant doom spirit, not to mention righteous riffage, that this is a sure fire winner for trad doom fans, particularly if you had the same auspicious upbringing as myself, surrounded by the vital 80's/90's Maryland doom scene. And holy shit, is the song "All Graves Empty" one of the catchiest riff-rock jams I've heard all year! This tune has a terminally infectious riff, throaty vocal hook, and a gritty breakdown bridge that I swear to god sounds like a cross between The Obsessed and Urge Overkill circa Saturation. A contender for best doom rock song of the year.
Big thumbs up for the overall biker-bar, old school, bluesy vibe that Iron Hearse maintain...it's refreshing to hear a band jack into that style and sound for real nowadays, and have a sense of humor about it at the same time ("Rocktapus"?). I also really dig the nods to other classic rock figureheads like Thin Lizzy, Cream, and Hendrix...actually, the more I listen to this disc, the more I'm hearing Iron Hearse put their own individual stamp on this stuff. There are some parts that are way heavier than anything The Obsessed ever did, actually creeping closer to Cathedral territory at times, and they deliver some sweet, albeit brief, vocal harmony parts that really stand out too. Yeah, this is great, catchy, heavy freakin' stuff, right up there with the high quality retro-doom of Iron Man, old Church Of Misery, Voodoo Shock, and Merca.

MP3 SAMPLE: "All Graves Empty" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Black Tapestry" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Blessed By The Anvil" (excerpt)

IRON KIND / VOODOO SHOCK split 7" EP $4.98 Game Two

A molten slab of primal Doom. IRON KIND kicks things off with "Lord Of Evil", a crushing PENTAGRAM / OBSESSED-esque stomper, but way more downtuned and subterranean than either of those influences. VOODOO SHOCK gives us another Black Sabbath inspired doom metal gem, "Cordial Vicinity." Thunderous riffs, and an injection of dual guitar harmonies. Brilliant doom.

IRON LUNG Cold Storage CD $11.98 Fuck Yoga

Killer! IRON LUNG's hyperthrash slays us, so we're stoked to offer this slick CD collection of out of print vinyl EP and comp tracks from the LUNG. These guys are one of the heaviest guitar/drums duos out there, with a dark,heavy and technical approach to west coast power violence...they lock into some ultra fierce blasting grooves and cyclone violence with sick dynamics and insane tempo changes that just kill. IRON LUNG delivers the speedfist a la CROSSED OUT and INFEST, but with a technical prowess those bands didn't mess with. Ace shit. Recorded at Polymorph (HIS HERO IS GONE, TRAGEDY, ARTIMUS PYLE, etc.).This disc from Macedonian (!) label Fuck Yoga (love that name!) features their tracks from the split LP with LANA DAGALES, the Demonstrations In Pressure And Volume EP, the split EP with TEEN CTHULHU, the split EP with BRAINOIL, split EP with BG, the split 5"EP with QUATTRO STAGIONI, and the comp tracks from the Reno:Where Dreams Come To Die and Disturning The Peace compilations. Over thirty-four tracks of ultra blasting heaviness! Packaged in a transparent jewel case scheme with translucent cover and traycard, with the actual glossy booklet held underneath the disc tray...looks great!

IRON LUNG Life.Iron Lung.Death CD $11.98 Boredom Noise
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE DO NOT ORDER.

The debut full-length from Bay Area hardcore slayers IRON LUNG. This duo (drums/guitar) just destroys everything with an atonal precision grind/blast attack that shreds like CROSSED OUT and INFEST going math-rock (seriously, some of the incredibly melodic "slow" parts on here remind me a lot of SHELLAC!). I still don’t understand why more people aren’t wigging out over this band. Brutally heavy and fast as hell, with loads of innovative riffs and song structures. 21 tracks make up the full length, but there are also an additional 17 tracks on here from their "Demonstration Of Pressure And Volume" EP, the split EP with BRAINOIL (out of print, which we still have in stock here at CRUCIAL BLAST!) , the out of print split EP with TEEN CTHULHU , and an unreleased track. 38 songs in all. Vicious, machine-like, and totally unique.

IRON LUNG / LANA DAGALES split CD $11.98 Boredom Noise
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE DO NOT ORDER.

Azz-kicking pileup of two-man extreme blastcore precision. LANA DAGALES are a bass-driven unit whose blazing ultrathrash maintains a chaotic car-wreck appeal without spinning out of control. Freaking ferocious stuff. IRON LUNG follow with razor-sharp guitar/drums powered blast brutality, quirky and unique and vicious.
Both of these bands are innovative two-man outfits from the Bay Area,and both were slated to release LPs on Slap A Ham before it went under.Insano proggy maximalist blastcore! Fans of "left field" crazed grind and hardcore will flip over this eruption of high speed violence. LANA DAGALES are a bass & drums driven unit ...these tracks are more ferocious than those on their debut 7",this band is the prototype for high velocity thrash in the years to come. On the flip side is IRON LUNG, the current premier band out of Reno. IL is a guitar/drums driven band and in spite of having released some of the absolute best available EPs over the last 2+ years, this is better than anything they've ever done. IL's music is distinctive and quirky enough that it is really no surprise at all that they continue to get better and better with each release because they continue to fine tune their approach. This is as monstrous and embittered as you could ask for.Crushing hyperblast maximalist power.

IRON LUNG / SCURVY BASTARDS split 7” EP $5.98 Enterruption

Very weird nautical split EP pairs up 3 skull-splitting powerviolence jams from IRON LUNG and one booze-hoisting pirate jam from Scurvy Bastards. Iron Lung's medical-tech obsessed, two-man, guitar and drums/vocals blitz is totally lethal here, a crazed mix of Crossed Out, Man Is The Bastard, and Rudimentary Peni. Blazing, blasting extreme hardcore from one of the best post-Slap A Ham outfits EVER. The other side has Reno's Scurvy Bastards, who are Iron Lung buddies, and are also a very fucking weird outfit that plays, well, pirate sea-shantys, with a spartan punk sound mixed combined with along with banjos, pots and pans, accordian, and keys, with total pirate singing. Their song is called "Halloweentown", and it rules. On black wax. Killer artwork.

IRUKANDJI Prey For Me I-V LP $13.98 RRRecords

Irukandji is yet another project/alter-ego of the increasingly prolific Michael Page, the New England electronic noise demon whose Fire In The Head and Sky Burial projects have both already received alot of play around here. Nowhere as blissed out and droney as the Skullflower/Sunroof-esque distorto drone rock of his Sky Burial stuff, nor as fried and electrified as the anarcho power electronics of Fire In The Head, Irukandji is a totally violent entity spewing heavily layered electrical junknoise deathtronix, and Prey For Me is the projects first vinyl release, issued as part of RRRon's new 1-sided LP series. Packaged in a black jacket that is screenprinted with an image of a horrific Lovecraftian jellyfish beast, Prey For Me I-V is five tracks of crushing squealing synthesizer overdrive, mangled microphone scrape, and damaged grinding machine noise, sometimes reaching wall-noise levels of density a la Knurl or The Rita, and elsewhere skulking through subdued buzzsaw feedback and grisly death screams buried in the churning chaos. This stuff is alot more rhythmic than similiar-minded blastnoise artists, and there's a couple points on the record where Page creates these awesome lurching grooves of pulsating diseased distortion that fucking rule. A heavy feast of city-nuking electronic armageddon. Released in a limited edition of 241 copies; the record repeats the same 5 tracks on the b-side.

ISIS Celestial CD $14.98 Escape Artist

This repackaged version of Isis' first full length was released relatively recently through Escape Artist in a sleek digipack that pretty much includes all of the artwork from the original jewel case version. Released in 2000, Celestial took Isis lumbering hypnotic metalcore to a new level, merging thick slabs of rusted, percussive sludge and sorta mathy guitar breakdowns with a syncopated massiveness that was heavily informed by early Godflesh. The martial stomp and distinctive palm-muted stutter-chug that marked Isis' earlier works is heavier than ever here, Aaron Turner's sandpaper roars tint the music with despair, and huge sheets of feedback rise up out of the band's droning mass. And Celestial is frequently cut with passages of spacey electronics, sunbaked Western guitars, abstract dronescapes, and sparse, tightly-wound slowcore, deconstructing 90's metalcore into a vicious, hypnotically crushing, tribal-metalcore behemoth that has obviously influenced legions of fans in the years since this was released. This was also the first Isis release to introduce the "mother tower" and "SGNL" themes that would span across this and the SGNL>05 disc that served as a companion piece to Celestial, and Aaron Turner's album design incorporates imagery from the French film La Jette. Essential.

MP3 SAMPLE: "Celestial (The Tower)" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Swarm (Reigns Down)" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Deconstructing Towers" (excerpt)

ISIS Celestial 2xLP $22.98 Escape Artist

It's currently out of print from the label, but we've got a small handful of this new reissue of the Celestial album, two records, one yellow-clear and the other red-clear, packaged in a sweet heavyweight glossy gatefold jacket with an oversized 11" by 33" poster! We're super-limited on these!
This repackaged version of Isis' first full length was released relatively recently through Escape Artist in a sleek digipack that pretty much includes all of the artwork from the original jewel case version. Released in 2000, Celestial took Isis lumbering hypnotic metalcore to a new level, merging thick slabs of rusted, percussive sludge and sorta mathy guitar breakdowns with a syncopated massiveness that was heavily informed by early Godflesh. The martial stomp and distinctive palm-muted stutter-chug that marked Isis' earlier works is heavier than ever here, Aaron Turner's sandpaper roars tint the music with despair, and huge sheets of feedback rise up out of the band's droning mass. And Celestial is frequently cut with passages of spacey electronics, sunbaked Western guitars, abstract dronescapes, and sparse, tightly-wound slowcore, deconstructing 90's metalcore into a vicious, hypnotically crushing, tribal-metalcore behemoth that has obviously influenced legions of fans in the years since this was released. This was also the first Isis release to introduce the "mother tower" and "SGNL" themes that would span across this and the SGNL>05 disc that served as a companion piece to Celestial, and Aaron Turner's album design incorporates imagery from the French film La Jette. Essential.
MP3 SAMPLE: "Celestial (The Tower)" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Swarm (Reigns Down)" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Deconstructing Towers" (excerpt)

ISIS Mosquito Control CD $12.98 Escape Artist

The very first EP from 1998, where seminal hypno-metallers Isis first laid out the blueprint for their pummeling, percussive metalcore, sharpened here into a bludgeoning riff assault that was heavily schooled by Godflesh and the sickest New England deathcore of the late 90's. This is also where the first serious conceptual theme arose, the mosquito/hive and the control towers that would inform Isis' next several releases until Oceanic. This reissue of the half-hour long Mosquito Control exercise boasts some of the bands heaviest shit, four tracks of densely layered slow motion sludgemetal accented with spacey electronic effects and a nearly suffocating bleakness. Mega heavy guitar riffing locks into monochromatic loops of downtuned sludge over polyrhythmic tribal drumming, and Isis lead singer and Hydra Head boss Aaron Turner busts out some of the most brutally gutteral vocals in the entire Isis catalog (see "Hive Destruction" for the closest that Isis ever came to death metal influenced metalcore). The experience finishes with the droning eleven minute ambient dirge of "Swarm Relocation", which kicks off with some great melodic chugging layered with eerie voice samples, to really haunting effect; later, the track breaks down into an extended space-metal workout grinding through a sea of chirping electronics a la Bastard Noise. A crucial recording from Isis formative years as a primal art-sludge wrecking machine. Nice new package design for this reissue.

MP3 SAMPLE: "Hive Destruction" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Relocation Swarm" (excerpt)

ISIS The Red Sea CD $13.98 Second Nature

The follow up to the Mosquito Control EP, Isis 1999 EP The Red Sea further fleshed out the band's brutally crushing fusion of relentlessly hammering repeato-sludge and arty conceptual metalcore, and features the three tracks that make up the Red Sea vision as well as their 1998 demo added on as a bonus. This is pre-Oceanic Isis, the formative stage of the band where they were channeling Godflesh's Streetcleaner, Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise's apoclayptic space electronics into one hugely formidable attack. Their combination of electronics, tom-heavy tribal drumming, and brooding, slo-mo metal was what generated all of the comparisons to Neurosis that Isis were saddled with during the early years of their existence, but one listen to the technical, bonecrushing trance riffage and epic melodic undercurrents of "The Minus Times" and "Red Sea" reveal their genesis more in Justin Broadrick's sledgehammer industro-metal and Melvin's manner of pulling apart monstrous pummeling sludge into sprawling discordant grooves. The opener "Charmicarmicarmicat Shines To Earth" is no wispy into number either, bursting onto the first seconds of The Red Sea as an ambient, beatless blast of sludge metal mixed with insectile electronic noise that totally invokes the tribute to Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise that Isis credit the track as in their liner notes. Each of the three Red Sea tracks are tied together by spoken word samples that were taken from the television series Hotel Room, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, and a reading from William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence." Awesome crushing metal, unbelievably heavy and textured. This was also the only release that included Jay Randall of Agoraphobic Nosebleed fame on backing vocals and electronic noise.
The last four tracks make up Isis' 1998 demo cassette, and these embryionic jams are equally crushing, outfitting repetitive, hypnotic metalcore with interesting rhythmic patterns and electronic textures that were unlike anything else happening in hardcore when this tape first surfaced. Between the stellar Red Sea tracks and the '98 demo, this is a no-brainer for Isis fans and enthusiasts of ultraheavy progressive metalcore. Packaged with a snazzy gatefold booklet and rad dinosaur artwork along with Aaron Turner's stylized mosquito/abstract designs.

MP3 SAMPLE: "Charmicarmicat Shines To Earth" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "The Red Sea" (excerpt)

ISIS The Red Sea LP (180 GRAM) $19.98 Second Nature

We have exactly TWO (2) copies in stock of this ultra-limited, 180 gram vinyl edition of Isis' crucial 1999 EP The Red Sea, complete with the additional demo tracks, and packaged in a stunning foldout/diecut jacket with printed inner sleeve. This 180g version is totally out of print and sold out from the label, only 700 were pressed, and we will NOT be getting any more of these in stock. Any orders for this version that we receive once they are sold out will be immediately refunded.
The follow up to the Mosquito Control EP, Isis 1999 EP The Red Sea further fleshed out the band's brutally crushing fusion of relentlessly hammering repeato-sludge and arty conceptual metalcore, and features the three tracks that make up the Red Sea vision as well as their 1998 demo added on as a bonus. This is pre-Oceanic Isis, the formative stage of the band where they were channeling Godflesh's Streetcleaner, Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise's apoclayptic space electronics into one hugely formidable attack. Their combination of electronics, tom-heavy tribal drumming, and brooding, slo-mo metal was what generated all of the comparisons to Neurosis that Isis were saddled with during the early years of their existence, but one listen to the technical, bonecrushing trance riffage and epic melodic undercurrents of "The Minus Times" and "Red Sea" reveal their genesis more in Justin Broadrick's sledgehammer industro-metal and Melvin's manner of pulling apart monstrous pummeling sludge into sprawling discordant grooves. The opener "Charmicarmicarmicat Shines To Earth" is no wispy into number either, bursting onto the first seconds of The Red Sea as an ambient, beatless blast of sludge metal mixed with insectile electronic noise that totally invokes the tribute to Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise that Isis credit the track as in their liner notes. Each of the three Red Sea tracks are tied together by spoken word samples that were taken from the television series Hotel Room, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, and a reading from William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence." Awesome crushing metal, unbelievably heavy and textured. This was also the only release that included Jay Randall of Agoraphobic Nosebleed fame on backing vocals and electronic noise.
The last four tracks make up Isis' 1998 demo cassette, and these embryionic jams are equally crushing, outfitting repetitive, hypnotic metalcore with interesting rhythmic patterns and electronic textures that were unlike anything else happening in hardcore when this tape first surfaced. Between the stellar Red Sea tracks and the '98 demo, this is a no-brainer for Isis fans and enthusiasts of ultraheavy progressive metalcore.
MP3 SAMPLE: "Charmicarmicat Shines To Earth" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "The Red Sea" (excerpt)

ISIS The Red Sea LP (BLACK/GOLD EDITION) $17.98 Second Nature

Ultra-limited, half black/half gold w/ black pplatter vinyl edition of Isis' crucial 1999 EP The Red Sea, complete with the additional demo tracks, and packaged in a stunning foldout/diecut jacket with printed inner sleeve. Just as with the clear and red versions that we have in stock, I'm not sure if this version is out of print yet or not, only 364 were pressed in CLEAR, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to restock this once these are gone!
The follow up to the Mosquito Control EP, Isis 1999 EP The Red Sea further fleshed out the band's brutally crushing fusion of relentlessly hammering repeato-sludge and arty conceptual metalcore, and features the three tracks that make up the Red Sea vision as well as their 1998 demo added on as a bonus. This is pre-Oceanic Isis, the formative stage of the band where they were channeling Godflesh's Streetcleaner, Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise's apoclayptic space electronics into one hugely formidable attack. Their combination of electronics, tom-heavy tribal drumming, and brooding, slo-mo metal was what generated all of the comparisons to Neurosis that Isis were saddled with during the early years of their existence, but one listen to the technical, bonecrushing trance riffage and epic melodic undercurrents of "The Minus Times" and "Red Sea" reveal their genesis more in Justin Broadrick's sledgehammer industro-metal and Melvin's manner of pulling apart monstrous pummeling sludge into sprawling discordant grooves. The opener "Charmicarmicarmicat Shines To Earth" is no wispy into number either, bursting onto the first seconds of The Red Sea as an ambient, beatless blast of sludge metal mixed with insectile electronic noise that totally invokes the tribute to Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise that Isis credit the track as in their liner notes. Each of the three Red Sea tracks are tied together by spoken word samples that were taken from the television series Hotel Room, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, and a reading from William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence." Awesome crushing metal, unbelievably heavy and textured. This was also the only release that included Jay Randall of Agoraphobic Nosebleed fame on backing vocals and electronic noise.
The last four tracks make up Isis' 1998 demo cassette, and these embryionic jams are equally crushing, outfitting repetitive, hypnotic metalcore with interesting rhythmic patterns and electronic textures that were unlike anything else happening in hardcore when this tape first surfaced. Between the stellar Red Sea tracks and the '98 demo, this is a no-brainer for Isis fans and enthusiasts of ultraheavy progressive metalcore.
MP3 SAMPLE: "Charmicarmicat Shines To Earth" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "The Red Sea" (excerpt)

ISIS The Red Sea LP (CLEAR) $17.98 Second Nature

Ultra-limited, clear vinyl edition of Isis' crucial 1999 EP The Red Sea, complete with the additional demo tracks, and packaged in a stunning foldout/diecut jacket with printed inner sleeve. I'm pretty certain that this version is out of print, only 450 were pressed in CLEAR, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to restock this once these are gone!
The follow up to the Mosquito Control EP, Isis 1999 EP The Red Sea further fleshed out the band's brutally crushing fusion of relentlessly hammering repeato-sludge and arty conceptual metalcore, and features the three tracks that make up the Red Sea vision as well as their 1998 demo added on as a bonus. This is pre-Oceanic Isis, the formative stage of the band where they were channeling Godflesh's Streetcleaner, Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise's apoclayptic space electronics into one hugely formidable attack. Their combination of electronics, tom-heavy tribal drumming, and brooding, slo-mo metal was what generated all of the comparisons to Neurosis that Isis were saddled with during the early years of their existence, but one listen to the technical, bonecrushing trance riffage and epic melodic undercurrents of "The Minus Times" and "Red Sea" reveal their genesis more in Justin Broadrick's sledgehammer industro-metal and Melvin's manner of pulling apart monstrous pummeling sludge into sprawling discordant grooves. The opener "Charmicarmicarmicat Shines To Earth" is no wispy into number either, bursting onto the first seconds of The Red Sea as an ambient, beatless blast of sludge metal mixed with insectile electronic noise that totally invokes the tribute to Earth, Melvins, and Bastard Noise that Isis credit the track as in their liner notes. Each of the three Red Sea tracks are tied together by spoken word samples that were taken from the television series Hotel Room, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, and a reading from William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence." Awesome crushing metal, unbelievably heavy and textured. This was also the only release that included Jay Randall of Agoraphobic Nosebleed fame on backing vocals and electronic noise.
The last four tracks make up Isis' 1998 demo cassette, and these embryionic jams are equally crushing, outfitting repetitive, hypnotic metalcore with interesting rhythmic patterns and electronic textures that were unlike anything else happening in hardcore when this tape first surfaced. Between the stellar Red Sea tracks and the '98 demo, this is a no-brainer for Isis fans and enthusiasts of ultraheavy progressive metalcore.
MP3 SAMPLE: "Charmicarmicat Shines To Earth" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "The Red Sea" (excerpt)

ISIS Sgnl>05 CD $13.98 Neurot

It's been out of print for awhile, but Neurot recently rereleased Isis' Sgnl>05 from 2001, and it's an essential part of the Isis catalog for fans that haven't experienced this colossal 35 minute EP yet. It's essentially a companion piece to Isis' Celestial, further exploring some of that album's thematic elements (space, mosquitos, control towers) through a series of near-ambient interludes and devestating metalcore constructs. Sgnl>05 opens with the title track, a darkly shaded dronescape of lilting piano and industrial clang, and the disc moves through moments of fragile beauty that appear drifting on spare guitar melodies and field recordings that feel similiar to the 90's post-rock of bands like The For Carnation, but Isis truly shake the stars when they rise up with the bouts of hypnotically repetitive, crushingly syncopated metal riffing on songs like "Divine Mother (The Tower Crumbles)" and "Constructing Towers". Synthesizers wail in the background like apocalyptic trumpet fanfares, and the tightly-controlled, seething guitars chug viciously on these heavier tracks over heavy tribal drumming. By this point Isis were taking their Neurosis and Godflesh influences and diving into a whole 'nother realm of spacey, hypnotic heaviness. The last track might just be the discs crown jewel though, a remix of "Celestial (Signal Fills The Void)" by Justin Broadrick of Jesu/Godflesh/Final fame, where he takes what was a powerful, haunting piece of metallic post-rock majesty to begin with, and by using spliced riffs, processed vocal samples, and his trademark style of distorted electronic textures, turns the track into a sprawling, beatific masterpiece. The whole disc stands as some of Isis' finest work, the collaboration with Broadrick alone makes this pretty essential. Beautiful packaging in a 6-panel digipack with metallic silver printing over Aaron Turner's immediately identifiable artwork.

MP3 SAMPLE: "Celestial (Justin K Broadrick remix)" (excerpt)
MP3 SAMPLE: "Divine Mother (The Tower Crumbles)" (excerpt)

ISIS 03.19.03 Live Vol. 2 Stockholm 2xLP $19.98 Troubleman
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE DO NOT ORDER.

Isis fans can't go wrong with this double LP live document of a performance captured in Stockholm, Sweden, while touring for Oceanic. The set features the songs "From Sinking", "Glisten", "Carry Weight", "The Beginning and the End" and an extended version of "Celestial", and boasts a fantastic, clear recording that captures the band's slow-building, dreamy post-rock/metallic shoegazer/mathy sludge in all of its explosive beauty. In addition, the epic "Carry Weight" features gorgeous vocals from Maria Christopher of post-rockers 27; that's one of my all-time favorite Isis songs, making this live set totally essential for myself at least. This material was originally released as a now long-out-of-print tour cd-r, and is now presented in a limited edition of 1,000 in a double gatefold with rad red on red artwork. Recommended!

ISIS Oceanic:Remixes/Reinterpretations DOUBLE CD $15.98 Hydra Head

This double CD collects tracks originally released on the "Oceanic:Remixes" vinyl LP series (Robotic Empire) onto one handy digital format, and adds the previously unreleased second version of "Carry" from Tim Hecker. This collection of remixes takes the word to the extreme: these are complete re-interpretations of material from Isis legendary Oceanic album, taking the most fundamental elements of the original songs (sometimes just a beat or shadow of a guitar riff), and bends and warps them into vivid,radical new forms. It's way more interesting than I originally anticipated it being, that's for sure.
Some of the highlights for us included Fennesz's total washing out of "Weight", turning the song into a gauzy,wispy dronescape with subtle ,crackling textures...the shimmering, almost trip-hop of Teledubgnosis' take on "Maritime", and Venetian Snares utterly bizarre and righteous tripped-out-dub-with-grindcore-vocals assault on "The Beginning And The End". Theres alot more on here too, raging from epic drones and crushing beat driven noise to the ripping version of "False Light" as done by The Oktopus ( aka Dalek ). Other artists on this double CD include Thomas Koner, James Plotkin (OLD, Khanate), Tim Hecker, Mike Patton (Fantomas,etc), Ayal Naor (27), DJ Speedranch, Crucial Blast faves Destructo Swarmbots, and Justin Broadrick (Jesu, Godflesh, Techno Animal).

ISTIDRAJ Blasphemous Ritual CD $11.98 SMR Vinland

Ripping black metal noise from Singapore of all places, which proves that the necrovirus has truly gone global. 2006's Blasphemous Ritual is the fourth album from Istidraj (which apparently translates to "Blasphemous" in ancient arabic), and these guys are no novices, having formed back in 1993. This is the first album I've heard from 'em so I don't know how it compares to their earlier stuff, but this album delivers hellishly harsh and primitive low-fi black metal blurr that takes the blackened skuzz of bands like Beherit and Blasphemy and injects a heavy helping of sloppy punkiness and weird melodies that are buried way back in the mud of Istidraj's hyperfast buzzsaw/blastbeat assault. The singe, Lord Inferno, has a really distinctive, slit-throat rasp that adds to their nasty chainsaw overload, and Istidraj also have a tongue in cheek approach to some of the over-the-top satanic imagery they use that makes this pretty damn enjoyable...just check out the hysterically out-of-sync music video that comes on the enhanced portion of this disc, and the hilariously awesome intro where the band expertly splices together samples of a porno actresses' moans with campy demon laughter. As ridiculous as this can be though, these jams are nonstop ferocious, searing black blasts of noisy blownout BM savagery.