More tunes from Emusic. This time, it’s metal (big change there)! Specifically some fucking Black Metal madness! I’ve been a fan of Black Metal for a good while. I love it, especially the old shit like Burzum and Darkthrone. Seeing Immortal reunited live at BB Kings about a month ago was one of the most fucking unbelievable head-banging moments of my life (not to mention eardrum damaging). Black Metal is the shit. That said, here are some good albums I’ve nabbed off of Emusic lately:

Carpathian Forest is one of my all-time favorite Black Metal bands. Lead singer, Nattefrost has two solo albums out, “Blood and Vomit” being the first. For some reason, Emusic has the artist’s name misspelled in their database (I even emailed them, geek that I am), so it’s kind of buried. If you can get into raw, fast and lo-fi Black Metal (which, admittedly, not everyone can do), then this is one of those must-have albums. There’s pissing, vomiting (enough to make you fast-forward if you’re eating), plenty of songs about Hell, Satan, whores and fucking. It’s an all-around offensive masterpiece. Music to sexually abuse the elderly with. Get that shit, slap on some black leather, spikes and some corpsepaint and go burn something down!

Another one of my most favorite Black Metal bands is Gorgoroth. Gaahl, the oft-incarcerated singer of the band has a side project called Trelldom. The album, “Till Minne” is the fourth output for the band, a mix of old-style Black Metal, with Gaahl distinctive shrieks and weird Norwegian folk music. Totally worth a download for those that take Black Metal way too seriously (I feel you). Unfortunately, I’m looking now and the album is no longer available in the U.S., which is weird, since I paid for and downloaded it from Emusic.

Tsjuder is a Black Metal band from Norway that sound like a lot of other Norwegian BM bands. I listen to their album “Desert Northern Hell” and I hear some Immortal, some Darkthrone, some Satyricon and a load of other influences. Original? Hell no. Awesome head-banging shit? Hell yeah. Everything sounds basically as it should. Grating, fast, chaotic and cold. While not style-setting, it’s a good band, with some good songs worthy of a download.

The more I listen to Aura Noir, the more I like them. Most people probably can’t stand them, but they are what they are—solid, old-style Black Metal. It grows on you. There’s no fancy effects, no hi-tech editing. It’s bare-bones, raw and angry shit made by a bunch of pissed Norwegians in corpsepaint and spikes. Their album, “The Merciless” is some good shit to mutilate your neighbors by. Get it. Get it now….appreciate it much later. You’ll thank me…I’m certain of it…some day. I’m so sure.

Anaal Nathrakh is a Black Metal band that’s actually not from Norway…Satan help them. Hailing from the U.K., the pissy duo spit out some seriously angry shit. “The Codex Necro” Is some of the most violent sonic vomit I’ve heard. Another album I’ve of theirs I’ve downloaded, “Domine Non Es Dignus” is likewise epic. It’s worth grabbing just to show off to people how really angry you are. Pump this shit the next time you pull into a drive-through window and they’ll be calling the cops on your ass just on principle alone. You must’ve done something wrong to be listening to this shit.

Xasthur is some good shit. “Telepathic with the Deceased” has all the elements of a solid Black Metal album. Grating, unintelligible shrieking, disemboweled mid-ranges, atmospheric gloom and an all-enveloping alien coldness. The only thing that’s off is that this dude is from California. Who would’ve thought? To listen to his music you’d think the dude was recording in an ice-hut in upper Lapland. Completely worth those precious Emusic credits you horde, waiting for that oh-so-special Black Metal album.

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