Timeghoul - Panaramic Twilight

Atmospheric death metal weirdness from Foristell (right down the road from St. Charles).  2 songs of full on dissonance, Skepticism, ghoulish grandeur and melody.  Choral chants sidle beside Nile type barks. Celestial intonations miasmize Funer-unreal guitar lines and good ol' shredding.  Imagine the first couple of Sacramentary Abolishment albums with less chaos and more twisted ambiance. With eerie death metal making a resurgence as of late, more bands should look to Timeghoul to see how this style was mastered.

Panasonic Twilight

Grand Ulena - Gateway To Dignity

Darrin Gray's (bassist for Dazzling Killmen) now defunct instrumental project. Def ain't for everyone but for those that like it brutal+prog, this be a dream come true.

Gateway To Dignity

Dazzling Killmen - Dig Out The Switch

Mucho passion, outta control without being sloppy, I think this is what people mean when they say "controlled chaos".  Also, does anyone remember a public access show called Critical Mass?  I sure as hell don't, but it looked real cool!

Dig Out The Switch

Megalith - Risen From the Grave

Deep from the hearts of South City comes the monolithic megatunes of Megalith.  These boys were loud and crude with bad attitudes.  FYI Rock is Sleaze again.

Risen from the grave

Happy Thanksgiving Fuckers!

Anacrusis - Screams & Whispers

Anacrusis is a hidden gem, so underrated it should be a crime.  Lyrics smarter than a Wash U symposium, licks sweeter than a Ted Drewe's concrete, and chops tighter than a Ram's cheerleader's ass.

Screams und Whiskers

Gabriel For You & Yours

Gabriel and friend

This week I'm gonna post some of my favorites from the ol' StL, and will kick things off with a St. Louis institution...Gabriel for you and yours!  

I recorded this skit from Gabriel's show on KDHX during one night's bout of insomnia.  Not sure who this comedy duo is (I think one is named Baby Seals), and I don't think the humor has aged particularly well, but it's still hilarious.  

Go Ahead und Sing

From Peru Mix

Thank you Peru for making some of the truest metal in the Southernmost of hemispheres.  I will one day visit your lands and climb to the top of Machu Picchu, and swim in the fabulous Lake Titicaca.And now, an ode:
I am from Peru, so grim frostbitten and true.  The llamas I ride with Viracocha by my side to the land of Tiwanaku. 

Masacre - Sin Piedad

Kranium -  Guerreros

Yana Raymi - Yawar Fiesta

Cobra - Highland Warrior

Hadez - The Orade of the Bleeding Head

Kranium - Sociedad o Suciedad

Arsix - Dejemos ke los Tontos Hablen
Curriculum Mortis - Sentencia de Muerte I

Mortem - Illusion of Blood

Satanas - Mis Blasphemias

Necropsya - My Dreams

Hadez - Angel Exterminator

Illapa - Arrogancia

Kranium - El Obraje

From Peru Mix

Kranium - Testimonios

The best Peruvian metal release.  

Testimonios

Curriculum Mortis - Sentencia de Muerte

A hearty mix of Dealing With It era D.R.I. and early Heathen, with a smidgeon of Nasty Savage to taste.  Mouth salivating yet?  Good, it should be.  Punky Progressive Crossover (Raw as hell, this is a Peruvian demo from '87 after all!), that destroys whoever and whomevah is in it's path.  Take a seat and get ready to be schooled, old-schooled that is.

Sentencia de Muerte

Hadez - Guerreros del la Muerte

My tastes in musick tend to run the north side of crazy.  So when I say something is one of the craziest things I've ever heard, you can take it to heart.  Well, Hadez's first demo (from '86!) is fuckin' NUTZA!  Riffs are raw and on repeat, drumming is like clams, song structure is all over the fuckin' place, and then the vocals... oh man the vocals...The vocals, more precisely exclamations and yalps, are what unhinge Warriors of Death from any sort of reality.  It's kind of like he can't decide where to come in and just sort of stammers for awhile "ahh.....aaaahhhhh" when he finally does come in...brutally nonsensical would be the best description.  The more I listen to this, the more I think it was just a drug-fueled jam session they decided to record and slap song titles on; but what the hell, it was the '80's!

Warriors of Deth

Arsix - Fuego del Alma

Trad metal Furioso!

Fuego del Alma

Cobra - The Highland Warrior

No, not the infamous Cosmatos meisterpiece.  It's hard to believe that this demo was put out only 3 years ago, cuz Cobra rocks out like its 1983!  It's got a real nice Motorhead meets DiAnno era Maiden thing goin' on.  Kinda goofy, but endearing.

The Highland Warrior

Masacre - Sin Piedad

Masacre formed in 1984 and on this, their first full length from 1988 (which may make it the first Peruvian metal full-length, certainly earlier than Hadez's Aquelarre), they perform a classy brand of NWOBHM.  The vocalist is absolutely top notch which makes or breaks a band like this for me.  He sounds quite a bit like Minoru Niihara of Loudness.  Gits are tops as well....just check out the main riff in Sin Piedad, it is absolutely TO DIE FOR!!
This band is still around, but have changed their name to M.A.S.A.C.R.E. and gone in a much shittier modern thrash direction.

Sin Piedad

Lament Christ - In Ventus Est Dolor...

Damn, the Peruvian version of Moonspell?  Guitar riffs are a great example of funeral doom with melancholically applied Incan fervor.  Slow and sad, if you are an emotional asshole passing through deep depression, heart troubles et al then steer clear.

In Ventus Est Dolor...

Necrofucker - Demencia Precoz

Pre Anal Vomit demo from '89.  Those dudes really had a way with the eponyms.  I'm a sucker for hilarious gruesome cover art, so this one's a winner for me based on that alone.  I love that the 2 headed kid has a boner.  It don't get no better than that.

Demencia Precoz

Yana Raymi - Ayllu Sañachkan

Behold the power of Aeriolies!!  Yana Raymi play naive and interesting death metal with an ethnic twist.  My favorite thing I've listened to o'er the past couple months.

Ayllu Sañachkan

Mortem - Vomit of the Earth

One of Mortem's earliest demos with crazy frog vocals.  Old School reigns supreme.

Vomit of the Earth

Necropsya - Slaves of the Magic

Outrageous Peruvian Trash from '93? with the bass WAY high in the fuckin' mix.  Like Tornado of Souls & Coma of Souls with a smidgeon of Souls For Sale.

Slaves of the Magic

Anal Vomit/Goat Semen - Devotos del Diablo

Who said all the great band names are taken.  But will there ever be an Anal Semen or a Goat Vomit?  Strike that, there already are.  Whatta woild.  I guess you could always take Anal Goat or Semen Vomit.  I do believe those are still up for grabs.

Peruvian Insanity

Satanas - Blasfemia

This one rides that ever thin line between genius and insanity, and rides it like a pro.  Think Beherit's Oath of Black Blood, Napalm Death's From Enslavement To Obliteration, and Root's Reap of Hell.  Avant-Garde fo sho.

Blasfemia

Illapa - Lascivo Culto Solar

This band is like the Peruvian version of Graveland, which I think is pretty cool.  Some Kvist-style syncopated blastbeat washout and ham-fisted starry keyboards made my day.  Muy bueno.

Lascivo Culto Solar

Kranium - Mundo Interior

Fat, chunky, disgusting old school death metal.  Wicked groovy atmosphere and AMAZING solos!!  Check out the middle section of Sociedad o Suciedad, it's a doom-dancer's delite, and then the song ends in a filthy graveyard cha-cha!  From humble beginnings these hombres went on to release the greatest Peruvian metal album of all time...

Mundo Interior

Hadez - Aquelarre

Unleashed in '93, this may very well be the first full-length metal album in the history of Peru.  Weird and distorted old school in the way that Blasphemy and Profanatica are old school, but with more twists and turns than either of those bands.  Light a candle, turn out the lights, and hold on tight.

Aquelarre

Mortem - De Natura Daemonum

Peru is in my veins today.  Home of llamas, Incas, and the tasty capybaras on a spit, if you don't like Peru you ain't legit.  Yes, Peru has birthed a surprisingly great number of metal bands and for the next little while, I hope to draw back the veil on the metal insanity of our cousins to the South.  

Any discussion of Peruvian metal has to begin with Mortem.  Starting way back in '86, Mortem has been pumping out ghoulish death metal since the genre's halcyon days.  Half Sepultura Half Morbid Angel and all nasty, this full length from '05 is a testament to Mortem doing what they do best.

De Natura Daemonum

...It's Back

The grimmest sandwich ever conceived is back in season.  Go get yourself one and listen to this mix while you hog out.

Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
Realmbuilder - Forgotten Minion
Manitou - Take Me to the River of Blood
Vault - Too Young to Fight
Death Axe - Dark Eyes
Killing Joke - My Love of This Land
Spitfire - Blade Runner
Zen Venom - In What You Take
Calhoun Conquer - Diane
Castle - The Emperor's Children
Dwarr - Ghost Lover
Psychopath - Crystal Clear
Bootlegs - At the End...

McRib Mix