Obscure Dungeons

If you're anything like me, you just can't get enough of medieval occult ambient dungeon-synth. If this is the case you cannot afford to pass up the selection over at Obscure Dungeon Records. Some damn fine wares this French label is peddling, and make sure to throw em a bone or two to help keep that dungeon up to code.

Obscure Dungeons

Forest Swords - Engravings

Drone-step, Glorious Drone-step. Forest Swords aka Matthew Barnes scrapes it down to the bare necessities and is all the better for doing so. F'ing masterpiece. As comfortable at a ravedown or with any and all the forest people...or perhaps here? Minus that rubbish music of course.

Psychologically Trancing

Njiqahdda - Grain III

The ever prolific (and ever unpronounceable) Njiqahdda have released something of a revelation here with this little ep. Somewhere between atmospheric death metal and mathrock with droning Morrissey as troll-style vocals. But with the feel of climaxing black metal just there but slipping through your reach. I'm loving it big time and am a little bit surprised at the effect it's having over me. Hypnotic, laid back...powerful. This is just about a perfect sound, do go over to their bandcamp where nearly all eee Recordings are available for your perusal.
Oppose the mainstream dammit!

Against the Grains

Vital Wound - Lifeless Existence

Droning, experimental funeral doom metal from Lithuania?? Ummmmm, yes please!!

Lifeless Existence

Ornaments of Agony - Zowlongiyn Ugalz

Mongolian funeral doomed...incompetently played with intriguing aesthetic choices. Yes, this isn't just mongoloid but actually Mongolian, authentic. Found out about this one-man droning mess from the Obscuro! blog, which is awesome. Download that guys podcasts, they are worth their weight in gold...he even cites me as a resource for incredibly strange metal which is high praise!!

Zowlongiyn Ugalz

Lamp of the Universe

heady

Shinjuku Thief - The Witch Haven

Bombastic ambiance that borders on martial industrial at times, but retains just enough of the drone influence to keep everybody happy. I've been cranking this when I've been doing P90X...strangely good workout musick.

The Witch Haven

Detritivore - Pakt

Unique Norwegian forest drone noize with epic metal influences. Listen to this late at night when you're out of your mind and in a strange way.

Pakt

Light Shall Prevail - Unearthen Hymns Of Revolt

Another EEE freakout releaase, much more classic black metal than Agathothodion, but don't fret cuz there's still plenty of moanin' and dronin' goin' down on this one I promise.

Unearthen Hymns Of Revolt

Agathothodion - Traum von Gott

From EEE Recordings...this label has released some classics in the niche of christian black metal. Listening to Traum Von Gott begs the question...Why is christian metal so droney? Are the musicians imitating the nascent buzz of the preacher during all those early morning services? Maybe they just indulged a bit too often in the sacramental wine. Maybe it's just a big fucking joke. Whatever the case, I think those moaned vocals sound pretty darn cool.

Traum Von Gott

Vermonster - Spirit of Yma

Fuck me I like this smess, I really do! So crazy that it's working.

Spirit of Yma

Re123+ - Magi

New Belarusian unknowns with quite the perplexing moniker. The bar for drone/doom has just been raised a few notches...fantastic stuff!! Read a nice interview with these folks.

Magi

Beherit - Electric Doom Synthesis

Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance's second stab at dark ambient (after the somewhat forgettable and unpronounceable H418ov21.C), and what an improvement! Somehow Mr. Vengeance managed to incorporate that lunar black metal feel from Drawing Down The Moon with dance beats and trip hop and form them into songs (and I do mean fully differentiated songs) that are, for the most part, totally outside of the black metal genre. AND this came out in 1995! Definitely ahead of it's time and an album that I think has aged particularly well.

EDS

Za Frumi - Za Shum Ushatar Uglakh

Ha haha this band is crazy! You think Summoning is obsessed with LOTR, this band takes it to a whole nother level! The vocalizations are a highlight as it's all in orcish complete with wildass orc intonations. Hilarious, mesmerizing and delightful!

Za Shum Ushatar Uglakh

Ysigim - Whispers

Previously known as Obnoxiousness (awesome band name, right?) Ysigim present here a compendium of otherwordly atmospherix...Polish funereal doom/death steeped in heavy psychedelia. cool stuff.

Whispers

The Skull Defekts - The Drone Drug

Drone Drug's sound is about as welcome as a kick to the groin, and it succeeds on that very fact alone. ENJOOOOY!!!

The Drone Drug

Ash Ra Tempel - Seven Up

Soundtrack to an LSD trip, featuring the cruise director himself Dr. Timothy Leary.

Heads UP Seven Up

Death Ambient - Drunken Forest

Dramatic thundering sonic disintegration featuring a who's who of contemporary experimental musicians. Give avant-garde a chance!

Drunk In The Forest

Asbestoscape - Asbestoscape

Haunting ambience that will rock your nutz off. An enviable feat.

Asbestoscape

Suuri Shamaani - Mysteerien Maailma

Mo Finnish madness minimalism, this time from Beherit mainman Nuclear Holocausto. Even drone afficianados might hate this, but then again folks who are into drone hate just about everything so this might get a pass.

Mysterious Mailman