Tukaaria/ Odz Manouk - Split CS

Rhinocervs, 2011

Powerful split of black native war metal between two Crepúsculo Negro-associated acts, out in totally kvlt underground limited quantities on Yagian's (Odz Manouk, var. Untitled) 100% solid Rhinocervs sister label. Material on both sides exceeds the quality of other releases under these names, with the Tukaaria (Yacqui/Yoeme language "the night") side's production improved well above that seen on Raw To The Rapine, with the usual orthodox war metal riffs tearing out into new levels of chaos, grounded by a chthonic undercurrent of cavernous atmosphere bringing the honor of the ancient's calling to the ceremony. Odz Manouk's side particularly exceeds the self-titled on Crepúsculo Negro, breaking free of LLN-cloned raw orthodoxy off into higher realms of the black metal hierarchy adding bottom-heavy drum, almost death metal-ish, production to the ancestral frostbitten tape quality. This side, alongside Yagian's work with the diverse slew of Untitled releases on Rhinocervs, are cementing his role as one of contemporary black metal's most creative underground shapers. The best of the whole Black Twilight Cult outside of Arizmenda and Glossolalia's soon to be classic sides.

DOWNLOAD

Himmelfahrtstag

Dolorian - Voidwards

Wounded Love Records, 2006

An oneiric transformation of the familiar tropes of doom metal, from the Finnish Helixes Collective (Halo Manash, Arktau Eos, etc.) associated act. Also not coincidentally harkening from the land that brought some of the most significant reformations of the genre in acts like Thergothon & Skepticism. Ostensibly the first project of the collective, although I.Corax may have a small claim to that. Voidwards sees them in a particularly near approach to the collective's usual improvised ritual ambient work, with particularly Helix-ish song titles (i.e. "In The Locus Of Bone," "Raja Naga - Rising"), mystical lyrical content chanted in the same whisper-croak style seen in Arktau Eos' rare vocal pieces, and a shared amorphous, ululating, nigh-improvised aural haze, albeit amplified by resonant, nay even psychedelic, metallic guitars that remind of the midrange sound of the classic doom-death band dISEMBOWELMENT on entheogens. I have been hunting for some dark metal that matches emotional intensity with creativity of composition, and outside of Corrupted and unearthing the late drone metal group The Angelic Process' Weighing Souls With Sand, this album has hit spot on for me.

DOWNLOAD

Corrupted - Garten Der Unbewusstheit

Nostaliga Darkrain, 2011

Highly recommended end opus of this incarnation of the Japanese "doom" masters. Their playing has never been more epic, more emotive, move evocative. Beyond excellent and probably one of the best albums not only of 2011, but of at least the past 5 years.

DOWNLOAD

Tropic Of Cancer

The Dull Age/ Victims 10" (Downwards, 2009)


Be Brave 10" (Downwards, 2011)


The End Of All Things (Downwards, 2011)


The Sorrow Of Two Blooms 12" (Blackest Ever Black, 2011)


Tropic Of Cancer is the groovy UK duo of Camella Lobo & John Mendez producing some bleak noir wave and minimal post-gaze auras that works in the general framework laid down by recent Suicide-revisers like Dirty Beaches as well as being a stripped down version of re-wave operators like Blank Dogs and Gary War. Tastefully minimal but not devoid of feeling, works because just enough seems to be going on. For slow motion dancing in the black lodge.

DOWNLOAD (Bundle)

P.J. - M.F.C.S.J.

Recontextualized sacred music recorded live in the eponymous church, from sometimes film composer and founder of the increasingly astonishing Subtext label. Minimalist electro-acoustic classical musick that distills the unequivocally holy acoustics of many a Christian church and cathedral, reminds much of Arvo Pärt, but with the subtle electronic edge of Jacaszek or Roly Porter. Ends with a beautifully sombre string flourish.

DOWNLOAD

Allseits - Hel

Cyclic Law, 2009

Underrated guitar-based orchestral dark ambient project from the sometimes extra live ⅓ of Troum. Very much in the vein of the parent band, but as one can infer from the album/track titles this is more a heavy journey to the nethermost regions of Norse mythography, where no transcendence is found, only the furthering low tones of abyss upon abyss. One of the most chthonic pieces of dark drone since Lustmord's Heresy.

DOWNLOAD

Best Of 2011

My verdict is still out on whether I like top-10 lists or not, but there were some real standouts this year that I thought merited special mention:

Full Lengths:
1. Roly Porter - Aftertime
2. Grouper - A | A: Dream Loss/ Alien Observer
3. Barn Owl - Lost In The Glare
4. Prurient - Bermuda Drain
5. Burial Hex - Angelic Gematria
6. Dirty Beaches - Badlands
7. Demdike Stare - Tryptych
8. The Haxan Cloak - The Haxan Cloak
9. Stare Case - Lose Today
10. Andrew Chalk - Violin By Night

Singles/ EPs

1. Massive Attack vs. Burial - Four Walls/ Paradise Circus
2. Grouper - Water People
3. Salem - I'm Still In The Night
4. Prurient - Time's Arrow
5. Demdike Stare - Elemental - Parts 1 & 2
6. Sean McCann - The Sky Is Filled With Incredible Wishes
7. Laurel Halo - Hour Logic
8. Björk - The Crystalline Series (Omar Souleyman Remixes)
9. Andy Stott - Passed Me By
10. Burial - Street Halo

Honorable mentions (some of these are totally excellent in their own right, but only missed the cut by a wee bit). In no particular order:

Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder
Kangding Ray - OR
Kreng - Grimoire
Zola Jesus - Conatus
Jacaszek - Glimmer
Six Organs Of Admittance - Asleep On The Floodplain
Natural Snow Buildings - Waves Of The Random Sea
Natural Snow Buildings - Chants Of Nifelheim
Higuma - Pacific Fog Dreams
Jon Porras - Undercurrent
Evan Caminiti - When California Falls Into The Sea
Juv - Juv
Peaking Lights - 936
Andy Stott - We Stay Together
Leyland Kirby - Eager To Tear Apart The Stars
Sean McCann - The Capital
Simon Scott - Bunny
Kaboom Karavan - Barra Barra
Fourth World Magazine - The Spectacle Of Light Abductions
Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
*AR - Wolf Notes
Hauschka & Hildur Gudnadottir - Pan Tone
Brainworlds - *****
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - From The Stairwell
Matthewdavid - Outmind
Death Grips - Ex-Military
Christina Vantzou - No. 1
Deaf Center - Owl Splinters
Robedoor - Too Down To Die
Vatican Shadow - Kneel Before Religious Icons
Burial Hex - Book Of Delusions
Burial Hex - Eschatology I
A Winged Victory For The Sullen - A Winged Victory For The Sullen
The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Fills This World
Nate Young - Stay Asleep (Regression Vol. 2)
Shataan - War Cry Lament
Arizmenda - Without Circumference Nor Center
Innercity - Boy In Forest Trying To Hotwire The Earth
James Ferraro - Far Side Virtual
James Ferraro - Condo Pets
Grimes/ D'Eon - Darkbloom
Genocide Organ - Under-Kontrakt
Emptyset - Demiurge
Kuedo - Severance
BJ Nilsen - Vinyl
Chelsea Wolfe - Ἀποκάλυψις
Ela Orleans/ Dirty Beaches - Double Feature
Holy Other - With U
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972
Barn Owl - Shadowland
Ekin Fil - Language
Skullflower - Fucked On A Pile Of Corpses
Alberich - Psychology Of Love

Enjoy 2012 before Quetzalcoatl or something starts eating the planet in December!!!