Tag: Earth
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BEST OF 2014 – our contributors have their say (individual lists)
How did we come up with our collective top 20 metal albums of the year? Our contributors sent in their lists, we did a little math, and well, you can see the result (congratulations, Pallbearer!). But if you’re curious, here are our individual lists, full of commonalities but also revealing Hellbounders’ wide-ranging tastes. Thanks for a 2014…
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Hellbound’s best of 2014: honourable mentions (#16-20)
Hellbound’s end-of-the-year metal coverage begins today! We asked our staff for their best of 2014 picks and now we’ve compiled the results. From now till the early days of the new year, Hellbound will be featuring these selections, beginning with our own version of the definitive list: the 20 best metal albums of 2014. Here is…
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Sans Soleil – A Holy Land Beneath a Godless Sky
The band’s name, Sans Soleil, translates to Sunless, and they worked with a guy who produced Earthless on this EP, but their music actually sounds more like Earth. And no, not just because some of these songs are viola-driven, although that certainly helps. It’s the stringed instrument that rises right away on opening track “A…
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Earth – Primitive and Deadly
I was certainly intrigued by this latest Earth album. Although their newer stuff has been more Americana—not that there’s anything wrong with that—advance singles offa this one indicate somewhat of a return to heaviness. And that includes not one but two guest vocalists, with one being Mark Lanegan. Actually, I’m not sure if they’ve had…
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Blakkr Nið – Drones, Dirges, and Dark Ambient Sounds
Bands like Earth, Boris, Sunn O))), Corrupted and Nadja have all used low frequencies and overdriven instrumentation on uber-slow songs to bring drone front and centre for a metal audience. However, as a form of musical expression, drone existed for aeons before any of those bands arrived. Drone is there in the core vibrations of…
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Pale Divine – Cemetery Earth (reissue)
By Gruesome Greg Don’t sleep on Pale Divine. They might not be one of the first bands that comes to mind when you think American doom — I’m guilty of this as well. But whenever I’ve seen ’em play at a couple doomfests down south, they pretty much steal the show. Did I mention there’s…
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Thou – Heathen
By Matt Hinch “Only amidst the sea of refuse shall we find enlightenment pure.” — from “Immorality Dictates” The ever-prolific Thou continue what has thus far been a stellar 2014 with Heathen. Their fourth full length and first since 2010’s Summit is simply stunning. The Louisiana doomsayers are sure to grab the rapt attention of…
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The Lion’s Daughter & Indian Blanket – A Black Sea
By Gruesome Greg Holy Nine Band Members, Batman! I’m not sure if there’s a classical term for a nine-piece band (novtet?), but that’s how many faces appear in the band photo on this album, a collaborative effort between St. Louis sludge squad The Lion’s Daughter and folksy Americana outfit Indian Blanket. No, this is not a split—it’s…
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Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay
This is still a “metal” album, just one that defies quick-and-easy categorization. Not for the faint of spirit, but a long, strange trip for the rest of us…