XAOS OBLIVION - Antithesis of Creation CD € 9
Ritual Black Metal. Mix and mastering by M. of Mgła/Kriegsmaschine
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YEAR OF NO LIGHT - Nord CD € 10
As part of our current plundering of the French art-metal underground, Crucial Blast presents the North American release of 'Nord', the colossal debut from French ensemble Year Of No Light that was originally released via the French label Radar Swarm in 2006. Year Of No Light bring an amazing set of songwriting chops to the 10 songs that make up 'Nord', a heavy, chugging metallic monster that channels both gloomy atmospherics reminiscent of The Cure, and crushing Neurosis-inspired dirgecore, heavy, raw, and lumbering, but at times extremely beautiful and epic. To us, YEAR OF NO LIGHT's Nord seems to orbit the guitar-heavy early 90's alt rock of bands like Swervedriver and Dinosaur Jr., The Cure and My Bloody Valentine, just as much as it draws from the arty, crushing metallic post-hardcore pioneered by Old Man Gloom and Neurosis. Sure, there are a ton of bands out there that touch upon similiar influences, but we can't think of anyone recently that has delivered an album in this style that is quite this catchy and well-written. Nord flows seamlessly between passages of ultra melodic post-rock and frenzied bursts of dissonant, crushing hardcore, to austere radiant guitar figures and gorgeous ambient drones, to massive doomy dirge metal, utterly gorgeous Loveless-esque melodic bliss, and some almost folksy, but unbelievably EPIC riffs, with powerful, strained vocals fighting through their wall of sound. Presented in a 4-panel gatefold case from Stumptown Printers, and featuring all new artwork.
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YOB - Atma DigiCD € 12
Atma is YOB’s most varied and progressive release to date. Building upon the epic, crushing heaviness of past works, the record explores new lyrical, thematic and spiritual ground. It’s YOB founder and doom metal mastermind Mike Scheidt’s most personal album as well. If The Great Cessation was a punishing crawl through the darkness to ultimately resurrect the group, Atma is a step forward to more dynamic and uplifting territories—a triumphant victory and milestone for the band.
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YOB - The Great Cessation CD € 12
One of the heaviest and most respected bands in metal, Yob are renowned for their unique brand of epic, crushing sludge doom. Founded in 1996 in Eugene, Oregon, the band developed a reputation as the heaviest doom metal three-piece ever alongside the legendary Sleep. The Great Cessation is a time-stretching, timeless, and unearthly slab of monolithic doom metal art. Produced by renowned knob-twister Sanford Parker (Pelican, Minsk, Nachtmystium, The Gates of Slumber, etc.) in the band's hometown of Eugene, this gargantuan masterpiece finds Yob heavier, darker, and louder than ever.
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YUREI - Working Class Demon CD € 11
Yurei is the Norwegian musician Bjeima’s musical and psychic ground zero. His debut, "Working Class Demon", is a tribute to all things dark, deranged and downright weird. Bjeima takes a suicidal plunge into madness, anxiety and psychosis, coming up for breath only to spit out brilliantly woven gems of alternative, discordant and melancholic rock. For those who expect the unexpected - this is a gem wrapped in a suicide note.
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ZAHRIM - Liber Compendium Diabolicum CD € 6
Traditional Black Metal from Denmark, frenzy and morbid coldness! Expect harsh grim mastery with eerie keyboards in the vein of early Emperor. CD compilation of Ia Zagasthenu MLP and the long sold out well done demo tapes on one CD.
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ZARATHUSTRA - Contempt MCD € 6
No keyboards or female vocals!!! Just pure Black perverted agression. Intelligent speed changes, sometimes Bathory-like hymnal, sometimes uncompromising aggressive.
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ZENITH - Aedipus: Rimotion of the Fragment 23 CD €6
The music of Zenith collects Black Metal,Dark, Ambient, Noise and Doom influences blending them with a perverse and sick idea of musical sound” is how the band describe their sound and I can’t say it any better. Leans heavier on the experimental side of very dark and unique strangeness. Limited to only 500 copies.
ZERSTÖRER - Declaration Of War CD € 9
Extremely massive and brutal Black/Death/Thrash that captures the deranged brutality of the Australian War Metal scene of the mid 90s. Once again, this is not a newcomer band – ZERSTÖRER have been around for more than a decade and they know how to deliver the goods, as “Declaration Of War” will surely prove.
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ZWEIZZ - The Yawn Of The New Age CD €10
Norwegian odd ball Svein Egil Hatlevik of Fleurety and DHG fame returns with his debut solo album. Holding influences from the likes of Burzum and the Aphex Twin the sound transpires any musical boundaries and genre classification from beginning to end. Yet manages to keep the listener hooked throughout.
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