Gnome - Under the Black Moon (1996)

Artist: Gnome

Album: Under the Black Moon
Year: 1996
Genre: Black Metal/Ambient/Experimental
Country of Origin: Japan

Track Listing:

1.	La Forêt	16:09
2.	La Mer...	10:23
Total playing time		26:32

I'll start off this review by saying I'm not sure if Gnome's Under the Black Moon is for everyone. It's truly a bizarre offering.

Composed of two tracks, it's made up of one black metal opening track and an ambient closing track. If I had to liken it to anything else it would probably be early Burzum. The music itself synthesizes a unique energy that has an overall melancholic feeling, but is oddly sort of upbeat. In particular the break in the first track, "La Forêt" caught me quite off guard on the first listen. It sounded a bit psychedelic if I had to describe it. The final ambient track also has an esoteric energy about it, but not as unique as other pieces of dark ambient out there. A really great, but short, release if you're looking for something different.

Recommended for fans of: Burzum, Sterbend, Forgotten Woods, ect.

Download (Mediafire)

Raate - Demo I (2004)

Artist: Raate

Album: Demo I
Year: 2004
Genre: Black Metal/Dark Ambient
Country of Origin: Finland

Track Listing:

1.	Enne	02:23
2.	Rauniotorni	07:51
3.	Halki Kuolleen Maan	06:42
4.	Kaskeajan Laulu	04:11
5.	Aamu Koittaa	06:03
6.	Hävitys	09:49
7.	Tuhkaa	05:23
Total playing time		42:22

Raate's first demo was the sign of a very mature project, even at this early stage in it's development. The packaging of the tape itself is of a high quality, and the cassette is professionally printed.

A lot of people like to write Raate off because of their affinity to Buzum, but I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. At some point we've all heard the appalling attempts of some bands to emulate Vikernes' style (see Fear of Eternity), but it's done here very well. Raate can more than adequately pull off the Burzum sound, while adding enough of their own uniqueness to make this demo highly enjoyable in my opinion. Also, since the Sielu, Linna full length album was released Raate have proven themselves to be more than just Burzum conventionalists, by further developing their own sound. A very enjoyable release.

Recommended for fans of Burzum, I Shalt Become, Weakling, ect.

Personal Cassette Tape Rip:

Download (Mediafire)
Download (Megaupload)

Note: There is only one mp3 track for each side of the cassette. Tracks 1-4 are on the first track (Side A) and 5-7 are on the second (Side B).

I Shalt Become - The Pendle Witch Trials (2009)

Artist: I Shalt Become

Album: The Pendle Witch Trials
Year: 2009
Genre: Black Metal/Dark Ambient
Country of Origin: USA

Track Listing:

1.	Intro	01:46
2.	Enstasy (The Theory of Maxwell's Demon)	05:23
3.	The Serpent Song	04:53
4.	A Ritual Killing	04:56
5.	The Tragedie of Macbeth: Actus Quintus, Scena Quinta	03:17
6.	End Time	03:48
7.	Denial	04:15
8.	In Absentia	04:32
9.	Outro	02:08
Total playing time		34:58

I Shalt Become was one of the first USBM acts I ever really got into, and it's still amongst some of my favorite projects to this day. Recently since the I Shalt Become catalog has become available years after it's recordings on labels like Moribund Cult and No Colours I've seen many complain that S. Holliman never differentiates one release from the other. I personally disagree.

Each new I Shalt Become offering creates a different aura unique to that release. It also seems that loosely each album focuses loosely on some sort of concept, through abstract short lyrics and largely Burzum inspired riffs. While admittingly The Pendle Witch Trials doesn't make the leap that Wanderings did to In the Falling Snow and into Requiem, it's still a very strong release. Anyone who has enjoyed S. Holliman's previous work should find value in this as well.

Recommended for Fans of: Burzum, Sterbend, Raate, Judas Iscariot, ect.

Download (Mediafire)

*The Official I Shalt Become website is now up and running at:
http://www.dungeons-of-darkness.net/

Burzum - Filosofem (1996)

Artist: Burzum

Album: Filosofem
Year: 1996
Genre: Black Metal/Dark Ambient
Country of Origin: Norway

Track Listing:

1. Burzum
   
2. Jesu Død
3. Beholding the Daughters of the Firmament
4. Decrepitude I
5. Rundtgåing Av Den Transcendentale Egenhetens Støtte
6. Decrepitude II

I'm sure everyone out there is already familiar with this release, but I feel it's still worth posting since it is an absolute classic. This is without a doubt my favorite Burzum release, and while I don't adhere to the pathetic personality cult Varg has developed over the years, I will say that the man can make some amazing music.

This album is truly a spiritual experience in the right environment, and really cannot be fully appreciated unless listened to in it's entirety. The first three tracks effectively begin the journey into your consciousness with minimalistic, slowly evolving, nostalgic and thought provoking soundscapes. As you enter into the Decreptitude I your mind is slowly introduced to the self reflective calm ambient that makes up the rest of the album, allowing your thoughts to flow through your mind congenially and with ease. The music becomes unimportant, as it transcends itself becoming a part of your human experience. I find that it's particularly enlightening when taking long walks in the late afternoon into the evening. This is the soundtrack to self discovery.

A truly amazing album, that embodies the music listening experience. Highly recommended for everyone.

Download (Mediafire)