MÆ bites the dust.

I feel sorry for this decision but time's not enough to carry on with the weight of that blog page. MÆ deeply thanks all the bands interviewed and hopes to be excused for the cancellation of the rest of the planned ones. However, we're currently supporting a brand new blog, a similar effort in Greek language. Possibly, extracts from MÆ will be used at this new adress, only translated. Thanx to everyone who supported us so far. Of course, the page still remains open for anyone who wants to take a glance.

Respectfully,
Miltos XIC.

http://euphonicorgasm.wordpress.com

Featuring Dispirit's rehearsal at Oboroten

Dispirit were created back in 2000 but it took the band ten years to release their first demo rehearsal. This is a project of John Gossard (Weakling, Asunder, The Gault) and the line-up is also filled by Peter Blair (drums), Todd Meister (bass) and N.S. (guitar). This black/doom metal act is settled in San Francisco, California. "Rehearsal at Oboroten" features two long, breath-catching compositions aroused with sickness.

Ixtab's Lure
Bitumen Amnii

Visit the band's site at dispirit.org for further info.

Contact the band via info@dispirit.org to order the demo cassete.

Akercocke - Leviathan

Well, Musikal Æsthetiks opens a new chapter in this blog and at times will post certain tracks which are believed to be of uncompromising strength, passion and endless inspiration. Below you will enjoy a shocking composition from Akercocke, a band which has released masterpieces of art so far. Go on, fellas...

Sunrise is hours away
Precious seconds of life
Drift away
Unnoticed yet perfect
Slowly disappearing
I have found the edge
Have I found the answer?
Truth is my weapon
Your anger not enough
I wish to be alone
With my God
Moving through black waters
Leviathan
I wish to be alone
With my god
Have I found the answer?
The currents ebb and flow
Rising to the surface
From untold depth
Have I found the answer?
The currents ebb and flow
This fragile human condition
And cold necesity of death
Solitary and noble
Clarity briefly

Your breathing
Is my breathing
Your blood
Is my blood
I wish to be alone with my God
I am always part of you
Secret one precious one
Dying a death so tender
Don't fear thy exorcist
Drift away
The currents ebb and flow

MOONSPELL "Wolfheart" (Century Media)

Yesterday I heard in a long time again this beautiful record by Portuguese Moonspell and I remembered my teenage years when I was first introduced in the band's music. Full into the middle of the 90s when the air smelled different than now. The album contains eight great songs three of which are lengthy. The inaugural "Wolfshade" is best suited to enter you in the album's atmosphere and special musical perception of the band which (I may be wrong) apparently borrows late Rotting Christ tactics in rhythmic parts. Besides, the love and respect of the band for the Greek dark metallers is already known (Ribeiro appeared as guest in Rotting Christ's "A Dead Poem" also). Fernando Ribeiro (then Langsuyar) provides with a very dramatic vocal interpretation in the compositions of "Wolfheart". All of the tracks are in English except for "Trebaruna" and "Ataegina", which are in Portuguese, as well as the chorus of "Alma Mater" and "Ataegina". The keys of Pedro Paixão (Passionis) who dressed the compositions with vampyric mood and catchy melodies that stick in the mind forever played a catalytic role in Moonspell's music. A typical example is the keys playing in "An Erotic Alchemy" which is a duet, inspired by and quoting Marquis de Sade. The female vocal is provided by Birgit Zacher and is of a sufficiently operetta style. In the album you will also enjoy the bass themes of Ares (João Pedro) who has written some brilliant lines (in my opinion). The album closes with the now classic "Alma Mater", a song that was particularly liked by fans of the act for its special, uplifting rhythm. "Wolfheart" is the best moment of the band which, despite all these years, continues to release at least decent albums so far.

Miltos XIC

TOMBS "Path of Totality" (Relapse)

I am happy to listen to this bang-up record. You can't imagine how much happy I am and you can't imagine the fire and enthusiasm this band retains either. To start with, I have to say that this is going to be in my top-20 list of the running year without doubt. I firmly suggest Tombs are among the pioneers of this new death/doom/black musical hybrid as it's highly represented by bands like Castevet. Some people even call their music sludge but I'm sure it's way beyond this. I'm also sure that "Path of Totality" must have already achieved the international acclaim of underground circles for Tombs have a lot of challenging and vibrant music in this. You will accede the fact that this record is full of haunting melodies and great performances. Oh god, they should really brag about this! Some riffs are truly menacing and the sound is so beautifully shitty that it can't disappoint any of the fans. If I'd try to praise the record's black metal spirit I might be greeted with indignation by the genre's scholars, though its power is an autosire monster, feeding from its own inspiration. Listen to the "Bloodletters" track which amasses most of the record's compositional finesse and make your own decisions. I already hail this shocking excretion.

Miltos XIC

HYPNOS 69 "Legacy" (Electrohasch)

To be honest with you, I've never been fan of this band. In fact, I had listened spare tracks of their previous albums here and there and I was never impressed quite a lot. "Legacy" was released one year ago and the band seems to see their compositions as a natural transition to a more retro-like feel, in the veins of Uriah Heep and King Crimson. The surprise though is that it really worked! Hypnos 69 pack inspired improvisation and delirious rock beats and release a broken-down, yet focused record. Chock full of ideas, "Legacy" contains heavy riffing but not only that. The incorporated psychedelic tunes are so clinged to the progressive spirit of the record that it's going to bring you in mind the glorious Seventies. The band has taken an elaborate look on their idols and has fired up some kind of beautiful experimentation, elegant and respectable. The sound production is much vintage and the organ use ensues primal rock vibes. There's also flute playing which feels like Jethro Tull outbreaks. Generally, I've got to admit that Hypnos 69 have dodged the trap of just reproducing their favourite influences and despite the fact that it is much obvious from what they are influenced, they've created a really beautiful album.

Miltos XIC

MAGMA "K.A." (Le Chant du Monde)

Magma's musical perception is somehow alien. It's as if they've built a whole musical world the amplitude of which is beyond any common human mind. Their compositions are of a crystallized, yet chaotic nature. Operatic vocals (both male and female) expressed in more abstract forms of course, over a progressive musical sheet provide such an advancement in each song that actually lead to an indeficient sonic result. They are considered as pre-eminently pioneers in the big prog family even though it's very hard to categorize their prodigious music. I stongly believe the band's rhythm section to power the songs they've created, yet the group comprises some of the most inspired and talented musicians of all times. If I were to parallel their music with another act, I'd have to mention mighty Gong whose work is beyond criticism - especially their "You" album back in 1974. In Magma's "K.A." you can enjoy three long tracks which include menacing and dramatic moments. I don't know how much in demand they are but surely Magma have gained a cult following, sometimes supported by phenomenally irrelevant to their style people. Just watch Castevet's mainman, Andrew Hock, and you'll get the point.

Miltos XIC

Universe 217 video clips

Check out three beautifully made video clips by greek band, Universe 217. Somehow a state of art. Support them. Visit their MySpace page by clicking here.


In Your Head


I Don't Give a Damn


Prey

As the band claims:

The concept is simple. The very moment, between a choice made, and a deed done. Key to this the repetation of certain ideas and sequences slowed down, or timelapsed.

Download "Four Wall Freedom" by Ruined Families

See, that's a fucking masterpiece! The band itself provides the link for free downloading so we feel we're obliged to support them anyway. For those who love Canadian HC band, Cursed (RIP) or (best HC band ever along with French Kickback) Catharsis...

Traclist:
Modern Man
Sense Pleaser
Basement Rats
Visual Pain
Holy Weight
Temporary Companion
Seasons
Patriarchy

Get this from Mediafire

Ruined Families official blog page:
http://ruinedfamilies.blogspot.com/

Timeghoul - Occurence on Mimas

It's about fucking time for you to listen to this shit. Truly one of the most promising acts eve existed. "Occurence on Mimas" will prove this, folks. Give it a try, I please you.

“Transmission 82-09-4
From the imperial archeologist Beznan
On the cadaver world Earth
Concerning data in the fossilized brain
Of the last human being”

Upon the initial strata scan
No brains were found intact
Until the crystallized corpse
Was found in a mineral pool
A male homo sapien, face down, floating flat
Hulking blackened carcass
Fossil anchored to the bottom
With a brain tissue sample using memory chambers’ blood
Paint the research grid regard Earth’s history
Extract the tale of extinction of the timid human race
A titanic war verse a non-indigenous
Alien scourge

Behold Mimas
Shrouded moon of Saturn
Brandishing a crater
The girth of a mountain

Two warring nations
Ecology based on war
Underground dwellers
Infinite conflict

The one race smaller
With a larger frontal lobe
Mastered explosives
Severed their enemies’ world
Like a rotting useless limb
Causing the crater
Now an asteroid
Nomadic home drifts to space
And Mimas died

Earth’s gravity
Beckoned the meteor
Pierce the skin
Of atmosphere
Atlantis sunk
Dinosaurs cease
Landing in the Himalayas

Parasite world
Lie dormant
On the surface man thrived
While beneath him
In the flesh of the Earth
The scourge of Mimas became strong

Through instinct
The hordes from beneath emerged to murder
After the sun had fallen, up through the ground
Like stigmata
Dug through soil like blood
A poison from below
Tainted well spring of the planet
On crooked gait
They conquered, dragging corpses
Into the Earth for food
Remains reemerging, clogging the seas
Alien invasion from within their fortress
The Earth lay siege to home
Valiant struggle against oblivion

Mounted on evolved dinosaurs
Or on human ferocity matched ten fold
Swarms of fiends under the moon
The rapacious season of the dwindling age
Billowing clouds in the sky
Are gasses from the rotting creates of Earth
Cities collapse from below
The dove lies crushed under heavy laden foot
Victory adorns the horde’s sword
But the heaps of corpses poison the world
The soured filth purges the crust’s wounds
And underneath they parish from the blackened bounty

Seth Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011)

Kim Kelly of Catharsis PR confirms:

"Yes, it's true. Seth Putnam, one of the most infamous musicians that extreme metal has ever seen, the grindcore GG Allin, has passed away due to a heart attack.

I handled all the promotion for Anal Cunt's last album, Fuckin' A, and Seth was always happy to oblige any request I sent his way. The band had been working on a new album before his passing, so chances are his musical career's epitaph has yet to be inscribed.

I want to remind everyone that no matter how outrageous and controversial his musical career has been, Seth was still a human being with friends and family that loved him. I'm hoping that the internet will remember that. This is a very sad and trying time for those that knew him, and the last thing they need to see is an outpouring of messageboard hate. The man lived and died by his own rules; if anything, respect him for that."

Besides being a member of Anal Cunt, Putnam was also a member of the legendary Siege and made guest appearances on albums by Napalm Death, Pantera, Today is The Day, Psycho, Slapshot, Scissorfight, Eyehategod, Kilslug, Brutal Truth, Incantation, and countless others. Rest in Peace, Putnam.... much like you did after going into a coma, I know you're probably writing a song about this right now.

original post: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/06/seth_putnam_rip.html

Tardive Dyskinesia live @ Gagarin (supporting The Dillinger Escape Plan)

Well, we might be too late for posting this but it's never late to find out this hell of a band. Below, you can enjoy a nice, utterly professional performance of domestic heroes Tardive Dyskinesia which took place at Gagarin 205, Athens on November 13, 2010.

Check them here or here.

MORBID ANGEL "Illud Divinum Insanus" (Season of Mist)

Man, in all of his humanly spirit, sometimes judges certain things not that much objectively. There's an interplay of many factors in his own idiosyncrasy which will make him love or hate any thing. Morbid Angel are one of the biggest chapters (if not THE biggest) of death metal encyclopedia and unfortunately "Illud Divinum Insanus" struggles to hit one's fancy. I'm not worthy to judge Morbid Angel as a band -in fact I'd never intend to- but the band's brand new musical ideology battles against the glory of their past. I'm not even sure if David Vincent's return and taste led them to this new direction. There are many though who accuse him for Morbid Angel's new face. I've been their fan since I first listened to their "Covenant" album and thenceforth I've enjoyed all of their records equally. In fact, they're my favourite death metal band of all times. Even their previous, "Heretic" album hid some seriously infectious compositions that could thrill the shit of me. I believe that Morbid Angel of this new era have misconducted their unique talent and I can't accept the fact that I had to wait eight years to get this kind of shit. Pardon me but "Illud Divinum Insanus" seems to contain second-hand riffs and non-essential material. The bright exceptions among the record's tracks are "Beauty Meets Beast" which has been lent a "Gateways to Annihilation" magnificence and "Nevermore" which is a typical Morbid Angel dynamite. Well, this isn't a joke anymore. I surely expected more than this. Tim Yeung may be a hell of a drummer but the themes he's chosen to use are really uninspired and I'm not sure if he's to blame. Vincent's vocal tone is really good, yet sometimes he sings like a hardcore singer or what. Trey Azagthoth outshines only in the record's solo themes - truly outstanding, particular and heartily performed. Pete Sandoval's absense is more than just obvious (we wish him to fully recover). To sum up, "Illud Divinum Insanus" is by far the worst Morbid Angel record ever released and (to me) one of the biggest disappointments of the last years. I just hope they'll soon strike back with a record of utter elegance and shut our mouths up. So, until next time...

Miltos XIC

DIRTY BEACHES "Badlands" (Zoo Music)

"Badlands" is one of those records that is really hard to describe or put under certain labels. Probably I'm not that well concerned of such kind of musical experimentations but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy this record's beauty. Its distraught feeling comes from the darkest compositions of The Jesus and Mary Chain or so it seems to me. Below its easeful surface dwells an ebullient anxiety and expressionistic mood. Fully dull and somehow ambient oriented, Dirty Beaches openly flirt with dark shoegaze or rock n' roll vibes. They have totally entoiled me with their fastidious tunes through which you may discern a gleaming performance ala Elvis Presley or Chris Isaak (fuck yeah)! If Joy Division of "Closer" era ever chose to cover the "Lemon Popsickle" soundtrack and all of its artists they'd probably sound like Dirty Beaches. Now riddle this! Well, you should at least listen to this partly grumpy, partly harmonic work and make your own decisions. Just don't forgo this chance.

Miltos XIC - 16/20

DEVIL "Magister Mundi Xum" (Unborn Productions)

It has almost turned out to be a trend of our days and many bands seem to be blown by past winds asperging their music with the early 80's spirit. We could even talk about a NWOBHM anabiosis or something like that. Though this journey to the musical past isn't exactly a British case anymore. Devil come from Norway and they manage to bridge the doom element of early Pentagram with Holocaust vibes. "Magister Mundi Xum" is a demo record but the band manages to share with the audience a crescive interest about their compositions. Directed to plain riffing, Devil's song-writing aims to bleak, heavy metal sounds of not ectatic range concerning their influences. So we can listen to a focused record, honest and pretty good. The elder fans of the heavy metal will surely appreciate this but it's still a great chance for the younger audience to meet euphony as taught three decades ago. I strongly exhort you to try this out.

Miltos XIC - 14,5/20

AUTOPSY "Macabre Eternal" (Peacevile)

Some years elder now, in a sea of utter professionalism, image issues etc., Autopsy -as afloat corpses- try to discern through a genre which has changed so many faces and is agglomerated by fake messiahs and so many promising nonentities. The tactics of duet Reifert/Morales were never missed at all, though. With Abscess' alacrity they both kept the frowst in high levels for many years. In the hearts of fans though, the name of Autopsy ever carried such heavy heritage that everyone was curious about this great act's reunion. Especially when Eric Cutler is announced to be back in this freaky association. So, are Autopsy assoiled? This may be kind of a stupid question since Autopsy have to assimilate only themselves in order to really bother those who have been continuingly following the band's steps since their very beginning. What if the production of "Macabre Eternal" seems to be cleaner than ever? These stubborn, ageless fuckers never spent worthlessly the bottled stink. The abyssic vocals are sput from lungs that smoulder, swearer and death-tinged. Reifert's drum groove tires the unadorned hate of guitar riffing. Both Morales and Cutler unveil their death/doom/punk influences through a vicious circle of sick compositions. Joe Trevisano (of Von fame) adds to the dark timbre of the songs a tight performance precipituting the end. There's no need to worry about Autopsy, nor their future is precarious. They keep to it, they've never left. Probably the most essential death metal band ever existed. Period.

Miltos XIC - 17,5/20

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Miss Fortune Was a Henhouse Manager" (Spinalonga)

Sixteen bands coming from Hellenic ground compile this double CD collection. Spinalonga Records tests beyond the mainstream acts a whole underground scene which may interest most of the doom/sludge/heavy (or whatever) fans. The aberrant sounds of National Pornographik and Extraordinary Rendition colour this effort with aesthetic talent while the rest of the bands are drowned in ultraheavy, sometimes psychedelic, musical orgy. This compilation actually proves the healthy status of Greek underground scene and settles it strong anent similar foreign musical streams. Sun of Nothing broadcast a mesmerizing hymn, National Pornographik may remind of phenomenal Julie Christmas' Made Out of Babes and Drunk Motherfuckers dally with a half-stoner, half-sludge track. Nechayevschina's instrumental participation caves in psychedelic aspects and so does Last Rizla's song. Korsikov's much Sabbath-like introducing riff turns into a monster and Farsalas (vocals) beshrews it all. They could become the domestic Black Cobra, believe me. Stonenrow are beset by Electric Wizard inspiration and give the audience some of their spare blur. Bad Trip is a band I'd never listened to before and their music seems to be more than just promising. Sadhus, the Smoking Community participate with a long, long track in which I can discern a black metal aura (due to the vocal style) over the sludge musical background. Brotherhood of Sleep do once again what they do best; through their instrumental composition they manage to build up beautiful, atmospheric soundscapes. Universe 217's indisputable talent leads them to the creation of one more mellow, lethargic, yet short opus. 1000Mods cover Eyehategod's "Sister Fucker" so they got to be neutral criticized. Nice effort, though. Sector Illusion's recording slightly veers away from the rest of the tracks' mood but it still is a beautiful song. Extraordinary Rendition's progressive spirit gifts the audience a Keelhaul-like, inspired composition which lasts only 1.21 minutes. Circassian are the only to provide Eastern vibes through a song both mesmerizing and minimal. Yassa contribute four tracks in this compilation, functioned as intros/outros in both two CDs. To sum up, this compilation is a great chance for you to meet Greek underground scene and offers you nearly 106 minutes of quality music. Visit Spinalonga's website for further info and show your support. It's really worth it.

Miltos XIC - 15/20

BLOOD CEREMONY "Living with the Ancients" (Metal Blade/Rise Above)

I fucking love Canada. Most of the bands originated there are really superb. At least the most known of them. Blood Ceremony's debut album, barring the obvious influences, was excellent. In their second effort, Blood Ceremony have a more personal sound even though their music still gives praise to bands like Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull. The heavy riffing behind the flute and organ use is astonishing and much trippy. Blood Ceremony are candid as regards their musical style and they feel free to construct retro-doom compositions without cheapening the folk song-writing. The character of the band is, of course, much occult and the fact that behind the microphone stands Alia O'Brien may bring you in mind the mighty Coven by which they are also influenced. More into the proto metal scene than The Devil's Blood and more connective to plain rock than neo-doomsters, Jex Thoth. I consider them to be more substantial than the previously mentioned bands. "Living with the Ancients" is a beatific listening, dulcet and estrayed from the music that most of the metal bands are playing nowadays. It will travel you to past times and you can figure on Blood Ceremony that it'll be a really nice trip. Hails!

Miltos XIC - 16,5/20