Nachtmystium - Doomsday Derelicts

I don't really need to comment this piece of awesomeness.

Facts:
• released 2009
• 16:36, 4 songs
• VBR between 262 and 303 kBit/s

Buy this EP here.

Our Survival Depends on Us - Painful Stories Told with a Passion for Life

It doesn't occur every few new albums I discover that I get a catchy tune from a song that I absolutely disliked, so with most songs of this album. After a few spins it became greater and greater and now evolved to one of my favorite Sludge/Doom albums. Sadly, the band is so unknown, I didn't even hear about them despite their long name before I read in an interview of Amestigon about other unknown austrian bands.
The bassist was 4 years in the well-known Belphegor (Aut).

Facts:
• released 2009
• 40:18, 6 tracks
• VBR between 184 and 279 kBit/s

Highlights: Angel Ranger

In case you like, buy here.

You can download both albums from their myspace homepage here.

Wallachia - Ceremony of Ascension

Next to the damned great cover artwork, this album offers one of, if not THE the most varied influences in metal.
Really everything found it's place, beginning with aggressive chords, massive blast beats but not too many, death-, black- metal and clean vocals, some really catchy melodies and even operatic, symphonic elements but not too many.
You should also notice that Lars Stavdal, mastermind of Wallachia, took himself 10 years to develop that album.

The lyrics are also VERY great:

I am at war with nothing
An empty shell withering
Catharsis of the soul
Swallowing the void

Oh, and one last note (aka highlights):
Sanctimonia XXIII is my most listened song since end of november, counting 45 (+ x times on iPod, etc.), followed by Genesis Enigma with 34.
Nevertheless, the whole album is a f*cking masterpiece, you actually should buy it instantly without having listened to it ;)

Facts:
• released 2009 & album of the year 2009
• 35:50, 8 tracks
• VBR between 201 and 320 kBit/s

In case you like, buy here.



As of September the 4th, this post is linked with the official Wallachia-Myspace itself. I'm very glad about this and need to thank Lars for allowing me to distribute his work!

Mistur - Attende

As already mentioned, one of the Sognametal bands in the vein of Windir.

Facts:
• released 2009
• 55:35, 7 tracks
• VBR between 234 and 320 kBit/s

Highlight: Attende

In case you like, buy here.

Crippled Black Phoenix - 200 Tons of Bad Luck

I do not like that much Post-Rock, but whenever it's obviously influenced by Pink Floyd, I'm there. So Crippled Black Phoenix are a perfect example, especially having a track called Time of Ye Life/Born for Nothing/Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire, lasting over 18 minutes and unfolding like infinite Pink Floyd'ish themes.

Facts:
• released 2009
• 1:17:02, 12 tracks
• VBR between 195 and 250 kBit/s

Highlight: see LONG song title above

In case you like, buy here.

Isis - Wavering Radiant

Sadly, the good-bye full-length album of the american band Isis. It's strange, sometimes you discover bands just right after they disbanded and existed for more than a decade. Maybe it was the right decision, quitting now, because, well, you know, missing the point where your music gets worse is always bad (see AC/DC, Metallica and Slayer for example).

Wavering Radiant is not an album you can compare with anything, it stands for itself and can't be really described despite of being classified as Atmospheric Sludge Metal (even tough many don't know what Sludge is).

Highlights (yes, I think I'll continue contributing my highlights, perhaps somebody wants to give it a listen first on youtube):
Stone To Wake A Serpent & Threshold of Transformation

Facts:
• released 2009
• 54:05 length, 7 tracks
• VBR between 190 and 210 kBit/s
• no cliché japanese bonus track, but here on youtube.

In case you like, buy here.

Division Germania - Manifest

Sort of known RAC-band from Germany, but way better than the cliché Landser. I consider myself as a patriot, not by any means racist or antisemitic (that would be retarded, close-minded and obviously, unlogic), that's why this album is a pearl.
The lyrics are well written, musically it's quite good for that genre.

Highlights: Die Nacht neigt sich dem Ende & Auf die Ahnen

Facts:
• released 2009
• 43:34 length, 13 tracks
• fixed bitrate of 320 kBit/s
• NOT banned by the german authorities, it's censored on last.fm for no reason

In case you like, buy here.

The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite

This album sort of introduced me into the slower paced metal. Thanks to it, I discovered bands like Isis or Our Survival Depends On Us and some other Doom, Melo Death/Doom and Doom/Black Metal bands.

The Ruins of Beverast is the solo project of Alexander von Meilenwald, ex-drummer of Nagelfar (see below for other information) and his debut album Unlock The Shrine was the birth hour of Ván Records, which were founded just for the release of this album to be independent of other labels.

You will notice, next to the fantastic drums, some Nagelfar-elements, for example some synths and keyboards.
I can also recommend the second album, Rain Upon The Impure (I don't own Unlock The Shrine so I'd better don't link it).

Facts:
• released 2009
• 1:19:52 length, 10 tracks - no bonus track, couldn't get the vinyl :(
• fixed bitrate of 320 kBit/s

In case you like, buy here.


LINK REMOVED SINCE 27th OF OCTOBER, SAME REASON AS IT CAN BE READ ON THE NAGELFAR-DISCOGRAPHY PAGE!

Blaze of Perdition - In Void and Serpent the Spirit Is One

A short intermezzo before some very good things will follow....
In 2009, a split of Blaze of Perdition with Pseudogod (both Black Metal, lyrically heavily influenced by satanism) named In Void And Serpent The Spirit Is One was released.

I found this split by accident and although I didn't like the Pseudogod-part, the other three songs blew me away. It's music, written from heart, it's honest - exactly that what I expect from music. Moreover the cover is just epic....

Some download facts:
• released 2009
• 14:44, 3 tracks
• VBR between 220 and 237 kBit/s
• no Pseudogod tracks

In case you like, buy here.

Altar of Plagues - White Tomb

As I already mentioned, the 2009 album White Tomb by Altar of Plagues is also a jewel worth, listened to.

I guess, there's nothing more to tell about, only the download details left....
• released 2009
• 49:59, 4 tracks
• VBR between 210 and 217 kBits/s

In case you like, buy here.