spring lawn prep

Desolate, primitive Finnish doom metal released in 2012 by Doomentia Records. Totally hypnotic droning riffs and percussion plus great vocals, and with no guitars... only bass. One of my favourite doom bands around today. Reminds me quite a bit of fellow Finnish band Ride for Revenge, and in fact the drummer/vocalist also plays in that band.

You can check out the band's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/HorseLatitud...

They also have a Bandcamp page where you can buy a variety of their releases and some merch as well. Check it out here: https://horselatitudes.bandcamp.com/

Tracklist:
00:00 - Preparation
02:39 - Dissolution
10:04 - Profane Awakening
17:45 - Decline of the Ages
25:02 - Into the Deep
38:01 - Along the Circles

First full-length album from this Australian death metal cult, released in 2015 by Obscure Domain Productions. Dual vocalist approach and some great lead guitar on here, particular in the first song.

Not a whole lot of info about the band out there from what I can find, but you can read an interview from a few years ago here: https://nihilistic.shost.ca/Interview...

You can purchase the album from Obscure Domain's webshop here: http://www.obscuredomain.com/24522/ho...

Tracklist:
00:00 - Graveyard at the Gates
04:21 - Funeral Intoxication
08:03 - Cadaver Dogs
10:56 - The Exterminator
14:56 - Shun the Light (part III)
17:44 - Specters of Insanity
21:10 - Undying Hate
34:31 - Of Whore

One of two unearthed rarities that was included on the 2008 re-release of North from Here, this track was originally recorded prior to Amok but never appeared on that album. Sounding more similar in style to the second album, these tracks show another path Sentenced may have taken had they decided to keep more of the extremity in their sound.

Original background photo by Quiet Earth: https://www.flickr.com/photos/my-phot...

Compilation of three demos from cult US death metal band Dr. Shrinker, originally released by Necroharmonic in 2004. Newly remastered and also featuring a bonus track from a 7" they released with Nunslaughter in 2001.

"This collection contains the three studio demos that Dr. Shrinker produced over our existence from 1987 to 1991. This group of sick individuals created and elaborated on a style of music we coined "Gore Core". The "album" starts with our most well-known demo "Wedding the Grotesque", recorded in 1989 it was a 12 song / 45 minute independent release, heavily traded and distributed in the metal underground. Following is a two song production "The Eponym" which was recorded in 1990. A serious progression in the areas of talent & production. Lastly the "Recognition" demo, our first attempt to document the sickness at hand, recorded in 1988, this completes the anthology. It is what it is and without a vast underground support of fellow bands, independent zines and labels this would have never been remembered or available today. Thanks!! Support the underground, for this is the life blood of creativity and unusual originality."
- Matt Grassberger, 2003

Since 2013 the band has been active again, and they recently released their first full-length album in almost 30 years of existence. You can check it out here:
https://doctorshrinker.bandcamp.com/a...

Tracklist:

"Wedding the Grotesque" (1989)
0:00:00 - Tools of the Trade
0:03:30 - Mesmerization (of a Corpse)
0:08:25 - Fungus
0:12:27 - Rawhead Rex
0:16:42 - Cerebral Seizure
0:19:50 - Dead by Dawn
0:23:51 - Open-Heart Surgery
0:27:19 - No Way to Live
0:31:06 - Pronounced Dead
0:36:44 - Chunk Blower
0:40:48 - Bacterial Encroachment
0:45:25 - Wedding the Grotesque

"The Eponym" (1990)
0:47:16 - Tighten the Tourniquet
0:51:46 - Germ Farm

Split w/ Nunslaughter (2001)
0:56:29 - Our Necropsy

"Recognition" (1988)
1:03:08 - The Command
1:04:29 - March of the Undead
1:07:29 - Graphic Violence
1:11:27 - Inverted Direction
1:13:05 - Free at Last

High-quality version of Sentenced's masterpiece from 1994's "The Trooper" EP. Combining the melodic elements and technicality present on North from Here with the gothic atmosphere and heavy metal foundation that would foreshadow their later works, this track is one of the band's greatest works and represents an avenue of metal that few others have explored to this date.

LYRICS:
Yes, I am here
Here at the landscape of my dreams
And what's this perfection?
I feel immortality next to me
I have lived my life in your arms, mother
now I'm back to show my gratitude
Take my life, I know that I'm worth of you
And I'll live again and I will live
through the Elk!

Now speak, Serpent, with my tongue
tell them what you think
infiltrate the venom in their veins.
Brother Wolf, take my mind, use my hands for thee
and lead the way to Hall-up-high - take their lives
Take back what is yours!
I've set this sacrifice
(And now we dance
here in this circle of flames
We praise Your Might
We praise Your power to live)

Fresh as the North Wind
You blow right to my heart
Warm as the South Breeze
my blood now covers the sand
and on we die!

We have lived our lives in your arms, mother
Now we're back show our gratitude
Take our lives, if you think we're worth of you
and we will live again among the sheep.
as the Wolves!

Now speak, Hedgehog, with my tongue
tell them what you want
and take revenge for a million lives
Sister Swan, spread thy wings, your enemies are mine
and let live those who are worth of you
taste our minds


Original background photo taken by Lucas Marcomini: https://www.flickr.com/photos/5290156...

Compilation release gathering Nocturnus's 1987 and 1988 demos released prior to their cult sci-fi death metal classic "The Key". This was put out by Nuclear War Now! in 2014 and is sourced from the original reels so the quality should be the best available. Also newly mastered by the eminent James Plotkin.

Nocturnus are still active today (as "Nocturnus AD") and perform shows fairly regularly. You can check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/NocturnusAD

Mike Browning is also part of another death metal band called After Death, who have put out a few releases. You can find their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/AfterDeath666

Tracklist:

"The Science of Horror" (1988)
00:00 - B.C. / A.D.
06:30 - Standing in Blood
11:49 - Neolithic
17:19 - Undead Journey

"Nocturnus" (1987)
22:10 - Nocturnus
26:10 - B.C. / A.D.
31:42 - Unholy Fury
38:07 - The Entity

Second and most recent full-length album from this Finnish death metal band, released in 2005 by Bestial Burst. Lots of melodic "epic" styled riffs on here that give the songs a fairly atypical feel compared to most death metal.

Read an interesting article about Finnish death metal (featuring a brief review of this album and interview with vocalist/drummer Teemu Haavisto) here: http://www.deathmetal.org/zine/ascens...

Buy this and other Bestial Burst titles at Hells Headbangers here: http://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/best...

Bestial Burst website: http://www.bestialburst.com/

Tracklist:
00:00 - Last Man Standing
06:11 - WarBloodMassacre
11:00 - White Death
14:44 - Doom Before Death
24:57 - The Arrival of Warbanners
33:01 - Wings of Doom and Damnation