Selofan - Vitrioli (2018)

Listening on Bandcamp

When I first heard Vitrioli I wasn't impressed at all. I didn't feel anything. I wonder if it's because I was busy with something else and didn't pay enough attention to the music. Luckily, I gave this album a second listening (in proper conditions this time) and it absolutely blew my mind.

Turns out that Greeks can make dark and cold music, despite living in sunny and hot climate. I have to highlight I don't usually even like female vocalists that much (there are some exceptions ofc). But from Joanna's vocals - low-pitched and sensual - you can "feed" yourself with hopelessness and pessimism. So naturally, I fell in love.

And talking about love - we are on the bitter side. Lyrics are about disability to understand each others' feelings and poinlessness of life; toxic addiction to another person and death of love. 

To match the lyrical part or rather to enhance its beauty, we have the cold synth instrumentals with ocassional saxophone or keyboards. 

If this doesn't sound good enough for you already, note that you can find a polish element on this album. Ending track - Υστερία (Hysteria) - is a cover of Misiowie Puszyści by Siekiera, performed by Dimitris.

Tracklist:

1. Give Me a Reason

2. Billie Was a Vampire

3. Black Box

4. I'm Addicted

5. Ist Die Liebe Tot?

6. Un Amor Etterno

7. The Language of Love

8. Living Scandal

9. Βιτριολι (Vitriol)

10. Φουξια Χαμελαιων (Fouchsia Chameleon) 

11. Η Μοναξια ΕΙναι Της Μοδας (Loneliness Is Fashion)

12. Υστερία (Hysteria) Siekiera Cover

MASTER BOOT RECORD - Direct Memory Access (2018)

YouTube listening

Another masterpiece realeased by Blood Music Records. 

This time we're stepping outside the synthwave genre. We're going way heavier and more brutal. 

By listening we are hit with an avalanche of thick, fat metal riffs converted into electronic wave of dehumanization. Computer chip monosounds are adding the cyberpunk-depraved temper. The synthesized growling vocals of Laurent Lenoir (from Öxxö Xööx) make the sound extra dark and doomish. 

What do I need now? A fan. Why? Because my CPU is definitely overheated thanks MBR ;-)

Is this "music 2.0"? Hell yes. 

Tracklist:

1. DMA 0 DRAM REFRESH

2. DMA 1 SOUND CARD 8-BIT

3. DMA 2 FDD CONTROLLER

4. DMA 3 LPT1 ECP MODE

5. DMA 4 CASCADE

6. DMA 5 HARD DISK

7. DMA 6 SCSI HOST ADAPTER

8. DMA 7 SOUND CARD 16-BIT

Vague Scare - Classified (2017)

Listening on Bandcamp

In the middle of the summer and with gothic festivals taking place here and there, it is a perfect time to focus on some coldwave.

Vague Scare is indeed cold and dark. Turns out that synthesizer and vocals are all you need in order to get entirely frozen musically. Yet it is not just a regular sound of a synthesizer - more like a great worship of any frostiness there is in whichever new wave melody. The vocalist's small imperfections do not ruin this impression at all and make Classified even more obscure. The 80's spirit is very much alive. 

"And we walk to the sound
Of an unseen war
Worn-out uniforms
Invisible to the eye"

Tracklist: 

1. What Happened To You
2. War Walk
3. SDS
4. Cold Blood Warm Smile
5. Elegant Crime
6. So Human
7. Empty Your Heart
8. Can't Get It Bright

TriORE - Three Hours (2009)

Listen on YouTube

TriORE is a collaboration between Triarii and Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. If you are familiar with these two already, then you know that you  have to get ready for a total music apocalypse.

What I have to highlight in the first place are lyrics, lyrics, lyrics. The best part of this album definitely. Lyrics about war times, failure, bloodshed, solitude,  miserable love, disbelief, pessimism and melancholy. Monumental job done there. 

The other aspect is the stabile and steady way they're being sang. It enhances the overall collossal speech of the words and underlines the military overtone of Three Hours.

When you combine all the above mentioned elements with epic instrumental parts creating the atmosphere of total doom, you get not only an excellent work of music art, but also a grand manifesto of denial and disorder.

Tracklist:

1. The First Three Hours

2. Victory Rising

3. After Summer We Fall

4. The Missing Hour

5. Another Love, Another Hate

6. No Tears Are Shed For You And Me

7. Pleasures & Tortures

8. Fires Burn, Like Fires Do

9. Let Us Meet In The Trenches

10. There's A Smell To Life That Dies

11. Europa's Dream

12. The Last Three Hours

Àrnica - Cabeza de Lobo (2017)

Listening on Bandcamp

This is the music I've been fighting for.

Deeply dark, ritual odes to iberian heathen gods. Loaded with fury praisals of death and desctuction. 

An opportunity to embrace the violent spirit of the atmospheric pagan hymns. Goosebumps from the start till the end. 

Don't let the steady and repetitive beginning fool you - mystic aura builds up with time. It is even difficult for me to write this post, I just want to dance - and so will you, while listening. The wolf from the album cover will enter your head and will refuse to leave. 

Tracklist:

1. ¡Leukade! ¡Leukade! ¡Leukade!

2. Gira La Rueca

3. Dioses Ocultos

4. Rueda Dextrógira

5. Nieve En Llamas

6. Eburos

7. Cabeza De Lobo

8. Rueda Levógira

9. La Tésera Se Ha Quebrado

10. Ataan

Hollywood Burns - Invaders (2018)

Listen on YouTube

If I was to explain Invaders to you in one sentence, I would put it like this: 

"Tim Burton and Harry Potter started a darksynth project and it is awesome, trust me." 

Hollywood Burns pays a tribute to your inner child - the symphonious parts sound like taken straight from WarnerBros movies, on which we've all grown up on. 

And even if you're not interested in the ways of the wizardry or you're not a fan of Beetlejuice, you should give it a listen. Why? Because it is basically a splendid orchestral cinema music mixed together with neat synthwave.

Listening to this album is  like a stroll in the dark night forest, full of scary shadows and werewolfs, witches flying over your head and epic synthwave music playing. Bazaar of the Damned is the most eminent example to this.

And it is worth noting that it is not Daniel Radcliffe (hehe) responsible for this project but it is Emeric Levardon, composer and producer.

Tracklist:

1. Opening Titles

2. Black Saucers

3. Scherzo No. 5 in Death Minor 

4. Carnal Encounters of the Third Kind

5. Girls with Guns

6. L'Era delle Ceneri

7. Bazaar of the Damned

8. Came to Annihilate

9. Revenge of the Black Saucers

10. Survivors

11. Closing Titles (Bonus)

Decades - Decades (2013)

Bandcamp listening

Since I adore all of the possible shades of somber and sadness I find anywhere and especially in music, Decades have hit me right away. 

Their self-titled album is a perfect ratio of dreamy vocals, cold guitar riffs, melancholic affection and tearing-apart voices of deep emotion. 

You can be sure that if there is any heartbreak wound in yourself, this music will get there. And it will soothe your sorrow, at least for a moment.

My other impression is that if My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive were to have a coldwave descendant (or a close relative) in the 21st century, I would give this title to Decades. Too bad those guys released only one album and do not appear to show any activity thereafter.

While researching the info for this post, I bumped into synthpop Decades. They certainly got me inrigued.

Tracklist:

1. Tonight Again

2. Any Wonder

3. Celebrate

4. Old & Aging

5. Only After 

6. In Sequins

7. Move Me 

8. Can You Love Me Now 

9. For From Me 

10. Washed

Carpenter Brut - Leather Teeth (2018)

Bandcamp listening

Feelin' like going back to the 80's? 

I certainly am. I've already put on my spiked-shoulder leather jacket and applied hairspray to my hair. But I'm not planning on going to any disco. I'll just be playing Leather Teeth. 

If you crave some good quality and energetic synthwave, you can count on Carpenter Brut. This album is just another proof to it. 

Want me to hype it a little more for you? Just know that Kristoffer Rygg is singing there. Mat McNerney (Kvohst) is singing there. Yann Ligner took a share in writing the lyrics. 

Note: listening to this music can make you feel like dancing insanely wherever you are - on the street, in a tram, at work. So play it with caution...

And remember: Beware the Beast!

Tracklist:

1. Leather Teeth 

2. Cheerleader Effect

3. Sunday Lunch

4. Monday Hunt

5. Inferno Galore 

6. Beware The Beast 

7. Hairspray Hurricane

8. End Titles 

The Soft Moon - Criminal (2018)

Bandcamp listening

Have you ever suffered from a painful feeling that your soul just doesn't  fit in your body at all? 

If yes, then this album is perfect for you.

Have you ever loathed yourself for who you are?

If yes, then this album is perfect for you.

If you 1) are deepressed, 2) are incapable of maintaing heatlhy social relations due to your deep disgust in humanity and in particular in yourself, 3) have obsessive-compulsive personality disorders;

Then I definitely like you. And this this album is perfect for you. 

A piece of dark and aggresive experimental electronic music about screaming away all the torment and abuse you have been exposed to. The sound of pleasurable self-descruction but in the same time, a totally out-of-this-world, one-of-a-kind, eclectic katharsis. You stand face to face to the stone you always carry inside your chest. It doesn't necesarily feel lighter afterwards but your existence is different forever. 

Listen to this album on a full volume level.

PS: I discovered The Soft Moon thanks to the late night radio broadcast - Trzecia Strona Księżyca, in Polish  Radio. Shoutout to the authors: Marek Starzyk, Grzegorz Połatyński and DJ Luna. 

Tracklist: 

1. Burn 
2. Choke
3. Give Something
4. Like a Father 
5. The Pain
6. It Kills 
7. ILL 
8. Young
9. Born Into This
10. Criminal

Danheim - Herja (2018)

Listen on YouTube

I really dislike the medieval-village-market-stylized folk music. The crappy music you can find basically everywhere. A lively yet emotionless, and filled with girly vocals music which long haired teenagers make love to.

On the contrary, the mixture of cold dark ambient and authentic, scandinavian folk sounds has always been my weak point. For a long time I've been looking for something similiar to Wardruna at least in some way. Just to clarify - Wardruna are my personal absolute "top one" music project. 

And damn. Danheim came pretty close with the newest album. 

Herja hits you with a massive flood of atmospheric, dark, mystic and loaded with hostility viking war songs.

The most crucial part about this piece of music is the genuine perception of experiencing the evil and the wild. While listening I felt how my blood turns black in my veins and my eyes go fierce.

I highly recommend getting to know this album if you like the heathen violent energy flowing through yourself.

 A pagan ode, a human sacrifice, a battle hymn. This is what Herja is.

Tracklist:
1. Atgeir
2. Berserkir
3. Feigr
4. Fimbulvetr
5. Fjolsin
6. Forn Elding
7. Framganga
8. Gungnir
9. Hrungnir
10. Skjoldborg
11. Surt
12. Ulfhednar
13. Volfothr