Trip To Lou's + ATH

A trip to Lou's Records and then an arrival of a package from All That's Heavy means many new LPs and CDs today. Here's the list:

CDs -
Asbestosdeath - Dejection Unclean (EP)
Green Milk From The Planet Orange - You Take Me To The World
Grinderman - Grinderman
Growing - Vision Swim
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
Nadja - Touched
Orthodox - Gran Poder
Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
Sleep - Jerusalem
The Stars - Will
The Stars - Perfect Place To Hideaway
Viaje A 800 - Diablo Roto De...

LPs -
Boris & Merzbow - Walrus/Groom 12"
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Life Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven! 2LP
Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar 3LP

O)))

Coming yesterday in the post all the way from Japan were two of Daymore Recordings' expanded editions of the last three studio albums from Sunn O))). While I have 'White1' and 'White2' on CD and the second pressing of 'Live White', I thought they were worth the high import prices.

The bonus disc for 'White1' is 'The Libations Of Samhain' and was worth having a second copy of 'White1'. 'White2' has two bonus discs, a 5" and 3" CD that contains 'Live White'. Since the official release of 'Live White' from Archive was on CD-Rs, it's very nice to finally have a pressed copy of this exellent live album. In fact 'Live White' might be favorite release from Sunn O))).

The third expanded edition, which I did not buy, was of 'Black One' and included the live tour CD 'La Mort Noir'. I'm a bit surprised they didn't make that a 3 disc release and include Solstitium Fulminate which was included in the limited 2 disc version released by Southern Lord.

While I Was Away

While I was on a weekend trip out of town I received packages from Temporary Residence Ltd and Archive. From Archive I picked up a couple of distro items, the debut CD from Philadelphia "biker doom" band Serpent Throne and the Death Unit full-length disc on Important Records. From TRL came the highly anticipated new album from Grails. 'Black Tar Prophecy Vol. 1, 2 and 3' was a fantastic release so I'm expecting even greater things on their latest. I also picked up a the new EP and CD from Eluvium.

Digitalis & 20 Buck Spin

Straight from Digitalis Industries came a couple of albums from Hush Arbors, a reissue/remaster of their/his self-titled album (originally available as a limited CD-R) and a double disc reissue/remaster of 'Under Bent Limb Trees' with the second disc being bonus tracks from other limited releases. Much thanks to Digitalis for bringing these back into print.

After a delay, 20 Buck Spin has released Rakhim's 'Crimson Umbrella' album. All I know is that's its somehow related to Finland's Circle. It's certainly different from the rest of the 20BS catalog but fits in nonetheless. I also ordered some other 20BS releases, Graves At Sea's debut EP 'Documents Of Grief' (thanks for the reissue) and a split CD Graves At Sea did with Asunder (20BS did the LP version of it). Having some excellent distro titles with good prices, I ordered up Monarch!'s recent double album (a CD version of two LPs) 'Dead Men Tell No Tales', Asunder's debut full-length 'A Calrion Call', a couple of Dead Raven Choir releases from last year, 'Selenoclast Wolves' and a double disc collection of rarities 'Cask Strength Black Metal'.

ATH (Again) Plus A Solo Disc

Another order to ATH, enough for a freebie. I order so much I think I might be keeping them in business. The main reason for the order was that Sgt. Sunshine's classic debut album finally came out on vinyl thanks to Elekrohasch. Limited to 500 copies on 180g vinyl, I had to get copy before they are gone. The record sounds awesome and is certainly worth the import price. Also arriving were two more Orange Goblin albums, 'The Big Black' and 'Coup De Grace', to finally complete their full length discography. The debut from Earthride, 'Taming Of The Demons', was also in the order. I still need to get their second LP which I've heard and think was a great album. For the freebie I picked up Autoa's self-titled album. It's on Alone Records and they are instrumental. That's all I know at this point. The description sound good so I'm hoping for a nice surprise.

Having been on a Raccoo-oo-oon kick lately, I've been buying everything they have in print. I found a distro in the States that had the 'Is Night People' remastered CD on Release The Bats. Apparently it was originally on cassette and sold by the band only. RTB is going to be releasing their new album soon.

Time-Lag

A couple of albums from Time-Lag records arrived today. I've been reading about Raccoo-oo-oon for awhile now and I finally got around to listening to them. I liked 'The Cave Of Spirits Forever' so much that I ordered it the day I listened to a digital copy. Having passed on it at the record store and then never seeing it again, I also ordered GHQ's first proper album 'Cosmology Of Eye'. Each release comes in an LP/Archive CD style jacket with the disc in a protective sleeve. A very nice job done by Time-Lag on these two releases.

Archive New Releases

Another batch of recordings from Scott Slimm's label has arrived. The lone studio recording this time around is from Alasehir which features members of Bardo Pond (the Gibbons brothers on guitars and Jason on drums) and a guest on electronics on a couple of tracks.

Guitarist Mason Jones, who I've never heard of prior to this release, jams with three different Japanese drummers under the moniker Numinous Eye. I have no clue what this will sound like but the description of "freeform droney psych jams" has me interested.

While Slimm has included 3" discs for several of his releases because of the time limitations of a regular disc, the Death Unit and Prurient double release (it's not a split nor a collaboration) on two 3" CDs is a first for the label.

I also picked up the first Suishou No Fune album from the distro items since I've yet to see it at the record shop.