Angst Skvadron

I understand that a band's artwork has nothing to do with their sound. But Angst Skvadron's album cover for their 2010 release Sweet Poison. Will cause a lot of potential fans to skip right over it.

Lately I've been hearing(and using) the word "spacey" to describe black metal acts and this band is as spacey as it gets. The only band I can think of that sounds like Angst Skvadron is the Finnish band Oranssi Pazuzu, but I see this type of black metal taking off. Even much of their lyrics are focused on aliens, they even make use of the theremin to make spaceship noises. They've been out there since 2008 releasing two albums and two EPs(both from 2010).

www.myspace.com/angstskvadron

Coaltar of the Deepers

Coaltar of the Deepers is a Japanese shoegazing band that's been around since 1991.

They're sort of to shoegaze what NUMBER GIRL was to alternative music.
What makes them an interesting band is the styles of music they incorporate into their sound. They can go from a relaxing Slowdive style song to face melting death metal. In fact, the first track off their debut album is a very unique cover of the Cure's 'Killing an Arab'.



The band is still around and they released their second best of compilation earlier this year.
myspace.com/cotdeepers

EDIT: Just throwing in another video, this is one of their more typical songs.

Traumatic Voyage

Here's a band that's managed to remain obscure despite their being in existence since 1986.

They've also succeeded in making a very unique sound which involves death metal, black metal and at times trip-hop. Perhaps, I shouldn't be using 'they' as this started off as a one man band started with drums and additional vocals being done by a couple of other musicians.

I don't consider this to be an inaccessible record certainly not as much as Deathspell Omega's - Fas.., but because there's something very unsettling about their sound. If you're interested in avant-garde metal give it a shot.

Traumatic Voyage's very 90's looking website - http://www.traumatic-voyage.de/

Piano covers

Found out about this girl a while ago, she's a classically trained pianist who does covers and posts the videos on youtube. A lot of people do that sure, but this girl has done covers of everything from Immolation to Joy Division.

Metallica - Fight Fire With Fire


Carcass - Corporal Jigsore Quandary


Opeth - Deliverance


Check her out at http://www.youtube.com/user/vkgoeswild

Dreams of the Drowned

I was recommended Dreams of the Drowned a few months ago and they're one of the more interesting bands I've come across.
It's sort of a mix of avant-garde black metal and hardcore, taking a look at their influences(seriously, Nirvana?) you can see why.

So far they have a demo and a 2009 LP called "Thanatotropic Principle",
 the production is far from good but it shows their potential. The album includes a cover of "Coiled in Wings" from a band I'm sure I'll be talking about in future.

They plan on releasing another full-length in 2010 which will be free for download and according to one of the band members "unlike the two previous releases, I'm proud of it".

http://www.myspace.com/dreamingdrowning

Unearthly Trance

This year hasn't been a terribly good one for music, I think the death of Nujabes was particularly unpleasant, but toward the end some expected good releases are coming out. One that I'm particularly excited about comes from New York based sludge doom..ers, Unearthly Trance. Who are coming out with their fifth album, V.

Surprisingly, that's not a Baisley cover you're looking at. It's actually from an artist by the name of Glyn Scrawled. I'm really looking forward to this release as their previous album, Electrocution, is one of the better sludge records of recent years.

http://www.myspace.com/utny

Vediog Svaor

After listening to Oranssi Pazuzu's Muukalainen Puhuu; I became interested in this so called "Psychedelic Black Metal" scene. I searched around and came across this one man black metal band called Vediog Svaor.

His only album "In the Distance" has a very spacey sound with both clean vocals and harsh vocals. I'm pretty sure when this came out in 2001, it was labeled as Avant-garde Black Metal, but since then it's been placed into the Psychedelic category. If you're looking for interesting black metal or you've been dismissing Psychedelic Black metal as hipster garbage give it a listen.

The man behind the band has recently been doing work with the band Aluk Todolo.