The Darkest Of Grays

If you like depressive and harsh music, then you must pay attention!
Planks is a band from Germany and this trio plays a mix of Sludge, Black Metal, Crust and Hardcore. Their second album called The Darkest Of Grays is an awesome piece of work. It is an combination of utter anger and depressiveness. It is one of the best albums of it's kind. Everything is perfect on this album: the vocals, the music and the vibe. Immerse yourself in this misery and anger! Enjoy!

"The Darkest Of Grays" is PLANKS second full-length output and the first for their new label Per Koro. It features 12 songs that are pretty much different from their first self-titled record. Yet it is totally PLANKS. The band focused more on the dynamic aspekt in their music instead of sheer brutality.
The songs are all full of different nuances, tempi changes and have an undeniable sense of melody. Stylewise don't expect Pop Music here, even though there are clearly some structures of a classic ('80s dark-wave ) Pop Song to be found. If you feel the urge to describe the whole thing, you could imagine a blending of Breach's "kollapse" with Mastodon's "leviathan" mixed with Isis "oceanic" , "closer" by Joy Division and some classic Norwegian Black-Metal such as Dark Throne's "transilvanian Hunger". It all sounds rather unique and contemporary.
If you enjoy bands such as the ones mentioned before as well acts such as Wolves In The Throne Room, Catharsis, Amen Ra and Damnation a.D. this record might be your cup of black coffee.
"the darkest of grays" is a concept record in two parts. It covers the topic of the total downfall of humanity in a person due to emotional breakdown.
The first part "Passages" deals with the breakaway of aspects in a person commonly described as human.
The second part "Fatalities" describes the total descent into the abyss of solitude and desperation as a result of these passages. There are some really personal and depressing lyrics to be found here that add up perfectly to the music.
If you enjoy capturing, dramatic but truly melancholic and dark music this one here is for you.
(By XsenatorX at Collective Zine)

Planks - The Darkest Of Grays (2010)

DOWNLOAD

MySpace & Facebook

The Descent Of Man

Thanks to the guys of Vestiges for sharing their free download album The Descent Of Man!
Vestiges is a trio from the U.S.A. and The Descent Of Man is their debut album. This album begins quietly with a nice intro. The song after that begins also quietly and suddenly hell breaks loose! A mix of Hardcore, Black Metal, Crust, Screamo and Post-Rock influences hits you right in your face!
This album contains seven tracks (Intro, song I till V and Outro) that are filled with anger and despair. These guys did an excellent job with this album. The sound is right and all instruments are in balance. The vocals are making almost me afraid. This guy has an awesome throat. This voice goes truly through your bones!

Vestiges has released this impressive album at the tenth day of the tenth month in year ten and it is an display of heaviness, brutality and also sadness. Enjoy and support Vestiges!

"Vestiges formed in January of 2010 as a two-piece band. Influenced by hardcore, black metal, crust, screamo, and post-rock, the band set out to incorporate elements of each genre to articulate their message both musically and lyrically. A third member was added to the band shortly before entering the studio to record The Descent Of Man. The band plans to release two more albums, an EP and a LP, in order to complete their narrative. The band and a filmmaker are currently in the process of producing a film to visually capture the theme of The Descent Of Man.

The Descent Of Man follows the creation, the evolution, and the eventual annihilation of mankind. Today, we find ourselves hoping to reverse the damage that we have done and struggling to sustain what little earth we have yet to rape repeatedly. We validate this existence with stories that justify our behavior and our role in the natural world. The promise of salvation in a land we have yet to see has clouded our judgment in a land that is right before our eyes. Industrialization, militarization, overpopulation, theism, specieism, and nihilism are regarded as evolution and progress. Our greed and ignorance have been celebrated and our past has been forgotten. We were meant to be a part of nature. We were not meant to conquer nature. We were given life and we have done everything in our power to bring death upon everything in our path, including ourselves. There will be horrifying consequences for what we have done."
(Their biography)

Vestiges - The Descent Of Man (2010)

DOWNLOAD

BUY

Website - MySpace - Facebook - LastFM

Black Metal/Experimental/Noise/Industrial/Drone from Poland

This band is apparently looking for various platforms to promote their music. So they sended also a link to me.
Thaw is a Black Metal/Experimental/Noise/Industrial/Drone band from Poland. I can be brief about this one, because Black Metal is not really my thing. And Thaw sounds mainly Blackish. So I can not really say anything useful about it. But in what I can hear, Thaw sounds not bad at all. Enjoy!

Thaw - Decay (2010)

DOWNLOAD

MySpace

Beware The Gelatinous Gloop

Thanks to Tom from Exhilarate Records for this submission!
Beware The Gelatinous Gloop Compilation is a great compilation by Exhilarate Records from Birmingham, England.
This compilation represent 22 bands that play different styles like: Doom, Drone, Sludge, Stoner, Noise, Black, Death, Progressive and Industrial. I like all these styles, except Industrial. So 20 tracks are really great to me. The only band I'm familiar with is Dopefight. (These guys just released their album Budss and I asure you: it is awesome!)
In overall this is an awesome compilation with various music. And I like to give a compliment the designer of the artwork. It looks absolutely fantastic! Enjoy!

Beware The Gelatinous Gloop Compilation (2010)

DOWNLOAD

Exhilarate Records MySpace - MySpace - Blogspot

A Display Of Heaviness

Thanks to Matthias from the French label Throatruiner Records for sharing this sampler!
This compilation contains 27 tracks of Hardcore, Crust, Screamo, Grind, Sludge, Doom Noise and Black Metal. I'm not familiar with most of the bands, but they sound quite alright. So if you are interested in over two hours of Heaviness, then you should listen this sampler! Enjoy!

HateLife MMX Summer Comp (2010)

DOWNLOAD

Tracklist:

1 - Anorak "some skirts"
2 - Arms of ra "pyramids"
3 - Art of burning water "only chocking"
4 - As we draw "way down"
5 - Birds in row "orange disease"
6 - Bloodkitt "void woods, skin roads"
7 - Bone dance "birds singing"
8 - Celeste "il y a bien des porcs que ca ferait bander de t'étouffer"
9 - Chère catastrophe "party time"
10 - Danishmendt "chutes"
11 - Dreams of the drowned "liquids of apathy"
12 - Elitist "back to the funeral"
13 - Exilym "man never went to the moon"
14 - Hky "monument inversion"
15 - Huata "alchemist reborn"
16 - Mygirlfriendisawatermelon "you should try"
17 - Nesseria "par pertes et profits"
18 - Pigeon "anchorite"
19 - Plebeian grandstand "ordo ab chao"
20 - Pretty mary dies "to the bomb"
21 - Quartier rouge "douche dorée"
22 - Reno "is this a turning point or just the end?"
23 - Rqtn "n3"
24 - Sickbag "scar manifesto"
25 - Stuntman "draw the portrait"
26 - Totorro "my bob's blue eye"
27 - Xnoybis "picardian fight song"

Throatruiner Records Website, MySpace, Facebook & Blogspot