Index Sign - Second Exposure

Maybe I've just gotten rusty with using google, but there isn't too much I could find online about this band. Index Sign is a post-punk band from Germany and the album "Second Exposure" came out in 1982. This is a perfect example of 1980's post-punk. It's got all the essentials, leading basslines, repeating guitar parts, Joy Division-esque vocals, and the tic-a-tic-a of the high-hat that has become a staple for post-punk today. They also throw in saxophone at the end of a song or two over some really cool bass and synth parts. Solid post-punk release through and through.

Download Here

Funeral Parade - Demo

Funeral Parade is a post-punk/goth band from Portland with members of Nerveskade and Ripper. They only had this one release on tape, and then called it quits due to Jakke moving away from PDX. This album is one hell of a release. It's tough to find goth-punk band that have such a good balance between the goth and the punk, but Funeral Parade does it perfectly. It's evident from their name alone that Funeral Parade gets a lot of influence from Part I. The pace is perfect, the vocals are shouted and aren't to pretty, and it still has a good amount of grit and rawness to it. The songs are the album are mostly bass driven. The guitar doesn't get drown out though, and plays a lot of sweet gothy leads. The recording isn't too great, but it helps maintain some of that rawness, even if it sounds a bit fuzzy on a stereo system. The masters of this demo are on the internet somewhere, but until I find them, enjoy drunkenly brooding to the tape rip.

Download Here

Gas Rag - Human Rights EP

I found this band last night completely by accident and I can't stop listening to them. There's been a void in my life that needs blistering raw noise punk to fill it, and right now, Gas Rag is doing a great job filling that spot. Everything is ridiculously distorted and fast, with vocals that immediately bring Sakevi from GISM to mind. This is a short album, but if it doesn't make you want to get drunk and break shit, then I don't know what will so stop reading this.

Download Here

Desert Beneath the Pavement - Transit

Desert Beneath the Pavement is a post-punk/hardcore band from Germany that started up within the past few years. The album, "Transit" is their debut album, and I was completely taken back at how fucking good it was. The album starts out with some slow single guitar parts, and eventually evolves into a full dark and heavy sound. The whole album is absolutely beautiful from start to finish, with slower softer parts flowing flawlessly into the heavier beast of the music. Singing ranges from slow singing to faster yelling, but mostly the latter. This band definitely gets a lot of influence from Fall of Efrafa, but they manage to create something unique and their own. With "Transit", they've set the bar high for themselves, and hopefully they can continue to surpass it. Best songs are "For Futility" and "On the Truck Bed". This is definitely one of my top albums from 2012.

Download Here

Of the Wand and the Moon - The Lone Descent

Of the Wand and the Moon is a neofolk project from Denmark that rose from the ashes of Saturnus. For those of you who don't know what neofolk is, imagine folk, but with darker overtones and usually deeper singing. They've been playing since around 1999 and continue to produce more material. The album is mostly acoustic, with some synth parts and some really sick orchestral parts as well. The singing is eerie and lower in pitch, and the lyrics are about love, darkness, and paganism. The best songs are "Pyre of Black Sunflowers" and "Immer Vorwärts". "Pyre" in particular has an amazing orchestral part at the end. It was really difficult for me to pick out two tracks, because the entire album is absolutely beautiful. Definitely give it a listen.

Download Here

Alement - Alestorm

Shameless self promotion time. This is my band's first demo. Give it a listen.

Download Here

Windhand - S/T

Windhand is a relatively new doom metal band from Richmond, Virginia. I've only just recently discovered them, but they have immediately caught my attention. This self-title is their first official release, and it is truly something to behold. The general pace is slow and it grinds and chunks along with a beautiful liquid motion. Guitars are heavy and distorted, the bass is fuzzy and grindy, and the vocals smoothly and eerily flow over top of it all. There is some really cool experimental effects and aspects thrown in on top of it too. Windhand creates a feel like very few albums can, and it's real easy to lose yourself while listening to it. Standout songs are "Libusen" and "Summon the Moon". I'm really looking forward to seeing how this band evolves.

Download Here