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As anyone who knows me well enough by now should know, I'm a sucker for drone, ambient, and psychedelic music, and anything and everything in between. I've come to really enjoy and appreciate that hypnotizing, trance inducing stuff that is all about plunging the listener deep into a semiconscious state of awareness through repetition, minimalist composition, and/or formless atmospheres that explore the very nature of music itself. This list is basically for me to keep track of such albums released this year, and to potentially turn you onto some of them as well. Includes a few nonmetal albums. And not entirely limited to drone/ambient and psychedelia either, as I sometimes find awesome, trance-inducing albums outside of these genres as well. Albums in order by release date. Suggestions welcomed and appreciated.
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1.
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Deveikuth - VII-π-III
A "funeral drone" band of sorts, Deveikuth employ painful, numbing feedback topped with grating vocals and a dark ambient edge to conjure sonorous howls from beyond the pits of R'lyeh. Pretty cool idea of applying drone techniques to funeral doom, and it's executed quite well. Last track is definitely the highlight here. http://tinyurl.com/olmn8j9 |
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2.
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Seirom - Mesmerized
If there's one thing Seirom proves, it's that Mories doesn't have to be brutal and grotesque with his music to still be an amazing composer. Instead of disturbing listeners with black metal and drone combinations, Seirom instead sees him caressing us with warm, bright ambient landscapes, that feel like floating on a cloud. This EP is definitely no exception, and continues the success of another excellent Mories project. http://tinyurl.com/oyz6b3f |
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3.
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Gorgantuan - Pestis
An incredibly ominous band, Gorgantuan make their home in the darker, more uncompromising area of drone, in the tradition of bands like Sunn O))) and Moss. This second demo of theirs is a gargantuan (see what I did there?) sonic ritual, with powerful, almost Attila-ish vocals to guide you through the journey among shrouds and black monoliths. http://tinyurl.com/pubg87t |
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4.
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Tauusk - Hermit
An instrumental drone/ambient band from Romania, Tausk create a very hypnotic, almost spacey atmosphere with their sound. Heavy guitars create a monotonous landscape of feedback and dissonance, while electronics, horns, and more help the music build to a crescendo of feeling that is both dreamlike and sometimes ominous as well. The use of horns in particular conjures thoughts of the Sunn O))) / Boris collab and The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation. http://tinyurl.com/odewnnx |
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5.
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Autokrator - Autokrator
This is a very strange album, and I've honestly never heard anything quite like it. Essentially a combination of drone, death metal, and industrial music, Autokrator smash listeners with a thick, hazy wall of repeated distortion and audio feedback... and meanwhile blast beats and menacing growls lurk quietly in the background. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart. http://tinyurl.com/oz3gppf |
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6.
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Swan Messiah - Feathered Hunter
A cool combination of drone doom and black metal, something along the lines of the Menace Ruine debut, but perhaps a bit cleaner and not quite as strange. Still great for what it is though: droney doom riffs topped off by powerful black metal shrieks for the most part. But what makes it more interesting is when things go more into the BM area and become more aggressive, yet there's still a heavy repetition of tones underneath it in drone style, representing a great fusion of the two. http://tinyurl.com/pe6psq2 |
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7.
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Undersmile - Anhedonia
The sophomore effort from this UK drone doom foursome. The beautiful vocals of Hel and Taz once again combine to create a mesmerizing vibe, while droney, heavy as fuck riffs lurk and repeat themselves underneath to help build upon the hypnotizing atmosphere. Sometimes the vocals take a soft, whisper-like approach, and at other times they explode into an almost yelling sort of delivery, making a strange combination between entrancing and crushing. The slight use of cello, a new technique on a few tracks, is also quite interesting. http://tinyurl.com/oetkxbs |
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8.
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Slow - IV - Mythologiæ
A heavily ambient-driven form of funeral doom. Mostly instrumental, and actually way more ambient than it is doom. The majority of the album is really just composed of shapeless atmospheric landscapes that are easy to relax and get lost in, with the heavier, metal moments serving as a climax of emotions of sorts when they finally rear their heads. http://tinyurl.com/pbnlfp6 |
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9.
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Chaos Ech?s - Transient
Chaos Ech?s are a good example of why French metal has been gotten such a firm reputation for generally being crazy, experimental shit in the past decade or so. Usually labeled as death metal or death doom, the creativity with this band doesn't stop there, and they also add in elements of black metal, drone, jazz, and even more to the mix. Sometimes fast and incredibly heavy, sometimes slow and meditative, but apparently all derived from pure improvisation, this album is a bizarre, polymorphous beast that defies classification, and seems to be nothing more than an embrace of the power of human ingenuity. |
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10.
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Gelding Moon - Solar Gomorrah
Some more "extreme drone" to tickle your fancy. Droney, noise-influenced black metal combines with a slightly industrial edge for a very discordant, discordant, and overall nasty sound. The industrial element at times makes the guitar tone sound something like 777 Blut Aus Nord, and the growls are absolutely evil, the kind of shit that puts fear in the heart of serial killers. Yeah, those song titles are pretty damn laughable, but they have some powerful, quite disturbing music hiding behind them. http://tinyurl.com/na38bsb |
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11.
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Bell Witch - Four Phantoms
The rule of Bell Witch is less is more, plain and simple. With only a bassist/vocalist and a drummer, this band conjures a massive sound, that is lush, immersive, and, while it initially seems to lag a bit, reveals just how excellent it is slowly with each repeated listen. The potential this album has to grow on you is incredible, and holy fuck, if that third track isn't one of the most majestic things I've heard all year, I don't know what is. Currently has my AOTY vote for funeral doom. |
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12.
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Weedpecker - II
The debut of this Polish foursome was a great ode to psychedelic music's yesterdays, and this sophomore effort follows suit. Lush, relaxing melodies that soak you in psilocybin abound here, and make you see Timothy Leary dancing upside down in the album artwork. I'll be damned if "Into The Woods" isn't just one of the most beautiful things I've heard all year. Recommended for those who like all the retro psychedelic bands that have been popping up lately (Stoned Jesus, Electric Moon, Samsara Blues Experiment, etc). http://tinyurl.com/numhgwz |
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13.
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The Crawling Chaos - S/T
Russian drone doom with deep, imposing growls, and a splendid use of those whoosing electronic effects to create an almost darkly psychedelic atmosphere. http://tinyurl.com/plo2fep |
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14.
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Varituuk - Kaos Lord
The latest demo from this Canadian band is just one 20 minute track, but said track in itself is a colossal voyage through the black waters of a dark drone lake, while some black metal moonlight shines upon its waters to illuminate and complement its spooky, spine-tingling vibe. Great pacing between the two, with some moments on the track just being monotonous and trance inducing, and others being more aggressive and upbeat. Name your price on Bandcamp. http://tinyurl.com/o8vzz3o |
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15.
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Spectral Lore - Voyager
The new EP from this Greek one man band throws out the black metal and instead focuses on creating a purely spacey, ambient driven electronic landscape. Yeah, for some it might not be metal enough because of this, but if you were looking to see this guy go deeper into the more atmospheric side of his music, and focus on it and it alone, then don't pass this one up. http://tinyurl.com/na7out3 |
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16.
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Thisquietarmy - Anthems For Catharsis
Quebecer Eric Quach's Thisquietarmy is a tricky beast to classify. A dark and mysterious ambient sound mostly dominates, but you can also pick up shades of drone, krautrock, shoegaze, black metal, and doom metal in the mix, each contributing to the ambiance in its own unique way. This album sees the black metal element enhanced to a great extent, but more in a hypnotic, entrancing sense than an aggressive one. An extremely well composed release, and one of the most original I've heard all year. http://tinyurl.com/o3w3tap |
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17.
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Nibiru - Padmalotus
The third album from these Italian dronesters, and arguably their best to date. Padmalotus expands immensely on the band's use of vocals, and balances out their drone and sludge elements better than ever before. These guys conjure thoughts for me of Bong, Ufomammut, and Dark Buddha Rising, without really sounding too much like either and still maintaining their own unique identity. Good shit. http://tinyurl.com/ojxcmzv |
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18.
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Compost Golem - Compost Golem
A quite impressive debut EP from these Norwegian newcomers. A massive wall of sound completely smothers you and takes over your body, while some murky, shrieked vocals hide themselves deep within it to create a mysterious, otherworldly vibe. A very thick, heavy, and imposing sound that shows great potential for this band going into the future. http://tinyurl.com/ofcb9k3 |
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19.
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Bong - We Are, We Were And We Will Have Been
Another worthy chapter in Bong's sitar-fueled drone odyssey, but this one decides to take things in a slightly different direction. The vocals get a much greater role, drums are used, and electronics have a higher presence as well. These sound like small changes, but in the case of a band whose music is so minimalist, it matters a lot, and the difference in sound is quite noticeable. http://tinyurl.com/nrakxom |
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20.
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Midnight Odyssey - Shards Of Silver Fade
Some may be surprised to see the inclusion of this one here, but honestly it really isn't much of a stretch at all. With this sophomore album for his one man band, Dis has eased up on the black metal aggression a lot, and I think it's safe to say this is much more of an ambient album than anything else, albeit a heavier-than-usual one. The BM more or less just hides in the background for atmospheric effect, while it's really the ambient elements and the powerful clean vocals of Dis that take dominance. "Darker Skies Once Radiant" is just serene as hell. http://tinyurl.com/ptexcvf |
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21.
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My Sleeping Karma - Moksha
A great instrumental psychedelic band that occasionally gets pretty heavy and stoner-ish. Truly beautiful stuff that, as the title and artwork would suggest, also has a deliciously Eastern feel to the composition at times. |
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22.
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Böse - Oxynorm
Some really spaced out, psychedelic stoner metal from Poland. Highly improvisational and jam based. If you like those types of psych bands who just start off with a general idea and then go wherever the fuck their peyote decides to take them with it, this is definitely an album for you. Name your price. http://tinyurl.com/nldur84 |
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23.
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Sunset In The 12th House - Mozaic
The debut album from a new band of Romanians Edmond Karban and Christian Popescu (also of Dordeduh and Negura Bunget fame). Beautiful psychedelic rock that caresses you with its sweet, airy melodies, and also gets occasionally heavy at points. Very mesmerizing, and further proof to me that virtually anything these guys touch is going to turn out great. And of course, it's all topped off with artwork from Romania's own Costin Chioreanu. http://tinyurl.com/pdsw5tq |
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24.
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Catacombed - Cave Crypt
French drone, of the dark, colossal, and smothering variety. Generally towards the more uncompromising end of the genre, and with some powerful (but quiet) growls buried here and there in the mix. http://tinyurl.com/nlnuf7a |
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25.
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The Soviet Space Programme - Space Is Hell |
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26.
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Tectonic Mantra - No Oppositional Force
Drone doom in the vein of the genre's pioneers, but topped off with cool synthesizer effects and deep, resonant vocals here and there that have an echo-like effect that helps build up the mysterious, transcendent mood. The Sunn O))) worship is strong with this one, but it also plants several ideas hinting at the band's potential to develop into its own unique beast in the future as well. http://tinyurl.com/oyrlezo |
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27.
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Locrian - Infinite Dissolution |
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28.
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Gnaw Their Tongues - Abyss Of Longing Throats
Part of what makes Gnaw Their Tongues so interesting is that across each album within this twisted Mories project, one can find the presence of drone, black metal, and noise in various degrees, so you really never know what you'll get exactly. Abyss Of Longing Throats sits more towards a structured form of drone, and almost feels like blackened doom at some points. The production is cleaner, and it's really the second half that shines here more than anything else. Nonetheless the usual GTT sound is mostly mostly still here, and overall this album can be seen as an eerily beautiful tribute to the darkest realms of the human subconscious. |
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29.
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Thee Psionic Assembly - Tyranny Of Faces |
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30.
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Dark Buddha Rising - Inversum
Further proving themselves to still be a massive force within the Finnish doom scene, DBR return with their sixth full length that is the natural continuation of their meditative sagas. While the previous Dakhmandal was heavy and a little more structured than usual, more drone DOOM, Inversum is a return to the more "pure drone" approach the band took on their earlier albums. Vocals are also present, but more so in the form of chants and whispers than in a traditional singing approach. Formless, intriguing, haunting, and beautiful, this band seriously deserves more attention. |
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31.
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Dahakara - Relativist |
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32.
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The Black Yo)))ga Meditation Ensemble - Asanas Ritual, Vol. 1 |
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33.
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Aderlating - Hell Follows |
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34.
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Echoes Of Yul - The Healing |
Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by Auntie Sahar ]
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