Apothecary's Ayahuasca: 2016 Psychosermons
Apothecary's Ayahuasca: 2016 Psychosermons
Essentially a sequel to my 2015 Rituals list, assuming I take the time to keep up with it this time.
Here are the albums from this year, metal or otherwise, that've most taken me on those deep, immersive journeys through the murky waters of the subconscious, plunging me "into the zone" through minimalist composition, spacey, trance-inducing atmospheres, and more. I'm focused primarily on drone, ambient, and psychedelia here, but not necessarily limited to those categories. If it feels meditative, ritualistic, and/or relaxing, it has the potential to be included.
In order by release date and subject to expansion, obviously. Recommendations are, as always, encouraged and appreciated.
Here are the albums from this year, metal or otherwise, that've most taken me on those deep, immersive journeys through the murky waters of the subconscious, plunging me "into the zone" through minimalist composition, spacey, trance-inducing atmospheres, and more. I'm focused primarily on drone, ambient, and psychedelia here, but not necessarily limited to those categories. If it feels meditative, ritualistic, and/or relaxing, it has the potential to be included.
In order by release date and subject to expansion, obviously. Recommendations are, as always, encouraged and appreciated.
1.
Nonsun
- Black Snow Desert
Warm and spacious synth-fueled ambient, at times feeling bright and uplifting, and at other moments taking a darker, more mysterious approach. The contrast between the two is quite pleasing, to say the least. http://tinyurl.com/jlkar2z
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2.
Nonsun
- Black Snow Desert
http://tinyurl.com/z5a5azj
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3.
Atom Made Earth
- Morning Glory
http://tinyurl.com/j23hvfs
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5.
Manunkind
- Manunkind
This album's definitely a ritual, but not in the relaxing, serene, and mellow way that many other albums on this list are. On this album, Manunkind subject listeners to a painful combination of drone, noise, industrial music, and death metal. What results is a vibe kinda like the one you get off of Gnaw Their Tongues: yeah, the music is entrancing alright, but it's also abrasive as fuck and downright terrifying. And if that album cover is any hint, once it has its way with your body, what remains of your corpse will go to Ammut. http://tinyurl.com/zxg3h3s
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6.
Alone In The Hollow Garden
- Temple Of Clear Light
http://tinyurl.com/hehjhmp
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7.
Auriga
- VII - Dimensions Of Asymmetry
GRIST play a style that could almost be called "oriental drone," drone music infused with Middle Eastern (specifically Egyptian) folk influences. The result is nothing short of an entrancing ode to the gods of the Nile, and also a very important reminder that many of the historical antecedents of the drone genre are indeed rooted in Asian folk music. Fans of Bong and Dark Buddha Rising will be right at home here. http://tinyurl.com/gkqzo76
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8.
Ulver
- ATGCLVLSSCAP
I'm biased about this band, as they share my own heritage (Lebanese!). Auriga are ambient black metal, but they have a habit of leaning far more towards the ambient than towards the black metal... think something along the lines of the latest Midnight Odyssey album, where the ambient music is more in the forefront and the black metal is used more as an enhancer for atmospheric effect than to actually dominate the composition. Occasionally, however, the BM DOES dominate the composition, and things can get a bit more intense and in your face than relaxing and serene. Very interesting songwriting variation here http://tinyurl.com/z7sdl8u
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9.
ZÖN
- Mount Gaash
There's little more that can be said of this album other than that it's simply Ulver doing Ulver again, creating lush, hypnotizing, dreamlike atmospheres for you to fall back and get lost in. There's some drone in here, some psychedelic influences, even a bit of folk, but it all combines into an amazingly mesmerizing ambiance that, as usual, is both relaxing and emotionally intense. Some of the band's best work since Perdition City. http://tinyurl.com/jjxcpaw
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11.
Aluk Todolo
- Voix
Deeply transcendent and meditative folk/ambient from Sweden that takes you on journeys straight to the heart of the snow-drenched Pagan forests of Scandinavia's past. Highly recommended for fans of Wardruna. http://tinyurl.com/jl4u3eq
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12.
Aluk Todolo
- Voix
http://tinyurl.com/h3p2ty8
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14.
Blackwood
- As The World Rots Away
http://tinyurl.com/z7sms59
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17.
High Priest Of Saturn
- Son Of Earth And Sky
The latest effort from these Finnish psychonauts continues in the direction of Valonielu, in that overall it's far more oriented towards psychedelic and krautrock influences than towards BM. But where Valonielu felt something like "blackened space rock," Värähtelijä sees a more seamless fusion of the psychedelia and the remaining BM influences, and could be the closest to a true "psychedelic black metal" album that the band have come. There's also a very riff heavy sound on this album as well, that approaches almost stoner-ish vibes at points http://tinyurl.com/zdpyyk7
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18.
High Priest Of Saturn
- Son Of Earth And Sky
http://tinyurl.com/zkgw49w
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20.
New Keepers Of The Water Towers
- Infernal Machine
A complex and thoroughly intriguing fusion of drone, folk, doom, classical, and even some subtle extremity with shades of black metal and some quietly lurking death growls here and there. A very intense ritual that goes in many different directions and blends its influences wonderfully. Sometimes heavy as shit when it gets into more doomy territory and those extreme elements begin to come out, at other times more meditative and relaxing when the folk and classical side rears its head. Impressive release. http://tinyurl.com/jbejs7j
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21.
Nadja
- Sv
This new album is a bit of a twist for New Keepers. While their previous efforts leaned more towards a heavier, stoner-based sound, Infernal Machine throws that out the window to a certain extent, instead focusing on more of a psychedelic rock almost krautrock-ish sound. This change of pace isn't necessarily a bad thing though, demonstrating that these musicians also have a very jammy, somewhat improvisational personality to them as well, which I always welcome. This is definitely one of those types of albums that you can just throw on and get lost in, through all the various twists and turns of the music. http://tinyurl.com/hurm62l
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24.
Horse Latitudes
- Primal Gnosis
This new album from The Body could possibly be their best yet. As with Manunkind, the music here is indeed ritualistic, but it's a terrifying ritual, like a psychedelic trip through Hell. Returning to their thrones of darkness, Chip and Lee once more conduct an ominous ceremony that blurs the lines between the black metal, sludge, drone, and industrial worlds, and that seems to tap into the absolute best from each. The production here sounds crisper than ever, especially in regards to the drums, and once again, the presence of some dark, resplendent female vocals is the absolute icing on the cake. http://tinyurl.com/gnzc7na
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26.
Nibiru
- Teloch
http://tinyurl.com/h4adwsb
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27.
Conjuro Nuclear
- ♄
Russian stoner doom, heavily psychedelic, minimalist, and hypnotizing. At times conjures thoughts of Acid King. http://tinyurl.com/j3zgj7y
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29.
Atomikylä
- Keräily
A new duo of G. Stuart Dahlquist and Edgy 59, from the legendary doom band Burning Witch. Yet The Poisoned Glass are not focused on oppressively heavy, crushing doom in the way that Burning Witch were back in the 90s. Instead the music here is more of a slow paced, imposing, and painful brand of drone doom, not too far off from the sound of Khanate. The vocals of Edgy, sounding better than they have in years, take command over the steady bass lines of Dahlquist, coupled with eerie keyboard effects for a truly haunting experience. Highly recommended for fans of the more evil side of drone music. http://tinyurl.com/jc2jvbv
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30.
Schammasch
- Triangle
Atomikylä is a collaborative project with members from both Oranssi Pazuzu and Dark Buddha Rising. While the debut, Erkale, struck a pretty fine balance between the sounds of each band, this sophomore album seems to lean more towards the sound of DBR. An Oranssi influence is still present as well, albeit a lot more subtle than before. Overall, however, this album still succeeds in being exactly what Atomikylä are all about: psychedelic, ritual tributes to the city of Tampere, Finland and its peculiar history. http://tinyurl.com/jmbhpky
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31.
Schammasch
- Triangle
This may be a surprising pick for this list, but this triple album deserves inclusion solely for its third disc. Discs 1 and 2 are more or less a continuation of the black/death metal approach taken on the previous album, but Disc 3 is a pleasantly unexpected journey into some interesting, droney dark ambient. Often formless, guitars and drums occasionally appear to give a slight sense of structure, while additional, chant like vocals create a haunting, mesmerizing vibe. A very pleasant surprise for this year. http://tinyurl.com/zxrba8j
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32.
Voidless Form
- I, Nihilist
A relaxing ambient project from Chile, the solo work of Michel Leroy. Thanatoloop employs a very melodic, almost "wavelike" brand of ambient music, at times reminding me of Nadja or even some of the more recent material from Earth. The acoustic guitar work here is especially solid. http://tinyurl.com/zayne3e
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33.
Voidless Form
- I, Nihilist
This album reminds me a lot of Sunn O)))'s Monoliths & Dimensions, in the sense that it's mostly drone, but a wide variety of other styles are combined into it with the inclusion of a number of nonmetal instruments. In addition to the usual bass, drum, and guitar, you'll find sax, trombone, duduk, kanun, and other goodies here. The lyrics also seem to tell an interesting story of an individual pondering reality itself, taking an interesting narrative approach. A complex, but thoroughly intriguing release. http://tinyurl.com/je58caf
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35.
TAUUSK
- Ridges
http://tinyurl.com/z28two2
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36.
Alone In The Hollow Garden & Nam-Khar
- A superb lesson in ritual ambient from the two artists after whom this collab is named. Extremely hypnotizing and unrelenting with the degree to which it plunges you into the shamanic realm. The percussive work here is particularly impressive. http://tinyurl.com/hwojkt6
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38.
Blut Aus Nord
- Codex Obscura Nomina [Split]
I suggest just listening to the Blut Aus Nord side of this split and leaving it at that, as the Aevangelist track here is rather poorly produced and nothing to write home about. The BAN side, however, contains 4 new, highly ensnaring tracks. They bear slight resemblance in sound to The Desanctification and even some moments off of MoRT, but also ooze of a strangely psychedelic atmosphere, both in guitar tone and in the background effects that create a "swirling vortex" type effect. Another pleasant surprise of the year. http://tinyurl.com/zhrsg45
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39.
Nibiru (GREECE)
- Dry Rot
http://tinyurl.com/guvaoj9
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41.
Black Sun Void
- Ancient Tales
http://tinyurl.com/j2snr62
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43.
Horseback
- Dead Ringers
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44.
Mound
- The Four Fundamental States Of Matter
http://tinyurl.com/zg5er4n
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45.
Darsombra
- Polyvision
http://tinyurl.com/hmnovsq
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48.
Sektarism
- Les Voûtes
http://tinyurl.com/h8t6lz4
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Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Posts: 5989 Written by Maratha on 07.07.2016 at 14:31 I'm willing to break the rules a little bit in the case of a collab  I want to investigate the other band on that collab though, Nam-Khar, and I haven't been able to find anything of theirs. Know anywhere to look?
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 63  |
Posts: 63 Written by Auntie Sahar on 07.07.2016 at 15:54 Well, the one above mentioned, and another collab with Sielwolf https://sombresoniks.bandcamp.com/album/atavist-craft Apart from that haven't got any lead anywhere. Another mix of Ritual and Industrial. Have to check it out tonight. Same with Halo Manash as well, can't find any of their new material as well of which they have released a couple this year..
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Posts: 63 |
Posts: 63
I also think this could be one of the toppers here https://commoneiderkingeider.bandcamp.com/album/extinction
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| LuciferOfGayness
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LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted Written by Maratha on 08.07.2016 at 08:50 Great find  I am enjoying it.Edit: stunning. And these guys have a lot of stuff. Needs to be added asap.
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by [user id=157444] on 18.05.2016 at 13:05 Don't remember saying anything like that; if I did I was probably speculating on why they wouldn't be here (I don't submit or approve bands so not sure why the onus is on me all of a sudden). Wrekmeister Harmonies aren't a metal band though, that's observable fact. They're a vague experimental music collective that occasionally incorporates metal into their sound (typically maybe 3 or 4 songs out of 10 featuring distorted guitars, and even then they are often only tenuously metal because of the shapeless drone-like nature of them). Them being on MS would be entirely discretionary, even if they would be a good addition. I love metalcentric people that think if there's a heavy guitar in a bit of the music then its defining characteristic is therefore metal 
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| LuciferOfGayness
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LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted Written by [user id=4365] on 27.08.2016 at 14:47 This was probably written when I thought you could add bands here. So thats probably why. My bad.  And if its metal or not is a quite complicated discussion. But lets put it this way, they are better metal than many bands here.https://wrekmeisterharmonies.bandcamp.com/album/night-of-your-ascension Listening to this again and I cant see how this isnt metal?
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| !J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by [user id=157444] on 27.08.2016 at 22:26 Have't been able to add bands for like 2 years I'm personally for adding even non-metal bands to the site; I don't give a shit about the site's ethos.I hear a band with a drone / ambient base that incorporates distorted guitars into its music, for some of it (not even necessarily metal either even though they clearly have doomy metal sections). Doesn't make it "metal" to me. That's pretty reductive and ignores the larger portion of what it is. They're far more nebulous than that to my ears. Bands being here on the site doesn't improve their enjoyment for me, not do I think it really gives them more exposure, to any real degree so I guess I'm not in any rush to pigeonhole them in that bracket, though I would be more than happy for them to be here.
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| LuciferOfGayness
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LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted Written by [user id=4365] on 28.08.2016 at 04:13 It would be better if you could add bands as my guess is that more of my favourite music would end up here in that case  Bands being here probably doesnt boost their enjoyment, but I wouldnt be here if none of the music I think is good wasnt here.There is a site ethos? I would love to see a (crumbling) definition of metal
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| LuciferOfGayness
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