Krtrima Sprha: New Kalpamantra Compilation

Krtrima Sprha, the brand new release from Kalpamantra, features an epic round-up of talent with 75 tracks of dark ambient goodness. I just started listening through it and there are some amazing moments on this release. This is a pretty monumental collection both in terms of length and the artists contributing. Included is a track I wrote specifically for the compilation titled As A Blind Sojourner Through Perpetual Darkness. You can get the whole album here.

Places At the End of the World: Santa Sangre Magazine Interview

New interview up on Santa Sangre Magazine. Thanks to Przemek for posting.

Check it out here.

Dudley Perkins Sees God Through My Typography

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clikerrrrism

Big In Japan

"Invisible City" will be available in Japan courtesy of Linus Records. Special thanks to both Linus Records and Oxide Tones.

Abby Wants Food.....

Wounds of the Earth Interview

New interview up on "Wounds of the Earth." For those of you in the 'know' I had contributed a track to their latest compilation called "Eridanus Supervoid." Thanks to Dan for taking the time to post it. To read click here.

2011...A Year in Records

I don't normally write 'best-of' or 'top-whatever' lists for records because a) I don't necessarily keep up with the latest releases and b) I have a difficult time assigning a subjective numeric value to art. I was, however, recently ask by a Polish music blog to contribute a brief summary of some albums that influenced / inspired me in 2011 so I thought, why not, let's give this list thing a try.

I did discover a lot of cool new records this year but I'll keep my list confined only to those which made the biggest impact on me and that are probably going to figure prominently as definitive records well into my future. They are, in no particular order..........





Dark Castle - Surrender to All Life Beyond Form
Wow, just wow. I still think Dark Castle is one of the heaviest bands I've ever listened to. This follow-up record to their perfect 2009 debut continues to explore the sound and style they've created. It's hard to describe this album apart from saying that it's a spiritual sonic voyage with mantra-like riffage, colossal guitar tones and devastatingly epic songs that teeter on the edge of a complete chaotic eruption.




*Shels - Plains of the Purple Buffalo
Just found this record quite recently so it's still spinning freshly on my proverbial turntable. They're a hard band to describe...Metal? Post-rock? Sufjan Stevens-like indie (at parts)? Who knows and who cares. This disc is unique in that it achieves something most don’t; it draws on a variety of sounds and styles to create something wholly interesting and new. Well paced and with a great collection and diversity in songs, “Plains of the Purple Buffalo” is truly an enjoyable and enriching listening experience. Can't wait to see what these guys release next.



Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
I won't lie, I'm a huge Steve Earle fan so I'm sure a lot of my decision to include this record in this list is just pure bias but, that being said, the record does not disappoint and is another strong release in his ever-growing discography. Songs like "Lonely Are the Free", "God is God", and "Every Part of Me" are just awesome. My fondest memory from the past summer was driving alone through the Canadian prairies with this album playing.



Contemptus Mundi - Blessed Is He Who Has Crucified The World
I stumbled across this one through the label Kalpamantra. I think the subject matter is what first caught my attention. The record can be broadly summarized as meditative ambient drone, a reflective and dirge-like journey into the heart of asceticism.



Josh T. Pearson - Last of the Country Gentlemen
To put it quite simply, this album is amazing! A record like this comes out only a couple of times in a lifetime. It transcends the genre of country. Heck, it transcends, period. Beautifully sad songs, haunting vocals and scathingly introspective lyrics. I love everything about this disc. Honestly, if I had to make a top 10 favorite albums of all time list this one is definitely going to be there. One of the best records I've heard this year and probably ever!



Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
I think this album pretty much made everyone's top whatever list in 2011. And rightly so. WITTR continue their sonic assault in what could well be their definitive record. As a band that eschews the nonsense of typical black metal trappings it's easy to see how their own unique approach and consistent experimentation led to this musical successor to their previous efforts. Fully engrossing, wholly ethereal and, as always, transformative, “Celestial Lineage” definitely stands out as one of the years best, both in the subjective realm of my mind and in the context of the larger music scene as a whole.



Dying Sun - 12212010
I've been a fan of these guys since their 2008 debut EP. It's a shame not that many people know of them. Their releases are always a bit of an obscure event that often goes under the radar of most people. Still, "12212010" consists of the same sound which I fell in love with on their earlier disc and supplies a whole new collection of songs for my continued musical sustenance. Introspective and dark, this disc fuses in-studio experimentation with heavy riffs, intricate melodies and well-crafted vocals. Just check it out. You can download it for free from the bands website.



So there you have it, a smorgasbord compilation of some of my own personally favourite and influential records of 2011. And yes, there are many more, but these are the handful that really stick out in my mind.



And just for fun, here’s an honourable mentions list……..

Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972 / Dropped Pianos
New Risen Throne - Loneliness Of Hidden Structures
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Junius/Rosetta Split
Woods of Desolation – Torn Beyond Reason
Omega Massif - Karpatia