Hello!

My name is Tim and i'll be contributing to this blog regularly. Let's get things rolling...

Music News:

Cincinnati, Ohio shoegazer band POMEGRANATES, on LUJO RECORDS, has completed their first tour. You can get their independently-released debut CD EP on their site. A full-length is forthcoming.

US black metal label E.E.E. RECORDS, from Illinois, known for releasing critically-acclaimed projects combining both post-rock and black metal, was burgalarized recently of a lot of items needed for running their label and recording their projects. Thankfully, they still have their CD stock on-hand. When they'll be able to fulfill order requests and release albums again is anybody's guess, but I'm really looking forward to that.

It's quite rare that Christians make black metal and these guys have been pumping out the highest-quality "unblack" or "white metal" that I've heard so far. I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but that's only if you actually care about the lyrical content of your music. And seriously, black metal isn't exactly a scene deserving of much respect, so whatever...

The two-piece 15-year punk/metal veterans known as CROATAN, also from Cincinnati, OH, have returned with one of their best efforts to date. A mix of black metal, grindcore, and other genres, their recently released album There Can Be Only Two, on Laguna Sunburn Records is definitely worth picking up. The lyrics cover such topics as the Bush Administration, the generic metalcore sweeping the world, and problems within their local metal scene.

The up-and coming Doom/sludge/drone band known as BENEATH OBLIVION, also from Cincinnati, OH, are currently on a tour of the Northeastern US and have a highly-limited cassette coming up soon. Not to mention a 10" vinyl release with Sin of Angels. Be sure to pick up both of them and catch them on tour if you're in the area.

Albums you should check out:

Orthodox/Gran Poder - Southern Lord Records
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club/Baby 81 - RCA/Island UK
Massgrav & Diskonto/A Blaze in the Northern Sky (Split Album) - Sound Pollution
Torche/Torche - Robotic Empire Records
All Things Bright and Beautiful/Love and Affection - Northern Records
Melk the G6-49/Glossolia - Joyful Noise Records
Child Bite/Gold Thriller - Suburban Sprawl/Joyful Noise Records
Light Shall Prevail (RIP)/Defeat the Reign of the Horned One Through the Light of Christ - E.E.E. Recordings/Gud Er Sannhet Records