Gory Blister- Art Bleeds

Gory Blister- Art bleeds Yontar o meter: 90/ 100

okay yea i know their name is dumb. let's just get that out of the way. I agree with you. But man you want to talk about technical death metal in the vain of death and atheist. This stuff just reeks of early death metal, and I love the reekage. Brilliantly executed riffs, catchy, and still mighty heavy. It's pretty similar to death, but with more of a thrash influence, and the occasional dismember-ish style section, and a good deal more progressive. The musicianship is utterly remarkable, and for any musician or fan of wickedly good chops this a real must have in the metal realm. So, it's alot like a more progressive death with cleaned up modern production, but it's very very very tight, and very well done.

Kekal- 1000 thoughts of violence

Kekal- 1000 thoughts of violence, yontar o meter: 90/100

Ok so combine years of black metal experience, avant garde tangents, and industrial/electronic music and you have kekal. One of the most unique bands i know of and from indonesia. this really is great stuff and if you have never heard it pick it up. Loads of atmosphere (but very well done, and with good production values), really cool progressive songwriting, and general uniqueness make this a win in every way for me. seriously, go find it.

Subterranean Masquerade- Suspended Animation Dreams

Subterranean Masquerade- Suspended Animation Dreams Yontar o Meter: 94/100

More avant-gardeish stuff. This is closer to avant garde metal influenced stuff, pretty similar to maudlin of the well, if anyone has heard of them. But it's top notch stuff. Very well produced, very emotional artistic side of avant-garde. This is NOT mr bungle avant garde metal. This is purely expression based, and really genuine without being too extreme for most people (good thing I am not most people, cause then I wouldn't have bungle or anything similar). The musician ship is really good, and there is variety amongst the instrumentation (different percussion, horns, winds, strings etc.). Give this a try if you haven't yet. It surprised the crap out of me, hopefully it will spark something in you too.

Nile- Annihilation of the Wicked

Nile- Annihilation of the Wicked Yontar o meter 95/100

So, metal is what got me really into music, and out of the pack of brutal death metal bands nobody even comes close imo to nile or suffocation. This is my favorite Nile album because it's solid and has great production (unlike many of their old works). So, this brutal as crap. Their lyrics are based off of very deep studies in Egyptian mythology, and Egyptian mythology is brutal. Not brutal like grindcore or hxc brutal bull crap this is BRUTAL. This album will make you reconsider what heavy is. Yea, it's that heavy, and I freaking love it. Amazing musicianship, some of the fastest riffing out there, and slow sections that will make your brain go numb. Seriously if you like heavy stuff, check this crap out. NOW.

Pink Floyd- Animals

Pink floyd- Animals Yontar o meter: 91/100

When I am in the mood for spacey progressive rock, pink floyd and riverside hit the spot. Man, this album is just so classic, great soloing, great concepts. I can't say enough about. Truly beautiful alot of the time, and just so genuine. Plus, man what an awesome cover! Go check out all of their classics (the wall, wish you were, dark side). It's good. I believe it's good, and so do millions.

Frank Zappa- One size fits all

Frank Zappa- One size fits all Yontar o meter: 97/100 (holy crap this is good stuff!)

So, thanks to a friend I made here at school I delved in once again into the avant-garde and generally ridiculous world of Frank Zappa. This album in particular is freaking brilliant (many of his other albums are as well, but this one is more consistent than alot of his work, while still being completely un-commercial). From the get go there are three main influences in frank's work. Blues and Hard rock (usually together, sometimes separate), Jazz, and spastic classical music. It's like listening to Prokofiev mixed with a blues band, played by Jazz musicians inside of a giant sofa. I can't say enough about the musicianship and the arrangements, and his sense of humor is still fully intact as well. Just a blast of an album. Highly, highly reccomended.

Estradasphere- Palace of Mirrors

Estradasphere- Palace of Mirrors- Yontar o meter: 92/100

Some bands have criminally small reputations and followings. Estradasphere should be right up there with mr bungle and the fantomas in the avant garde scene, and maybe even better known than them because of their tendency for far more melodic music.

Now, obviously it is avant garde and tons of styles are covered. From the epic to the very quaint. From country and folk influenced music to things bordering prog rock and classical. It's a real adventure and the weird genre mixes are a great listen. Each player is really good and the songwriting is very accesible for being avant garde. If secreit chiefs were way less wierd and did some jamming with bungle (the california bungle) then you would be in the estradasphere area. A really great act, very talented live as well. It's Understood is also an awesome album (a 91 or so)