Year End Extravaganza: Noteworthy Albums of 2012

So this is probably the entry everybody's been waiting to glance over and pick fights about. It's the albums that made a huge impression on me this year in one way or another. Due to the large number of albums included, I'm just leaving links and images for your viewing/digesting pleasure. If you want to know my particular thoughts about one of these albums in great detail, you can get in touch via facebook, email, or twitter. I'm always happy to discuss my taste in music.

A Forest of Stars- "A Shadowplay for Yesterdays" (Lupus Lounge)

A Pregnant Light- "Hear the Slow Slow Shadow" (Colloquial Sound Recordings)

Ash Borer- "Cold of Ages" (Profound Lore)

Crowhurst- "No Life to Live" (Self-Released) Read the BMAB review

Death Fortress- "Pulling Ancient Stone" (Fallen Empire Records) Read the BMAB review

Dressed in Streams- "Azad Hind" (Colloquial Sound Recordings)

Hell- "III" (Eternal Warfare)

Horseback- "Half Blood" (Relapse Records)

Kuxan Suum- "Kuxan Suum" (Fallen Empire Records) Read the BMAB review

Neurosis- "Honor Found in Decay" (Neurot Recordings)

Pig Destroyer- "Book Burner" (Relapse Records)

Rectal Hygienics- "Even the Flies Won't Touch You" (Depravity Label) Read the BMAB review

Sutekh Hexen- "Behind the Throne" (Wohrt Records)

Trist- "Nostalgie" (Fallen Empire Records)

Unknown Artist- "RH-12" (Rhinocervs)

Vemod- "Venter pa Stormene" (Terratur Possessions)

Venowl- "Gnawed Gristle and Bone" (Ominous Silence) Read the BMAB review

Wulkanaz- "HNI" (Wohrt Records) Read the BMAB review

Also, here are a few of the albums I enjoyed but only listened to once or twice, but expect are of equal quality to those on this list:

Converge- "All We Love We Leave Behind" (Epitaph)

Fauna- "Avifauna" (Pesanta Urfolk)

Gaza- "No Absolutes in Human Suffering" (Black Market Activities)

The Great Old Ones- "Al Azif" (Les Acteurs De L'Ombre Productions/Antithetic)

Krallice- "Years Past Matter" (Self-Released)

Make A Change...Kill Yourself- "Fri" (Black Hate Productions)

Mgla- "With Hearts Toward None" (Northern Heritage)

With that, my magnificent list is finished and so is this year. Since Black Metal and Brews was just a fledgling website in 2012, expect grand things in the year to come. I'm grateful to all my readers, the labels, breweries and artists who have contributed their music and beverages to this blog, and to my close friends and my partner for listening to me ramble about this blog endlessly. You guys have given me a reason and an opportunity to continue writing, and I am grateful for every new person I meet because of this blog. Thanks for being around this year, and I'll see you tomorrow for the start of the next year.

Free Music Friday: Satan's Basement/The Baptism Split Cassette

Today's review is an interesting one for me. I'll admit that even a month ago, I was unaware that either of these groups existed. Furthermore, baptisms and Satan are inherently at odds with each other, so I was a bit amused by the unintentional contrast of the names of the bands, which intrigued me. While these names might imply bedroom black metal wizardry of some sort, the music here is definitely cut from a different strain of the metal world. Satan's Basement spends a lot of time proclaiming love for Bolt Thrower and Cavity on facebook, and the influences show here, especially Cavity. The Baptism I've got a hard time pinpointing or naming, but we'll get to that as the review goes on. Regardless of genre, this is definitely a piece of music that belongs on a metal blog, and this is definitely a metal blog.

Starting things off is Satan's Basement, contributing five full tracks and four interludes to their portion of this split. Opening track "Debilitation Through Insolence" appropriately starts things off at a snail's pace with bellowed vocals and dense guitars.  I will admit that I have no idea what is happening with the programmed drums in the faster passages of this first track, but the riffs and the vocals are ominous enough to overcome my confusion, and I'm listening through computer speakers (since my tape hasn't arrived yet), so take that mild criticism with a grain of salt. While some tracks feature more traditional metal riffs, there is a generally thick feeling throughout this side of the split that showcases Satan's Basement's commitment to heavier sounds, displayed quite well on the punky "Jethro Racing Music." Cutting up the slabs of sludgy goodness are well-executed transitional tracks that help craft an atmosphere of anxiety and chaos that pairs well with the phenomenal artwork that accompanies this tape. I'll touch on the artwork more in a bit, but for now it's time to visit with The Baptism.

The Baptism follow up with five tracks of pure hatred. The shrieking feedback and relentless drumming paired with ominous and depraved vocals reminds me of some twisted hybrid of Today is the Day and mid-period Behemoth, back when they weren't sure if they were black or death metal. As both these projects are one-man bands, it's really fantastic to find two groups who sound so different yet clearly have so much in common. Their second track, "Exit," has me thoroughly impressed. It's a dense and confusing affair, but I can't help but nod my head along and tap my feet, which I imagine is the blogger's equivalent of "rocking out," as it were. The only thing I can say I'm let down by with The Baptism's side of the split is that I'd rather see another original piece instead of their cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley" that closes out this album. It's not poorly executed in any way, I'd just rather hear more tunes from this promising new group. Regardless, they manage to not butcher a well-known song, as many metal bands tend to do, so I still approve of their choice to cover this tune.

Finally, I must say that the artwork here is beyond remarkable. You may have noticed that I shared a different album cover for each artist. That's because these guys went out of their way to make sure that the split has the best damn art possible. Both artists run their own labels and each label has its own unique set of art. The mural pictured above is the masterpiece which both individual covers are cut from, and is displayed on the official facebook page for this split album, where you can also find the album available for the free download that you've been waiting for. If you feel like making the official commitment and getting this badass album art along with your music, you can purchase it from either Hildsvfar Records or Excess and Moral Decay Recordings. Since each label only has eleven copies of this split, I don't believe it's featured in either store. Just send them an email and you'll be able to receive a copy of this excellent split tape.

Free Music Friday: The Weir- "Everything Blaowder Than Everything Else"

Today's installment of Free Music Friday is another release I found from a friend. I know pretty much nothing about this band, and I'm not sure I need to know much. It's obvious to me that they've probably got a decent sense of humor, what with the absurd demo title and the picture of a duck for its cover.

The music is aggressive and chunky, but it doesn't strike me as dull or overdone. It's definitely in the sludgy hardcore category, yet doesn't get caught up in any of the typical trappings of the genre. Instead, The Weir maintains a pretty intense pace, trudging ever onward into some sort of catharsis through heaviness. The three tracks presented here chalk up to only a little over 16 minutes, providing a great introduction to a mysterious and bludgeoning new group. If my memory is correct, these guys have members of the mighty WAKE involved. If that isn't a little extra incentive, just visit their bandcamp and let the music speak for itself. I'm pretty interested in seeing where they go from here. This is a promising assault, and I look forward to more.

Music Review: Trist & Nuit Noire split 7"

Today I'm examining an album by two bands who have been rather heavily hyped, yet have remained unheard by me until now. This split showcases that bands putting out a collaborative effort do not need to sound alike to complement each other nicely. I'll often hear a split album by two nearly identical bands that only serves to blur the line between the two and I find myself assuming that neither was creative enough to distinguish itself from its peer. The opposite seems to be true here, with two bands playing very different styles of black metal that are both quite pleasant to my ears.

Trist gets side A of this split, using it to continue the "Nostalgie" theme. This is "Nostalgie III", although you don't need to hear the others to appreciate this piece of music. I'll admit that this is my first experience with Trist and I still enjoyed it thoroughly, despite my evident need for further familiarity with Trist's body of work. This six minute track jumps right in with a dense and melancholy atmosphere that instantly reminds me of Amesoeurs' first EP, which is one of my personal favorites. The guitars buzz with sadness and the middle of the road tempo works well to create movement without it feeling frantic and abrasive. There isn't a whole lot of variation to this song, but it honestly doesn't need it. The greyscale photography of old buildings and nature that are paired with this side of the split work to create a true feeling of isolation and beauty. I always love when a band's artwork and music seamlessly fuse to immerse me in the experience, so this gets a thumbs up from me. I've long been a sucker for the depressive side of black metal, but have found a lot of recent attempts to be less than satisfying, so this is an incredibly welcome breath of fresh air.

If Trist's side of the split is meant to convey isolation and nature, then Nuit Noire's conveys madness and fantasy. The lyrical fascination with fairies here struck me as a bit bizarre at first, but the artwork and music are both spectacular and the fairy theme has somewhat grown on me. While most black metal bands seem content to talk about suicide, Satan, or Tolkien, this is an interesting subcategory and it brings me some joy to hear an original idea within a genre that's been worn thin. The thick fuzz of Trist's side does little to prepare the listener for the lo-fi punk-inspired black metal that comprises these two tracks. The vocals are pretty much just shouted/spoken in classic punk and hardcore fashion, which gives these songs a little more accessibility than standard harsh black metal vocals would, and helps gives a more timeless feel to the music. This could have been recorded in the late eighties and would have still been appropriate for the black metal trends of the era, which is not an easy accomplishment. The opening track, "Faerie Was Already There" is played at a breakneck pace yet it still manages to have some great guitar leads that make it memorable and catchy. The second track, "Fairies Fuck Humans" is a bit more varied of a tune, with some slower passages creating a nice balance to contrast the intense faster sections. I like to imagine that this is what one would hear when approaching the ominous gates that Nuit Noire has chosen for their logo.

While each side of this split ends rather abruptly, it only leaves me eager to find more releases from each of these groups. If you haven't already grabbed a copy of this split, you'd be wise to do so. Both groups are prime examples of their respective subcategories within the vast sea that black metal has become, and at only seven dollars from Fallen Empire, this record is practically a steal.

Music Review: Wulkanaz- "HNI" Cassette

Every now and then a band sits right on the edge of my thoughts. I hear their name, I see folks mention them, and I sometimes even take a minute or two to research them online, but I don't give them a proper listen because I've usually got dozens of bands on my "to hear" list at any given point. Such was the case with Wulkanaz until the past week or two. After months of hearing the name, I finally gave the Wulkana EP a listen and realized I'd seriously been missing out. Two days later, I got word that Wohrt Records was about to release the newest Wulkanaz tape. Needless to say, obtaining a copy for myself was mandatory. While the tapes are already sold out at the label, I feel that mentioning Wohrt's efforts on my blog is long overdue, and this release is proof of it, even if the majority of my readers will struggle to find this music.

The first thing I must say is that the packaging and presentation are above average, which is always rather satisfying to me. In addition to a hand-bound booklet to house the cassette, this release comes with a patch and a sticker. It's a simple detail that really adds up as a fan of music. Bonuses like this are what can help entice the younger generation realize that owning physical copies of music is more rewarding than simply pirating a collection of mp3s. As if the stellar packaging weren't enough, this cassette is everything one would hope for from a respectable artist and a high quality label. The A side opens with chanting voices in a ritualistic fashion, setting the perfect dark atmosphere for the stripped-down, driving black metal that the subsequent tracks provide. While some black metal feels rooted in tremolo picking and thick atmospheres that are more for listening than performing, I can imagine these songs would translate quite well in an intense live setting if Wulkanaz were not a solo project. The drums and guitar play back and forth in a way that causes me to involuntarily bob my head. I promise you'll do the same. This is well executed black metal in a very simple and pure form. The riffs are instantly memorable due to their clarity and frequent repetition. Where some bands would come across as monotonous, Wulkanaz instead uses repetition to create an instant familiarity with each song. I've only listened to the tape twice so far but even on my second listen, I can instantly recall the tunes and find myself enjoying them just as well as I did the first time.

While this tape is off the market already, I highly advise my readers to keep an eye out for future Wulkanaz releases. This music is simply amazing. While there is certainly a sense of variation from song to song, the lack of frivolous additions to the music is refreshing. Everything that Wulkanaz presents feels like it needs to be in the song, nothing more. Additionally, while this is Wohrt's newest release, expect me to cover the back catalog of Wohrt Records over the next few months, as almost every cassette I've received from this label should be considered necessary listening.

Free Music Friday: Yellow Eyes/Monument split cassette

Today's Free Music Friday was directly caused by a previous review I made. While finding the proper links for folks looking to hear Yellow Eyes' debut cassette, I happened across information about this little wonder. Monument were a band I had heard of before, but had not yet heard. Given how strong my love for Yellow Eyes' debut was, I refused to even peruse the tracks on bandcamp and simply placed my order. While some may view this as a risky move, I knew it would be impossible to grasp the intensity of this music without holding it in my hand and listening to it through my stereo system. When it arrived in the mail (a week ago today) I was thrilled. I was spending the afternoon with a friend and didn't have the opportunity to listen to it, but I kept sneaking peeks at the tape and daydreaming about the music contained within. I told myself I'd hold off for a few weeks before featuring this band again in my blog. This morning I decided against that. This cassette needs to be featured now, while actual purchase is still an option for those who aren't merely content with a free download.

Starting things off with Yellow Eyes' contribution to the tape, I'm immediately aware of two things: they've added a new member to the band since their last recording, and these songs are noticeably longer than any track on their first cassette. Opening track "The Solid Chime of Matching Bone With Harder Strength" slowly creeps in with distant ambiance, which builds towards a full force aural assault that the band carries through both of their tracks here. Anything nice I said about the first cassette is equally true, if not enhanced upon, in this release. The drums are perfectly produced, and the guitars are fuzzy enough to create a great atmosphere but nothing of the musicality is lost. The first song is nearly ten minutes long, which gives me hope that soon Yellow Eyes will be crafting epics upwards of ten minutes in length on their next effort. Few bands can hold my attention for such a span, but Yellow Eyes certainly know how to keep me focused. Rather than dully plodding along, these two tracks sound equally chaotic and beautiful. The peculiar high-pitched dissonant leads that caught my attention on their debut are still here, but are fused with rhythmic passages that complement them perfectly. This music makes me feel like I'm marching towards my death through heavy rain. It's truly brilliant.

Flipping the tape over, it's time for an introduction to Monument. Like Yellow Eyes, Monument provides two lengthy tracks here. Judging by the image on the insert, it's safe to say this is a solo affair, which makes the fullness of this music even more impressive. Monument's opening track "Milchama (Wound)/Coughing Up the Blood of Hope and Love" starts with a very warm feeling drone, almost like the one ray of sunlight making its way through complete darkness (I'm assuming this is the Milchama part). When the drone fades out, Monument conjures up a swirling mess of lo-fi black metal perfection. This side of the cassette has that fuzzed out feeling I love so much, where I get the feeling that the band is performing in the middle of a foggy forest and I'm hearing the music from about a mile away. This music feels much more ritualistic and purposeful than a lot of newer bands, which gets a huge thumbs up from me. There are many slower passages here, that lack not in intensity, but merely serve to create a stronger atmosphere. It's clear that while the music is slightly more stripped down than the A side of the cassette, it's intentionally so, and the mood is denser and darker here. With the bleak beauty of Monument and the spiraling fury of Yellow Eyes, this tape is perfectly paired without simply containing two identical artists.

For those who haven't already made their way to the bandcamp page for this release, I advise you do so now. It's listed at "name your price" and it's required listening whether or not you have a cassette player. If you're into the experience of owning a physical copy, this tape is one of the most well packaged cassettes I've ever received. It's clear that Sol Y Nieve is committed to creating some of the most attractive album experiences, inside and out. Click the label's name to obtain your own copy of this masterpiece for only $5 if the free download just won't cut it for you. I know it wouldn't be enough for me.

Free Music Friday: Wizard Smoke- "The Speed of Smoke"

It's time for another weekend, which means another new album for you to study and enjoy. Today's free album comes courtesy of Atlanta-based sludgelords Wizard Smoke. If the name seems a bit ridiculous to you, then you probably shouldn't read on. While their name conjures up images of Gandalf enjoying his pipeweeds, their music is sure to bash in your skull at a slow and steady pace.

Opening this massive album is the intimidating "Dead Wood," a mid-paced jam with distant shrieks cutting through the thick and heavy layers of guitars and drums. All the harsh vocals on this album sound as though they're being screamed from across a vast chasm, or perhaps from an evil wizard calling out from another dimension. I'm a sucker for that distant reverb-heavy sound, and Wizard Smoke seem to be on the same page. Despite their love for a good groove, these guys aren't afraid to get a bit spacey and psychedelic, which is an excellent addition. There are so many solid guitar leads throughout the album, adding layers of light and contrast to the bleak cosmic doom that makes up the majority of this band's songwriting. It's the little accents that really bring out the strengths of a band like Wizard Smoke. Solid repetition can be enjoyable, but the subtle variations that may go unnoticed keep a steady groove from becoming a monotonous task. I find myself nodding my head along through the entire 45 minutes of this mammoth of an album, which is pretty awesome. My personal favorite track on the album is the psychedelic dirge, "Weakling," which features heavily processed vocals that sound alien in origin over a solid, aggressive groove, which eventually boils over and dissolves into the haunting intro for the nearly eleven minute epic, "Growing." If you want to get down to some great sludge, find it here.

Each song on this album has a sold mix of old and new ideas. Some of the riffs feel like they were pulled from the same bluesy swamps from which Black Sabbath crafted their first album, and some moments here feel like they'd be more at home sharing a stage with the ferocity of a band like Thou. It's really wonderful to have a band cover the entire progression of a genre in one album like this. I feel like I've listened to five equally relevant blues, metal, and rock albums in the time it took me to listen to this one piece of metal fury. If you're into any sort of slow and heavy music, you should give this album a listen. After all, the band themselves have it up for free download on their website. If you're like me and think you may want a physical copy of this beast after your repeated visits with this smoky stompy album, the band appear to have some copies of the cassette left in their online store for only five bucks. Doom on, and I'll see you next Friday for another freebie.

Music Review: Horseback/Njiqahdda/Venowl/Cara Neir split Cassette

Well, this review is quite the undertaking. Handmade Birds has produced another monstrous split cassette from four of the most daring and unique bands in extreme music today. Each of these groups has a distinctive sound, even apart from the other groups sharing this cassette, which makes this split a unique and cherished addition to any collection. Since there's a lot to review here, I'm jumping from the intro right into the details. Here we go.

Side A of this cassette features one track each from Horseback and Njiqahdda. Horseback open things up with the off-kilter track "Heathen Earth," possibly a nod to the Throbbing Gristle album of the same name. As any Horseback listener knows, they tend to keep their music unpredictable and this is no exception. The opening of this tune is as funky as anything I could imagine them doing, yet builds up in a very ceremonial fashion, as if the band has prepared to summon the very song itself. I envision walking up to a fire-lit ritual where Horseback is waiting to guide the listener into the deeper recesses the rest of the tape will explore. Layers of droning guitar and elevating feedback build over the steady pulse of drums and bass playing in unison as the song makes its way into more familiar Horseback territory, complete with intense black metal inspired vocals and the foggy atmospherics they've built their reputation upon. Even at its thickest and most intense, this song maintains a shimmering, trance-like beauty which will likely appeal to folks who aren't as well versed in music of this nature. The incredibly prolific Njiqahdda follow with the monumental "Towers Constructed to Break the Sky," which is also featured upon their recently released Towers and Tides EP. The production here is noticeably cleaner and this music is more technically slanted, yet the band manages to maintain an atmosphere of beauty and passion despite it. The drums are incredibly well played and produced, which I'm always delighted to hear. When the clean introduction caves in to the distorted guitars and faster drumming about a minute in, it feels so seamless. The bellowed vocals have the mud-covered inflection of groups far sludgier, bringing to mind Neurosis more than most progressive-leaning extreme metal groups, which is a nice touch. The song's title and musical textures work quite nicely to evoke imagery of man's constant ambition towards self-deification, which is a pleasant excursion for my mind to embark upon. The peaks and valleys of Njiqahdda's track are easy to follow and despite its great length, it's no great effort to listen and be captivated through its entirety.

The B side of this tape contains a new track from Venowl and three songs from Cara Neir, whose aggression has already graced this blog.  Venowl's contribution, simply titled "III," provides a stark contrast to the melodic tones of the prior two groups, delving into the fuzz and filth that I so often speak about throughout this blog. The pace is slow, the guitars and drums tend to attack at the same moment, making each pulse of the song painfully delightful. This feels like it was recorded in a poorly lit basement in the true fashion of classic black metal, but with a different take on the sounds of the genre. The vocals are shrill and tormented, the production is murky yet does nothing to mar the intensity here, and the band's dissonant attack on the listener provides little to soothe or relieve the tension they create. The entire song makes me feel like I'm being dragged headfirst down a stairwell into a dungeon while hearing the screams of other prisoners. I'd love to know what the lyrics are, as I have a feeling these guys have some pretty dark inspirations behind their hideous assault. Closing this split are three intense cuts from Cara Neir, starting with the pitch black fury of "Minus His Confidence." While the band certainly haven't given up their outside influences, this song is as close to pure black metal as anything I've heard from them and it absolutely shreds. Despite the absurd pace of the song, these guys still manage to fit in a break for a wild guitar solo and a few other little touches of brilliance. For a pair of young musicians, these guys are quickly carving out a niche for themselves, and hopefully other equally talented groups will begin to follow suit. The meaty punk-inspired blackness of "No Right Path" feels like another full-on assault, although it's a fraction of the length of closing masterpiece, "Seize and Exist." This seven minute tune returns to more of Cara Neir's trademark territory, opening with chaos all across the board that hones itself into a pummeling blackened attack, marching forcefully onward just long enough to surprise the listener when the song breaks down into a spacey dirge a couple of minutes in. For a band drawing from such a broad range of influences, these guys continue to impress me with their ability to meld it all together without sounding forced or pretentious.

This entire cassette impressed the hell out of me, to be honest. I figured I'd be able to pick a standout track or particular artist whose music touched me in a particular way, but each group's contribution is so unique and enjoyable that I'm just going to recommend you get a copy and that you do it quickly. Only 250 of these gems were made and I see the price escalating quickly via discogs and ebay once these sell out. Get it for only 9 bucks from Handmade Birds. It's already sold out over at EEE Recordings, but you should check out that store if you're interested in more Njiqahdda related releases, they've got a ton of great stuff.

Music Review: Mütiilation- "Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul" LP

Keeping with the spirit of this blog's name, I proudly present what I consider to be one of black metal's most important albums. Probably the most well known project from the French LLN community, Mütiilation needs little introduction. This band is the vile child of sole member Meyhnach's twisted mind. While the project is no longer active, it enjoyed a lengthy run of quality output, my favorite of which is this phenomenal album. There have been a few prior releases of this album, but the copy I have here is the 2012 release from Dark Adversary Productions, which Meyhnach himself has officially given his seal of "cursed" approval. The packaging is minimal, mocks "a Colombian wanker's shit label" that apparently did poor business with Meyhnach in 1993 and features no insert or details. I find the bleak, minimal, and incredibly negative packaging to be the most appropriate presentation for an album so hideous and unpleasant. If the artwork and intensity of the band's apparent vision don't drive away the unprepared, putting the record on the turntable will clear a room of black metal wannabes in a heartbeat.

The album opens with the intimidating and wretched "Suffer the Gestalt," which crawls from minimal drumming with eerie groaning into violent vocals and buzzing treble-heavy guitars. The churning misery here is both appalling and fascinating. This is clearly the work of a young artist on what is likely an infinitely slim budget, yet the passion is apparent and ferocious. The guitars drop in and out wherever Meyhnach sees fit, rather than the dense walls of sound being created by his Norwegian peers around the same time. Whereas most black metal of this era was majestic and natural, this was introspective, hateful and raw. The song tapers out much the same way it wanders in. Following it is the barrage of "To the Memory of the Dark Countess." Where "Suffer the Gestalt" is ominous and sparse, this song is thick and driving. An almost punk-inspired drumbeat carries through much of the song and the guitars lean much more towards minor chords and other trademarks that often accompany "depressive" black metal. I'm no scholar, but I'll say this album (which is a compilation of Mütiilation's prior works) likely paved the way for many popular depressive black metal groups that came in later to capitalize on their own misery. Hands down, this is some of the most violent and wonderful black metal I've come across. I first heard it years ago when I was just getting into the genre, and I didn't know what to make of it then. I still have no idea how to fully digest this music, but I know it's totally addictive for me. I can't say enough how thrilling each track is on this album.

While I could continue a track by track list of this album, it should honestly be considered mandatory listening for anybody looking for a thorough understanding of black metal. Historically and musically, this album carries so much weight. It sounds like it was recorded in a filthy basement and it's far from a clean sounding recording, but this is exactly what drew me to black metal in the first place. This isn't safe. This isn't polished. This is dangerous and depressing. While metal to some may be a place to mosh and just have an all around good time, there's also a serious appeal to the tortured sounds of true misery and ugliness. Every single track on this album has memorable and filthy riffs. The vocals are pained and distant. The drums are inconsistent and raw. This is some of the meanest black metal you'll hear, and while you may not enjoy it at first, it will draw you back in. I know I couldn't stand it when I first heard it, but I kept finding small moments from this album lingering in my mind while I was going about my day. To finally own this piece of black metal history is one of my greatest joys. I hope you'll do yourself the favor of obtaining a copy however you're able. I got mine from Fallen Empire's Distro, but I'm sure there are other options out there as well.  If the two tunes I've already posted and my high praise haven't already sold you on this, please listen to my personal favorite song from the album, "Travels to Sadness, Hate, and Depression." If this masterpiece doesn't convince you that you need this album, perhaps you're just not ready for Mütiilation just yet. One day it will call you back and you'll understand its hideous appeal.