Black Elk

"The second album by Portland's Black Elk comes from a familiar enough starting point -- namely, there's something about loud guitars and aggressive yowling that will always please somebody, somewhere. Given how thoroughly any number of putatively different sounds and styles that match that description have essentially cross-fertilized into one monstrous leviathan of music, it comes as little surprise that Black Elk are almost a post-everything band -- they use lumbering metal, frenetic no wave rampages, epic solos, and distorted art noise, and that's just in the opening song "My Last Shred of Decency." But if Black Elk are still arguably working towards their own sound, they're doing so with panache -- and it doesn't hurt that they've got a full appreciation of the classic '80s thrash and power metal they pretty obviously grew up on. Hearing the spiraling solos and chunky riffs on songs like the fierce as hell "Pig Crazy," helped by the excellent recording quality throughout the album, complements rather than works against singer Tom Glose's rasped rampage. Meanwhile, the fact that the album ends on a perfectly melodramatic note with the ever-more-intense performance of "Winter Formal" cutting off suddenly to silence further shows the band's sense of how to leave a maximum impact behind. At this rate the group's next album should be a spectacular breakthrough." Ned Ragget @ all music guide

Always a Six, Never a Nine
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She Said Destroy

Unlike the name might suggest, She Said Destroy is not a metalcore/deathcore band. This is a band from Norway and their sound, not being very original, is quite unique. Drawing influences from noise rock, thrash, death metal and black metal alike, this unit has through both live performances and recorded material been prying the eyes and ears of whoever crosses their path open. One of my favourite records in the death metal genre, each music is different, I can't get bored of this one.

This City Speaks In Tongues

Colossamite

"Colossamite was a mid-to-late 1990's mathrock band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were one of the most prominent exponents of the genre. Colossamite's members included Nick Sakes (vocals, electric guitar), Ed Rodriguez (electric guitar), John Dietrich (electric guitar), and Chad Popple (drum set); the group had no bass player.

Rather than relying, as most heavy metal bands, on guitar distortion to produce an intense sound, Colossamite instead often relied on very loud "clean" (undistorted) guitars, played dissonantly, in conjunction with vocals that were screamed rather than sung. Songs featured jarring shifts in tempo and mood, with the overall sound being extremely raw, heavy and often slow..." Taken from wikipedia

This is one of those bands you either like or you don't. With me it was love at first listen. This music is so captivating. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, it's like a dream and a nightmare all together. If you're into weird/smart stuff you should really check them out.

The EP is very good but more linear. More easy listening. I recommend listening to it first as a preparation for the album, which is pleasantly disconcerting. By far one of the most geniusly composed albums I ever heard.

All Lingo's Clamour EP

Economy Of Motion