Divine Mother Recordings

I recently received an email from Clifton that runs the Divine Mother Recordings label in Georgia, USA hepping me to his page on Bandcamp and fans of extreme metal take note: there’s some pretty cool releases being offered! Mainly modern hardcore bordering on grindcore in the mid-90s Napalm Death vein, but there’s some nice sludge, screamo and black metal-esque sounds with the occasional surprise thrown in as well.

Four releases so far – including the DIVINE MOTHER RECORDINGS – Collective Sound Vol. 1 16-track compilation – with the latest being the Grievances/Quiet Hands split 3″ mini CD that offers seven tracks in total. Grievances got the screamo hardcore thing going – with a slight death metal influence here and there – while Quiet Hands got a more brutal vibe going that really reminded me of Swedish death metal outfit Grave. Kinda hard picking out one specific track from the releases so check ’em all out ’cause I guarantee you’ll find something cool!

Sample track:

Bandcamp: http://divinemotherrecordings.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://divinemotherrecordings.blogspot.se/

Grime

For some (un)healthy aural pummeling, check out Italian outfit Grime‘s self titled debut EP released in the summer of 2011! These guys offer up a nice varied blend of sludge, doom and metal with screechy black metal-esque vocals with such intense aggression you physically recoil upon the initial listen. After a much disturbing intro (sampled from the Cape Fear remake) the band goes for your throat and don’t let up for half an hour.

This is just pure brutality at insane levels. The production, the attitude – everything seems designed to ultimately destroy the listener. Sometimes at a crawl, occasionally picking up speed the band never lets up and succeeds in their quest of completely annihilating their surroundings. Eight songs that is nothing less than physically exhausting, check it out!

Sample track: 

Bandcamp: http://grime666.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grime/209557405747608

Curse the Son

For a nice slice of yet-more Black Sabbath sounding stoner rock, check out Connecticut power trio Curse the Son‘s debut offering Klonopain! Mixing up the best of said UK outfit with modern bands like Sleep, the band adds their own take on the genre and serve it up with a nice, beefy production that got your speakers throbbing.

Seven songs of fuzzed out, sometimes at a crawl stoner clocking in at almost 50 minutes (the instrumental title track itself is 12 minutes), the band offers up those classic kinda riffs that are so good you’d swear you’ve heard them before, and vocalist/guitarist Ron Vanacore got a slight Ozzy-thing going. With no set price, this album is a must for any fan of stoner or extreme metal. Recommended!

Sample track:

Bandcamp: http://cursetheson.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/cursetheson

Julie Christmas

I love juxtapositions and if you ever toyed with the idea of what Bjork fronting Queens of the Stone Age would sound like you should definitely listen to Julie Christmas debut album The Bad Wife! Released in November on Rising Pulse Records, the album is her first solo effort (she handles vocals in Made Out Of Babies) and offers up nine tracks co-written with members from Candiria, Victory at Sea and Tony Maimone.

Basically a very original take on stoner rock, the music is at times lush and other just pure brutality with a nice experimental edge to it. There’s a great contrast between Julie’s sometimes pixie-like vocal sweetness and the sheer heaviness of the music itself that’s just awesome! Bringing to mind Josh Homme‘s more quirky musical endeavors – if you’re into the Desert Sessions series you’ll love this – I was pretty blown away by this album and highly recommend it. Available on iTunes, CD and vinyl too!

Sample track:

Bandcamp: http://juliechristmas.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://www.myspace.com/juliechristmas

Megachurch

Well, I’ve already given these guys a plug by interviewing them in the latest issue of CRKO Magazine, but thought I’d give them some exposure here as well. Cleveland trio Megachurch is one odd outfit that offers up a brand of technical instrumental stoner rock that truly is one of a kind! I got hooked when I stumbled across a live clip on YouTube and a week later was an owner of their first self-titled EP. Two bassplayers, one drummer and tons of samples from crazed television preachers is their forte – and they’re damn good at it!

If you’re a fan of stoner rock, or just eclectic music in general, these guys sure offer up a different take on the genre with some nice, unspected twists and turns reminding me of those quirky hardcore outfits from late 80’s early 90’s. One EP, one full length and this past summer they released the EP MEGACHIP, covering their own first EP – Nintendo Entertainment System-style! Check ’em out!

Sample track:

Bandcamp: http://megachurch.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://facebook.com/megachurch

Whores.

For a healthy dose of skull-crushing metallic sludge Georgian trio Whores. offer up their track Daddy’s Money off their debut 12″ EP Ruiner soon to be released on Panda Records. Admittedly inspired by bands like Black Flag and Melvins I hear a vast amount of influences ranging from early Helmet to Unsane, maybe even some Cop Shoot Cop with a bit of early Swans thrown in! We’re talking loud! Loud guitars, loud drums, screaming vocals and a pounding bass that goes for the jugular – brutal music as it is meant to sound.

According to the label bio the EP offers up a total of five tracks just perfect for your next dental surgery appointment, but I gotta say they could’ve offered a couple of more sample tracks on their Bandcamp. Check it out and get in touch with the label for the vinyl version.

UPDATE: Their Bandcamp site now offers all five tracks from their EP.

Sample track:

Bandcamp: http://whores.bandcamp.com/
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whores/108004672554176

Thorun

UK stoners Thorun‘s EP Chorus of Giants is the kinda record release/demo that makes you scratch your head wondering why they haven’t been signed to a label already. Maybe it’s because they dabble in instrumental music, a genre most people in the “industry” consider hard to market, but their brand of instrumental stoner rock is just perfect. Heavy riffs, great production, songs are good and varied without ever getting masturbatory (a risk pretty common with the metal genre).

Recorded live to keep the studio gimmickry to a minimum (giving them extra punk points for me!) they’re earning some well-deserved underground press and slots opening up for more established bands. Their first effort EP 2010: Reprise is available for free on Bandcamp as well as Megaupload.

Sample track:

Bandcamp: http://thorun.bandcamp.com/
Website:  http://www.thorunband.com/