Ras Algethi - Oneiricon - The White Hypnotic

The year was 1995. I was moving from Missoula, MT to Minneapolis, MN via a Greyhound bus, with little on me but my bass, a few items of clothing, and a CD Walkman. The ride was around 48 hours or so, if not more, and the landscape of Eastern Montana and North Dakota is nothing but barren, brown wasteland dotted occasionally with a gas station or small run down town.

A week or so earlier I had purchased the newly released Ras Algethi debut album through the Fullmoon Records catalogue. I bought it on a whim, never even being slightly familiar with the band at the time. Perhaps if I had known that it had affiliations with Monumentum, I would have been more prepared.

It was about 1am and I was in a ghost town populated by perhaps 100 people at the most called Oxbow, Montana, right at the edge of the MT/ND border and I put this album in my CD player. This is the closest thing I have ever had to a religious experience while listening to someone else's music. It changed me, it moved me, and every dead town, every slab of road kill, and every solitary mysterious light in the distance fit in with what I was hearing at each moment. I listened to that CD non stop until I hit Minneapolis, about 8 times in all.

Once getting settled in Mpls, I contacted Ras Algethi main-man, Mauro Berchi, and we have been friends ever since. Shortly after this album was released, Ras Algethi morphed into Canaan, and Mauro started the eclectic and awesome label, Eibon Records.

This album is one of my favorite albums ever, and one of the best and most convincing moments in doom metal. Period.

More info HERE and download this album HERE

MC Hawking - E = MC Hawking

MC Hawking is one bad mofo. He rules the streets and those bitches from MIT better recognize. The Hawkman has been rhyming and running the streets for years now, and the creationists better watch their backs.

"E = MC Hawking" is a compilation of some of the better tracks from this master MC, even including a Led Zeppelin medley.

Info on MC Hawking HERE and download this album HERE

Warrior Soul - Last Decade Dead Century

In Junior High, I was obsessed with this album. It reflected my urge to roam, my new found taste for rebellion, and my raging hormones. A friend of mine named Mark who lived in some kind of half-way house for bad teens told me about this album. He told me it was really hard to find, and one of his favorite records. Later, when I found it on cassette, I thought I had struck gold. I loved it intensely. Sure, it is a Rock N Roll album, not much more, but its beautiful, evocative and always fills me with hope and reminds me of those days in Junior High.

I love this album even today, although I have to admit that much of it's appeal most likely lies in nostalgia, but I do think it is a strong album. None of the other records this band released since did a thing for me. Just this one.

Check it out if you haven't, one of my favorite records ever, and oh yeah, by the way, Warrior Soul's singer is Kory Clarke, who now sings for Trouble as well.

Info on the band HERE and download HERE

Here is their one semi-big hit, you may remember this video from such MTV programs as Headbanger's Ball. "We Cry Out" from the album "Last Decade Dead Century."

Skeletal Earth - Eulogy For A Dying Fetus

I was a huge Skeletal Earth fan back in the day. I traded tapes and letters with vocalist Travis Ogletree for years, so in 1991 when their first full length album came out entitled "Eulogy For A Dying Fetus," I was more than excited for it. It shares much with Napalm Death, but also injects some Pungent Stench style humor with catchy melodies and interesting hooks.

Skeletal Earth were the biggest and best of the TN/AL grind/death scene going on at the time that also included bands like Necrospasm, Cannibal Holiday, Mule Skinner, and one of my favorite unknown doom bands, Crematorial Death. The band split up in 1993 around the time I got a letter from Travis stating he had found God and was splitting the band up and selling all his metal.

"Eulogy For A Dying Fetus" proved to be just a stepping stone to much greater music later; my favorite being their 1993 cassette EP "Dreighphuck."

More information HERE and download HERE

See the band live in 1989

Tulip Sweet And Her Trail Of Tears - Touched!

Tulip Sweet and her Trails Of Tears was an odd anomaly in Minneapolis. I accidentally saw this band at The Uptown in Minneapolis in the mate '90s sometime, and I was somewhat flabbergasted. The band came off like a quirky and slightly drunk cabaret performance, complete with singing saw and various odd instrumentation, and the front woman, Tulip Sweet, stole the show. She sang and strutted around the stage like she was a lunatic, a stripper, and your best friend. Her voice achieving a scream as easily as a croon.

I saw her and her band multiple times in Minneapolis in the years I lived there, and these are the only recordings I ever owned, or heard by her. To me, this band was an oasis of originality and life in a music scene I found stale and weak. Their performances made the band seem larger than life, and Tulip owned the stage every night in a way I have rarely seen.

As far as I know they remained a local band for the most part, and did not receive much recognition in our outside of Minneapolis, and as far as I can tell, they are long gone, with little information on the web about them all. This is by far one of my favorite little known gems.

Tulip Sweet website HERE

Download "Touched!" HERE

and check out this funny music video for 'Rising Action!' from the album "Touched!"

Hollow Branches - Anchored In Sleep

Today is the official release date of Hollow Branches debut album, "Anchored In Sleep." It is being released through Strix Records free as a high quality download at either 192KB or 320KB mp3s or at 44.1 16bit .wav files for CD quality.

Hollow Branches is the product of my old friend Robert Hunter, formerly of Conversations About The Light. Helping him with this endeavor is Marius Sjoli and myself on bass guitar. Please also take notice of the DONATE button on the Strix Records site. Here is the official press release:


Thematically inspired by dreams, insomnia, nostalgia and morning, “Anchored in Sleep” finds Hollow Branches expanding their sound with elements of progressive and post rock, as well as glitch.
Many, many thanks go to Bernt Karsten Sannerud for giving the album so much attention in the mixing process.
If you like what you hear and want to donate, we have set up a donate button through Paypal. You can also help us out by letting us know what you think, or just sharing the album with others.

Download HERE

Paraxism - Promo 1997

As promised a while back, here is another installment of the wonderful Paraxism. Perhaps the most under-rated and unrecognized metal band ever, or at least to me and my circle of friends. My collection of Paraxism material differs from the info found at Metal Archives HERE so I will just go by what my tape traded tapes say about these demos and limited releases, like this one, that were not properly released and distributed.

So, as far as I am aware this was just called Promo '97, and as far as I know, was never really released or sent to labels at all. I have never seen a cover for it, and no little about it save what the band told me when it was released.

Enjoy one of the finest bands to EVER emerge from Finland. HERE