HUGE No Visible Scars Update

I always look forward to getting these tapes in the mail from No Visible Scars; truly underground shit that not many people have heard, and always high in quality. Hopefully, my posts of their new stuff can expose more people to this cassette label that always has great stuff to offer. These guys had fucking Blessed Offal before Hells Headbangers picked up them up. That should tell you something.

First, what you see above - the new cassette from Italy's Ur, titled Clandestine Meeting Park. Drone, industrial, and ambient come together to produce two bleak 15-minute sound collages. Astonishingly dark and ripe with decay, this is what you hear when you die. Amazing.  15 copies available on clear yellow chrome tapes, while the rest are on single sided black tapes. Get it while you can, they don't figure to last all that long.

Second, a split cassette from Reclusa and Degenerate Slug. Reclusa sounds fucking impossible- and I mean that in a good way. Doom influences the industrial/ambient noise mix here. Really excellent. And Degenerate Slug has a pretty obvious Dissecting Table influence, which is always a good thing. Another excellent cassette that you must have.

Last but by no means least is this fucking killer split LP from Mania and Custodian. This is one is being talked about a lot, and it should be. Four new tracks from each artist - loud, crushing, noisy and fucking vacant. Both of these artists have the spirit of old industrial noise coursing through them, and it's so fitting that they end up on a split together. This can be streamed here; you can also buy mp3's there. If you want the LP, go to the NVS BigCartel.

The two cassettes above can also be heard and purchased at the NVS Bandcamp. The cassettes come with digital downloads. Support!

A Death Cinematic / Great Falls Split CDr

Another work of brilliant, sprawling improvised guitar drones from A Death Cinematic, paired with the aural destruction of Demian Johnston's Great Falls. Excellent work from both on this split CDr, limited to 127 copies, which has been in the works for quite some time. A tremendous difference exists in the artists' approaches to their sonic palates; this split is a testament to the power of juxtaposition.

The two ADC tracks can be streamed here, while the Great Falls track can be heard here.

This can be purchased from Simple Box Construction or Dead Accents. Act now.

Antithetic Records / Young and in the Way Contest Winner

Congratulations to Jeremy; he was chosen at random as the winner of the Antithetic Records / Young and in the Way contest. He wins a copy of the forthcoming YAITW album V. Eternal Depression, due out later this month form Antithetic Records. If you were counting on winning, and you didn't, you can still order the record from Antithetic, here.

Thanks to everyone for reading HSS and for participating!

Antithetic Records / Young and In the Way Contest

To help promote the excellent forthcoming new album, titled V. Eternal Depression, from North Carolina's Young and In The Way, HSS is sponsoring this great contest from Antithetic Records, which will be releasing this album on high quality audiophile vinyl in late November.

The winner of the contest will receive a copy of the album, which, as I said above, is being pressed on 200 gram audiophile vinyl, and packed in a 350gsm board jacket embossed with a Young and in the Way logo on the front. The album will also include a two sided insert with additional art and lyrics, a black poly-lined inner sleeve, and a screen printed logo patch. Shawn only does the highest quality work with his vinyls, so expect excellence. The contest winner will also receive a test press of the album as well as a choice of two LPs from the short but impressive Antithetic back-catalogue.

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post telling us why you're excited for this record.

You'd better be excited for it - as if Young and In The Way weren't amazing already, they've really turned it on for this album. As the album title may tell you, they have taken their sound in a much darker and experimental direction. It is heavier and more extreme than what we've heard from them in the past, and to tell you the truth, it really doesn't sound like the same band. The energy and full-throttle intensity with characterizes the band's sound is of course still present, but there is an aura of unforgiving loneliness and melancholy on this album that brings this band into uncharted territory. The album should be featured in many end-of-year lists, if enough people hear it. Hopefully, this helps people hear it. It is a truly amazing piece of work that I stand behind 100%. The folks over at CVLT NATION are on board as well, because they are streaming the album in its entirety now. You are hereby encouraged to go there, listen to the album, and.pre-order the album from Antithetic, unless you're planning on winning this contest. But given the number of entries we typically get, you probably shouldn't count on that...

This contest will run from now until the evening of November 2nd, at which point a lone winner will be chosen at random.

As always, content will be added to the site between now and then, but this contest will remain at the top. Just scroll down to stay abreast of new content, or follow the HSS Facebook Page.

Thanks for reading, and best of luck to everyone.

Dead Reptile Shrine - The Sun of Circles and Wood

The weird and mysterious Finnish black metal band Dead Reptile Shrine have a new record coming out soon. Following last year's split with Goatmoon, The Sun of Circles and Wood is the first full-length album from Dead Reptile Shrine since 2008's Burning Black Infinity.

In his playlist for HSS back in March, artist Denis Forkas Kostromitin (who has provided illustrations for this album, and some other Dead Reptile Shrine releases) described the album as "... simply overwhelming. A genre-defying pathway cleared between hidden traditions of the past and clairvoyance."

Weird Forest Records, whose catalogue of releases includes the lo-fi blackened folk interpretations of Dead Raven Choir, the stream-of-conscious raps of Lil B, as well as the sounds of numerous bands involved in noise and drone, are clearly not afraid of taking a risk with a band like Dead Reptile Shrine.

The Sun of Circles and Wood 2xLP is limited to 500 copies, mastered by Pete Swanson of Weird Forest labelmates Yellow Swans, and comes in a deluxe full-color gatefold with insert. Preorder now to get the album for the discounted price $20, or pay the regular price of $22 once the album is out. Pick it up and listen to some samples at Weird Forest's shop.