2010-03-03 We have received tons of comments and e-mails regarding last week's update: we are always proud to surprise you in some way or another, dear readers! Following through, we come up today with another special event in and of itself, something we have never featured here before, our very first video interview! In fact, behind-the-crowd groundbreaker and R-rolling specialist Dr. Chrystof had a seat with Folk Metal pioneers DORNENREICH's frontman Eviga. Hopefully, this will start a new trend at AGM.com, and more and more video interviews, whenever it is possible for our crew to do so, should be presented online. Thank you for watching! ZEITGEISTER - does that ring a cowbell? We certainly hope so. Not quite an interview, not quite a conversation, the new ISLAND album is playing in the background as Christian Kolf and Tentakel P. will take anyone clicking here on a fantastic journey. You enjoy your Death metal crossed with some prog music and a pinch of avant-garde? Walk no further, as Adam McAuley uncovers CEREBRUM's latest album, Spectral Extravagance. It's been an inside joke at our offices, there is nothing Simon Brand likes more than finding bands no one has ever heard of heretofore. Come discover his most recent discovery, the Czech AGM band HARMONY BAY. Apparently, in many European metal clubs, "I love AGM" is now the most used pick-up line...
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2010-02-24 As spring awaits us just around the corner, we at Avantgarde-Metal.com are proud to present to you the least holy trinity in the history of this site. Three shades of black, three mighty emperors, three awe-inspiring resurrections. First of all, we are the most proud to present the Czech lords of symphonic Black Metal experimentalism: MASTER'S HAMMER. Last autumn, they suddenly returned from 14 years of silence, to release their fourth full-length album, Mantras. As they are regarded by many as one of the first Avantgarde Metal bands ever, thanks to their awe-inspiring 1992 Black Metal operetta The Jilemnice Occultist, aVoid couldn't resist contacting the MH boss Franta Storm for an interview; read what he has to say here. Meanwhile, he also received a copy of aforementioned Mantras; read the review here. Though ABIGOR made their comeback already back in 2007 with the highly acclaimed Fractal Possession (according to you, last decade's twelfth best album), it is now time for them to prove their worth as a stalwart of modern, post-apocalyptic abstraction. Adryuu mounts a black-metallic time machine to discover both the primitivism and the end of the world unleashing the sulphur in the veins of the saint. If you haven't been sleeping under a grim rock in the misty forests of the Northern Pagan Winter, you've probably noticed that a certain prolific Black Metal phantom from Norway has returned from a 17 year long absence. Yes, Varg Vikernes has returned from Helheimr and indeed crafted a new BURZUM monolith. Read Olivier Side's enthusiastic review of the White Black Metal runestone Belus, beyond the border where music and only music matters. Any colour you like, as long as it's BLACK...
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2010-02-18 Many of you will remember Oliver Side's interview with Espen Ingierd, which was quite successful and popular among our readers. What you didn't know yet is that Mr. Side was also interviewing Einar Sjursø aka Einz from BEYOND DAWN fame, an artist playing in countless other respected bands such as VIRUS, LAMENTED SOULS and TWO TRAINS. This week's update is therefore dedicated to this 'been there done that' veteran of the Norwegian AGM scene. In fact, Einar Sjursø is the mastermind behind Duplicate Records as well, so it was easy to learn a bit more about the label's behind the scenes and future. Now to the reviews. Quite on par with this week's update, James Slone visited the first TWO TRAINS full-lenght album from 2004, and once more charmed by the singer's unique tones, he discovered that BEYOND DAWN perhaps isn't so much dead as we are normally led to believe. During some monstrous manoeuvres in Germany, Tentakel P. dangerously got his mind splitted into shizophrenic wavelengths as he returned from WOBURN HOUSE's Mushroom Maze. And looking for the HAIKU FUNERAL's assassin from a secretly ritualized basement in downtown Montreal, Oliver Side meditated out of his body in a grand cathedral full of hashish. In the name of AGM, we fluctuate (far) beyond.
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2010-02-10 Indeed, it is a wonderfully experimental update that we are able to share with you this week. It seems like AGM will never stop to mesmerize our writers! Between you and us: we are very proud to know that you are of course going to read ALL of the update quite effortlessly, since the new articles are so much interesting. To warm things up right away, Adam Matlock braved street lines 60-strong to see KAYO DOT perform their first album, Choirs of the Eye, and their latest, Coyote. He also managed somehow to talk composer and bandleader Toby Driver into answering long winded and highly-specific questions about his music. You know you're curious. We also have three more otherwordly adventures to put on the map to your musical self-enlightment. To begin with, father extravaganza Glenn Doom investigated into a unique American AGM band that almost no one remembers nowadays though everyone should, DAZZLING KILLMEN. Please be careful listening to their music as it's not for the faint of heart! From his ice castle in Sweden, aVoid took a trip with MoRKoBoT, flying beyond the border and back again - and now you can see his slides! And to conclude with a spicy pinch of pop noir weirdness, underground detective Adryuu illegally passed through the borders of Norway to gather more information on the unexplainable risks and investments of DU. Only mimic the unmimicable...
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2010-02-03 Since last week, many strange events have kept our writers busy handling their heavy duties. The strangest of all, let's face it, must have been when AGM gathered its crew on to conquer YOUTUBE! No, you're not going blind, avantgarde-metal.com can now be found on youtube.com, where the most AGM videos we can discover will be displayed. If you find something missing on our otherwordly channel, never hesitate to tell us about it on the forum or directly to our writers! This is a project we strongly believe in. We want to present the most thorough cybernetic AGM Video Club online, which will be specifically dedicated to the bizarre and cinematic experiments in relation with Avant-Garde Metal music. Join us on our quest! Back to business, we also have a great, multi-forms slice of reviews to share with you today. What is it that we're hearing, uh? "You can't listen to this noise!" "This is no music any longer!" "That album is no fun, it just hurts!" – Well, our writer Thor got used to arguments like these while talking with friends and metal bro's about SHINING's fourth album Black Jazz. When noticing the "professional" German metal media's reactions on this marvellous album, he felt the urge to answer back. And we're glad he did! After three days living exclusively under the Ancient Celtic code of mental behavior, underground traveller Adam McAuley has not only reached new esoteric planes of existence with PRIMORDIAL's 2005 album, The Gathering Wilderness, but he has gently reviewed his experience for us. Finally, his critical sarcasm zoomed on to the recent and quite over-hyped documentary on Norwegian Black metal, Until The Light Takes Us, radical freelance writer James Slone brings his grain of salt to an otherwise rather popular plate. Go on for a voyage among the highways to visual and hearing expansion...
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2010-01-27 It seems like we never stop discovering new pearls among the weekly junk. This time around, we have decided to serve you another plate full of new AGM space mutants. A few weeks ago, programming Spanish overlord Adryuu gently informed you about FLUORYNE, this new, expressionist quintet from Germany, a band he got so interested in that he now has a mind-revealing interview with mastermind Falk for you to enjoy. Simon Brand, forever faithful to his sniffing nose, kept his eyes wide open to witness the wordly fall of icons, which under the influence of he suddenly felt like he had to investigate further into the latest IKUINEN KAAMOS - the first 2010 album, by the way, to be featured on our website. Last but not least, as there's not much snow left in his living area, for three nights in a row Oliver Side literally believed that summertime was back in town, so only wearing bermudas he pulled out his BEYOND THE VAULT series, went subconscious and ended up in an emergency room, almost completely frozen to death, where he managed, against his nurse's controlling insistence, to write the blueprints for this article. The series has never been reviewed before anywhere online so this is a rather exclusive offering. Keep the Weirdness Out of Tune...
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2010-01-20 Once again, another special update is on its way towards you! It's getting harder every year to discover newcomers in the AGM scene who do not simply sound like newcomers. As it is, even the AGM scene is becoming full of traps one has to avoid in order to move further from the genre's clichés. So Oliver Side was very determined to get in touch with ORANSSI PAZUZU from Finland, a fresh new AGM band only busy doing their own thing. First off, he did interview them and then felt like he definitely had to review Muukalainen Puhuu, their first album from 2009. We hope you will enjoy this most alien entity! Also, continuing the tradition established between agm.com and metal.de, Tentakel P. was equally enchanted by GRUENEWALD's II as Thor, and as he found nothing else to add to Mr. Wanzek's praise of the album on metal.de, he limited himself to translate it. Finally, to put a dreamy end to this week's dream sequence, Simon Brand traveled to an Electro Jazz Metal dimension made of structured diamonds and odd timings to review CANVAS SOLARIS' last tornado-album from 2008, The Atomized Dream. Until next week, try pushing yourself beyond the limits of humanity.
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2010-01-13 Still relaxing from the many hours of work which went into the most popular POLL in the history of agm.com, we come back stronger than ever with a very special Wednesday's delivery. To begin things with, Adam Matlock is back from the grave with a fresh new interview with Japanese gentleman Mirai from SIGH. Needless to say, we are very excited to feature such an important band for the avant-garde fields of metal music. Come find out about their upcoming deranged album, Scenes from Hell. Long live Japan! We also have new reviews for you to enjoy. Spending his darkest hours under the Spanish snow falling, Adryuu tells a chronicle of a Black Old Journey he regularly takes still nowadays accompanied by BLACKDRONE INC., an international formation originating from Cesena, Italy. While his last few months were close to comatose sleep and depression, Oliver Side could barely hold a pencil when he discovered LUUSIFERIININ ARMOSTA, the band which literally saved his life and got him back on track, at least until his next visit to the local asylum. Open your nimble ears to what frightens you!
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2010-01-06 Ladies and Gentlemen, not only a year has passed, but also a whole decade. So today we present you the BIGGEST AVANT-GARDE METAL POLL EVER. Thanks a lot to all the participants. You did a great choice. This day is fully dedicated to YOUR favourite bands and YOUR favourite albums. Enjoy what moved you most during the past year as well as during the past decade. Never stop the Freak Show...
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2009-12-30 LAST CALL FOR VOTES! The annual agm polls will close this Saturday. Drop your vote and help deciding about the highlights of the year, the decade and the eternity! Today we have the joy to introduce a very promising agm newcomer to you: Adryuu falls deep into a German Expressionist landscape turned to black metal, courtesy of FLUORYNE. We are also happy to welcome back our old fellow: David, formerly known as Trident, returns from a year long journey without music and sees the future of metal music in DARK AGE’s new masterpiece! Suleiman enlights his rocket pipe for HYPNOSIS. Kevin jumps beyond the border for HAYLEY JANE. In reaction to Dr. Liguano's top-notch journalistic coverage of Metallica's discography, Oliver Side answers with an appreciation of the first, second, third and fourth Megadeth albums, which he considers to be their magnum opuses. Indeed, Mr. Side favours Megadeth over Metallica. Is this the starting point to a new rivalry between two of our writers? How suspenseful!
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2009-12-23 LIGNANO IS DOCTOR! Mr. Jonny Lignano, one of our most foremost writers, celebrated his University promotion last Saturday. Now you have to call him "Dr. rer. soc. oec. Jonny Lignano” or simply "Dr. Lignano”. So it’s time for a big reading party. Tonight the Doctor himself shares his overwhelming scientific intellect with us: ”Jingle Hells”, "Merry Antichristmas”, skull Angels and Christmas trees with pentagrams and inverted crosses – this is what you would have found here if Lignano was a normal metalhead writing for a normal metal magazine. But he isn’t. Instead, as exquisite Christmas presents, he brings you two contemplative specials with all in all 14 (!!!) new articles! In the first special he introduces a legend of countertenor avant-garde pop to you: (Santa) KLAUS NOMI. And in the second special he deeply investigates the life work of METALLICA (as deep as it can get...). Enjoy this trip beyond the border. And don’t forget to send Dr. Lignano your salutes & congratulations!
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2009-12-16 With snow flakes dancing in the wind and J-Christ's death rebirth process getting closer every day, we think it's the right time to once more bring you some fine instances of AGM lunacy. That's why we have four new reviews to feed your outborn souls with, hoping to keep your hunger for the AB-NORMAL worlds of Metal music quite fully satiated. Also we want to remind you to keep participating to our READER's 2009 POLL! Out of the blackest of cosmic black holes, poet aVoid follows JHVH into the dark cellars of the soul, where everything is turned backwards. On her return from Nowhere Zero, veteran Jobst regressed back in 2001 to unfold the great mysteries of ENSLAVED's classic album Monumension. Then the Troll of Thor, due to his most recent transhuman mutations (which we didn't quite expect, to put it bluntly), encountered the strange vellum-bound bones creature and/or spectre of the new BERGRAVEN album. As if that wasn't enough, Tentakel P. checked out the New Kids avant the Block, NEBELKRÄHE, and tell us why we should keep an eye or two on them. Don't be afraid, it's not going to hurt you - or is it? Snow flake picture © David Goering.
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2009-12-09 Ladies and Gentleman, once again another year has nearly passed. This ripes the time for our ANNUAL READER’S POLL – YOUR AGM HEROES OF THE YEAR. Not only 2009 has nearly passed, but also a huge decade full of information, a decade that turned our lives into screens – the ”Twothousandzeros”. So this year we are not only searching for YOUR TOP 5 AGM ALBUMS 2009. We are also looking for YOUR TOP 10 AGM ALBUMS OF THE DECADE 2000 – 2009 and, to complete the trinity, for YOUR TOP 10 ALLTIME AGM BANDS. Click the banner above to read more about it. Of course you can also find some exquisite reviews this week: aVoid goes for a walk in the dark parks of life, until he finally reaches a Crossroad. Then nothing is left in him but confusion and despair, which he kind of likes, though. Simon dances Sitaki in a Zorro costume with ZORRAS. Our friend Ulv returns from the wild south with PROD. And Kevin dompteurs MY FLEA CIRCUS.
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2009-12-02 Now that we're calming down from the huge Ulver update we have published last week (thanks for your great comments!), it is time to relax with another well-known Norwegian band among the AGM circles, BEYOND DAWN. If there ever was an ex-metal band paving the way for the post-metal regions, that was it. In fact, Oliver Side got in touch with their guitarist and singer, Espen Ingierd, who also happens to be the mastermind behind TWO TRAINS, another great band, to dive into his mostly secret history as a musician and also to know a bit more about his current and future activities. For those of you who are going to read the interview with Espen, there is a VERY SPECIAL treasure to download somewhere along the way. Find it yourself! We also have three reviews by three different writers: James Slone explored BEYOND DAWN's 1999 classic album, "Electric Sulking Machine", Suleiman worked his way into the new RED SHYFT album, and finally Adryuu shared a trip with a most underground agm album by KARABOUDJAN. Unlock the Uncommon Doors of Perception...
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2009-11-25 This night is fully dedicated to one of the most legendary avant-garde heroes ever: ULVER. We proudly present one of the most monolithic and meandering interviews ever done with maestro Kristoffer Garm Rygg, Jørn H. Sværen and Daniel O’Sullivan. Our Seth Beaudreault made a pilgrimage from Fairbanks/Alaska to Lillehammer only to catch their words for you... and to bear witness to the very first live performance of ULVER’s history in May 2009. Enjoy their intimate and illuminating conversation to get beneath the pelt of these perennially mysterious wolves. Then Adryuu guides you into the heart of the sound circus with a live report of the ULVER performance on 9th October in London. Finally Thor, Olivier and Adryuu take you deep into ULVER’s post-metal masterpieces Perdition City, Shadows of the Sun and Blood Inside. Homo homini Ulver!
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2009-11-18 Today we’ve got a surprise for you: Avantgarde-Metal.com starts an exchange program with Metal.de, one of Germany's biggest Online Magazines and second home for some of our vampire fools here. With over 14.000 reviews and 1.600 interviews in the database as well as many other features Metal.de covers everything concerning, well, Metal. Their occasional looks over the rim of the tea cup might prove interesting insights for our readers as well. So from now on, Metal.de will feature some reviews from Avantgarde-Metal.com, translated into German; and vice versa AGM.com will feature some Metal.de reviews translated into English. Find out more about this fruitful synergy in the brandnew INTERVIEW WITH METAL.DE capo Florian Dammasch. and in the INTERVIEW WITH AGM.COM founder Chrystof Niederwieser. Both men reveal you surprising insights into the work behind both sites. And now please warmly welcome our first guest writers from metal.de: Falk, together with our Tentakel P. one of the major heads and driving forces behind this cooperation, debuts with MADDER MORTEM. Mathias Klammer deeply contemplates into the latest audiovisual masterpiece of DORNENREICH. And Metalgreg sets sails with BORKNAGAR.
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2009-11-11 We write the year 1889. Two years ago three British gentlemen and a woman who are known only among dubious folk as music group with the even more dubious moniker "A FOREST OF STARS” achieved to record a self-composed musical piece by magical technique. Since then this piece, namely "The Corpse Of Rebirth”, has hypnotized poor lost souls with its psychedelic darkness. With a quick fix of melancholy and heroine one of our detectives left Baker Street behind for the sewage-ridden streets of a not particularly fair city and found three men gentle enough to answer some of his questions. Today we are happy to introduce a new writer to you – the man from La Mancha – Adryuu. Some of you already may know him from "The Freak Zone”. Today he debuts with a review of ORGAN:. And grandmaster Suleiman returns with MEATHOOK SEED. Be prepared for a surprise next week…
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2009-11-04 Tonight, there seeps in from the Beyond-Cosmos three visions of the Numen, three visions dissected and vested in words by our noble Glossa-Jugglers. James Slone finds himself tumbling in the trombonic ramblings of an early BEYOND DAWN - namely their debut album Pity Love. Retaining the melancholy of the grey Norwegian coast-lines of progressive Extreme Metal, Adam MacAuley intercepts the mighty ENSLAVED when at the crossroads of Then and Now found themselves at the crossroads of another Then (Progressive Rock) and another Now (Black Metal). The subject, or object if you will, is Mardraum: Beyond The Within. Not on the surface of their colourful appearance and their sometimes outspoken happy melodies, nevertheless in more than one creative detail THE BRIMSTONE SOLAR RADIATION BAND is a neighbour of ENSLAVED, hailing as well from Bergen Rock City, working closely together with design wizard Asle Birkeland who helps both bands on the visual side of things, being musically socialized in the metal underground of the Nineties. With sunshine in his heart Thor tried to point out the quality of the band’s third delicious album called Smorgasbord.
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2009-10-29 With fall settling in, the leaves going down and the soft rain turning into flickering snow, we have decided to warm you up and continue with the fantastic Cornelius Von Jakhelln’s (SOLEFALD, STURMGEIST and G.U.T.) in-depth interview brought to you by Tentakel P. As announced, this is the second and final part from the conversation these two gentlemen shared in a club last month. As a bonus, we offer you three reviews which will help you know a bit more about Cornelius' recent discography. In order to do so, Tentakel P. was put in charge of Sturmgeist's electro Thrash Meister Mephisto (2005) and straight Black metal Manifesto Futurista (2009), while Oliver Side tested his hardcoreness with G.U.T.'s My Only Drug is Madness (2007). Beware the otherwordly!
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2009-10-21 This week, much of our crew can't stand in place for more than a minute, because at long last, after almost one year of trials and errors, German pitbull drummer and videogames specialized reviewer Tentakel P. came back from his meeting with writer, poet, singer and multi-instrumental music composer Cornelius Von Jakhelln from Solefald, Sturmgeist and G.U.T.. A very prominent figure in the Avant-garde portions of Metal music, and rightfully so! We present you now the first part of the interview, which will be followed next week by a second and final part. To cream the cake, Oliver Side dived head first into the new, apocalyptic 7" by Fleurety, Ingentes Atque Decorii Vexilliferi Apokalypsis. He definitely was surprised by what this (un)famous Norwegian band seems to be occupied fucking around with these days, musically speaking. Beware the unknown!
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2009-10-15 Experimental Ambient from India? Simon Brand is all over it with his dual-review unearthing of the pseudo-cinematic RAT KING. Prepare to be impressed by both releases, reviewed here and here. aVoid is stunned by the Beauty and Passion of the Voice of the frontwoman of the Greek Doom Orchestra UNIVERSE217's debutante effort.
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2009-10-07 What is common to Ulver, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Virus, Enslaved, Arcturus, DHG/Dødheimsgard, Ihsahn, Manes, Solefald, Ved Buens Ende, Guapo, Gallhammer, organ:, Fleurety, Abscess, She Said Destroy, Code, Ephel Duath, G.U.T., Thou Shalt Suffer, Skumring, Audiopain, Moon Lore, Vesen, Peccatum, Zweizz, Wåttamezz, In Lingua Mortua, The Kovenant, Ansur, This is Past, Trinacria, Umoral, Havoc Unit, Konstriktor, Madder Mortem, Amok, The Konsortium, Anti-depressive Delivery and Sturmgeist? Some of their covers were carefully designed by Trine + Kim Design Studio, the Norwegian duo of visual artists synonymous for dark elegance and classy weirdness. See it for yourself. They have been operating for a little while already, and soon it will be their 10th birthday! Oliver Side wanted to know more about the Decade celebrations they have organized and suggested we should all click on this gentleman's chest. As for this week's reviews, we are very proud to offer you some of our writers' finest material... Tired of reading Descartes and Kant, rookie reporter Kevin Reichel thought about selling his paper dolls down in Mexico city. Needless to say, he was immediately diagnosed 'bipolar cheerleader'. For his defense, he got suspicious and insisted he was only addicted to hard noise. Nine months ago, in New York, jetsetter Glenn Doom accidentally made pregnant a lady he had a passionate affair with. So this week he went back and surprise, she has given birth to the cutest babyhead ever. The little girl's name is Panoply and already she belches in agm fashion. Finally, as busy as only he can be, Thor Wanzek did two things instead of just one. First, he landed his ship from Sverige far to the great northern hemisphere, exactly 50 degrees into Compilation #4, where he heard someone saying that something else was coming from Sweden. Second, comme il n'a pas le coeur dans sa bouche, he publicly implored France's Nicolas Sarkozy for the bigger picture, to which absurd demand the French President burst into laughters before answering an equally demented joke about ambient and electronica.
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2009-09-30 Avantgarde Metal on tour: our Swedish writer aVoid enters a dungeon with overpriced beer in Copenhagen, Tentakel P. cleaves his way through a sold-out venue in Hamburg and Thor dares to visit a metal festival in Oberhausen with bands he never wants to get in touch with again – so what’s going on?! Read about the occult travellers of the Avant-Garde, namely CODE, SECRETS OF THE MOON, SÓLSTAFIR and BORKNAGAR from three different angles! Adam Matlock watches in fear and wonders as DYNAHEAD struggles to maintain a thrash attitude against their creeping Avant-Garde tendencies. See the horror for yourself here. Trumpets, milk cans and uncountable other instruments, Norwegian female power, music that is not metal but definitely Avant-Garde: KATZENJAMMER is still on tour as well. And grandmaster Suleiman returns with a golden shot on experindustrialists ID:VISION
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2009-09-23 Today we proudly present a fresh experiMetal attack from Middle Europe. Tentakel enters the wood house of KLABAUTAMANN to shed some obscurity upon these young German Progfolk Blackers. And Chrystof invites you to the current "Nachtreisen” tour of Austrian extreme metal pioneers (and forefathers of modern folk metal) DORNENREICH.
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2009-09-16 For the first time in a while, avantgarde-metal.com which you love so well introduces a brand genre-spanking new writer by the name of Kevin Reichel, coming to you from a village hidden in the depths of Germany. Thinking that it would gain him friends in the world of AGM, he has also bribed us with four (read; lots) of new articles for readers to feast their eyes on. Please accept his concise ideas with courtesy and read his writings on ANIMAL ALPHA, ATROX, AYIN ALEPH and STOLEN BABIES. Simon Brand compares antipodean Death Metallers SARSEKIM to the genre's pioneers and they hold up nicely in his review of the band's first full-length, Fathom The Spheres. Adam Matlock joins the self-replicating cyborg of MAGNUM CARNAGE for an apocalyptic tour of Honolulu. Find out his thoughts by moving your pointer over these words and clicking the bit at the left of your mouse.
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2009-09-09 Avantgarde-metal.com presents to you a very special occasion today in the revealing of the latest and greatest piece by Avant-Gardite, Olivier Side. He welcomes you to read on as he lays open the mind, heart and soul of Norwegian mastermind BENNY BRAATEN in his exhaustive interview, nearly a year in the making. Adam Matlock gives us the sister review to his exploration of VELVET CACOON's Atropine of two weeks back. Follow the link-shaped white rabbit to gain understanding of their latest album, P Aa Opal Poere Pr. 33 in all its meandering glory. Last but not least, Simon Brand tries his hand at systematic genre creation and proceeds to fail for your entertainment in his review of the awesome BLUE DEERS full-length, guest featuring some unprofessional vocabulary. It's awesome.
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2009-09-02 This week, on behalf of all lovers of Neofolk around the globe, Simon Brand kidnapped the mind behind the recently reviewed MUSK OX and subjected him to a series of questions to be answered on pain of death. I think he answered pretty well under the pressure. Click here to read the resulting dialogue. Over on the less morbid side of things, Adam MacAuley has an interrogation free listen to the semi-Avant Garde, semi-robotic and semi-lengthed demo of Frenchmen, OMAINEN. He semi-recommends them. Tentakel P finally finds something he can agree with a record label on in the form of the apt genre description designated to British Industrialists, MINE[THORN]. Click the link to receive your prize of the knowledge of this newfangled useful labelling nonsense.
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2009-08-26 Glenn Doom goes to a SUNN O)))/EARTH/EAGLE TWIN show in Seattle and thinks everyone wants to hear about it? How pompous! But honestly, he did. And it was HEAVY. Being a busy bee, the same Mr. Doom makes up a new avant-metal genre to explain SECRETS OF THE MOON's upcoming album Privilegivm. American suggestive psychonauts VELVET CACOON recently released the double album Atropine; Adam Matlock goes searching in its dim light. Finally, aVoid delves into two nuances of pitch black: LAETITIA IN HOLOCAUST raises the question of what Black Metal really is made of, while ALVK TODOLO beckons into their monotonous darkness. Enjoy, or not! It's your gain whatever your choice!
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2009-08-19 This week, Adam Matlock gets whiplash trying to headbang in the compound time/space/genre exercise that is CANDIRIA. Another Adam, surname McAuley, goes back to the early nineties to explore the crazed MR. BUNGLE's self-titled début; a classic of genre-bending Avantgarde Rock. Becoming increasingly aware what the word is, Suleiman takes a short, but impressive, flight with the BIRD FROM THE ABYSS (and it's a free download!). Finally, Simon Brand does his best to follow the impossible division carried out by the blisteringly ironic madmen of ZENZIC, who unravels a terrible secret in the end (and it's a free download x2!).
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2009-08-12 One of Norway's best and least selling acts, if their long-dead website was to be trusted, was BEYOND DAWN. From their earliest proto-AGM explorations, to the electronic weirdness of Frysh, BEYOND DAWN kept to their guns, exploring their own melancholic corners of the musical dimensions. In the first of three (or more) rather unplanned BEYOND DAWN specials, aVoid lends his ear to the re-release of 1999's In Reverie, and the recently released pre-album retrospective Bygones. A few other inspections that might interest our weekly subscribers: After some listening sessions Thor feels so spellbound by the sprawling songs of A FOREST OF STARS that he's actually unable to leave the sparkling trees behind and remembers his first encounters with dark British music(k). Adam Matlock manages to stay clothed at a NAKED CITY concert, while Tentakel P. destroys his living room while trying out fighting moves to Need The Needle from the Textbook of Modern Karate.
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2009-08-05 Today, Adam Matlock tries to find words to describe MAUDLIN OF THE WELL's latest, free, opus Part The Second, and abuses the English language trying to convey what it is like to be KILT. Glenn Doom shamelessly gushes about the new SUNN O))) album, as he is a whore for the drone. Not dead yet, although he examines a highly explosive collective, Thor is fascinated by the fusion qualities that the Polish prog hopefuls INDUKTI demonstrate on their second album Idmen. Finally, aVoid takes a dive into the Pacific to experience the new weird fish creatures of FAVNA ABISAL.
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2009-07-29 Showing us the power of the solitary Canadian in their first full length release this week are one-man Neofolk project, MUSK OX, lovingly explored by Simon Brand. He beseeches the reader to watch this band, they could go far. Adam McAuley delves into Progressive Death titans, OPETH's fifth album, Blackwater Park; placing it against their previous releases and finding it slightly wanting despite the high quality expected and delivered. We implore you to enjoy his thoughts nonetheless.
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2009-07-23 The dreamers are still asleep... The ever so busy bee Tentakel P. is wide awake though. To keep himself company, he put on German prog-deathsters UNSOUL's Magnetic Mountain, touch the title to see what he thinks about it.
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2009-07-15 Slowly rising dark star of the virtually non-existent Swedish AGM scene BERGRAVEN recently returned from his cavern to present his third and to this day strongest album, Till Makabert Vasen. aVoid caught up with the macabre master himself in sunny Malmö to have him shed some light on this most recent offering; join the grand macabre dance here... Tentakel P. gazes into the kaleidoscope to discover the tantalizing beauty of AMESOEURS' self-titled first and last album. What I suspect is the first South American band to be featured here is AS DRAMATIC HOMAGE, an eclectic extreme metal orchestra whose EP Atmosphere of Pain/Anthems of Hate is reviewed by temporary ex-pat Simon Brand. Another four-tracked mini-album is discovered and shared by Suleiman; Italians PAVOR NOCTURNUS and their electronic metal treatments on Diazepam. Finally (yes, this week carried a heavy load), Thor Wanzek goes for a walk beyond the borders, quite far from losing himself in the ice blue labyrinths of JÄÄPORTIT's Voimasuo.
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2009-07-08 VIII-VII-MMIX: A gash of reviews unveiled today; Tentakel P. completely loses his journalistic credibility as he struggles for objectivity with KLABAUTAMANN's Merkur and fails miserably. Jobst eloquently explores the many depths and hidden secrets of THY CATAFALQUE's Roka Hasa Radio. Elsewhere, Ulv regards spideresque country men AVICULARIA's Born To Be Vile to be the real deal, the shiznit of modern Death Metal. Caught elsetime in a fold in the continuum, aVoid traverses into deep space and rocks out with pseudonostalgics MEKANIK to their Mekanik Grooves. Returning to Earth, he lands beyond the border with LOCRIAN in the Drenched Lands, rejoicing very little at the fact that he missed the apocalypse.
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2009-07-01 This week, out from the silver blue buzzing summer sky, comes an even bluer astral buzz, which will hopefully entertain if not most of you, at least some of our readers. Ever since the AGM webzine took a life of its own, there has always been a most peculiar question resisting the passage of time, and that is - as simple as it appears to be at first sight - what is avant-garde metal? A forum thread was created for the purpose of elucidating this enigma, and now that we can all look back at it, isn't it quite easy to see just about how irreconcilable were the multiple opinions displayed? A few weeks ago, a new growing forum thread, however, started giving signs of a new vitality, though as usual, nothing is yet for sure. Even among our crew, there probably aren't two identical views on what is avant-garde metal, which is obvious when you acknowledge the major differences keeping apart the bands featured on our website. While you enjoy some bands and reject others, we may only follow our own instincts. So one of our crew members, malicious clown wannabe and holy-dirty philosopher Oliver Side, decided to put his mind at work by trying to venture at his own risk into the world of avant-garde metal. This is neither supposed to present the webzine's ultimate identity nor to definitely close the discussions at hand, but only to share Mr. Side's so-called "night-time explorations" with you. Therefore we can only hope you will have a good time running after his thought patterns... Until then, weird-toes and weird-asses – fist in the air!
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2009-06-24 My, haven't we been busy this week. Tentakel P. and Simon Brand are here on behalf of all of you video game geeks, breaking down their favourite pieces from retro soundtracks in their Video Game Madness special. Glenn Doom searches for answers to the ultimate question of "what kind of music are these guys playing anyway?" in his review of the latest offering from the weird and wonderful CALLE DEBAUCHE. Thor Wanzek tests his skills as a reviewer and fails at our pleasure. He obviously didn't pay attention in school music lessons while the rest of the class were being enlightened by the marvellous sounds of Norwegian avant-rockers, WOBBLER. Simon Brand divulges his feelings about genre-creation and his contrasting views on SCALE THE SUMMIT's second opus as he gleefully types away while having this newfangled "Adventure Metal" gently rubbed into his ears.
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2009-06-17 Some may know Suleiman Ali through his work on this website, picking apart loved and not-so-loved records for the pleasure of readers everywhere and with the 7th release from his solo project, BURZUKH , he is set to grace your ears as he has your eyes for some time. Simon Brand tells you about this remarkable project and gives you the download link at the end of his review. Another downloadable peal is provided: the Serbian Band AMARANTH with their demo "You Shine, Beyond Dawn", also appraised by Simon Brand. A work of emotional beauty is capable of being crafted by IN THE WOODS... who hold such a great sway over their trajectories on "Omnio"…believes Adam McAuley. Adam Matlock gives you something to read about Suzanne Sterne, the songwriting mastermind, bassist and studio guitarist for RUBY BULLET .
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2009-06-10 The prolific Justin Broadrick may well be one of the most influential men in the world of metal. Helping forge a path for Grindcore with his work with the infamous Napalm Death, pioneering Industrial Metal in Godflesh and bringing joy and woe to anyone willing to listen in his many other projects such as JESU, reviewed by Simon Brand. Any new package from ASMODEE - the gaellic masters of extreme metal - makes Suleiman being excited. One swallow does not make a summer but a DEERHUNTER - CD a tree house fantasy for Jonny Lignano.
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2009-06-03 AGM as it is lovingly known has always blurred boundaries between previously unconnected styles, and perhaps it has fused no other genres more than it has Metal and Jazz. Many metal bands have incorporated Jazz into their metal and vice versa, so three handsome guys (in particular Sir Brand, Sir P. and Sir Matlock) of the avant-garde metal crew wrote one fine story about JAZZ METAL to outline some of the major players in the field and help other's understanding of where it all started.
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2009-05-27 We have a great treat for all you fans of eclectic Black Metal this week in the form of avant-garde phenoms, <CODE>. Olivier picks the brains of guitarist Aort in an in-depth delve into the machinery with his interview and Thor gets a huge dose of evil alongside the main dish of ingenuity while he performs an autopsy on their latest offering, "Resplendent Grotesque". On the other side of the colourful spectrum of AGM, Simon Brand reveals whether you should pick up the sophomore effort of RON JARZOMBEK or not. Prepare to be judged!
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2009-05-20 This week we have the pleasure to introduce a real freak to you who will introduce a real freak to you. A new crew member is welcomed with champagne, known under the mystical name of SRB. This gentleman from Alaska wrote the longest review ever about one of avant-garde metal's highest skilled virtuosos: FREDERICK THORDENDAL Simon Brand tells us about the intense chemistry between the members of one of the greatest and most influential bands called EXIVIOUS . Glenn Doom integrated a personal message for the guitarist of THE SIN COMMITTEE into his review. SCHIZOPHRENIA is a band you'll get dry water and a milkshake from when following Suleiman`s directions at the end of the review.
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2009-05-13 Do you hear that? That is the sound of... a dozen AGM scribes taking a nap in the spring sun, scoring sillier-than-thou results on Facebook quizzes, or just chilling in their own Epicurean favourite manner. Only the ever-vigil Brand, Simon Brand keeps burning the midnight oil, this week lending more than one ear to the Americano electro-prog-metallers of obscurely named orchestra ANIMALS AS LEADERS, and their self-titled debut album. Apparently it's quite a treat for anyone who enjoys their metal to be not just modern and electro-infused, but also breath-takingly technical, even though it seems to leave a bit more to hope for in the future. But you'll get that once you read the review, here somewhere.
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2009-05-06 Today we have a sparkling rainbow of avant-garde metal's varied faces for you. First of all Simon Brand reviews your TOP 4 avant-garde metal album of 2008 - "Traced in Air" from Jazz Metal pioneers CYNIC. Glenn Doom heads for the apes of SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM. We also have two promising newcomers of Elektro Metal - Grandmaster Suleiman returns from his extensive trip to Pakistan with KHADAVER. And Adam Matlock travels 3 years into the future for VYRMN.
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2009-04-29 Glenn Doom noticed that SILENTIST gets more stripped down the older they get. An anonymous source provided avantgarde-metal.com with a worksheet to Tentakel P.'s latest review of VALBORG ; arising the question whether he really is as objective as he claims to be or whether he abuses his position by flattering promising bands to lay his greedy hands on promos for free. Thor Wanzek isn't quite sure if Kevin Moore from OSI suffers from permanent root canal treatments by his dentist. Why?: read here.. Adam McAuley falls in Amore with Amorphis.
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2009-04-22 Master Lignano has once again ventured above and beyond his dwelling, and has returned with the most spectacular analytic comparison of a Latin-American thrash/death metal band gone angry brothers gone very tall front-man with a Dutch painting of a snowy landscape this automatic AGM.com persona printing these words have seen for... well, weeks. No, SEPULTURA was never and will probably never be the vanguard of metal as we know it, but this is. Grazing amongst the reviews today, we find Jobst revelling in the not-so-happy music of Italians NERONOIA. Simon Brand enjoys some Canadian ultra-talented extreme metal mongers avoid their true element to invoke the haunting beauty of the universe in HUMANOID. And ultimately, Thor Wanzek experience something new in the shape of GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT.
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2009-04-15 In order to further ensure our high quality and writing standards Thor Wanzek presents to you the ultimate analysis - SOLSTAFIR. Jobst returns with "Death Metal for people who don't like it" - MEIN GANZES HEER. Simon brings another cerebral overload with BEHOLD...THE ARCTOPUS, by the way using the 15-stringed Warr guitar for their sonar escapades. And finally Lignano gives you something already promised two weeks ago: KOPENHAGER GEBAECK
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2009-04-08 Alas, the master plan came to naught, and we now return to our original programming. ...not much happening there. But, at least our good fellow Simon Brand went ahead, and offer an exhaustive review of antipodean (I learnt that word last week!!) sophisticated black metal neophytes NE OBLIVISCARIS' 2007 demo "The Aurora Veil". It's perhaps not as pretty as the octopus right here, but they're close!
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2009-04-01 Today, we present unto thee the final musical update of Avantgarde-Metal.com. Because of a recent decline in interest for criticising music at all, especially metal, amongst the staff, we have agreed upon turning this site into an etnographical survey centre focusing on the traditional making and consumption of regional Swedish and Danish pastries. We make an early start by showing this image of a delicious "spettekaka" (spit cake) from Lonsboda. Expect more of these mouth-watering wonders in the future! Ah, yes, the reviews... Two debutantes are showcased today, this first day of the fourth month of the tenth year of the third millennium after an Israeli carpenter got nailed to a piece of wood next Weekend. The first is Greek electronically imbued Greek Black Metal eclectics RHEINKAOS, whose atmospheric weirdness is reviewed by Simon Brand. The second newcomer is the elusive British duo EBONILLUMINI, whose spellbinding mysteries are more or less divulged by aVoid. The same aVoid have also laid his filthy paws on the second album of the Finnish supernatural prophets of doom, UMBRA NIHIL, who took him on a spectacular journey through time and space. Or something. Seriously, who cares about metal any more? It's so 2008. Tune in next week, when Lignano unveils all the mysteries of the Kopenhager geback! Verweigert euch der Konformitat!
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2009-03-25 Today we have a big surprise for you. Thor Wanzek dug through his archives and found an enlightening interview with PRIMORDIAL's mastermind Alan. Enjoy the interview and of course Thor's review of "Imrama". Simon once again discovered a masterpiece of Avantgarde Metal hardly known so far: BLOTTED SCIENCE with "The Machinations Of Dementia". Adam McAuley presents Italian lovers EPHEL DUATH.
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2009-03-18 After three updates featuring new writers, it feels a little empty having no new names to showcase today. Ah well, AGM.com needs some rest too. Meanwhile, treat yourselves to some fancy metal anti-muzak: The fanciest guitar teacher the Norwegian BM scene could ever offer stands now, as you all know, on his own, but Tentakel keeps him company for a while in his review of IHSAHN's angL. Mr. Brand performs a vivisection upon the first-born of more or less versatile Belgians EMPTINESS, all the while Lignano confuses avant-rockers STOLEN BABIES with some guy with a penchant for aviation.
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2009-03-11 Today we present you a fine selection of Meta-Metal to help you over the last frosts of winter (Northern hemisphere) or the last rays of summer (Southern hemisphere). Also those living near the equator will enjoy it: Simon Brand unearths Cyberprog newcomers ANABIOSIS. Adam McAuley orders some mighty houses at the SPIRAL ARCHITECT. aVoid meets the Fool beyond the border - NARR. And last but not least we are happy to welcome a new writer to our camp: Glenn Doom from Seattle further investigates your absolute Avant-garde Metal album No. 1 of 2008: The Black Flux of VIRUS.
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2009-03-04 A humongous update for all this lovely day! Adam McAuley sets his teeth into the early progressive metal of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, whilst Thor illuminates the forgotten greatness hiding in DARK MILLENIUM - Death Metal gone ambitious to the level of oblivion. Beyond the border Suleiman dissects the new SATANOCHIO. Getting back to Thor, he has discovered this awesome band from the British Isles called PURE REASON REVOLUTION, of course he couldn't resist getting in touch with them rock alchemists. And finally, if you thought we had too few writers and your head and record collection just too little ultra-technical (and how!) music, this might just be your lucky day. Our new colleague and Scotsman Simon Brand has reviewed hyper-skilled THE FRACTURED DIMENSION's debut album.
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2009-02-25 Today we are pleased to introduce a new writer to you: Adam McAuley from Ontario joins us with his debut review of CELTIC FROST. And there are even more reviews of bands consisting of one adjective and one substantive: aVoid tells you why he didn't enjoy enjoying a newcomer band, that could become enjoyable in the future: LIQUID GRAVEYARD. Thor Wanzek gave an inverse euthanasia to an old, charming DECREPIT SPECTRE. And finally Mr. Lignano turns romantic and gives flowers to Peter Steele of TYPE O NEGATIVE.
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2009-02-18 A week of wondrous odysseys and adventures! Recently, Lignano went to a concert. He thought it was a blast, and decided he should do his damnedest to assure you that you - should - have - been - there. If we look elsewhere today, we find ourselves returning to the mid 1990's, slaying software demons and dragons in dark dungeons with Tentakel, listening to GOLDEN DAWN. "Don't talk to strangers" - everybody had warned him before, but it didn't help: Thor disappeared after meeting the high priests of a new doom order and thus he wasn't able to review the debut album of THE WOUNDED KINGS in time. Finally, we found that TRANSCENDING BIZARRE? review; Suleiman apparently had to wrestle about a bit before deciding if it was worth his time. Go read!
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2009-02-11 BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL, BLACK BONED ANGEL and OUR LOVE WILL DESTROY THE WORLD - three acts - one man: Campbell Kneale from New Zealand brings us plenty of shocking audio delights. Olivier walked and talked with him down the post infernal path of drone ambient blissful doom heavy darkness. aVoid returns a bit deranged from a TRAUMATIC VOYAGE. Suleiman walks with him on VERTIGO STEPS. Adam joins them waving THE AXIS OF PERDITION.
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2009-02-04 Today we are proud to present you a very special album: "The Universe expands" is the marvellous debut full-length album of DOL THEETA - second band of DOL AMMAD mastermind Thanasis Lightbridge. Don't miss this masterpiece of mindblowing Electro Metal Psychedelia! Jobst va in Italia per copularsi gli orecchi con i magnificiosi ASOFY. Lignano finally found a band as nuts as himself - STEEL REGIMENT.
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2009-01-25 Three facets of the Ideal of Music are revealed today. 1. Esoteric mediaevalism made metal in the shape of MENACE RUINE, through Olivier. 2. Joyous cannibalist celebrations via NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW, through C.L. Edwards. 3. Four alloys and compounds of monochrome extremities as black noise, through Suleiman. And somewhat of an aberration by Lignano (poke him! poke him now!).
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2009-01-18 Lovers of contemporary post-metal movement, authentic sludge/doom tunes and its oppressive, intensive atmosphere could aquire a taste of the American project BATTLE OF MICE. The amazing female singer Julie Christmas spoke very openly with Martin about the creation of their debut album... Two weeks ago we reported about the sudden and tragic death of JOEY HOPKINS. His aunt Kelly told us how Joey died on Dec. 30th. She'd like to warn all of you out there: NEVER, EVER SLEEP IN YOUR CAR WITH IT RUNNING... . . . Hailing from Bergen in Norway, VULTURE INDUSTRIES paint the listeners horrors and walk the chaos path to climb the throne of tragedy. Bernd has waited for this longingly. C. L. Edwards shows us a transcript for his favorite episode of the Swedish version of "This Old House": DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE and "Nightwork".
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2009-01-11
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2009-01-04 In the name of experimental music, we decided to hail, with respect and admiration, one of the few who have actually contributed to the expansion of Extreme metal and Electronic music altogether. His career, which lasted for many years, ended in a most tragic string of events, when Joey Hopkins, 26 years old, was found dead on 2008's New Year's eve. Our writer Olivier had been collaborating with the man for an interview throughout last year, and so as a respectful gesture, both to underline his unique talent and to salute his friends and family, we offer you what he told us about his art. Rest in peace! Happy new year to everyone... Keep it open!
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2008-12-28 Under War-Broken Trees and a Staggering Moon, far away from Barren Stars stand with Ares in their Poisonous Eyes the Infernal Beauty Emperors: ELEND. In the 1990ies they revolutionized the metal scene with their monumental soundscapes of expressive classical music. Two cycles have passed since then, delivering us six of the most heavy and profound masterpieces of modern metalesque music - Umbersunwar the Dead World in their Screams! Martin Cermak interviewed Renaud Tschirner, one of the two masterminds of ELEND, about Ardour, Laceration and the Plain Masks of Daylight. Tentakel Skywalker lightspeeds to Darth Vader Metalsoldiers MENCEA. Thor stares into the northern eyes of KERBENOK. And Suleiman unearths a great hidden treasure from the avant-garde metal undergrounds: EL SCHLONG. Finally, please do not forget to mail us YOUR OWN TOP 5 AVANTGARDE-METAL ALBUMS OF 2008 LIST!!! Deadline is the 31st of December! So only a few last days left before the final AGM CHARTS 2008 will be revealed. Take your chance and join the polls!
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2008-12-21 THE KONSORTIUM is the name of a newly-spawned, highly secretive quartet, haunting at the fringes of the New Wave Of Norwegian Avantgarde-Metal... Join Olivier as he tries to peek behind the masques of these nameless upstarts. Tentakel P. goes a pretty long way defining what's fresh and new in CRONIAN's second release with regard to the band's apparent connections, while Suleiman discovers a new star in the shape of HERITECH in the welkins of the Electro/Metal Third Stream Movement. Beyond the border, or rather beyond all conceivable borders, aVoid and Lignano resurrect a long overdue take on an album as impossible to make sense out of as the review is to read... ZWEIZZ! Finally, for the last (but not least!) time: do not forget to mail us YOUR OWN TOP 5 AVANTGARDE-METAL ALBUMS OF 2008 LIST!!! Deadline on the 31st and last day of December!
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2008-12-14 One of the very few things that you can expect from the Canadian avant-garde metal shooting starts UNEXPECT is to be featured on a site like avant-garde-metal.com. What else can you expect or unexpect? Martin Cermak interviewed Syriak, one head of this seven-headed soundmonster. We're very proud to open the curtain for it... With such a heavy agm weight today we need some really hard stuff on the other side of the balance. So beyond the border await the truest and the blackest of testosterone metal - enjoy Thor's gaze upon ORLOG and Jonny Lignano's cultic devotion to MANOWAR. In the avant-garde section Nofar reviews the mighty storms of THE VISION BLEAK. Today we are happy to introduce a new writer: Adam Matlock from New Haven debuts with a SIGH classic. And please don't forget to send us a list of YOUR TOP 5 AVANT-GARDE METAL ALBUMS 2008 via email! Deadline is 31st of December.
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2008-12-07 Nature - Mysticism - a psychedelic deconstruction of Black Metal - Martin Cermak met the ancient priests of NEGURA BUNGET. Follow their murmurs beyond the shores of time and space. Then dive deeper into the spiritual worlds with Thor and Tentakel P. meditating into ENSLAVED. Discover gold with Olivier and EKPYROSIS. Resist Suleiman and DIVINE TEMPTATION. Look at the Flowers... . . Do you remember last year? You elected your TOP 10 avant-garde metal albums 2007 the very first time. Dodheimsgard, Abigor and Ulver shared the throne back then. Once again a year has nearly passed, a year full of splendid new albums. So the time is ripe to ask you: What are your TOP 5 avant-garde metal albums of 2008? Send us your TOP 5 list via the contact area.
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2008-11-30 Peacock Rock! Czral-Michael Eide the Kardex speaks. Also: reflections on dark fluctuations. All is viral today, inside our spacious cellar...
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2008-11-23 Finnish Avantbards AARNI (not to be mistaken with the nickname of Arnold Schwarzenegger) are one of the most peculiar acts in the entire metal scene. Imagine Moominpapa copulating with Aleister Lovecraft and C.G. Pratchett in a parallel universe of Sirius B dragged by seven Pyramids, three mushrooms and an old grandma with a cat tail, seen when playing backwards a movie of Alejandro Jodorowsky dreamed by the young Luis Bunuel. Then you may hear a picture of what Aarni is made of. Jobst dared to enter this world and meet Aarni's headless head Markus Warjomaa for a cultivated conversation. Also Monsignore Lignano was in the mood for cineastic orgies and brings you "Santi's Nightclub" of JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE. Never stop the Freak Show...
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2008-11-16 Contrary to some frightening rumours about the specific dangerousness of ENSLAVED , there was no need to hire bodyguards for a meeting with the extreme metal band after a concert on its recent tour. With a scalpel at hand, Thor tried not to cut himself while taking a closer look at the musicians' backbones and dissecting the chaotic innards of some of their projects. A real Must-Have-Album is the "Must" Album of Estonian youngsters LOITS . Jobst tells you more about the "Flak 'n' Rollers". With songs like "Spit! Spider-Spit!" and "My Goat Is Bigger Than Yours !!" Finnish scallywags SPIDERPACT make Tentakel P. see how the cat jumps (or better how the sperm flows).
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2008-11-09 Polish post metalers BLINDEAD take us on an emotional and intensive trip with their "Autoscopia - Murder In Phazes". Suleiman tells you why. Jonny badmouthes about BETHLEHEM's wonderful "Schatten Aus Der Alexander Welt". The debut album "Melancholy's Masquerade" of the Finnish one ghost project SOMNAM inspired Thor Wanzek in beyond the border.
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2008-11-02 After a break of nearly 15 years one of the most legendary foreriders of innovative metal return: CYNIC. Their new masterpiece "Traced in Air" illuminates the scene these days. And while their all-time top avant-garde metal classic "Focus" (1993) was largely misunderstood back in the 1990ies, it seems that the scene has become more open-minded today. The reunited Cynic are celebrated enthusiasticly by media and live audiences. So it was a honourable pleasure for Martin to interview frontman Paul Masvidal - Enjoy! And Tentakel takes a walk through the green forests of GRUENEWALD.
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2008-10-26 The winds blow fiercly across Europe; scattered as leaves we face the following reviews... Lignano tries to comprehend the many facets of Mr. BUNGLE's seminal Disco Volante. Beyond all physical borders, Olivier and aVoid receive the mystical channelings of gentlemen Aidan Baker's & Tim Hecker's parastatic phantasms and KATHARSIS' endless vvorlds...
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2008-10-19 New stories this week are scarce like the leaves on the trees of the Northern hemisphere. Only two saviours bring fires from the skies: Jonny Lignano evokes cineastic daemons upon KOROVA. And Suleiman lashes Hans and his Horses to the stone deserts of P.H.O.B.O.S.
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2008-10-12 Filthy extreme metal from two pissed-off Brits soiling themselves in Jobst's presence. Norwegian cell physiologist's bizarre cut-up experiments dessicated by aVoid. Transcontinental green cave float felt by Olivier. All for your reading experience.
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2008-10-05 A new (to the unenlightened outside world) facet of the new (to the unenlightened outside world) Norwegian metallically avant-gardist sphere; multi-dimensionally multi-talented multi-lingual multi-instrumentalist BJEIMA, (un)known from more bands than you've heard, flirting with more genres than you know, has been sought up and questioned by our restless cross-interrogator and strangeness-purveyor Olivier. What? Pseudo-Greek pseudo-crust epic black metal from Italy? Don't ask me. Ask Suleiman what SPITE EXTREME WING is about. Not living up to their glorious (?) past are KAMPFAR. At least that's what Thor thinks. Donald Duck, fruits, long drinks, crazy Germans - KNORKE SUDFRUCHT. I won't even comment on that. And a classic from the 90's feat. the AGM.com Daddy: Trip to the Bleeding Planets (Unto the Light).
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2008-09-29 More than a year ago DOL AMMAD mastermind Thanasis Lightbridge proclaimed the coming of a new galaxy in the universe of electronic art metal. And now finally the long wait is over! The mysterious "Goddess” DOL THEETA strides down from the heavens in majestic beauty and spreads her bewitching, narcotic whispers. Chrystof takes you to the phantasmagoric dreamscapes of this mysterious music trip. Suleiman likes the way ASMODÉE has progressed from the debut without sacrificing any of the aggression and violence. Thor Wanzek tells you how with "Watershed” OPETH nevertheless continue their individual quest to perform autumnal music touching and spellbinding the listener…
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2008-09-21 These past five years, the enigmatic, eloquent Englishman, word-and-throat master KVOHST has beckoned us all into the darker regions of his and humanity's psyche, most notably in DHG (whence he recently left) and <code> (whereto he has returned, as it was announced this week). Quite exclusively, our restless correspondent Olivier was able to get an interview with the expatriate, having a chat about love, career choices, and some very nasty and beautiful metal. Read all about it, here. Black Metal for the New Millennium: Jobst gazes at and assesses THORNS' eponymously titled modern day classic (follow-up soon to be unleashed). Continuing on the track of Norwegian avant-garde supremacy: Olivier takes a ride with Czral & VIRUS in their elevator-car-dog... thing (follow-up soon to be unleashed), and Tentakel hits the green reindeer bottle with the Germanophiliac Cornelius & his STURMGEIST. And finally, awaking momentarily from a hellish hypnotic daze, aVoid shouts from the Pit some confused words on French ALUK TODOLO's full-length.
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2008-09-14 From Texas to Montreal, and from Montreal to Texas, some vaguely enraptured transmissions have been caught these last few weeks. For our dear readers, those were then organized into Q & A textual sessions by none other than our writer Olivier, who later on found out that everything was more or less related to the band PYRAMIDS. Can you really improve a song by changing the instrumentation from basic rock equipment to a "semi-acoustic" one? Hindsight listening to ANATHEMA's first album release since five years Thor Wanzek tries to find an answer. Surprised about the noise in front of his trollcave, he dares to catch a first glimpse of the mammoth rummaging through the brushwood of the world wide underground - the fourth issue of Yury Arkadin's fanzine THE CONVIVIAL HERMIT. To get things heavier and darker, Suleiman unearths a technical Black metal gem from 2002 with ASMODEE's debut, and Ulv is finally back from the disturbing and unsettling moods of BURIAL CHAMBER TRIO.
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2008-09-07 This week, we've gathered many new stellar artists for our update. Olivier has been chatting now and then for months with mastermind KIM SOLVE who is more well-known through his illustrative covers as TrineogKim than for his brillant music, which is something that will probably change pretty soon. Go read the interview and see for yourself! Modern folk music - a mix of metal and delicate electronics, in fusion with a traditional instrument created by three talented Norwegian musicians; HARDINGROCK is proudly presented by Jobst. 30-second-Grindcore-tracks, beer, faecal humour, men in drags, beer, porno film samples, beer- this is what you would expect when opening the booklet of the first official full-length of FREUND HEIN, but Tentakel P. tells you what you really get if you dare to... One of the strongest newcomers in Scandinavian metal are STONEGARD, and Thor Wanzek analyzed their second album From Dusk Til Doom.
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2008-08-31 For the last year, thought-master Olivier has progressively discovered the unique Greek artist behind THIS IS PAST. With only one album out, we sincerely think you open-minded readers should give this strange entity a try. Rumour has it that both interviewer and interviewee slowly lost their minds along the process of the interview; come and enjoy their fall... The ever so versatile Jobst takes a trip back in time, into the wilderness of Norge, attentively re-evaluating the importance of early IN THE WOODS... In another quite more dismal part of the land of Fjords, abyss-purveyor aVoid strut around with the nasty wraiths of NETTLECARRIER, leaving not without a bloody scratch nor some blisters. Finally, also meditating on the Norwegian genius is the venerable Mr. Slone, joining hands with the post-Viking progsters of ENSLAVED, who lay bare the most recent addition to their ever-growing musical mythology.
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2008-08-24 The NEW NEWS SECTION is online now! It will provide you with the latest scene news of avant-garde metal: new innovative releases, live gigs of the weirdest metal acts, rumours about Mike Patton's underpants,... whatever strange things happen all across the world of experiMetal. Only click "news" on the top left and you will be there. The "sunday updates" start site you still can reach by clicking the agm logo on the top. This week we proudly present a new pirate on the agm.com ship, an old veteran in the eternal search for SOUNDS UNDER THE SURFACE: Thor Wanzek. His first journey leads us beyond the border into the city of glass built by THE SOUNDBYTE. Also aVoid totally steps beyond the border of all sanity to meet ZWEIZZ and his gang at a wild psycho party. Olivier joins the party with his doormates AUN. And finally Tentakel P. walks out into the fields to reap RED HARVEST.
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2008-08-17 For this week, another mindtrip into musical exploration. As you will soon discover, sensitive Jobst went to a massive psychedelic head-trip with Finnish wackos AARNI, while aVoid was reminded by AZURE EMOTE that avant-industrial Death metal is still, up to this day, sometimes a genre to be reckoned with. And Olivier, out of nowhere, decided to spend some of his nights listening to the grandiose Black metal layering of KRALLICE, one of virtuoso Mick Barr and eclectic Colin Marston's currently active project. On his way back to common sense, he didn't believe what he had heard, and involuntarily visited a world where Barr and his penis always go hand in hand.
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2008-08-10 Exactly one year ago we enjoyed some very old cognac with a very young promising Norwegian band, who at that time earned some extra money with the trade of body parts in Sicily - ANSUR. It seems that Torstein and his gang did a good job and transplanted some of those arms and legs to their own bodies. Because only one year later they return as matured men with their killer prog bomb "Warring Fractions". aVoid laid his ears on the CD to enjoy this marvellous soundwork. Then he laid his eyes on the exquisite artwork of Eliran Kantor. And finally he laid his brain onto the computer to write the review. More sharp new albums are reviewed today: Suleiman went to a Tibetan Rodeo with YAK. Bernd got electrified by French Electronic Body Metal masters HERRSCHAFT. Jonny Lignano returns from the mental asylum with a glass full of HARVEY MILK. And Olivier eats one of the best German Kraut that the USofA can offer - TITAN.
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2008-08-03 Many aspects of darkness for us today... BABYFLESH, Norwegian death industrial/power electronic unit, is interviewed by Olivier; for you to take pleasure of their rotten world of sound. C. L. Edwards theorizes upon The Work Which Transforms God by BLUT AUS NORD, and German suicidalists BETHLEHEM's magnificent Dictius Te Necare is felt and believed by Jobst. Last, but not least, we find Suleiman assessing what Behrain duo NARJAHANAM is all about.
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2008-07-27 One of the most recently rising, brightest shining Daemon Stars of the night sky of the proverbially non-existent avant-garde metal scene is, without a doubt, the enigmatic Francophone power-trio SMOHALLA, who after only releasing two records have carved their esoteric cuneiform edicts into the stele of violent musical experiments. aVoid spoke with Slo... Nofar walks through the idiosyncratic wonder worlds of Austrian hurdy-gurdists ANGIZIA. Polygon gets devoured by the psychopatic moloch LEVIATHAN . Suleiman shakes his hips for DKDANCE.
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2008-07-21 Some of you might have noticed the delayed news update. We just have to recover from our AGM.COM Birthday last week with lots of party and cake! But today we are spoiling you with two fine new stories conducted by Olivier and not 1, not 2,.... 3!! Reviews comming from Tentakel P., Jobst and revon right into your parlor... First you must check out an interview with DET AR JAG SOM AR DODEN . Olivier tells you what is so unique about these Norwegian musicians. If you did so, continue and look beyond the mazes of BOGUS BLIMP also written by Olivier...long live Olivier! The 3 kick-ass reviews (I know, never say kick-ass) are dedicated to GEASA with their "Angel's Cry", to HARVESTER's "Watch Me, I'm an Artist EP" and DoDHEIMSGARD with "Satanic Art", we already featured in our AGM CLASSICS last week.
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2008-07-13 Dear Gentlewomen and Gentlemen! This week we celebrate the 1st BIRTHDAY OF AGM.COM. We'd like to use this special opportunity to say a big thank you to all our readers across the world. In more than 300 articles our experiMetal experts have been restless to discover the weirdest and most surprising artists for you. And more will come in the future. To push our efforts always further and further we'd like to know your opinion: What can be improved on our site? What acts are you still missing here? Click on the link to enter the Freak Zone and to tell us your thoughts. As a birthday present we have a special print edition about the early pioneering AVANT-GARDE METAL CLASSICS (1987 - 2000) for you, containing 69 pages full of sparkling highlights. And James wrote an essay about the ongoing experiment of the AVANT-GARDE METAL HISTORY. Never stop the Freak Show...
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2008-07-06 After a long armistice, the story section of Your Favourite Webzine is kicked alive by Suleiman, in his short but tasty interview with Austrian psychological extreme metal duo F.P.G.S. Among the reviews today, aVoid wakes up screaming to the abysmal noises of LESMENTOR, whereas Tentakel P. is a little disappointed by the semi-all star project TRINACRIA. Straying Beyond, Jobst studies the cinematic empty canvas of DER BLUTHARSCH and Olivier does his best to fathom the non-Euclidan grooves and plain weirdness of the latest album from ERIC COPELAND. In other news: Are you looking for a party? Are you in Zagreb the next few weeks? On 15 July, our colleague Ulv is DJing an AVANTGARDE METAL PARTY, check this out! Until next time... STAY WEIRD!
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2008-06-29 Yesterday was a day of exalted pleasure and tragic bereavement at the same time: Two of the very best music magazines that ever touched the metal scene came out in one compilation: the MøRKESKYE #12 / SOUNDS UNDER THE SURFACE #5 split edition of Thor Wanzek. It’s a travel to the Mount Olympus of avant-garde metal and features profound interviews with heroes like MANES, ULVER, ARCTURUS, BERGRAVEN, <CODE>, NEGURA BUNGET or … our Mr. aVoid. This is the very last, the ultimate, the final issue ever of MøRKESKYE. 13 years after the first edition finally it will be buried in the skies. So don’t hesitate and download this mindtrip to the weirdest sides of metal for free on SOUNDSURFACE.COM. This week we gaze beyond the border on some promising new acts: Oliviér introduces the monumental bass soundscapes of YETI RAIN and aVoid finally wordified the epic prog of NASCENT. Finally Jobst makes your heads bang with the British freaks of AKERCOCKE.
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2008-06-22 The competition for THE HORN is over. Is it avant-garde or not? Well, most of you denied or even didn’t care. But some of you listened closer and found the magic moments of uniqueness. It’s difficult to discover these in THE HORN’s internet samples. But it definitely can be unearthed when listening to the full CD. The most original answer came from our writer Olivier. Enjoy it HERE . Congratulations, Olivier, for winning the CD! It will soon spread the curse of the pharaoh in your post box. This week we have some more reviews. Tentakel P. found a very vividly way to explain us the avantgardeness of KEEP OF KALESSIN. Suleiman got electrified by the new album of VOLKMAR. And finally Monsignore Lignano brings back in mind one of the most wicked crimes in whole METAL HISTORY. Flower the avant-gardeners…
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2008-06-15 The great Master is back. Chrystof fought his wakefulness last night and gave THE HORN a chance to reach his fastidious ears. Luckily this band got fished out the big "not avant-garde drawer" with the question: Is this avant-garde? We think this should be discussed by our FORUM USERS . So shoo, shoo, have a listen and report please. The one with the best answer wins the CD! Nofar, back from her trip to Poland poetically wrapped up DORNENREICH's "Hexenwind" and tells us what dreams are made of. And in Beyond the Border Jonny uses secret Google Map features and zooms in the "interesting window" of BURZUM 's "Svarte Dauen".
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2008-06-08 It's a bit quiet here; seems the summer heat has taken its toll on the poor AgM staff. But Suleiman keeps the flame burning, reviewing the NAMELESS ORCHESTRAL PROJECT's debut album. Olivier Côte too is still on his march beyond the borders, here with BAD DIANA's "The lights are on but no-one's home". And here's an uncaring cat for all of you.
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2008-06-01 CARRIER FLUX is an obscure one-man project from the United States who, despite not releasing anything these past five years, are well worth the attention of all explorers of the dark and mysterious sides of metal. Suleiman had himself a short, but noteworthy, conversation. Keeping to the theme of obscurity, Jegger has returned with a review of the anonymous Norwegians THE KONSORTIUMs' untitled debut demo. The future of Norwegian ground-breaking black metal? You decide...
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2008-05-25 Riding on top of the waves of new, ultra-complex Death Metal are Italy's ILLOGICIST, perfecting their brutality with a tasteful sense of flowing and psychotic melodies. They recently released their second full-length, whereupon Martin decided to have a chat with the band leader Luca Minieri. Said Martin has also reviewed the gloomy progmetal of DARK SUNS' third album Grave Human Genuine, and Tentakel P set his teeth into the dark industrial swansong of V:28.
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2008-05-18 The craziest voice in all of metal? Formerly the vocalist who put ATROX on the map of Avantgarde metal, currently in TACTILE GEMMA, Monika Edvardsen is a personality (and, of course, voice) out of the ordinary. Martin Cermak found her out and had himself a conversation with her. The British power trio GUAPO recently released their eighth album, Elixirs, and Olivier did not take too long to delve into the mysteries of their oppositional zeuhl rock... Out of money (or the reach of mail-orders), hungry for new and strange metal music, and trying to keep yourself from the dark side? Look no further! Our own Suleiman has begun collecting the weirdest and most genre-bending metal, spread freely across the Internet by the musicians themselves. All for free, and all legal - go ahead, indulge yourself in some new sounds, at Metal Madness (www.burzukh.webs.com)! (disclaimer: AgM.com does not support any sort of piracy, modern nor 17th century. support the musicians; if they want your money, they deserve it - if they don't want it, go ahead.)
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2008-05-11 This Sunday we have an interview with one of Greece's longest running extreme metal institutions: SEPTICFLESH, who recently returned after five years silence with the album Communion; melancholic and furious orchestral black/death metal in abundance. Martin Cermak has spoken to guitarists Christos Antoniou and Sotiris Vayenas. On the review side, we have the following: Suleiman continues his wanderings through the exotic world of THANATOSCHIZO's avantgardist gothic metal, and Olivier dives into the dark ambient drones of AETHENOR's second album Betimes Black Cloudmasses - this time with Kriss G. onboard! A fine Whitsunday Pentecost to you all... keep it strange.
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2008-05-04 Five months have passed since the publication of the first issue, and now it is time again for the second issue of the AVANTGARDE-METAL MAGAZINE. Over 100 pages worth of interviews, reviews and articles in a fine looking PDF for you to print and read in the forest, on the bus, in the bed, wherever! This is our way of thanking YOU for your supporting our descent into everything weird and wonderful and mostly guitar-driven (...and the crew's collective thanks goes out to Katja, who is responsible for assembling this fine product). For the more obsessive of you who've already read everything that can be read in the PDF: Mr. Slone brandishes his sword with the late Quorthon and indulges in BATHORY's Blood On Ice, whereas Mr. Côte falls into a smooth oblivion with the untitled drones of WILLIAM BASINSKI & RICHARD CHARTIER.
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2008-04-27 In celebration of the coming Walpurgisnacht, we at Avantgarde-Metal.com give to you a mighty heap of texts: The German fellows ISLAND have recently re-released their two EPs under the name of Orakel, reviewed here by Tentakel P. Said Tentacle found it so awesome that he just had to dive into the Teutonic forests to find the lair of Christian and Florian and interrogate them. Walking through another part of the vast woods of Germany, Polygon stumbled across a colleague of ours: Thor Wanzek, the legendary editor of Mørkeskye and Sound Under The Surface, fanzines feasting on the fringes of metal music, just like yours truly. Read what he has to say about trolls, extreme music esoterica, and what we are actually dealing with at AgM.com... And on the review front... James Slone has set his teeth into the latest evisceration of Eire's finest: PRIMORDIAL's To The Nameless Dead and SEPTICFLESH's Communion. If you crave some classical, but far from traditional doom metal, look no further: Suleiman gives you THANATOSCHIZO's InsomniousNightLift. Now you go out into the Sun and have a nice week, all of you.
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2008-04-20 Alright... We bring unto you a fine set of reviews on this beautiful April Sunday: Ulv returns to the mystical mythological nature, dancing in circles with the primordial water-dragon known in Norse culture as Jörmundgand, as invoked by his countryman JOHANN WOLFGANG POZOJ's eclectic music. The picture is the gate to the Birth of Pozoj... Revon thoroughly invades and analyses the second release of them crazy French Canadians UNEXPECT, whereas Suleiman gets down & dirty in the tormented abysses of F.P.G.S. If you're wondering whatever happened to those disco-dancing fellows in ...AND OCEANS, look no further. They died and were resurrected as HAVOC UNIT, whose first full-length is currently violating the ears of Tentakel P. No fun at all. And yeah, Lignano painfully exerts himself trying to truly capture and describe the volatile spirit of FANTOMAS' "The Director's Cut" right here. Finally, here's to the Avant-garde Creator of Life, for hiding away his most wondrous works in the true WaterHells... Let the Sabbath now begin!
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2008-04-13 Here comes an article with the attempt to shed some light on one of the most vibrant and original metal the planet has ever seen. For ease of discussion, a wide spectrum of bands and sounds have been grouped under the umbrella term of Technical-Progressive Death Metal, whereas in reality there is no single genre that can cater to the variety of the bands mentioned here. Suleiman touches on a number of bands that helped to shape the trends and sounds of the metal scene as a whole and thus affected the tech-death phenomena as well. Suleiman also wrote a delicious poem about BRAIN DRILL and ORIGIN . And aVoid is making Tantra on MESHUGGAH's "ObZen" this week!
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2008-04-06 "2 Unlimited" was not only a Dutch Eurodance act quite famous in the 90's. It is also the title of an album from PIN-UP WENT DOWN, a new French duo that surprised Revon as hell! Cosmic Dark Metal Epic comes from SEPTIC FLESH with their 2008-release "Communion". Suleiman compares them to a good wine that becomes better with age… "Starfire Burning On The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule" was Mr. Slone's first foray into the pulp fantasy universe of BAL-SAGOTH. . Our new writer from the underground "Mang Tsze” not only looks at KOROVA's ”A Kiss In The Charnel Fields", but also describes the days before the internet, the days of real underground music developed in Austria late 80's – early 90's. In Beyond the Border Oliver Côté and Jonny Lignano frolic with DOWNLOAD's "FiXer” and FOO FIGHTER's "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace".
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2008-03-30 Whilst on the interweb, one finds all sorts of different things. Jonny found a super duper cool band homepage called WWW.NOIDZ.NET, which offers two promo tracks to the casual 5-seconds-attention-span surfer. Ulv shows you the way of cooking the best dish in the world: the soup a la TO-MERA . Hellenistic Alien Esoterica, or just SEPTIC FLESH with "The Ophidian Wheel” is brought to you by James Slone. BETHLEHEM's Masterpiece "Sardonischer Untergang Im Zeichen Irreligiöser Darbietung" has been reviewed by Polygon. And last but not least, a fresh new project from Circle and Pharaoh Overlord's mastermind Jussi Lehtisalo with KRYPT AXERIPPER's "Mechanical Witch”, by Olivier Côté… Enjoy with coffee and cake!
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2008-03-23 The interrogation of the Anglo-Saxon kings of glorious battle magic and the malevolently sublime...BAL-SAGOTH Interview PART II brought to you by aVoid! A Post Dance Industrial For The People Of The Future comes from James with SQUIBB VS. SQUIBB . Doomintroll In Wonderland or just "AARNI” with its "Bathos" has been described by Jobst. Oliver Côté has another Beyond the Border article uploaded for you: the unpredictable ZWEIZZ
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2008-03-16 There is bombast, and then there is bombast. Epic, majestic, call it whatever - many try, most fail. From the British Isles comes BAL-SAGOTH , for a decade and a half over and over again setting even higher standards in narrative conceptuality and the aforementioned adjectives. "Too many trumpets". "Sounds like a comic book". The taunts have been many, yet none that may touch these infamous warrior kings. You may worship them, you may detest them, but one truth is constant - over their 15 years of existence, they have trodden their own singular path, fearlessly looking forward into the unknown, granting blissful wonders to those who dare to follow. aVoid searched for illumination and conjured up a spiritual connection to the ultimate driving force behind Bal-Sagoth… Two new reviews are comming from James and Tentakel P. They carefully listened to SOLARIS' "Out of Reach" and STAR OF ASHs "Iter. Viator." for you. Oliver Côté presents MIDI MILIZ/EXTRAWELT with their space crashing trance piece "Crsh” in Beyond the Border.
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2008-03-09 This Sunday update is especially dedicated to our fascinating AVANTGARDE-METAL-CREW. Without them this webpage would not exist nor succeed. But luckily it does! In the past eight months our busy bees from all different angles of the world took their time to collect material, conduct interviews, put together tons of reviews, stories and articles for you to read and enjoy. We hope that you were able to explore many great bands and hidden treasures for a kind of music, that still deserves more attention and praise. Therefore we also try to reach non-english speakers who used to skip english classes during school – or just those of you who might be interested in how one review looks like written in 9 different languages… Have fun with SUNNO))) & BORIS' "Altar"! Have a look at another cool review about CELESTIAL SEASON's "Solar Lovers" written by James Slone. In Beyond the Border, waiting for you: EXTRAWELT with "DistTheme”, reviewed by Oliver Côté...
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2008-03-02 The young Swedish blood Diablo Swing Orchestra is one of the bands that cannot sink into average. If you hear them once, you either like them or hate them, but you cannot mess them with anything other. Of course, what else can you expect from the people who are able to combine elegantly such genres as swing, tango or flamenco with metal and opera? When listening to the songs on their debut album "Butcher's Ballroom", nothing is sure nor guaranteed, so you must be ready and alerted every minute... ...by Martin Cermak New Reviews: HAVOHEJ with "Black Perversion / The Black Mist / Man And Jinn" by aVoid SKINDEEP PLETHORA's "Angst" by Jonny Lignano
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2008-02-24 THE AXIS OF PERDITION are one of the weirdest formations that ever crawled out from the underworld. They absorbed different shapes of extreme music (be it black metal, dark ambient or industrial), processed and transformed it into their own original, non-human, excessive sound for apocalypse. It penetrates into the marrow of your bones and brings an instant anxiety. You need to live and survive this experience... aVoid gives you an insight of WORMED' "Planisphaerium". Tentakel P. looked at SIGHS' "Hail Horror Hail".
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2008-02-17 Bands like this bring the light, search for the paths and push the boundaries of what is possible in extreme music. EPHEL DUATH do this with nobleness, intelligence, significant aesthetics and sense for every form of art... The band’s leader, main composer and guitarist Davide Tiso is as always very reflective and sensitive, what gives his art significant touches and impulsions. Interview by Martin Cermak Trident has reviewed ARCTURUS' "The Sham Mirrors”, and Jonny Lignano scientifically explains the Physics and Chemistry of OPETH's "Ghost Reveries”.
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2008-02-10 It's been a long time since we all heard of Bjørn Dencker aka ALDRAHN or BIKJA, whose passionate invocations from DHG, OLD MAN'S CHILD, DIMMU BORGIR, ZYKLON-B to THORNS and THE DEATHTRIP still feel as fresh, edgy and open-minded as they were back then and now are. This is why Olivier had to contact the man and take a chance to enter his present-day world views... Tentakel. P. gives you a description of the Carpathian Wolves Tour 2008 featuring FARSOT, NEGURA BUNGET and THE VISION BLEAK. Reviews today: SATANOCHIO by Suleiman, THE GAULT by aVoid, AGALLOCH by Trident and SLOUGH FEG by Jonny Lignano.
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2008-02-03 After the tricky album "The Focusing Blur", Swedish mastermind VINTERSORG came with its follower "Solens Rotter". Being maybe a more acceptable material for a larger circle of listeners. The recording offers enough uncommon and clever moments, in the same time we can hear a bit of creative modulation and calming. The traditional approaches and roots of Scandinavian art are mixed with black metal atmosphere in one hand and progressive feeling on the other. All in all, Andreas Hedlund aka Vintersorg still has a fancy to release pleasant stuff. Martin has talked with him about his remarkable and sophisticated way of seeing and cognition of our world, projected into his art... Our new crew member C.L. Edwards from California provides us two great reviews of OPETH and MESHUGGAH. Suleiman comes along with two reviews of VOLKMAR and UMBAH and Polygon reviewed TIAMAT for you. In Beyond the Border two reviews from Jonny Lignano and Ulv are ready to be read: MIRANDA SEX GARDEN and NIRVANA. Bernd our webmaster improved the ”about” section. Now you can view all band profiles, reviews and stories of each member by one mouse click. Enjoy!
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2008-01-27 CONTROL HUMAN DELETE is a fresh blood of the avant-garde extreme scene. Their extravagant combination of the contemporary technical post-black/death metal with industrial apocalypse is musically very impressive. Not less interesting is the knot of ideas behind (or in the base) of the whole project. The band is a monstrous monolith or organism living on its own and offering a lot of inspiration and stimulation to think and listen. Martin has a talk about the freezing, raw, but beautifully aberrant album "Terminal World Perspective” and about all the perspectives that can be seen in the world of CHD with the speculative and reflective singer and lyricist Void... This week Bernd adds NEGURA BUNGET to the bands section. Tentakel P. presents SOLEFALD, Revon shows us the world of ANUBI, Trident examines ASGAROTH, Suleiman headbangs for MONSTERWORKS, and scary Lignano analyses the cover of NUCLEAR SIMPHONY.
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2008-01-20 There is a big bang of young European bands that are a kind of answer to the Isis/Neurosis style on one hand, The Dillinger Escape Plan discursiveness on the other, also a bit linked to Meshuggah’s unique path, but of course developing their very own way. The multifaceted art collective THE OCEAN from German capital city Berlin is among the most promising of these acts. Their new concept "Precambrian / Hadean / Archaean" became an important musical event of the 2007/2008 break. Reason enough to talk with Robin Staps, the thoughtful leader of this multimember collective. The interview with THE OCEAN was led by Martin Cermak, whom we cordially welcome to our crew today! Jobst sinks deep into the majestic soundscapes of ELEND. Revon starts carnival with DARTH VEGAS. aVoid heads back to the last millennium for ENTITY. Tentakel P. discovers the great hidden treasure PICA FIERCE. And Suleiman returns with ACHENAR and a glance beyond the noise border of CERVIX.
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2008-01-13 New Jersey's DÄLEK have been marketed as the "sound of the urban apocalypse," and for once the hype matches the content. A hiphop outfit that channels both disparate musical forms (political hip hop, industrial, shoegaze, metal, grind noise, kraut, and jazz) and the old spirits of forgotten history, especially the fragmented and lost history of African America, Dälek meld violent, angry dissonance with a sad, elegiac dirge. When the bombast and discord finally falter, all that is left is a lingering sigh of resignation. James dedicates a story to the work of this outstanding band. Revon heads for an extensive dance into the DOG FASHION DISCO. Ulv discovers the Croatian pearl EMPHASIS. Jonny Lignano reviews the legendary first album of DEVIL DOLL, a record of which just one single piece has been pressed. And Polygon steps beyond the border for DESIDERII MARGINIS.
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2008-01-06 Florida – sunglasses, palm trees, bikini girls and … technical death metal. These are the associations many of us may carry in their head. When the debut of AGHORA came out in the year 2000, they immediately were crowned as Miami’s new stars of progressive metal. This definitely has been influenced by the fact that famous musicians of bands like Death and Cynic were involved. Seven years and one brilliant album later guitarist Santiago Dobles and his gifted gang of musicians show that they deserve their excellent reputation also without famous names. Much has been written about the music and technical skills of AGHORA. But when Trident talked to Santiago Dobles he wanted to explore the philosophy behind this exceptional music. And so the interview became a profound course in Eastern Alchemy – yoga, reiki, qi gong…and finally a detailed description of how Santiago uses his crown chakra to transfer energies to the listeners of Aghora’s music. Today you also can enjoy the long awaited second part of Ulv’s talk with Markus Stock, mastermind of exquisite, innovative bands like EMPYRIUM and THE VISION BLEAK. This is one of the rare and precious moments that Markus opens the huge hidden world behind his artistic works and let’s you see a little part of the man behind the thousand masks. MvH digs out one of the first electro black metal albums of the mid 1990ies – the unholy DIABOLOS RISING. Tentakel P. observes the latest album of VINTERSORG. And Monsignor Lignano designs some movie scenes for VOIVOD. Behold the Invisible…
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2007-12-30 Ulf Theodor Schwadorf aka F. F. Yugoth aka MARKUS STOCK is a man with thousand faces, a hyper-creative nebula that can transmogrify into any artistic form. With the legendary band EMPYRIUM he brought an excessive use of acoustic instruments into Metal and had a huge impact on the development of Folk Metal. With projects like SUN OF THE SLEEPLESS and NACHTMAHR he mixes Black Metal with Ambient and Opera. With mighty NOEKK he creates epic monuments of 70ies inspired Prog Rock. And with the famous THE VISION BLEAK he founded a new conceptual subgenre called Horror Metal. Apart from that he’s a gifted multi-instrumentalist and an excellent producer. In his KLANGSCHMIEDE STUDIO E he produced innovative bands like Dornenreich, Bethlehem or KorovaKill. Within the last weeks THE VISION BLEAK toured through Europe with Therion. So Ulv catched Markus on the road for an intensive talk about the man behind the thousand faces. Enjoy the first part of this interview here! Another man who confuses you regularly with his thousand faces is our most scary writer Jonny Lignano. Many readers asked us to reveal more about this mysterious enfant terrible. So today we have a Sylvester surprise for you: Jonny Lignano interviews JONNY LIGNANO. And he reviews another album of OPETH. Finally Suleiman presents a hidden treasure from France: PSALM. Unleash the Rockets…
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2007-12-23 Today we have a big Christmas present for you: The 1st print edition of the AVANTGARDE METAL MAGAZINE. On 125 pages you can find all interviews published so far and reviews of the most recommendable albums of 2007. This is our way to Thank You, our dear readers, for your stunning resonance. More than 45.000 visitors show that the metal revolution has already begun! I’d also like to thank the dedicated crew of agm.com who enthusiastically wrote more than 200 articles within the last couple of months to present you the most innovative bands metal music can provide. And we’d like to thank Katja who has spent countless hours to design the whole print version. Some weeks ago we asked you to send us your favourite avant-garde metal albums of 2007. Today we present you the final results. Here are YOUR TOP 10 AVANT-GARDE METAL ALBUMS OF 2007. You also can find a retrospection on the nearly passed year there, written by Jobst. Thanks a lot to everybody who participated in this election and congratulations to the winners! Did you ever wonder how it would sound if epic progressive metal unified with exquisite synthesizers and electro sounds in the vein of 1970ies pioneers like Jean Michel Jarre or Vangelis? And instead of a lead singer there was a whole classical choir performing the lyrics? Then DOL AMMAD definitely will become one of your greatest favourites ever. The 21st century of metal has begun now. And DOL AMMAD show how the future may look like. Chrystof enters the intergalactic spaceship for a transmission with mastermind Thanasis Lightbridge. new reviews: SIGH (Tentakel P.), FURZE (aVoid), MAYHEM (MvH), CHORONZON (Olivier), ETERNAL DEFORMITY (Ulv) and Jonny Lignano’s special Christmas review of UNHOLY Happy Jul to everybody, and… Never stop the Freak Show…
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2007-12-16 Explorers of the mysterious and of the supernatural, Austrian tone travellers KOROVAKILL are known for their idiosyncratic sound. Ever since 1994, they have released three mind-bending albums. Call them dreaming spacemen, neo-baroque thrash orchestras, astro-oceanic divers from unknown worlds and dimensions. Whatever, they're basically here to expand your sensory systems. Several years have passed since their last album WaterHells. Will "the mightiest avalanche of the alps" ever strike again? Olivier enters the Echoworld for an exclusive in-depth talk with KK mastermind Christof. This week we review some fresh new albums: aVoid introduces the new masterpiece of French avant-garde metal newcomers SMOHALLA. Olivier dives into the latest releases of ULVER and BLUT AUS NORD. Finally we cordially welcome new crew member MvH, who debuts with a review of AGALLOCH. Embrace the Nebulas...
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2007-12-09 This Sunday comes a huge wired metal box full of new articles, dedicated once more to the electronic sides of avant-garde metal. Suleiman presents the second part of his story about the origins of ELECTRO METAL. Today he delves into the 1990ies and early Industrial Metal. In addition, he unearths some hidden treasures of electronic experiMetal: the exquisite Techno Metal of BRISTOL MEYERS SQUIBB, the dark Dance Metal of TECHNY-CAL X (both from France) and Spanish ElectRollers KRELL. Polygon drives back from Latvia into the mid 1990ies to review one of the earliest pieces of electronic Black Metal – Norwegian wackos MYSTICUM. And he interviews the German Elektro Black Metal cyborgs DEKADENZ. Enjoy his talk with the two remaining core members @noiZe and L.O.S. about the pleasures of technical evolution, Expressionism 2.0 and the truth about the purpose of their studio… Jegger travelled to the Roman Empire for an interview with Italian Industrial Deathers IMPURE DOMAIN. Vocalist Angy Impure reveals his thoughts on nihilism, apocalypticism and musical extremism. More reviews about avantgardish Electro Metal: ...AND OCEANS (Tentakel P.), CHORONZON (Olivier) and CURSE OF THE GOLDEN VAMPIRES (Lignano). Finally Ulv honors one of the most important pioneers of Epic Industrial with a live report: the Slovenian heroes LAIBACH. He describes an impressive concert that took place in Zagreb two weeks ago. Everybody who has ever seen LAIBACH live knows how powerful and monumental their performances are. Reawaken this mighty deployment of musical art. Let's get electrified…
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2007-12-02 This week we bring you the second part of the interview with Austrian Black Metal re-inventors ABIGOR. Read more about the concept of their forthcoming album, their past with Napalm Records, further projects and the Hell Lab studio of TT. Trident dives deep into the work of jazz metalists AGHORA and reviews their albums ”Aghora” and ”Formless”. aVoid discovers the French black proggers AVERSE. And last but not least the infamous Jonny Lignano dedicates one of his controversial reviews to OPETH. A discussion about his strange articles can be found in the FREAK ZONE. Your feedback and opinion are warmly welcome there. For the end of this year we are planning a special about what happened in avant-garde metal in 2007. For this we'd like to know your TOP 5 ALBUMS of 2007. Please send them to us via myspace message or to our email. If you don't have five top albums you also can send just your top 3 for example. We're looking forward to hear what impressed you most this year!
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2007-11-25 Half a year ago one of the most revolutionary metal albums ever erupted into the scene: Fractal Possession is the surprising comeback of Austrian black metal pioneers ABIGOR. Though still deep-rooted in true black metal this masterpiece is far more avantgardistic than most releases under the banner of avant-garde metal. While other outriders of metal seek experimentation in blendings with other genres, ABIGOR manage the legerdemain of giving a boost of innovation to black metal by crystallizing its very essence. Their music is far beyond any norm and still black metal in its purest form. If you think that metal in the 21st century is nothing else than an eclectic repetition of the 1990ies then you have to hear Fractal Possession. Your view on music won’t be the same anymore. ABIGOR core members TT and PK gave deep insights into their work to Tentakel P. and Chrystof. Read the first part of this interview here. This week aVoid reviews one of the very first albums ever labelled as avant-garde metal: the groundbreaking classic "Into the Pandemonium” of CELTIC FROST. Revon introduces a weird experimental one-man-band from Japan - KADENZZA. And beyond the border we find BURZUM (Lignano) and BJÖRK (Tentakel P.). Your music won’t be the same anymore…
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2007-11-18 In the mid 1990ies, just as black metal was going to become the next big thing, there were a couple of bands that tried to break out from the narrow conventions of that genre. In these days the term "avant-garde metal” came up to give asylum to all those mavericks who tried to transport the deep atmosphere of black metal with new, innovative means. One of the very first pioneers of that time was the Norwegian duoFLEURETY. They only released two albums: Min Tid Skal Komme (1995) and Department of Apocalyptic Affairs (2000). Nowadays both belong to the very top of all-time avant-garde metal classics. A long time has passed since their last signs of life. So Olivier talked to Svein Egil Hatlevik (today also known as ZWEIZZ) for a distant, but deep view into the essence of this great band. New reviews: UNEXPECT (revon) and SWARRRM (Suleiman). Avoid the average aesthetics…
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2007-11-11 Today at 11:11 carnival begins in most parts of Europe. So what could fit better than three weird inconnus dressed up like mummies from World War II? SATANOCHIO is definitely one of the strangest and most mysterious bands of the entire metal scene. But what breeds behind those masks? Suleiman visited them in their secret moldering crypt and talked with mastermind Satanochio about sheep and the revolted human, about the tristesse of Romania, about the towers of sarcasm and about toothlessly grinning farmers who spill milk over cow faeces. And if you want more Satanochio go to Jonny Lignano’s review of their DVD Dark Visions from the Fog. Apart from that we are exploring once more the electronic sides of avant-garde metal: James continues his quest through the experimental knurls of former Napalm Death members and presents SCORN of Mick Harris. Suleiman shows SYMPTOMS of Italian cybersomniomania. Ulv revels in UNHEALTHY DREAMS from France and rides beyond the border on BLUE DEERS. In Somnis veritas…
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2007-11-04 Did you ever imagine that your brain was a tree sprawling entropically into all directions until everything turned infrared and ultraviolet? Then you were probably listening to the Greek duo ABSTRUSE. Somewhere between psychedelic, prog and math metal they build their surrealistic worlds of tones and sounds. aVoid talked to Substant, the cerebral forest behind Abstruse. This week our webmaster Bernd has improved the BANDS section. Now you can always find the latest additions on top. Bernd is also debuting with some splendid articles today. He added biographies of RED HARVEST and OXIPLEGATZ and also a review of Alf Svensson's 1990ies pioneering album Worlds and Worlds. James crept deep into two releases of UK doomsters JESU - Conqueror and Silver – presenting the romantic sides of Napalm Death founding member Justin Broadrick. Jobst travelled through the doomy soundscapes of VOID OF SILENCE. Suleiman listened to Austrian hidden treasures BUG. And Mr. Tentakel P. did some channelling with the wicked angels of ENOCHIAN CRESCENT. Special Link: SOUNDS UNDER THE SURFACE is a superb online magazine written by truly dedicated top journalists from Germany. Though Thor and Marcel are rooted in the Metal scene since many years, this mag knows no genre borders and features lots of exquisite bands from all directions. Sounds Under The Surface is published as a free PDF. So you can print it out and enjoy reading it on paper. Yesterday the second issue was released, focusing on "woods, krauts & sprouts”. This magazine is a must for all lovers of pure and deep music. Unmask the Surface…
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2007-10-28 In ancient times metal was quite simple: drums, distorted guitars, bass and a raging vocalist - that was all a metal warrior needed to be happy twenty years ago. Something like keyboards in metal wasn't just exotic. It was a hostile attack of untrue posers. Nowadays the use of synthesizers and electronic sounds has become quite accepted even by old-school headbangers. New popular styles like industrial or gothic metal have developed out of this combination. And former pioneers have become mainstream. Also in avant-garde metal the use of electro sounds is all around. Suleiman has dived deep into history and has written an article about the early beginnings of electro metal. And he has discovered some great newcomers of electronic metal: the alien sci-fi war tunes of MARS ON EARTH, the hyperspeed cyber metal explosions of TRISTWOOD and the dark electro melodies of CARRIER FLUX (incl. link to free download). Polygon enters the biggest black hole of the universe to explore the wicked techno robots ABORYM. And Trident rises up to the brightest energy fields of bombastic DOL AMMAD - a great band from Greece with whom we'll have an interview soon. Space On! Let's get electrified...
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2007-10-21 Last week we introduced some very promising acts from the experimental underground to you. Due to your very positive feedback our scouts went out into the black spots of the metal map once more and came back with full bags: Suleiman visited the darkest depths of Romania and discovered peculiar beings called SATANOCHIO. He continued his journey to the mountains of Austria and found the dissonance thrashers TURN OUT rioting there. Ulv travelled to Pakistan with some mouse clicks to download for free a masterpiece of obscurity: BURZUKH’s album "Orion”. After a little break our most scary writer Jonny Lignano returned from his brain caves. In his laboratory he discovered a way to make any album sound more avant-garde. This process is called "avantgardization" and has been tested with an early demo of KLABAUTAMANN. Finally James went back into a time when even THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL were hidden treasures. Special Link: The Blind Janitor is an Israeli online magazine dedicated to all kinds of alternative music from pop to electro to 70ies prog to extreme metal. If you know Hebrew you definitely should check out this fine site by Nofar and her friends.
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2007-10-14 This Sunday we’d like to introduce some hidden treasures to you: promising bands from the underground that have released their works as self-produced demos or via small labels. Especially for music beyond the norm it’s often very difficult to get contracts with renowned record companies. Still there are some great pearls to discover among them. So thanks a lot to all those bands who sent us promos and copies of their albums. We’ll give our best to support you! And these are the hidden treasures for today: aVoid discovers ABSTRUSE, a duo from Greece that creates bizarre cerebral landscapes with its peculiar music and video art. The major album of THY CATAFALQUE from Hungary as well as their band biography are presented by revon. Other great newcomers are the hyperspeed cyber metallurgists of TRISTWOOD from Tyrol/Austria. And finally Suleiman introduces a demo by ORBETH, cosmic heavy metal from the UK and the latest album of Indonesian avant-garde metal oldcomers KEKAL. Furthermore you can find Tentakel P.’s review of ENSLAVED and two avant-garde masterpieces from beyond the border: the pioneering "Piper at the Gates of Dawn” of PINK FLOYD (Suleiman) and the Russian Ompa Rock Roulette of KAIZER’S ORCHESTRA, reviewed by Ulv. Unearth the hidden Treasures…
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2007-10-07 Today we proudly present an interview with one of the most original cult persons of extreme metal – Jürgen Bartsch, mastermind of German Dark Metal pioneers BETHLEHEM. Since the early 1990ies Bethlehem have gone their very own way far beyond the ordinary metal clichés. Over the years their sound and philosophy have developed into a whole new subgenre of metal: Dark Metal. Bethlehem are legendary for their very idiosyncratic kind of self-presentation and especially for the highly symbolic and enigmatic lyrics and concepts of Mister Bartsch. Katja Honeywine van de Barrel talked to this charming outlaw who always leaves some riddles in your head. Check out this pleasure of an interview somewhere between morbidity and irony. Dictius Me Spectare…
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2007-09-30 One month ago revon introduced a great band from Hungary to us: GIRE. Just some days later the band announced their split up. At their very last concert revon did an interview with keyboarder and poet Tamás about the past, present and future of these engaged musicians. This week is full of exquisite avant-garde: Jonny Lignano made a hex code out of ABERRANT VASCULA. Enjoy 50 mb full of beautiful data. Suleiman dives into the cyber metal of OBLIVEON and the gothesque FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM. Polygon flashes back to the debut of COVENANT, later known as THE KOVENANT. James pulls another fine album of Norwegians BEYOND DAWN out of his stovepipe hat. Ulv explores the remixed ARCTURUS. aVoid introduces PROJECT: FAILING FLESH to us. And Tentakel P. writes a movie plot about DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE. Special Link: "Recreating organization: organizing work and the work of organizing as ethico-aesthetic practice” is a research project at the University of Innsbruck. It explores modes of organizing work in creative fields like theatre, music and architecture. Disclose new Worlds…
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2007-09-23 Today we cordially welcome two new writers: Trident explores the work of epic woodland metallers AGALLOCH. Ulv dives back into the 1970ies to retrieve some elektro-kraut for beyond the border: TANGERINE DREAM. Most times avant-garde and mainstream are antitheses. But there are a few artists who manage to gain huge success with very experimental and idiosyncratic creations. Tentakel P. makes a flashback to the 1994 album Wildhoney from TIAMAT. Though sounding different to everything else back then Wildhoney managed to enthuse the masses and set new standards in metal. Another fine example are the bands and projects of ex Faith No More singer Mike Patton. One of his most popular creations is presented by James this week: the formidable MR. BUNGLE. And there’s still more stuff to discover: James digs out one of the most obscure death metal based bands from the early 1990ies – Dan Swanö’s PAN-THY-MONIUM. And he introduces a very promising act from Berlin to us - THE OCEAN. Last but not least inspector Lignano detects the secret code behind KOROVAKILL’s concept album WaterHells. Across all Frontiers…
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2007-09-16 Sometimes the real heroes of avant-garde metal are hiding deep within the labyrinths of the internet. Without caring at all about publicity they create weird masterpieces far beyond any norm. This week we’d like to dedicate a special to one of those great artists: UMBAH from the UK. With UMBAH ex Necrosanct Cal Scott already has released 10 exquisite albums, highly experimental and highly enthralling. His bizarre soundscapes seem to come from another world. Still UMBAH are totally unknown even within the small avant-garde metal scene. Suleiman discovered them somewhere in the online mazes. He did a tight interview with Cal and also presents another UMBAH album this week. And the very best: You can download all their albums for free at the UMBAH webpage! This week our treasure chest is full of great stuff: aVoid reviews the debut of the promising avant-garde metal newcomers LE GRAND GUIGNOL from Luxembourg. Nofar dives deep into the death trips of BERGRAVEN. Tentakel P. presents one of the agm top albums of 2007 - DODHEIMSGARD. And Suleiman discovers the hidden treasures of UMBAH and BLACK ALBATROSS. In the bands section there are new articles about DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, KAYO DOT, DEATHSPELL OMEGA and BRACHIALILLUMINATOR. And Jonny Lignano enriches the new section beyond the border with a review of THE BEATLES. Discover the Hidden…
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2007-09-09 Two months ago Avantgarde-Metal.com has gone online. The reactions have been stunning so far. More than 10.000 visitors exceeded our best expectations. Therefore we’d like to send a big thanks to all our readers and supporters, to all the engaged bands and labels who sent us their works and to all the people who shared their thoughts with us via email or THE FREAK ZONE. A very special thanks goes to everybody who posted our link in their news, especially to Thanasis from mighty DOL AMMAD and Marcel and Thor from LEGACY MAGAZINE! Today the last missing section finally opens its gates: BEYOND THE BORDER. This section will take a look beyond the borders of avant-garde metal. You will find articles about avantgardistic non-metal there as well as other weird and surprising stuff. Adequately James starts this area with a review of BEYOND DAWN. Once dedicated to very experimental extreme metal this band finally ended beyond the borders of metal and present some atmospheric Electropop on their album "Frysh”. Jonny Lignano delves into the Kayo Dot side-project TARTAR LAMB and discovers some Manowar in the ps-game GOD OF WAR. Of course we also have some fine avant-garde metal today: In the bands section you can find KOROVA / KOROVAKILL and RAM-ZET. Tentakel P. dives into …AND OCEANS. Suleiman discovers a hidden treasure of really deranged Psycho Grindmetal - UMBAH, an insane project of ex Necrosanct Cal Scott. And James presents the latest album of quixotic avant-garde metal heroes SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM. Enter the weird Sides of Metal…
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2007-09-02 The BANDS-Section has been largely improved. Now there are direct links to all band articles on avantgarde-metal.com. New additions: BERGRAVEN, GIRE and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. This sunday we’d like to welcome our new writer Suleiman. He is debuting with reviews of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and ORIGIN. James digs out two masterpieces of 1990ies experiMetal: Alf Svensson’s futuristic solo-band OXIPLEGATZ and neo-ancient folk proggers STILLE VOLK. In addition he leads us to the industrial megacities of RED HARVEST. Jonny Lignano designs some national flags for the songs of LIFELOVER. And aVoid gives insights into the latest album of Norwegians LENGSEL. Dive into the other Worlds...
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2007-08-26 The BANDS-Section is opened now! A big thanks goes to Katja for making the start. More bands and infos will follow soon... Last Monday aVoid has been at the Malmöfestivalen to watch weird performances of MAYHEM and THE LOCUST. He also interviewed Jeff from the great Indonesian avant-garde metal pioneers KEKAL. Another freaky band you definitely should check out are BRACHIALILLUMINATOR from Vienna. Jonny Lignano has done an interview with Mr. Bozkovich per telegram… This week we warmly welcome revon to our crew. His first review presents a real hidden treasure of art metal - GIRE from Hungary. Herr Tentakel P. sharpened his pen-knive to give a vital description of one of the most experimental albums of our Austrian friends ABIGOR. And Jonny Lignano tries to get you horny with a delicate review of CARNIVAL IN COAL. Taste it with your Ears!
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2007-08-19 Two weeks ago we had an interview with ANGIZIA. Due to your very positive feedback James has written an appreciation of ANGIZIA, giving a thorough view into the work of these great artists. Nofar introduces the latest output of operatic avantgarde metal fellows ABERRANT VASCULAR from Finland. Tentakel P. reviews Robotic Metal Aliens THEE MALDOROR KOLLECTIVE. Jonny Lignano writes a letter to the Merriam-Webster Inc. about VOIVOD and craves for a t-shirt of KAYO DOT. And aVoid presents KEKAL's first trip into avant-garde metal and the re-edition of MESHUGGAH's masterpiece "Nothing". Enjoy the Madness!
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2007-08-13 This week the summer slump has hit us severely. Many writers enjoyed their holidays. Others have been so extremely bored that they nearly reviewed their socks and the chairs they sat on. So today our update is slightly different. You could call it a Jonny Lignano special. He provides weird reviews of SIGH, ELEND and CALLISTO. And the summer heat made him also review a CD-Holder that he bought in Paris some time ago... For our more serious friends we bring an interview with one of the most promising young progressive / avant-garde metal acts of the scandinavian scene - ANSUR. And Tentakel P. has reviewed the latest work of THE AMENTA. Beyond Beyondness...
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2007-08-05 There are just very few bands who are able to create whole new worlds beyond this world. ANGIZIA from Austria definitely belong to them. Nofar has interviewed Michael Haas, the passionate head and heart of this fancy avant-garde theatre music collective. If even most avant-garde metal is not autonomous enough for you this is a must to check out! Today our new writer Tentakel P. is debuting with a review of Japanese avant-garde metal veterans SIGH. Opposites attract - so aVoid explores the light, hopeful soundscapes of KEKAL from Indonesia and the utter darkness of DEATHSPELL OMEGA. Jonny Lignano travels back to the 1980ies and digs out an early work of metal pioneers VOIVOD. He also presents the Swedish strangers LIFELOVER. James has done a second review of the avant-garde metal milestone "La Masquerade Infernale" of ARCTURUS and a smart analysis of THE KOVENANT. And last but not least Olivier followed the echoworld caravans into another dimension to dive into KOROVA's "Dead like an Angel". Welcome to the Fevers...
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2007-07-29 The long wait is over. The second part of Olivier's interview with VICOTNIK (DHG, VED BUENS ENDE...) is online now. Enjoy this deep trip into a weird man's mind. This week James presents three innovative masterpieces of the 1990ies: CYNIC, SAMAEL and IN THE WOODS... The Norwegian all-star project AGE OF SILENCE is analyzed by aVoid. And today we also publish the very first review that Mr. Lignano has ever written for avantgarde-metal.com - THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. Last but not least he discovers a great band from Vienna for us - the mighty freak heads BRACHIALILLUMINATOR Explore the Strangeness!
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2007-07-22 What is avant-garde metal? Can it be defined? Should it be defined at all? At the moment there is an intensive discussion going on about that in the Freak Zone. What is your opinion about avant-garde metal? We'd like to invite you to share your thoughts with us and to join the discussion. This Sunday our pearl divers have discovered more sparkling gems for you. aVoid reports from the gig of MESHUGGAH at the Peace & Love Festival in Sweden. A sunburnt Jegger enjoys himself at a hot beach in Sicily and sends us his interview with Austr-Aliens THE AMENTA. Of course we also have lots of new reviews: Madame Honeywine presents the lighting stars of unique electronica art metal - DOL AMMAD. Nofar gives a profound description of mighty EMPEROR’s final chapter. James continues his journey through the avant-garde metal classics of FLEURETY, SOLEFALD and BAL-SAGOTH. Another classic of ARCTURUS is presented by aVoid. Polygon reviews Italians most brutal ABORYM. Finally Jonny Lignano commits his love for MANES. Maybe one day he will cook for them one of the meals that he designed for each song of THE KOVENANT's album "Seti"... Always push the Avant-garde further!
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2007-07-15 One week ago Avantgarde-Metal.com has opened. Obviously the time has been more than ripe for a webpage dedicated exclusively to the weird and experimental sides of metal. All your fantastic comments and emails have shown that. We are very pleased that so many of you appreciate our work and give us great support! So thanks a lot to all our readers and especially to those who sent us emails, posted in the freak zone and signed our guestbook at myspace. A very special thanks goes to all the people who helped to spread the news via bulletins and postings in news sections and forums. It’s great to see that so many people are pushing the spirit of avant-garde metal always further! This Sunday we have a lot of new articles: aVoid reviews one of the most important classics of AgM, the masterpiece "Written in Waters” of VED BUENS ENDE. Two other pioneers of 1990ies metal avant-garde are reviewed by James: SOLEFALD and FLEURETY. Polygon writes about the album that completed the work of mighty avant-garde metal dinosaurs ARCTURUS. Lady Honeywine showcases a hidden treasure of 1990ies theatre art metal: the Austrian weirdos ANGIZIA. Olivier presents the crazy noise artists HELLA. And last but not least Mister Lignano deconstructs the works of IN THE WOODS and French aliens ARYOS. He invents movie scenes for each song of "Omnio” and shows up some strange relationships between the audio visualisation of "Le Paroxysme” and the shape of a Tyrolean mountain. Never stop the Freak Show!
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2007-07-08 Weirdos and freaks, scientists and philosophers, libertines and mavericks of metal music, welcome to your new website! Metal seems to be a very traditional kind of rebellion. When you browse through magazines, visit concerts or listen to albums you often cannot even say in which decade you are. But this is just the picture of metal that is drawn by major labels and the mass media. Beyond the walls of mainstream there is a sparkling realm of courageous bands and artists that break with trends and old fashions. This site is dedicated exclusively to those pioneers and outriders that keep metal alive by reinventing it. Every Sunday we will update this site to present treasures of avant-garde metal. Anyway avantgarde-metal.com can only remain fresh and vivid if you take part. Therefore we'd like to encourage you to use our forum and send us emails excessively. All new impulses and ideas are warmly welcome. And of course we will be pleased if you sign our guestbook on myspace. Let's get surprised!
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