Well, if fate and fortune wants it, Appaling Spawn will cross my path someday.

NP:
SWINE - Marked By The Baron (VON-worship almost eclipsing the original! Complete dedication and self-annihilation! SATAN.)
MORTUARY DRAPE - Tolling 13 Knell (awesome occultist metal!)
AURA NOIR - Dreams Like Deserts (on TAPE!!!)
+various young Swedish death/thrash bands, gotta get into the underground again... (Guerilla, Corrupt, Necrovation, Conspiracy etc, the KULT is ALIVE)

Isn't Mortuary Drape the Italian black metal band that has TWO bassists? I've heard they're actually pretty interesting, and different from a lot of the other more common BM bands.

Listening to:
Klauz Schultze - Kontinuum

Yeah, I actually only realised that the other day, trying to read the horrible horrible lyrics, and listening to it; yeah, the bassist play simultaneously (I just thought he was one very talented guy to begin with). Special!

atm: Van Der Graaf Generator - First Generation compilation, now: Darkness (11/11)

PUNGENT STENCH "Molecular Disembowelment"

\m/

Just found out about this band today: Hatebeak-Gore/Grind fronted by a parrot!

Axis of Perdition - I had to listen to it again after reading the story here - truly eerie stuff - the REAL soundtrack to a good zombie movie

Decrepit Birth - as recommended by Suleiman - great technical deathmetal

Hollenthon - With Vilest Worms to Dwell - fantastic orchestral metal, though perhaps very similar to Therion, this was a big influence on my "I Am Become Daevel" album. (sorry, shameless plug.)

That's a cool one, listened to it a bunch of years ago. Heard they're working on the follow-up, will be interesting to hear. I really liked the Prokofiev sample (Montagues & Capulets from the Romeo & Juliet ballet, one of the heaviest pieces of music written the past millenia). Some place them in relation to Bal-Sagoth because of the symphonics, but I agree that Therion is a closer shot.

Ulver - Utreise

Yes... amazing.

I'm going to have to listen to some more Ulver - all you guys really seem to like them. Any particular recommendations? I had heard some of Perdition City, and thought it was okay. Is most of their stuff like this? They sound more like Portishead than a metal band.

Perdition City is their electronic album. Bergtatt and Nattens Madrigal are black metal, rest is... well, "ulverish". You should check out Kveldssanger (nice acoustic), Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun of last year. Don't know your preferences though.

Yep, Ulver albums are quite different in music style, but also in feeling. I like electronic Ulver more than blackish era and if I could recommend something, it will be Lyckantropen Themes or Themes From William Blake's The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell, for me the strongest albums by Ulver.

Arcturus - Asperia Hiems Simfonia -> Sideshow Symphonies

I feel like listening to all their albums in a row today

Trident: don't forget the pre-Garm days! MORAX is an awesome song, even though they could've worked a bit longer on the lyrics for My Angel...

myself: squarepusher & ulver - vargnatt

Yeah of course I did that
I have that version of Asperia Hiems Simfonia where Morax and My Angel are on the 2nd CD.

In the hunt for oriental music to dance to, my girlfriend has found some pretty interesting gems... for example, Sonny Lester & His Orchestras How to bellydance for your husband & after hours from 1963. Smooth soft jazz with mellow sax solos from Lester, pseudo-Oriental harmonies and rhythms, a choir sounding exactly the same through all songs. Like an Oriental scene from an old Bond movie, or even the original Batman series (it's THAT cheesy), with the very very evil Sheik surrounded by Turkish vixens dancing around. And everyone wears a fez. It seems like the second half of the album focuses more on swinging jazz rather than really Oriental music to dance to, I guess the B-side is for what happens after the pretty wife has bellydanced her way around the bedroom... Oh those early '60s. Songtitles like "Fertile Desert", "Salomes veil", "Daughters of the Nile", "Bellydance Waltz" and "Queen's Night Out". Spectacularrr.