aghast

Trendsetter
$8.99
Tommy T returns with slew of friends to make the Distortion Chamber the best Diverje disc yet. Joining Tommy this round are Josh Wood (The Mercy Cage), Vince Pujol (E.S.R.), Xon (Boundless/Symbiont), and Justin Cameron (Lexincrypt)-just to name a few. if you have any experience with these bands, you will love this record and clearly see the various artists influences (If you haven't heard them, look for them at DSBP records). This is the heaviest Diverje disc to date, and therfore my fav. Best tracks are #5 -You Pleasure (Harsh), #6 -I walk alone, and #7 No time for compromise. However, many other tracks are also good. You will find something for all electro fans. Heavily distorted vox and synths, great programming and pummeling beats, and a few danceble club tracks. I give it only 4 stars b/c I am a fan of lyrics (yes, even in industrial music) and while I love the message in Tommy's lyrics, sometimes they just don't work. All in all, great disc, their best yet. 15 tracks - 74 minutes of harsh electro/industrial. Shows that even record label presidents can make great music.

Emily in Wonderland
$1.99

Hexeri im Zwielicht der Finsternis - Aghast
$35.00
This is NOT a MeTal album, it isn't even an album of "music". It is what is usually termed "ambient", but a sound so-called is merely a sound that just happens to be there(by definition). The sounds produced by Aghast are clearly well-planned and composed. There IS indeed "music" on this album, but it usually amounts to different tones produced in different ways, all lurking behind spectral mutterings and chants. I liken this album to Dreyer's film "Vampyr", only Aghast are WAY creepier! The theme of the album is witchcraft, and the listener can truly feel transported to a dimly moonlit clearing in a forest, while malevolent witches conspire over a cauldron of rendered human fat. And now they have noticed YOU! I shall attempt to describe how it actually sounds, but I fear I shall fail: probably most of the "music" is keyboard-produced, and there is very minimal percussion to be heard, with perhaps only one "song" having a noticeable drum "beat". This album is so outre', that you'll notice my more-than-usual use of quotation marks. I honestly can't describe the "music", other than it demonstrates variety from track to track (this isn't an album of monotonous noise). It would be PERFECT to play in a Halloween Spookhouse, in that all the selections seemed designed to unsettle and even frighten the listener, though there aren't any "cheap scares" (in analogy to film: when the hero is seeking something, the music builds to a tense crescendo, then suddenly a chicken bursts out of the shadows of the barn...). Perhaps the only clearly recognizable words are after a brief silence at the "end", and suddenly a voice says.....something. Otherwise, the "vocals" are the afore-mentioned eerie mutterings and intonations. This now-defunct group was a pair of women, one of which was married to Samoth from Emperor. Of course, they claimed to be actual "witches", and perhaps they were! This album is certainly "bewitching" enough. This is not for casual fans of either ambient OR Black MeTal; it is truly disturbing, though in an ominous, subtle way, rather than being forcefully hideous. It can't be called "beautiful", nor can it be called "ugly"...as far as I know, it stands utterly alone in the vast universe of "music". And as a last recommendation/warning: though I enjoy (to the point of obsession) Horror in all forms of Art, whenever I fall asleep with Aghast playing, I invariably have nightmares. Normally I don't. Interpret that as you will! This is a MUST-HAVE jewel for any fan of Horror in Art.

Carcinopest
$8.99
I'll take the honor of being the first person to review this album, almost ten years after it's release, since no one else has had the good taste in music to do so. This album is a prime example of how good music that is so far out of the mainstream can be.
I would describe this music as hardcore, rivethead industrial music from Brazil. If you're familiar with this type of music I would describe this band as similar to 'Funker Vogt' but with harsher lyrics and sound. Although this band may be one of the less popular industrial acts in this country, I believe it still blows most of them out of the water.