Abandoned Asylum - Derelicts of Distant Hope (Malignant: TumorCD63)
The debut album from Poland’s Abandoned Asylum and a welcome new entry into the Malignant family, fitting nicely alongside roster mates Rasalhague, Collapsar, and Phelios, in its ability to explore not only the outer edges of the cosmos, but deep into catacombs and dimly lit underground passages. Derelicts of Distant Hope is a collection of 7 tracks in total where shape shifting tonal swells are met with a host of nebulous textures, distant mechanical whir and industrial debris, and drifting atmospheric desolation, all expertly constructed and layered into a sprawling and expansive whole. With dark ambient, it’s not so much about re-inventing the wheel (which isn’t so easy to do given the genre’s defining characteristics) as much as it is about setting the mood, and Abandoned Asylum accomplishes that with great precision and skill. In 6 panel digipak, lmtd 500 copies.. $5.0
Abjection Ritual - Futility Rites CD (Malignant: TumorCD89)
With 2 previously self-released CDrs, Erie, Pennsylvania’s Abjection Ritual grabbed our attention by creating a particularly bleak and virulent strain of death industrial that takes the unbridled, feral violence of American power electronics and combines it with the classic charnel house, necro-atmospherics of vintage Cold Meat Industry (BDN, MZ.412, In Slaughter Natives). Futility Rites is his proper debut, and it fully delivers on the promise and potential of earlier material. From the slow, caustic crawl of “Aversor”, “Entropic Embrace”, or “Tabernacle of Teeth and Tongues”, to the heavily mechanized grind, razor sharp frequencies and lurching physicality of the title track or “Objects of Wrath”, each of the 8 tracks here are impenetrably dark and filled with oppressive dread, culminating in a release that immediately propels Abjection Ritual to the front of the pack when it comes to malevolent, post-apocalyptic electronics. For fans of Steel Hook Prostheses, The Vomit Arsonist, Brighter Death Now, In Slaughter Natives. In 6 panel digipak designed by Brian Van Der Pol and mastered by J. Stillings, Steel Hook Audio. Lmtd 500 copies. Run time: 49 minutes.. $6.0
Abjection Ritual - Soul of Ruin, Body of Filth CD (Malignant: TumorCD113)
With their second full length record for Malignant Records, Abjection Ritual emerge a far different beast, now fully untethered by genre constraints and conventions. Soul of Ruin, Body of Filth is a vast progression from past releases, incorporating guitars, bass and a live drummer into their arsenal, and in doing so have crafted a far more diverse, idiosyncratic vision, while retaining the atmospherics of heavy electronics and industrial ambience. Like a hybrid of Enemy of the Sun era Neurosis, early Swans, Godflesh, IRM and Khanate mixed with the caustic doom sludge of Halo and Indian, Soul of Ruin, Body of Filth is a crushingly visceral and eclectic journey that destroys preconceptions and leaves any true classifications in tatters. Featuring vocal contributions from Rennie Resmini (Starkweather) and Christopher Ropes. In 6 panel digipak with cover art by Jef Whitehead (Leviathan) ""... hideously dark and mechanical sludge-riffed death industrial..." Grizzly Butts "the ugliest, darkest fringes of sludge infected by industrial power electronics and pure noise...a fearful album to lose yourself in" Ninehertz .. $10.67
Abjection Ritual - There Is A Wasteland and It Is Us CD (Malignant: TumorCD134)
First full length since 2018's Soul of Ruin, Body of Filth finds PA based Abjection Ritual returning to his more death industrial based roots, while still embracing the bludgeoning heaviness and crushing weight that populated that release. Shuddering frequencies, strewn debris, and bleak atmospherics deliver a definitive statement of nihilism and negativity.. $10.33
Abjection Ritual - There Is A Wasteland and It Is Us Cassette (Malignant: Tumor134)
First full length since 2018's Soul of Ruin, Body of Filth finds PA based Abjection Ritual returning to his more death industrial based roots, while still embracing the bludgeoning heaviness and crushing weight that populated that release. Shuddering frequencies, strewn debris, and bleak atmospherics deliver a definitive statement of nihilism and negativity. Lmtd 50 gold shell cassette with 3 panel J-Card. $8.33
Analfabetism - Av Hjord Är Du Kommen CD (Malignant: TumorCD90)
As it is with death metal, Swedish industrial is a unique strain with an often defining and noticeable sound, forged in part by the legacy of early Cold Meat Industry, and further fueled by cold winters, alcohol, and mundane factory work. Analfabetism captures that original spirit - a grizzled veteran, known around Malignant for his prior nomenclature, Knös, Frederik Djurfeldt creates back to basics, stripped down, bare bones old school industrial; relentless cold frequencies and sinister atmospheres fleshed out with samples, looping dirge, and pounding machine clangs, and neatly wrapping it in an embrace of distortion and mechanized gloom. It''s a tried and true formula that sadly few explore today, yet here we find Analfabetism taking the torch and leading the charge towards a future that suddenly looks bright, even if it sounds hopelessly bleak and apocalyptic.. $5.0
Fredrik Djurfeldt returns to Malignant with his second CD as Analfabetism. Tracing its legacy to the glory days of CMI, with stylistic nods to Megaptera and Archon Satani, Analfabetism create a particularly atmospheric style of death industrial, where damaged circuitry, crackling transmissions, and fatiguing metal clangs reverberate above gloomy synth bed ambience and soundscapes littered with rusted steel and broken glass. These are the sounds that speak of urban desolation, decaying factories and disenfranchisement, forged and crafted by a skilled tactician. In 6 panel digipak, designed by NTF Design.. $5.0
Anima Nostra - Atraments CD (Malignant: TumorCD107)
Initially the name of a collaborative CD between Henrik Nordvargr Björkk and Margaux Renaudin released on Cold Spring in 2016, the duo have now relabeled and solidified themselves under the Anima Nostra moniker, and in turn, broadly expanded their sonic palette, taking the more intimate ritual ambient aspects of the debut, and incorporating them as part of towering constructs that blur the line between death industrial, doom metal, and neo-classical. With it’s upward swells of foreboding brass, fearsome tribal percussion, and hammering, bass heavy dirge, “Atraments” is the unleashing of something truly monumental and cataclysmic, eclipsing nearly everything Nordvargr has ever been associated with in of scope and grandeur. Integral and prominent in the mix are heavily serrated and imperious vocals, employed to drag the listener inexorably into an inferno of apocalyptic proportions, while adding a more structured “song” element and trumpeting the arrival of an inevitable doom. “Atraments” stands firmly as a vision complete and the perfect soundtrack for times of great tumult. Completed with artwork by Thomas Ekelund (Trepaneringsritualen) and Portugese occult calligrapher Gordoletters, in 6 panel, heavy stock digipak with spot varnish finish and 8 page booklet. "Absolutely spectacular" Archaic Triad "A fantastic ritualistic album that spans multiple darkened genres" Brutal Resonance . $8.0
Beyond Enclosure - Dungeon of Total Void CD (Malignant: TumorCD98)
Prominent S&M inspired electronics is not a new theme, but it has been a long time since such a vital voice has arisen. Enter Beyond Enclosure. With their debut recording Dungeon of Total Void, this Portuguese duo fronted by Samantha Diabolik with the assistance of Andre Coelho (of the now defunct Sektor 304 and operating here as "The Analyst"), have assembled an imposing homage to discomfort, pain, and pleasure. Built around a foundation of subversive and deviant themes, the eight tracks here undulate and throb with malfunctioning electronics, noxious, droning wavelengths, brooding, low slung bass, and malevolent psychoacoustics, with a stream of processed vocal instructions and commands that create a heightened sense of tension and unease. It's a brilliant display and musically should find immediate appeal among fans of Puce Mary, IRM, Sewer Goddess, and Haus Arafna. $5.0
Black Earth - Diagrams of a Hidden Order mCD (Malignant: Infect18)
Debut digital recording for Spain's cryptic collective Black Earth that continues the path laid down by 2014's well received "A Cryptic Howl of Morbid Truth" cassette (Graceless Recordings). "Diagrams of a Hidden Order" presents us with three tracks showcasing their turbulent strain of blackened noise, that stretches the boundaries of black metal, death metal and dark ambient respectively, thus amplifying these genres into darker territory few have explored. Within the turbulence of chaos and bleakness, there exists fleeting form and (un)structure that is shattered and rebuilt over and over again; measured percussion, whispered incantations, and sudden outbursts of unseen violence. A truly potent alchemical document in practice. In 4 panel digipak, limited 500 copies. Special limited cassette edition also available from In Solace Publishing. $4.0
The Long Dust signifies the first full length Caul recording for Malignant since 1998's "Light From Many Lamps' CD, and while, stylistically, Brett's sound has evolved, there's no question it has also matured, moving further away from the climatic drift of the early works, into more structured, composed realms, adding layers of noir-ish percussion and gentle guitar melodies to the arching tones and cinematic textures that define the Caul sound. This is music that speaks of grey skies and introspection...solemn, yet abounding with serene beauty.. $5.0
Climax Denial - Dehumanizing Environments CD (Malignant: TumorCD88)
Lurking just at the edge of the shadows for over a decade, Milwaukee's Climax Denial has been honing his brand of psychosexual, obsessive and fetish driven power electronics across a broad spectrum of tape, vinyl and CD releases on labels such as Urashima, Hospital Productions, Nil By Mouth, among others. It seemed only natural that he would eventually find a home on Malignant for his second full length CD recording, though compared to some of the prior releases, this is perhaps one of the most restrained and refined. And yet, even within a more atmospheric realm, Dehumanizing Environments is about as unnerving and depravity filled as anything Climax Denial has recorded; 4 lengthy tracks of nihilistic pulsations and glassy drones that build to Penderecki levels of dread and tension, registering feelings of claustrophobia and desperate voyeurism as exploratory tones and slow, throbbing synth textures come eerily forth. You're fully immersed by the time vocals finally make an appearance late on track 3, and the soft whispers remind you, there's someone behind the wall at all times, watching with prying eyes and waiting with baited breath. A firmly cohesive and intensive release that circumnavigates the normal trappings of sexually themed power electronics genre and represents a unique and frightening vision only Climax Denial can deliver.Limited 500 copies in 6 panel digipak with outstanding illustrations and design by Andre Coelho, mastered by John Stillings of Steel Hook Audio. Run time: 47 minutes. "Dehumanizing Environments is a complex, varied work that emphasizes both disorder and structure, coming together in a nuanced, diverse approach that results in a high water mark for aggressive electronic music". Brainwashed.com "...one of the most fully realized and cohesive releases to see the light of day from the project since its inception a decade ago...highly recommended". 10/10 Heathen Harvest. $5.0
Collapsar - Beyond the Event Horizon (Malignant: TumorCD38)
Malignant presents another rising star within the dark ambient scene, this time in the form of French act Collapsar. With their debut CD, “Beyond The Event Horizon” Collapsar transports the listener on an epic journey deep into the cosmos, forging a path across a vast, inky void, and steering a course around a roiling galactic core of hyper-dense stars and black holes. The sound is epic, expansive, and most of all, HEAVY. There is beauty and tranquility within these realms, but there is no light – just massive, pulsating textures coalescing into shimmering drones, rippling sound waves, and billowing, multi-dimensional layers of powerful dark energy. “Beyond the Event Horizon” is without question, dark ambient in its purest form and one of the more genre defining releases of the last several years. A must for fans of Inade, Lustmord and the like. In 6 panel digipak, with design by ::: Eye.Lyft :::. $5.0
Concrete Mascara - Perennial Disappointment CD (SOLD OUT) (Malignant: TumorCD93)
Since 2011, Concrete Mascara have been sharpening their skills across various formats and releases, pushing the envelope of intensity and extremity as they quickly ascended the ranks of American power electronic acts. Perennial Disappointment marks their Malignant debut and their second full length disc following 2014’s Blossoms of Shame on France’s Corrosive Arts Records. The sheer violence of this recording is astounding, and it stands as one of the most unnerving and visceral releases ever under the Malignant banner. From the dystopic atmosphere of opener “Flesh of This World” and post mortem ambience of “Mouth of Flies, Tongue of Maggots”, to the traumatizing and unmitigated physicality of “Utopian Nightmare”, “Defined by Absence” or “Delusion of Sacrifice” Perennial Disappointment is rife with urgency and tension, where caustic, distortion filled frequencies meet slashing, blown out noise, hyper-rhythmic pulsations, and venomous, dueling vocals. Collectively, it’s a perfectly engineered and concise declaration of arrival that should be a revelation for those that consider the genre to be one dimensional and stagnant. In jewel box with 6 panel booklet, designed by Si Clark. Lmtd 500.. $5.0
11 years after making his debut on Malignant side label, Black Plague, the legendary Control returns home to roost, with another pulverizing display of power. 7 tracks, thematically centered around the 7 deadly sins (with each track clocking in at the 7 minute), originally released as lmtd CDr for the Elektroanschlag 11 festival. There is no atonement here, nor redemption offered. Just cold, jarring currents of massively built power electronics and horror filled death industrial, full of clamoring factory debris, razor sharp sheets of sonic violence, and grisly metallic grind, rounded out with Garrison's trademark vocal devastation. In 4 panel digipak, designed by John Balistreri of Slogun.. $5.0
Control - The Great Divide LP (Black Vinyl) (Malignant: TumorLP132)
DELAYED. THIS IS A PRE-ORDER. THIS AND ALL ITEMS ORDERED WITH IT WILL SHIP ON OR AROUND NOVEMBER 20TH, 2021 The first new full length Control LP since 2018's "Blood Will Rain", and the first Control release on Malignant in over a decade, "The Great Divide" is another crucial entry into Thomas Garrison's vaulted discography, As is the case with most Control releases, the 6 tracks found here thread the line between being heavily atmospheric death industrial and more corrosive full throttle power electronics. It's here where you'll find massive pneumatic pulsations and over modulated reverberations colliding with impenetrable walls of nightmarish soundscapes and impenetrable darkness. In late August, Thomas announced he was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment. As such, he could use your help in covering the massive costs involved, and I strongly encourage to help by making a donation to the GoFundMe Page set up: https://gofund.me/de254470 as well as supporting his music via Bandcamp: www.control-exsanguinate.bandcamp.com Lmtd 200 copies on black vinyl. $21.0
Dødsmaskin - Fullstendig Brent CD (Malignant: TumorCD104)
The physical debut for Norway’s Dødsmaskin, Fullstendig Brent («completely burnt»; «holocaust») is a meticulously crafted effort that presents to the listener a sonic interpretation of one of the darkest chapters in Norwegian history, namely the witch trials that took place in the country's northernmost regions during the 17th century. Assembled constructs that incorporate field recordings, drones, atonal melodies and clusters of distortion and searing noise, Dødsmaskin transcends all genre classification, pushing boundaries while deftly navigating through a spectrum of post-industrial soundscapes. Tracks can and often start quietly and introspectively, then build to explosive climaxes of unbridled tension and razor sharp intensity, with dense pneumatic blasts intersecting with caustic frequencies and mechanized throb. It’s that kind of unpredictability, attention to detail, and forward-thinking craftsmanship that’ll have you thinking Kevin Drumm one minute, and Sistrenatus, STROM.ec or Propergol the next, and what makes Dødsmaskin such a vital new entry to the Malignant roster. Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri of Black Knoll Studio, N.Y. (www.blackknollstudio.com) and presented in a 4 panel, textured digipak.. $8.0
PRE-SALE. SHIPS ON OR AROUND NOVEMBER 21ST, 2022.Norwegian death industrialists DØDSMASKIN hereby present their sixth full-length output, 'Herremoral | Slavemoral'. A ten-track behemoth divided into two thematic parts based around Friedrich Nietzsche’s thinking on master-slave morality. Having relied heavily on industrial aesthetics as a consistent keystone in the past, this element is now more pronounced than ever, resulting in a recording that embodies what is arguably the duo’s most extreme and overall ambitious effort to date. Furthermore, in order to visually connect the album concept with DØDSMASKIN’s core creative process - the immersion of analogue and digital audio sources into specific phases of sonic coloring - experimental photographer Raina Vlaskovska was commissioned for the artwork, utilizing a specialized technique to create imagery known as chemigrams and provide 'Herremoral | Slavemoral' with nothing short of a stunningly perfect armature. All tracks by dødsmaskin. Recording, sampling, editing and mixing by DØDSMASKIN at Vektor facilities and the war room, Norway. Mastering by Norman Nitzsche at Calyx Mastering, Berlin. Logo by Noizeye. Photography by Raina Vlaskovska. Layout by Salt. Released by Ant-Zen and Malignant Records. Double 12" vinyl in glossy full colour gatefold sleeve. Limited edition of 200 copies incl. digital download-code. release date: 21.11.2022. $25.0
The fourth full length and the first LP from the Norwegian duo Dødsmaskin sees them continuing to solidify their standing as one of the most distinctive and unique industrial acts in operation…true auteurs able to craft a striking combination of multi-layered and carefully assembled dissonance with intensely atmospheric soundscapes. Ødelagt features five tracks and just over 40 minutes of music, with the 3 tracks on Side A encapsulating the Dødsmaskin style; cataclysmic vibrations of electro-acoustic and field recordings swelling to jarring, distortion heavy climaxes and tension filled scourge. Side B offers the side of Dødsmaskin, that’s more flowing, cinematic, and drone based, where textures melt and swirl amid fragments of melody and less malevolent, quasi-kosmiche drift. It’s a respite from the sheer physicality of Side A, but collectively, it binds it all together into one cohesive and highly captivating whole. Lmtd 250 copies on black vinyl. Mastering by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, NY. $14.0
Following an 11 year absence since his debut, Idolatriae, Eidulon returns a radically different entity. Whereas Idolatriae was haunting and minimal catacomb ambience, Combustioni is otherwise now a daunting, full on apocalyptic industrial, auditory excursion, complete with crushingly ominous brass chords, fearsome horn proclamations, organ, and doom filled atmospherics. Contributions of murderous, gnarled vocals courtesy of Nordvargr and Luca Soi, as well as caustic noise from Italian heavy electronic practitioners Naxal Protocol (ex-Cazzodio) add a powerful element, often cutting through a blaze of swelling tones and pneumatic percussive pummel, the only respite coming in the form of collaborative tracks with Kammarheit and Caul, which sees Eidulon returning to the foggy gloom and bleak isolationism that populated the debut. Collectively, it’s quite the provocative declaration, shattering genre barriers and setting the soundtrack for a world of incinerated cities, global plagues, and nuclear winters. In ultra-luxurious 10 panel, Maltese Cross digipak. "... a much more assertive apocalyptic industrial excursion. Eidulon’s sound has grown both in volume and in confidence: it demands attention and focus and proclaims itself from on high rather than insinuating itself from the background. It’s a vortex of dissonant brass, organ and electronically generated noise, still heavy on atmosphere, but brimming with the confidence of a conquering army" Heathen Harvest. $8.0
With the release of Eidulons debut CD Idolatriae, we at Malignant are pleased to welcome another new project into the cozy confines of our slowly expanding roster. 7 tracks of ultra bleak, abstract atmospheres, with sounds and textures that seem to seep from catacomb walls and come slithering out of subterranean chambers. Certainly, this can be classified as a dark ambient record, but at its core, its more than just that simple classification. Theres a gritty, more jagged edge here, with tetonic shifts, deep rumblings, and crackling, climatic squalls buried under a bed of ghostly reverb and haunting tonal resonance. Fits in nicely with past Malignant releases such as R|A|A|N's 'The Nacrasti', Heid's 'Arktogaa', and even Caul's 'Crucible' CD. In elegant 6 panel digipak, with stark black and white, carefully arranged illustrations inspired by Taschism and Spatial art.. $5.0
False Mirror - Derelict World (Malignant: TumorCD47)
In the beginning it looked like an ordinary storm... After three years of intense work, Dark Ambient disciple False Mirror returns with his third full-length journey, aptly entitled "Derelict World". With the timeless drones of his debut "Chronostatic Scenes" and the icy soundscapes on his highly acclaimed sophomore masterpiece "North" still resonating through space, solo artist Tobias Hornberger delivers "Derelict World", his most massive and epic undertaking so far. As its two brooding predecessors, also his third work of masterfully crafted Ambient has become a monumental alliance of dark drones, frostbitten soundscapes and warm vibrating tones from the deep bowels of the earth.Famous for his skilled use of field recordings from an extrem ely diversified range (some of the recordings stem from an old monastery, the medieval city of Ulm or the Arabian sea) and for his ability to cloak the superior forces of nature into menacing, yet beautifully devised sounds, "Derelict World" also offers a truly apocalyptic concept that blends perfectly with the dense wall of sound on this mysterious Ambient challenge: Nothing less than the end of humanity, brought upon this world by the relentless forces of nature forms the basis on which the resonating and thundering tracks develop into chimaeras of terrible momentum, ever-changing and ever-increasing their dramatic potential. Devised with sophisticated software he solely created for composing this album, False Mirror easily evokes elemental feelings like sublimity, fear or trepidation - culminating in an impending sense of doom that never leaves the listener and brings to life the destructive side of nature that surrounds us every day. From the sheer force of a tornado set loose to the beguiling calm within the eye of the storm, "Derelict World" is a 74 minute long sonic journey into a desolated, depopulated world. A 20 page booklet with a conceptually linked short story written by author and journalist Bjørn Springorum accompanies the release. The album is moreover equipped with a number of hidden messages that lead to a rewarding "Bonus World" on falsemirror.de. ... and the rest was silence. "...One of the best dark ambient releases in recent years". 9.5/10 Orkus Magazine "The False Mirror album is one of the best CDs I've ever listened to!" M. Sturtzer, Phelios.. $10.0
First created in 1994, Funerary Call has established itself as one of the premier purveyors of archaic black atmospheres. With Nightside Emanations, Funerary Call presents his most organic and purely ritual experiences...8 tracks that spiral into darkness, led by the ceremonial fire rite of the opening track, then descending into even blacker, more ominous realms as the CD progresses. Extended pieces of opaque ambience are augmented by slow, foreboding, tribal percussion and sedated vocal incantations, full of ancient mysticism and creeping miasma. Material used in the recording process ranged from found objects such as rocks, scrap metal, antlers and bones, to an assortment of ritual implements; chimes, bells, gongs, rattles and kangling. The result is unequivocally one of the darkest releases you'll find under the Malignant banner and one of the more focused and complete recordings from Funerary Call. In 4 panel DVD digipak with stunning artwork by renowned Russian artist Denis Forkas.. $5.0
Active since 2009, Minneapolis based Grant Richardson has solidified a reputation for creating a strain of death industrial and power electronics that’s particularly ferocious, visceral, and just insanely heavy. Alongside Nyodene D, The Vomit Arsonist, and Steel Hook Prostheses, Gnawed represents an act at the forefront of a genre, whose music is built on a European foundation, but is sculpted and heightened with American aggression and intensity. Despite numerous cassettes, splits, and compilation appearances, Feign and Cloak is just Gnawed’s second full length CD following 2012’s masterful Terminal Epoch (Phage Tapes), and sees Richardson continuing down a similar path, only having tightened the reigns, sharpened his focus, and honed his skills. Few artists are as adept or as capable at building tension and atmosphere as Gnawed, then releasing it in an onslaught of deep barreled percussion, pneumatic reverberations, scrap metal debris, and turbine fueled drones, the processed vocals resonating and slicing through the mix with force and rigor, the end result a perfect marriage of controlled chaos and structured composition. A modern masterpiece of true industrial music. In 6 panel digipak with matte finish. Artwork by Brian Vander Pol.. $6.0
Gnawed - Pestilence Beholden CD (Malignant: TumorCD97)
Since its inception in 2009, Grant Richardson’s Gnawed has propelled itself into the top tier of heavy electronics and death industrial with a stream of high quality releases over a variety of formats. For his 3rd full length disc, Pestilence Beholden, the template set forth by prior works remains intact, but is dragged down into an even darker space, this time enriched by added layers of foreboding atmospherics and foggy ambience. Make no mistake, this is Gnawed through and through, but Pestilence Beholden is even more sculpted and refined than before, finding an intersection between tensile dread and controlled aggression, as ominous synth beds and throbbing drones are augmented with the cataclysmic reverberations, resonating scrapyard acoustics, and mechanized dirge you’ve come to expect. Recorded in industrial complexes in and around Minneapolis, the sound here is deep and immense, once again solidifying Gnawed in a category all their own. $5.0
Hadewych - Welving CD (SOLD OUT) (Malignant: TumorCD115)
Though the project of Dutchman Peter Johan Nÿland, contributions from members of Trepaneringsritualen, Dead Neanderthals, Turia and veteran experimental vocalist Greetje Bijma, help Hadewych to function more as a collective as it amorphously shapeshifts and navigates through a broad swath of styles. And yet, Welving is so finely honed and skillfully crafted, that it works as a singular,whole, never losing a firm grasp on what remains at the core of its unique and dynamic sound. Still, it is nearly impossible to classify or define, utilizing a broad array of instrumentation, working in the monolithic, organic and the acoustic, and filtering it through a complex network of darkened, post-industrial, post-black, ritual hallucinations, and noir-ish Bohren And Der Club Of Gore deathjazz, with a steady stream of insistent bass, percussion, and spoken narrative to propel many of the tracks forward. Hadewych defines their music as black rituals channeling the ultra-grotesque, which is about an apt description as you're going to find, and yet it's that vagueness and ambiguity that manages to sum them up perfectly. One of the most unique and exceptional releases under the Malignant banner, and highly recommended for those unafraid to venture into realms unknown. "Heavy with dark mysticism and creative bravery, Welving constructs an intricate web of industrial, dark jazz, black metal, and more besides – as if Coil, Bohren And Der Club Of Gore, and 666 International-era Dodheimsgard wrote a record together. Welving is one of the most captivating, refreshingly unique records I have encountered in some time; and also one of the most rewarding. This is the kind of record that, if you let it, could take over your life....Though it is early days, Welving feels like one of the best records that will be released this year – it’s certainly one of the most adventurous and creatively daring". The Sound Not the Word. $0.0
The alluring debut from Leipzig Germanys Hyios, Consuetudines offers 7 lengthy compositions of cold ritual drones, arching trajectories, and visceral descents into subterranean caverns, where rich, kinetic textures and deep resonant tones move and morph in a fluid, serpentine fashion, sprinkled with the debris of an ancient culture and something more otherworldly and primordial. Leipzig has historically proven to be fertile ground for dark ambient and Consuetudines continues in the fine tradition set forth by such notable acts as Inade and Herbst9. In 6 panel digipak, mastered by Secret Lab. A great new discovery.. $5.0
This album marks the end of a trilogy that started with the ”Indications of Nigredo” 12” (2008) on Segerhuva and continued with the ”Order4” CD (2010) on Cold Meat Industry. Four years on, IRM now release the grand finale on Malignant Records. While the last album flowed between opposites and extremes, this new opus marks a kind of a return to more familiar ground, where traditional song structure and melody occasionally appear and are more suited to the shorter track timing. That’s not to say that this is an easy listen – this can be an electrifying and highly charged listen, that feels visceral and almost physical in nature, and there’s plenty of nightmarish circumstance to wade through. But the omnipresent narrative feel ultimately gives these recordings a nuanced and soothing edge. People familiar with subjects associated with IRM, such as flamboyance, exclusion and theatrical immersion will also find a home here this time around. Harder to grasp is what kind of existentialist limbo the perpetrator here resides in. Redemption - not likely. The album also features the stellar performances of English cellist Jo Quail and Swedish percussionist Ulrik Nilsson. Includes 20 page booklet." ‘Closure’ is a striking achievement on the part of the group." Noise Receptor. Closure release page . $5.0
K.S.K.N.P. - Death Instruktions LP (Malignant: TumorLP81)
As singular entities, Steel Hook Prostheses, Shock Frontier, Peter Nystrom (Megaptera/Negru Voda/KNO/Obscene Noise Korporation), and Stephen Petrus (Murderous Vision) have created some of the darkest and most hellish soundscapes of the last 15 years, so one can only imagine what happens when they collaborate as a collective, but that’s exactly what we have with “Death Instruktions”. ..a kind of “death industrial super group” that brings together the best aspects of all parties involved, dragging the listener into a nightmarish realm where the atmosphere is seething with depravity, the air rancid and stale, and the sounds of bloodletting and torture are on full display. Make no mistake, despite the number of hands in the mix, this is focused and incisive, where thick layers of morbidly squirming frequencies, malevolent vocals, sadistic ambience, and pounding, machine rhythms create a visceral and vile listening environment that takes what each act has done individually to a whole new dimension. Titles such as “Scorched Skeletal Remains”, “Conditions For Suffocation”, and “To Desecrate Angelic Flesh” reveal the depths of horror that exist within. Single handedly one of the most disturbing releases to grace the Malignant roster-as if you expected anything less. Lmtd to 250 copies with insert. Artwork by renowned artist, Brian VDP. "...an intense and very dark vortex, nourished from nightmares and darkest visions". 9.3/10 Necroweb. $10.0
Kristoffer Nystroms Orkester - Overlook Hotel CD (Malignant: TumorCD50)
Overlook Hotel heralds the return of the mighty KNO, the collaborative project between Swedish industrial legend Peter Nystrom (Megaptera, Negru Voda), and Norwegian up and comer Kristoffer Oustad (V:28, Plague Machinery). 5 years after the highly acclaimed brakeHEAD CD, KNO welcomes you into the Overlook Hotel, where every room has a ghost, and every room has a story to tell. Travel the hallways and explore, as you venture into a more cerebral musical state than what brakeHEAD offered, where ghostly transmissions and hypnotic layers of surreal, ethereal atmospheres intersect with disembodied voices, clattering, furnace blasting percussion, and of course, healthy injections of true, old fashioned industrial noise and sweeping doom, done in the best Scandinavian style (imagine if Deutsch Nepal had continued in the same path laid down by Benevolence and you start to get the idea). The pacing of the album is truly impeccable, flowing seamlessly from to track, as if moving from room to room in a hazy, dream state, the layering and cohesiveness on a whole nothing short of meticulous. In 6 panel digipak.. $5.0
Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester (KNO) is a collaborative project between Peter Nyström (Megaptera/Negru Voda) and Kristoffer Oustad (V:28). A true sonic beat down, done in full Scandinavian style, with a battery of iron fisted rhythms hammering down in a thunderous downpour, and the caustic reverberations of the analog doom machine grinding and screeching in a symphony of clangorous and distressed beauty. This is an album that is as majestic as it is bleak, capturing the essence of old school Swedish industrial, but forging a new path towards a dark future.From auralpressure.com: "Brakehead" is a phenomenally majestic piece of dark ambience and noise that will leave you totally awe struck. The visceral raw power of the electronics is a thing of untamed beauty that heralds in a new era by which others must now be judged against." Guts of Darkness called this THE industrial disc of the year! Check out other reviews in the reviews section. A must for fans of Megaptera, Negru Voda, and all things Peter Nystrom. In stylish digipak. $5.0
Kristoffer Oustad - Filth Haven CD (Malignant: TumorCD84)
As one half of Swedish/Norwegian industrial duo K.N.O., Kristoffer Oustad is no stranger to the Malignant roster, and yet within the broader context of the K.N.O. sound, his exact contributions were never fully known, or at least immediately recognizable. Listening to his debut solo recording, it becomes evident that the more emotive and moody qualities within those recordings seemed to be his primary responsibility. The 7 tracks that comprise Filth Haven operate on a palpable psychological level and are perhaps some of the most personal and deeply emotional recordings Malignant has released. Oustad shows an innate ability to craft intricate and detailed pieces of grey hued, analog darkness that feel suspended in time… dreamlike and meditative, yet always hinting at something ominous on the horizon, as gradually shifting textures, drifting tones and haunting melodies intersect in a hazy, somnambulant procession. While the method for composition (analog synths, guitar, and field recordings) may have been the same, each track is uniquely different than the next, but in the end, feels tightly bound together by a cinematic framework that sinks deep into your consciousness. An absolutely astounding and rewarding work for those that appreciate all manner of dark music. Tracklisting: Elberton 1979 (7:00), Traveller (10:00), Anti-Clockwise Rotation (6:30), Row Me Over (9:00), Liquidator (5:45), The Sun Maker (4:55), The Arch (5:59).. $5.0
Körperwelten (Navicon Torture Technologies/Nordvargr) - Avatars of Rape and Rage (Malignant: TumorCD36)
Having started the process way back in 2002, this collaborative project between Swedish powerhouse Nordvargr and US apocalyptic industrialists Navicon Torture Technologies finally sees the light, having been re-worked and re-structured as a perilous 40 minute plunge into a black hole of sound. Waves of grim, doom filled atmospheric sludge crossbred with buzzing black drones, grinding distortion, and a seething underbelly of rhythmic pulsations, ultimately delivering everything you might expect from these two giantsof the industrial scene. In 6 panel digipak, with extreme and controversial Jonathan Canady designed artwork.. $6.0
Leila Abdul-Rauf - Diminution CD (Malignant: TumorCD109)
The follow up to Leila Abdul-Rauf’s 2015 highly acclaimed debut Insomnia, Diminution sees the Bay Area based, multi-instrumentalist take a more stripped-down approach to her uniquely haunting and shadowy soundscapes. While retaining a firm grasp on the feeling of urban loneliness and early morning solitude, Diminution’s tracks are generally longer than previous works and feel more spacious and open, where sparse melodies and gentle textural flow meet ethereal choral vocals, distant trumpet, delicate guitar, and luminous, yet melancholy drones and warm tonal drift. Another spellbinding work from Leila for those seeking solace in quiet and introspective music residing just on edge of consciousness. In 4 panel digipak with stunning artwork by Matthew Jaffe, layout by Kristoffer Oustad.. $7.0
Maculatum - The Nameless City (Malignant: TumorCD59)
The Nameless City is the debut of Maculatum, the much anticipated collaborative project of Malignant dark ambient stalwarts Collapsar and Rasalhague. 6 tracks of visionary and cinematic black ambience based on Lovecraftian mythology, populated by unseen cosmic horrors and shapeless forms. The sound here is vast and luminous, and yet simultaneously menacing and oppressive…swirls of sprawling drones infused with ethereal murk and a steady stream of richly textured percussion, cavernous creaks, terrifying rituals, and heavily reverbed, ghostly vocalizations that arise from deep within the jungle and ruins of an ancient civilization. This is exactly what you want in a collaboration such as this…the best aspects of both Collapsar and Rasalhague brought together, without sounding derivative of either project. Limited to just 500 copies, in slim, fold out eco-wallet, this is of course a must for all those that appreciate dark ambience that goes beyond the realms of the ordinary.. $4.0
Martyria - Martyria CD (SOLD OUT) (Malignant: TumorCD117)
SOLD OUT. With its great textural depth, sepulchral atmospheres, and exotic, richly detailed ritualistic passages, the stunning, self-titled debut from the Greek male/female duo Martyria signifies the arrival of a vital new entry into the world of ritual/dark ambience and a welcome addition to the Malignant roster. Running 41 minutes spread over five tracks, the disc opens with “Logos”, a haunting piece track of gorgeous female keening, angelically drifting over a bed of primitive Byzantine rhythms and liturgical chants. It deftly sets the tone and lays the foundation for the proceeding pieces, which move from bottomless, subterranean drift and luminescent drones, to more sinister realms marked by slow, tribal percussion, resonating wood instrumentation, and elongated vocalizations. All of it flows seamlessly, rising from tendrils of wood smoke and incense, rooted in spiritual and ceremonial darkness, and bound together by atavistic and organic means. Shibalba, Halo Manash, Herbst9, Funerary Call, and Voice of Eye.. $8.0
Mass Ejection - Molten Vasts CD (Malignant: TumorCD133)
A collaborative album between Grant Richardson (Gnawed) &Themistoklis Altintzoglou (Θ), Molten Vasts is exactly as it’s name and imaging implies…a roiling and mesmerizing mass of molten textures, arching drones, and searing oceanic swirls. Dark ambient in it's purest form. In 4 panel digisleeve, lmtd 200. $9.5
Metadevice - Studies For A Vortex CD (Malignant: TumorCD127)
As a founding member of the now defunct Sektor 304 and a major contributor to Beyond Enclosure, Andre Coelho is no stranger to the Malignant roster, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him back with his brand-new project, Metadevice. For those familiar with his previous work, you’ll recognize a lot of the same traits and characteristics: assemblages of bruising musicality, as fed through a cacophony of factory dirge, alienating drones and insectile frequencies, often with distorted rhythms and resonating clangs, and vocals that range from spoken word to more aggressive and in your face. No matter the project, Andre has always managed to tap into an authentically old school industrial sound, and Metadevice is no exception. A must For fans of IRM, Einsturzende Neubauten, STROM.ec. $10.0
A quick follow-up to 2019’s Studies For a Vortex, composed during the quarantine months in Portugal. Gone are many of the “warmer” elements and the obvious human touches that comprised the full length debut, with no scrap metal, no drums, and no vocals outside of the occasional samples. In its place, we’re confronted with 8 tracks of cold, synthesized throb and terminally doomed electronic currents, threaded with crackling skuzz, shuffling debris, and ominous interference. It’s a stripped down and despondent recording, about the loss of what we have as human beings, our capability to feel, experience and create, and most certainly appropriate and befitting of current times. Lmtd 75 cassette with 5 panel J-card Does not include download code, but I will send you one upon request. $4.33
We welcome Ukrainian project Monocube back with first album since 2016's "The Rituals". A suite of wide landscapes painted with modular synth and stringed instruments over eight long form pieces for the most expansive and spellbinding solo release by Monocube to date. The result of no less than two years of assiduous work presents an analog purification of Monocube's overtones elevated to the another level. Featuring Antti Litmanen (Arktau Eos) and Frederic Arbour (Visions). Mastered by James Plotkin. Mixed media artwork by sukkeret.og.pepper studio. Co-Released with Cyclic Law. $10.0
Following a recent appearance on Drone Mind Vol 5, Ukranian act Monocube makes his way into the halls of Malignant for his second, full length recording, featuring nine tracks and just over an hour worth of material ensconced in shadowy, enveloping atmospheres, intact with all the hallmarks of classic dark ambient: arcing, cinematic textures, elegiac melody, and timestretched drift. As The Rituals progresses, it becomes increasingly populated by something even more ominous and bleak; undertones of ancient tribalism and fiery invocations arise, mixed with the blackened soot of distant factory churn and the burning remnants of an ashen wasteland. Featuring collaborative tracks with Treha Sektori, Apocryphos, and Asmorod, The Rituals is an immersive and compelling work, seamlessly tied together by a binding embrace of darkness. Tracklisting: Visiones III, Drowned Sun, Downwards (feat. Apocryphos), Totem Incantation, Fires Shifting – Nocturnal Motion, Through Our Blood, Father Fenris, Anthracite Glow (feat. Treha Sektori), Initiation (feat. Asmorod).. $5.0
Navicon Torture Technologies - Your Suffering Will Be Legendary 2CD (Malignant: TumorCD60)
This is not a return from the grave for Navicon Torture Technologies, but rather a proper re-issue of the bonus CD's that came as part of 2009's Gospels of the Gash boxset. Consisting of 18 collaboration tracks and remixes, these two discs boast a tracklist featuring phenomenal artists both obscure and infamous, who have joined forces with NTT to construct an epic display of undulating drones and visceral screams.Once again, NTT blurs the lines between the brutish intensity of power electronics and introspective dark ambient contemplations. The list of collaborators includes:Deutsch Nepal, Eidulon, Herbst9, Jarboe, Kristoffer Nystroms Orkester, The [Law-Rah] Collective, Troum, Aun, Black Sun, and many others. Active since 1997, Lee Bartow has solidified himself as one of the foremost composers of angst ridden power electronics and dark ambient/industrial sounds. Following the 2CD set "Gospels of the Gash", Navicon was officially laid to rest, but Lee has since reincarnated himself in the highly regarded project, Theologian, where he continues to push the boundaries of extreme sonics. In luxurious fold out DVD Digipak, designed by Jorden Haley.. $8.0
Nordvargr - The Secret Barbarous Names CD (Malignant: TumorCD102)
Active since the late '80s as a member of MZ.412 and Pouppée Fabrikk, few names within the realm of dark industrial and blackened ambient carry more weight and presence than Sweden's mighty Nordvargr. Though side projects Muskel and Koerperwelten have been released on Malignant, The Secret Barbarous Names is the first solo recording done for the label, and Nordvargr's first physical release since 2013's The Dromopoda Transmissions on Old Europa Café. A vocal based work inspired by the Draconian and Typhonian traditions, the title refers to the hidden meanings of the countless manuscripts that have been kept secret for millennia - their supposed effectiveness resting in their utterance, not their meaning. The words of power, vibrated at the correct frequency and amplitude in the correct setting and time, have the power to manifest anything. As such, these are an incredibly haunting and formidable invocations, built upon richly timbered, incantatory vocals and deep, liturgical chants, and occasionally augmented by ominous orchestral swell and ritual percussion. All of it is endlessly stretched out into lightless passages of primordial malevolence and suffocating dread, completing an album that will stand out as a highlight, even within such a lofty and illustrious discography as Nordvargrs. Lavishly packaged in a digipak designed by Margaux Renaudin (Anima Nostra). . $6.0
Founded in 2008, Nyodene D has quickly risen in the ranks to become one of America’s premier death industrial/power electronics acts. Each release shows Nyodene D becoming stronger and stronger, capturing the essence of the true old school aesthetic, yet taking it to new realms of intensity and physicality. The 6 tracks on Edenfall are rife with the threat of violence… harrowing, yet majestic in its scope, with scraps of heaving scrap metal and searing tones intersecting with walls of thick, corrosive synth noise and defiant vocals. What separates this from the pack though is its sense of composition and structure, even as it ratchets up into near impossible levels of ferocity, the sounds barely contained as they reach a fevered pitch. Tracks like Nihilation and Borne On Vulture’s Beak show the roots of some of Aaron’s influences, moving into a more unsettling, restrained style of European power electronics, channeling Ex.Order and IRM, with a slower, more surreptitious attack. As a whole, this has to be considered one of the more essential heavy electronic releases ever released under the Malignant banner. Features appearances by Shift, Sky Burial, and Rope of American war metal band Prosanctus Inferi and supreme death metal band Father Befouled. Comes in a full color digipak with lyrics and booklet, with photographs from Stephen Petrus and layout and design courtesy of Andre Coelho of Sektor 304. . $5.0
Of Earth and Sun - Uncoiled CD (Malignant: TumorCD87)
A new entry into the Malignant family, Of Earth and Sun is the project of Denver based Matthew Hunzeker, who skillfully utilizes a variety of both organic and electronic instrumentation ranging from bone trumpets, vocals, oscillators, and drum machines to create impressive soundscapes of heavily ritualistic inspired drones and intoxicating, near cataclysmic invocations. These are not intimate, candle-lit ruminations, but something that operates on a much grander, more corporeal level. As Hunzeker describes it, "the music plunges listeners into the depths of the supernatural; into a completely inhospitable environment from the point of view of human understanding, acquiring a dark psychedelic sound verging on noise and doom, which transforms into an unfathomable inner cavity of mystic and ritual symbolism that viscerally affects the energies flowing in the body and mind". At first, the 9 tracks that comprise Uncoiled seem monolithic and almost overpoweringly dense, but repeated listens reveal them to be intensely hypnotic and mesmerizing, often times starting with singular, elongated vocalizations or slow motion thrums that rapidly blossom into a cascade of swarming drones and thumping pulsations. By the end, they've been transformed into a consuming mass of saturated, turbulent sound, falling somewhere between the visceral, immersive nature of Theologian and the meditative, organic darkness of Halo Manash. Skillfully assembled and evocative, what Of Earth and Sun create is immersive, heavy, and riveting, and represents a unique new vision onto the scene.. $5.0
With the debut release from Phaenon, it is immediately evident a heavyweight has arrived. The brainchild of Polish born, but current Maryland resident, Szymon Tankiewicz, Submerged is a dark ambient tour de force. Visually and sonically enveloping, this is an album of space and texture, slowly revealing a psychoactive soundscape of majestic, arcing timbres, circadian buzzes, and expansive drones. Heavy, and cosmically weighty in the beginning, Submerged evolves into something more minimalist and serene, radiating a celestial beauty, yet becoming even more bleak and suffocating as it progresses over it's 66 minute time frame. Experienced from start to finished, theres a palpable sense of drifting and drowning, of being carried away into an endless, interstellar vacuum. An exciting new project, and a must for dark ambient purists. Check out Phaenon's myspace page for excerpts of new works at www.myspace.com/szymontankiewicz. In stylish 6 panel digipak, artwork by K. Enderlein (LOKI), mastered by Thomas Garrison... $6.0
Following two CDs on Eternal Soul and a recent split LP on LOKI, Germany’s revered dark ambient project Phelios makes their first appearance for Malignant. With its swirling cosmic drones and sweeping, cinematic drift, the music of Phelios is breathtaking and hypnotic, often evoking moments of serenity and beauty, yet spiking them with deep cushions of ritualistic percussion and textural squalls that suggest something much more ominous and threatening looms on the vast horizon. Collectively, Astral Unity is thoughtful and concise – a vivid and richly detailed entity that’s alive and constantly evolving, channeling the universe while simultaneously exploring the inner regions of a more primordial earth. In 6 panel digipak, with gold foil stamping.. $6.0
Phelios - Gates of Atlantis (Malignant: TumorCD70)
The first new recording from Phelios since 2010’s highly acclaimed Astral Unity, finds Martin Stürtzer in fine form, creating yet another masterwork of meticulously crafted, richly detailed cosmic doom. Very few acts, if any, are more adept at composing such epically scaled atmospheres and Gates of Atlantis once again sets the bar impossibly high, offering up a multi-colored tapestry of sweeping sounds, full of majestic, nebulous drones and ominous strings, propelled forth by rising waves of tribal percussion and more earthen, textural darkness. The scope and breadth of the 7 tracks here truly transcends dark ambience, and the sheer weight and complexity of sound is nothing short of awe inspiring. A triumphant return from one of the genre’s great practitioners. In 6 panel eco-wallet with artwork by Pär Boström (Kammarheit) and mastered by Secret Lab.. $5.0
Phragments - Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood (Malignant: TumorCD37)
Youve seen it before. Certain bands or artists delivering their finest work with their first recording. Then, in futile attempts to capture some of the same magic, becoming formulaic and stale, rehashing ideas and never really achieving the same caliber of work. Others, expanding on the elements of their prior releases, and through a natural maturation process, get stronger with each release. That would certainly be the case with Phragments. With their third full length studio CD, this Slovakian duo have made remarkable strides not only in quality but in scope. Equipped with an enriched sonic palate, Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood mixes forceful brass and dark orchestral strings with rolls of powerful tribal percussion, somber wind instrumentation, ominous atmospheres, industrial clangor, and a strong and commanding vocal presence, particularly on tracks like Over Deadlands and The Kin of Cain. Cohesive, complete, and epic, this is a release that will open some eyes to new found authority of Phragments. Yours to discover. In 6 panel digipak.. $5.0
New full length from Phragments based on collaborative works done with Atranenia, Mindspawn, Rasalhague, Shock Frontier, and Terra Sancta. 40 minutes of sweeping textural doom, cinematic driftscapes, and smog covered drones. Forlorn and dramatic music for the end of days, from the master of apocalyptic electronics. Limited to 300, released in collaboration with Construct.Destroy.Collective. Mastered by John Stillings, Steel Hook Audio.. $9.0
Phragments - New Kings and New Queens (Malignant: TumorCD58)
The first new release from Phragments since 2008’s Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood should be looked upon as a special, stand alone release, devoted not to the more daunting neo-classical atmospheres that make up the majority of Phragments' discography, but to something much darker and abstract; one long track, broken up into 6 chapters of slowly evolving landscapes of black and grey drones, sparsely interrupted by orchestral swells of golden light. And while this is indeed a more minimalistic approach to recording for Matej, in typical fashion, it is also very detailed and painstakingly composed, flowing seamlessly from one point to another over its 32 minute time frame. In terms of genre, this is pure orchestral dark ambient – bleak and solemn, yet with a certain calmness and emotionality, becoming almost sacral and poignant as it unfolds. Lmtd 500 copies in oversized fold out packaging.. $5.0
Rasalhague - Rage Inside the Window (Malignant: TumorCD49)
Following the self released 3inch CDr from a few years back, Rage Inside the Window is the astounding formal debut of Indiana based dark ambient artist Rasalhague, offering some of the most haunting, dread filled, and yet dynamic atmospheres we've come across in some time. Inspired by the true events of a young girl neglectfully imprisoned in filth and squalor by her thoughtless and uncaring mother. Rage Inside the Window takes the listener into the mind of a savagely depraved soul. Don't expect ambient of the spaced out, blissful, and softly textured variety. This is dirty and impenetrably dark, with an intertwining mass of demonic squalls, intense probing, highly ominous tonal drones, distant monolithic pulsations, and bleak isolationism. 6 lengthy tracks of pure psychological horror are presented here, with each piece segueing into each other in transforming waves, progressively getting darker, brooding, and more menacing as it goes. Finally, with the final track, some semblance of solace is achieved. Reference points can be made to Atrium Carceri, recent Raison d'Etre, and the like, but ultimately, Rasalhague operates within its own realm.In 6 panel, full color DVD Digipak. See a video here! Rasalhague "Squalor Prison" . $5.0
With their fifth full length CD, Finlands STROM.ec continue to further explore the far regions of power electronics, challenging the confines and stretching the boundary of the genre, sculpting new and innovative creations that are uniquely their own. Having been under construction for over seven years , Divine Legions shows STROM.ec with a majestic control of their craft, offering 8 tracks (including one 21 minute epic to close the CD out!) of powerful and explosive industrial music, full of volatile frequencies, brain bending, enigmatic atmospheres, hallucinatory noise, and the trademark vocal assault that few acts can rival. Presented in a luxurious 8-panel DVDigipak, designed by Jerome Nougaillon, Divine Legions Beyond Psyche represents STROM.ec at their finest, most creative form, having reached a pinnacle in an already illustrious discography.. $5.0
STROMSTAD - New Devoted Human CD (Malignant: TumorCD114)
Few names imply mind-bending, forward thinking heavy electronics like Finnish stalwarts STROM.ec, and with every release, they seem to further stretch the boundaries of what can be a pretty rigid genre, and navigate realms never before seen or heard. Similar things can be said of Norwegian atmospheric heavy weight and Malignant staple, Kristoffer Oustad, whose particular strain of dark ambient and post-industrial soundscapes are incredibly dynamic, at times surreal and cinematic, other times more driving and heavy, but all with a recognizable, highly emotive touch. Put the two together, and you get the debut of their collaborative project, STROMSTAD. Spread out over 8 tracks, this is a dizzying exploration of sound and vocal fury, where mechanized pulsations, writhing frequency oscillations, and grinding machine loops meet stretches of drifting darkness and touches of musicality, suggestive of a future that’s dystopic and bleak on one hand, yet highly innovative and revolutionary on the other. Featuring a guest appearance by Grutle Kjellson from the mighty Enslaved, mastering by Nordvargr, paintings by Jeff Klena and design by Alonso Urbanos. . $10.67
Equipped with a frightening and impressive array of primitive instrumentation pulled from junkyards and scrap metal heaps, this Portuguese outfit has delivered an astounding formal debut – a heady mixture of truly old school industrial in the vein of Einsturzende Neubauten, Test Dept , and S.P.K , and the grinding, bass heavy dirge of vintage Swans and Godflesh . These are anthems to the past, but geared towards an apocalyptic and bleak future… a form of counter-culture using what is most evident in modern western society: the debris, the abandoned objects, the waste, the noise, and the interference. With a solid foundation of rusty, oil drenched percussion, Sektor 304 adds layer upon layer of squalling industrial clangor, hammering metallic noise, grimy atmospheres, heaving masses of haunted factory drones, and threatening tribal batter, with a strong and commanding vocal presence. The sound here is almost physical in nature – provocative, persistent, and demanding. No one is doing what Sektor 304 is doing right now. Anyone into TRUE industrial (and that includes not just the aformentioned old guard, but also things like Strom.ec , Militia, Negru Voda , and Knifeladder ) really should not miss out.In 6 panel digipak, mastered by Steel Hook Audio.. $5.0
The follow-up to the highly acclaimed Soul Cleansing CD finds Portugals Sektor 304 expanding on all aspects of their debut, once again channeling the essence of the old school guardians (Test Dept, SPK, Crash Worship), while simultaneously exploring new, uncharted territory. Comparatively speaking, Subliminal Actions is a more complete and focused album, with an even better flow than Soul Cleansing and more attention paid to detail, unleashing a cacophonic whirlwind of buzz saw grind, loops, power tools, and scraping, junk metal debris, clashing head on with exertive tribal percussion, clanging oil barrel rhythms, and industrial clamor resonating over a sprawling, post- apocalyptic wasteland. Some tracks, such as the opener, “A Carving on Metallic Flesh”, heap on the scorching noise, while others, such as the resounding, rhythmic driven “By The Throat”, “A Vessel of Guilt”, or “Vultures” are delivered with factory-line precision, laced with grimy layers of bass-heavy dirge, bleak, reverbed squall, and distortion filled, atmospheric drone. Among the many highlights, is the albums closer, “A Prismatic Sun”, a 10 + minute epic excursion into a nightmarish world, populated by whispered vocals and uneasy drift that slowly rises and grows in intensity, climaxing into a blissfully dark and sweaty orgy of low slung bass, ominous, ceremonial drumming, and suffocating darkness. Subliminal Action not only compliments Soul Cleansing, but takes the Sektor 304 sound to new heights, delivering yet striking record sure to solidify their standing as one of premier, truly industrial acts in operation today. 10 tracks, totaling 63 minutes, in 6 panel digipak, mastered by James Plotkin.. $5.0
Shock Frontier - Tumult CD (Malignant: TumorCD110)
With his dark ambient project Apócrýphos, Robert Kozletsky has shown a proven ability at creating multi-layered and highly detailed soundscapes. Working as a duo alongside Kyle Carney, he takes that skill and applies it to his death industrial alter-ego, Shock Frontier, carving out a sound residing somewhere between the “new wave” of American power electronics (The Vomit Arsonist, Steel Hook Prostheses) and the classic sound of Cold Meat Industry (Deutsch Nepal, Megaptera). “Tumult” is a world enveloped in a perpetual haze of post-apocalyptic soot and radioactive ash, where deadening percussion, reverberating factory drones, samples, and atmospheric washes of hostile electronics churn and whirr into a polluted, endless expanse. The follow up to 2013’s debut Mancuerda Confessions, Tumult is a more intricate, more oppressive, and more finely honed release, and a logical extension of the Shock Frontier sound. Featuring contributions from Gnawed, Kristoffer Oustad, and Noculture, in 6 panel DVD digipak skillfully designed by Chris Angelucci of NTF Design & Print.. $5.0
Final release from this enigmatic French act, who over their 10 plus year existence, evolved into something very cerebral and innovative, fusing tribal rhythms and percussion with post-industrial and post-rock soundscapes, where cinematic textures and emotive melodies combine to create an eclectic, yet highly detailed and focused listening experience. Sigma Octantis has never been shy about their admiration of Morthound, and while that rings true with Dissipations, they have undoubtedly forged their own identity, the strength of their sound coming from an ability to take a template established 20 years ago, and expound upon it with a distinctive and broad palette of layers and complexities, where the overall arrangement of the tracks is structured and song oriented, but made surreal, unpredictable, and infinitely engrossing. A unique vision has come to pass, but will continue to live on with a strong end statement. For fans of Morthound, Deutsch Nepal, and the latter works of Caul. A Malignant Antibody release, co-released with French label OPN Records, limited to 500 copies in eco-wallet. Mastered by Frederic Arbour (Cyclic Law).. $4.0
3rd full length release from this acclaimed Martin Bladh (IRM) project(in conjunction with Magnus Lindh), following 2002's New Skin CD and 2006's double CD Journal Noir/Lithium Path, both on Cold Meat Industry. Like previous works, Rothko Field is a highly charged and visceral auditory experience...mind bending and turbulent sonic explorations that are grainy and tense, where uneasy frequencies intersect with caustic drones, infected, insectile buzz, swelling drifts, and intense, slow motion percussion driven sludgery. Further comparison reveals Rothko Field to be less schizophrenic, less challenging, and more structured than in the past, coming off as both spacious and yet suffocatingly claustrophobic (and ultimately closer in style to IRM), suggestive of a spiral downwards into mental decay and degradation, and further enhanced by Martin's uniquely distressed and provocative vocalizations. 9 tracks total, broken into two "mirrored parts", with track 5, "Void"acting as the actual mirror itself. In digipak, with full color 24page booklet. Not to detract from previous releases, but this is easily the best Skin Area work to date, and a must for all things Martin Bladh!. $5.0
Collaborative effort between Frédéric Arbour of famed dark ambient label Cyclic Law and his solo project Visions, and Montreal based ambient/experimental project, Skinwell. Conceptually it oscillates around the northern elements of Glaciers, Winds and the exploration of such rugged territories, both physically, intellectually and spiritually. Musically, it brings us 4 tracks of massively scaled power drones, barren ambience, and black hole atmospherics, each piece starting in a more minimal fashion, then slowing escalating into a hypnotic spectrum of melting drift, ascending and descending tones, and undercurrents of distant industrial churn. Only time will tell if this is a one off project, but for now, drone enthusiasts and dark ambient purists can unite and revel in this fantastic offering. 4 panel digipak, lmtd 500 copies.. $5.0
As long time admirers of this Texas two piece, it seemed only a matter of time before Steel Hook Prostheses would find a home with Malignant. While Atrocitizer will probably not be considered their most aggressive release, it is unquestionably their most unsettling and creepy. 10 tracks in total and close to 50 minutes of death industrial in its purest form, dripping and oozing with sinister intentions, and full of grim electronics, unnerving pulsations, and cold frequency spasms that swarm from a fetid pit of malevolence. Add in a steady stream of ultra menacing , processed vocals and nightmarish samples, and surely you have one of the more disturbing releases ever to be released on Malignant. Steel Hook Prostheses formed in 1999, and since then have amassed an impressive discography of limited CDR releases. Atrocitizer is just their second full length non CDR release following 2005's Light Reflected From A Cold Cutting Table. In 6 panel digipak. $5.0
Steel Hook Prostheses - Calm Morbidity CD (Malignant: TumorCD96)
15 years in and with 9 full length releases under their belt, it’s safe to say that the terminally morbid, Dallas based duo that is Steel Hook Prostheses are the undisputed flag bearers for American death industrial. Perhaps they have been for a long time, but if there was any doubt, it’s quickly erased within the first minutes of Calm Morbidity, their first full length since 2013’s The Empirics Guild. Once again, we find them channeling all things grim and grotesque, and while they don’t stray too far from the charnel house atmospherics you’ve come to expect, there’s a dynamic and dark energy that exists with Calm Morbidity that never fully existed before. From the heavily polluted and blackened drones, decrepit, percolating frequency beds, and acid dripping, highly processed vocals, everything about this release feels intensified and elevated. An immersive and riveting display of the macabre and unequivocally a high watermark in an already illustrious discography. In 6 panel DVD Digipak designed by M.C. De Jong of Gnaw Their Tongues.. $5.0
Terra Sancta - Disintegration (Malignant: TumorCD35)
Four years after the release of the highly acclaimed Aeon CD, Disintegration finds Australias Terra Sancta in fine form, having delivered another sweeping, dark ambient epic. Expanding on the sounds explored on his previous releases, Disintegration pushes the levels of intensity to new heights, featuring four long and texturally turbulent emissions of formidable power and depth. With its enormous washes of stormy drones and billowing, multi-layered atmospheres, these are tracks that grow and build to such a degree they seem to collapse and erode under their own weight, strewing particles into a vast horizon and creating a broad panorama of ever changing desert colored hues. A completely enveloping and engulfing release, this is dark ambient on a massive scale, something Terra Sancta seems to have a knack for creating and something few do so well. Jewel box with 6 panel booklet, designed by Vestigial.. $5.0
6 years have passed since the last full length Terra Sancta release, and time has treated Australia’s preeminent dark ambient export well. Exile finds Greg Good revisiting some of the more orchestral elements that made up his Malignant debut, Aeon, but wrapping them up in the sweeping, sand blasted drones and windswept textures that defined the latter releases, Disintegration and the 2011’s CDEP, Sunken|Buried|Forgotten. The interplay is perfectly conceptualized and executed…immense, lightless ambience with piercing slivers of beauty and serenity breaking through dense clouds of swirling dust and monoliths of blackened synth hum. What has stayed constant is the massive scale in which Terra Sancta operates. This is at once majestic and panoramic, yet desolate and abyssal, drifting in varied and continuous shades of desert and earthen colors, the track titles revealing the nature of the sounds: Empire of Ashes..., ...Kingdom of Dust, Celestial Extinction (featuring Rasalhague), The Desolate Land, Descent II, Vanishing Point, End Path. In beautiful 6 panel eco-wallet designed by Kerry Braud (Rasalhague/Maculatum).. $6.0
Terra Sancta - Sunken|Buried|Forgotten CDEP (Malignant: TumorCD51)
A brand new CDEP from Terra Sancta, originally planned as part of the next full length release, but the tracks here are significantly different from the newer material being recorded as to warrant a separate release. Sunken|Buried|Forgotten should be seen as a sort of bridge between Terra Sancta's past and future recordings, the three tracks here (total time roughly 23 minutes) representing the heavy droning sound found on particular parts of Disintegration; swaths of roughly textured, post-industrial drift, propelled forth with a massive back weight into a crescendo of epic turbulence, leaving a wake of swirling cosmic debris in its path. Once again, Terra Sancta shows an innate ability to push the limits of what is traditionally considered dark ambient. 4 panel digipak, lmtd 500 copies.. $3.0
The Black Scorpio Underground - Incubator CD (Malignant: TumorCD118)
Active for over a decade, Los Angeles based The Black Scorpio Underground has managed to amass an impressive discography, primarily released through their own label Hate Mail, and including some notable splits with such industrial luminaries as TOMB, Macronympha, The Vomit Arsonist and Werewolf Jerusalem. For their Malignant debut, they’ve put some of these connections to use, and the bulk of the material present here is comprised of collaborative work, including contributions from Trepaneringsritualen, Aderlating, Actuary, Demonologists, Richard Ramirez, AntichildLeague, and Sodomy from Beyond. TBSU material has a history of being fairly diverse and unpredictable, and can range from a murky and putrid form of black industrial, to smoldering and oppressive occult soundscapes, to more abrasive disharmonics, with reverberating metal on metal scree, modulated squelch, and grinding machine abuse. It’s all on display here, and no matter the composition style, everything is awash in unpleasantries, collectively making for a harrowing and immersive listen.. $10.0
The Vomit Arsonist - An Occasion for Death (Malignant: TumorCD67)
When one looks at the hierarchy of US power electronics and death industrial, few names belong at the top like Rhode Island’s The Vomit Arsonist. The project of Andrew Grant since 2004, time has seen The Vomit Arsonist evolve into a major force, channeling aggression, negativity, and spite, and molding it into a focused, pinpoint display of barely restrained power and purely dark emotion. The 7 tracks found An Occasion for Death encapsulate this to near perfection, blending bleak, atmospheric drones and ominous synth layers with distorted frequency grind, mechanized rhythms, looping pulsations, and vocals that cut through the mix with unbridled animosity and ferocity. A welcome, and perhaps overdue addition to the Malignant roster. In 6 panel digipak, mastered by Steel Hook Audio.. $6.0
The Vomit Arsonist - Only Red CD (Malignant: TumorCD77)
Two years after "An Occasion For Death", Andrew Grant's The Vomit Arsonist returns with a vengeance with his second full length for Malignant, "Only Red". Inspired and galvanized by Brighter Death Now's US shows in 2014, Grant's latest takes on an even more visceral and dynamic feel than works past, and is unquestionably the heaviest thing he's ever done. If An Occasion for Death showed moments of self discipline and hints of subtlety, no such restraint exists here, as everything about this record feels amped up to an entirely new realm of intensity. This is The Vomit Arsonist in full attack mode, as explosive and bludgeoning percussion loops emerge from a churning, monolithic pit of corrosive electronics, menacing transformer buzz, chain dragging atmospherics, and gasping machine exhalations. Throw in a heavy dose of processed, acidic vocals and the whole record becomes an adrenaline fueled ride,wrought with tension, extreme nihilism, and palpable hostility. With Only Red, Grant has laid down a new flag at the summit of an already impressive catalog. Final track is a remix of Go Without featuring Kristoffer Oustad. In 6 panel digipak, mastered by John Stillings.
"Only Red is a dark, moody work able to draw on convention and coax forth new sounds, constantly pushing back boundaries and redrawing the boundaries of death industrial. Stomping power electronics, wispy dark ambient and unrelenting noise come together in Grant’s most successful balancing act yet, and perhaps his first moment of real greatness". Toilet ov Hell.. $6.0
The Vomit Arsonist - That Which Has Been Forgotten CD (Malignant: TumorCD126)
The 6th full length release from Rhode Island’s The Vomit Arsonist carries on the tradition of unwavering nihilism laid down by previous releases, but That Which Has Been Forgotten seems to go even further into depths of dysphoria and abject self-loathing. Maybe it’s the increased use of junk metal scrapings and shuffling debris that heightens the atmospherics and tension, or that the reverberating machine shudders just feel denser and heavier. Whatever it is, That Which Has Been Forgotten reaches a pinnacle of smoldering intensity and harrowing claustrophobia previously untouched, even by The Vomit Arsonist standards. Prepare yourselves, for the worst is yet to come. In 6 panel, matt finish, heavy weight stock digipak, lmtd 300 copies Modular synthesizer on "bliss/wrath" by Naxal Protocol Synthesizer & programming on "Slow Degradation" by Eidulon Mastered by John Stillings, Steel Hook Audio. $10.0
Theologian - Pain of the Saints 2CD (Malignant: TumorCD76)
5 years have passed since Navicon Torture Technologies' 2009 masterpiece finale, The Gospels of the Gash, and the last time Lee Bartow recording something specifically for release on Malignant, so it is with great honor and pride that he is welcomed back into the fold. During this span, primary releases on Crucial Blast and Handmade Birds have established and solidified his "new" project, Theologian, as a consistent and fruitful source for epically scaled and sprawling industrial soundscapes, and the 2CD set Pain of the Saints continues that trend, laying forth a dizzying 2 ½ + hours of music. Once again, Bartow has sculpted an impeccable and highly detailed excursion into tortured yet brilliant realms, where contrails of burning frequencies and blackened atmospheres intersect with densely concentrated rhythmic pulsations, ethereal, blissed-out shimmer, and the majestic monoliths of smoldering, post-apocalyptic desolation. There's a lot to absorb here, but the focus is precise even as the palate of sounds is broad and varied, a true testament to the deft skills of someone who's spent the last 15 plus years creating some of the most inventive and revolutionary sounds in modern industrial music. Largely produced in collaboration with Fade Kainer (STATIQBLOOM, BATILLUS), and featuring the core trio of Lee M. Bartow, Matt Slagle, and Kainer, Pain of the Saints also includes contributions from David Castillo (PRIMITIVE WEAPONS/WHITE WIDOWS PACT), Joan Hacker (FACTORIA/HEROINE), Christiana Key (DELPHIC ORACLE), Matthew Melnick (DARKSIDE NYC/ex-DISASSOCIATE), Eric Morgan (A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH), Jessica Way (WORM OUROBOROS/BARREN HARVEST), and more. Lyrically and thematically it represents Bartow's rallying cry against Christianity and more specifically Catholicism — an "Anti-Theist manifesto" — and sonic diatribe exposing hypocrisy within the church and a broader questioning of what sainthood means. In his own words, "...in many cases, it seems almost like a prerequisite for Sainthood is to suffer at the hands of the Church. It was common to imprison, torture, execute anyone with ideas that ran contrary to what the Church dictated, to brand them as a heretic or a witch, or an apostate, and then end their lives using some of the most brutal methods humans have ever conceived. Then, the ultimate hypocrisy: to turn around and dub these victims of the Church as saints, centuries after having murdered them." In luxurious 8 panel DVD Digipak with stunning artwork, mastered by John Stillings. . $8.0
Tvlpa - Mountain of the Opposer CD (Malignant: TumorCD95)
TVLPA are an anonymous group of musicians from Gothenburg, Sweden. Their core members sorcerers working within the Draconian current of occultist Thomas Karlsson’s Left Hand Path initiatory order, the Dragon Rouge. A sigil of sound, each piece is assembled with intent, opening gateways and guiding the listener through passages inaccessible to all but the most resolute and fearless. What constitutes “Ritual Music”, really? The endless amounts of Ambient scores that serve as background fodder for little more than exercises in New Agey meditation, or carefully constructed compositions that not only require the listener to meet them halfway, but to become an active participant? TVPLA are brazenly among the latter. “Mountain of the Opposer” is case in point. While undeniably Industrial in approach, there is a hypnotic quality to each of the nine tracks. Undulating electronic howls meet pulsating rhythms, voices appear as waning mist, ripple and swell, then recede into the murk. Subdued, diverging textures give way to intense, throbbing beats. I believe I even detected a didgeridoo. Nothing is true, everything is permitted. But alas, to preach only the cogitative applications of this release would be a disservice. There’s enough meat here to keep one occupied on a purely entertainment level. Aside from the Ambient pieces, there is a nod to the bygone days of the experimental Industrial vanguards. Regardless of your approach, TVLPA is undoubtedly worth your time. Lmtd 500 copies in 6 panel digipak, designed by T. Ekelund (Trepaneringsritualen). $5.0
Urschmerz - Death Hypnosis CS (Malignant: TumorCS131)
3rd full-length album and 2nd for Malignant from Germany's Urschmerz. Highly morose and wretched death industrial, more minimal than 2019's "Misery Plan", but filled with every bit as much negativity and nihilism. Cold, noxious tones and ultra bleak frequencies that worship at the altar of death.Lmtd 75 cassette with O-card sleeve. Includes download code by request. $8.0
Various Artists - Kalpamantra & Malignant: Vol. II/The Black Plague (Malignant: Malware2)
In conjunction with Kalpamantra, a free 36 track downloadable compilation featuring new and exclusive tracks and collaborations from all your favorite Malignant and Black Plagve acts; Caul, False Mirror, Inner Vision Laboratory, Troum & Yen Pox, Rasalhague & Terra Sancta, Kave, Collapsar & Inner Vision Laboratory, Phelios, Abandoned Asylum, Rasalhague, Collapsar, Caul and Hall of Mirrors, Phragments and & Shock Frontier, KNO, Phaenon, Steel Hook & The Vomit Arsonist, Steel Hook and Scapegoat Mechanism, Sewer Goddess, Ascetic Hedonism, DEATHSTENCH, Nyodene D, Sektor 304, and MORE. Just click on the link, it's free, and it rules! Click here for The Black Plague. $0.0
Wet Nurse. - Thanatosis CD (Malignant: TumorCD124)
Following 2017's split with Ten Thousand Mile's of Arteries, Malignant is proud to present the latest full length from Canada's Wet Nurse.. Whereas previous output tended to operate more firmly within the field of traditional power electronics, Thanatosis represents a transitional sound at work, making frequent use of spoken-word vocals over fields of unnervingly cinematic textures, harmonium-type drones, and seething, mechanized whirr, much in the way of latter Martin Bladh/IRM works. Exploring landscapes of trauma through the reflection of nightmares, Thanatosis delivers a kind of jarring, fractured and intentionally broken musicality that feeds on angst and afflictions, and should find great appeal to those that appreciate a certain style of derangement in their electronics. $10.0
Wet Nurse./Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries - Split CD (Malignant: TumorCD108)
Split release featuring the damaged, heavy electronics of Canada’s Wet Nurse. teamed up with the obsidian atmospherics of Idaho’s Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries, two acts who take different approaches but are bound by sharing a similar proclivity for making polluted and deranged soundscapes. Wet Nurse opens things up with “Vow of Sickness (A Prayer), a barrage of jammed frequencies and lurching, corrosive synth waves with a fearsome and highly agonizing vocal presence that sets the tone for the proceeding two tracks. For fans of IRM, early Haus Arafna, and STROM.ec, Wet Nurse. create a disorienting, visceral sound that melds structure with chaos, and ripples with angst, tension and intensity. Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries follows with 4 tracks of soul blackening, brooding arrangements, teeming with malevolent, noir-ish ambience and corrosive drones, sprinkled with darkened melodies and structure, and propelled forth by percussion and vocals that cut through a haze of reverb and distortion. It’s a deftly crafted, emotionally harrowing and bleak listen, ever so vaguely reminiscent of early Navicon Torture Technologies even while coming off as wholly unique. In 6 panel digipak, designed by Noah Lane Coleman.. $5.0
Wolfskin - O Ajuntar das Sombras (Malignant: TumorCD22)
Finally, after years of delays, O Ajuntar das Sombras by Wolfskin is finally unleashed. Initally intended to be a re-issue of 2001s very limited The Gather of Shadows by the Setting Sun CDr (Ajna), it eventually evolved into a re-working of three tracks from that release, complimented by 7 newly recorded tracks. As the Wolfskin era comes to end , this release represents a glimpse into their past , a more organic, flowing ambient record than what you may find today, and perhaps the least conceptual of all their releases. That being said, it most certainly will go down as one of their more stunning, darker visions; a masterpiece of shadowy atmospheres and drifting currents, featuring multiple layers of archaic sounds, foggy, nebulous textures, and ritual invocations, perfectly combined to form a release of intense depth and complexity.Must certainly rank among the finest dark ambient records released in the history of Malignant. In elegant 4 panel digipak. Audio sample at the Malignant myspace, or available for download from iTunes: iTunes . $6.0
Wolfskin feat. Last Industrial Estate - Stonegates of Silence (Malignant: TumorCD46)
And so the journey formally ends for Wolfskin, 15 years from whence it began with the release of the Hidden Fortress cassette back in 1995. The essence of Wolfskin has transformed and mutated throughout the years, reaching on "The Stonegates of Silence" it's simpler form….one of desolation, solitude, insanity and death, the final frontiers of human existence. As he did with The Hidden Fortress: A Revisitation CD, Wolfskin once again pairs up with Anders Peterson of Objekt 4 fame, now operating under the name of Last Industrial Estate for the purposes of this recording. This is Wolfskin at its bleakest and most restrained, offering 5 tracks of enveloping ambience built around foggy, ambiguous textures and an endless flow of drifting isolationism, shapeless horrors, and oppressive subterranean heaviness. In the case of Stonegates, Wolfskin goes out not with a bang, but with a slow, evolutionary creep into the shadows, forever etched in the lexicon of dark ambient music. In 4 panel digipak.. $6.0
Actively recording since 1999, Egan Budd’s Xiphoid Dementia has become known in the underground and in numerous live situations for creating meticulously crafted yet hard to define, post industrial soundscapes, navigating between textured ambience, scourging noise, junk metal , field recordings, and surreal atmospheres, sometimes all in one track. Still, there’s a hyper-focus here that ties it altogether, and makes for something that is dynamic, unpredictable, and clearly ambitious. For those that question if there’s originality left in industrial music, Xiphoid Dementia answers with a resounding yes, though not so much in the sounds themselves, but rather how they are layered and placed. The first track, Abortion Rites, manages to capture the essence of Xiphoid right off the bat; starting calm enough with a singular drone and a rising apocalyptic choir, only to be eventually engulfed in a firestorm of brain rattling noise and straining machine vibrations, before shifting gears into sprawling cosmic drones, deep bass drops, and processed vocal squall. Subsequent tracks follow a similar path, constantly moving from the cerebral to the physical, adding structural elements, then obliterating it in a mass of debris, mechanized whir, and sharp edged clutter. Of the four tracks here, the last track is perhaps the most focused, and certainly the bleakest; a 13 + minute excursion into a dystopian society full of utterly hopeless and dark, resonating atmospherics, and ending in a cyclonic blur of destructive noise and blackened filth . It’s perfectly executed and a suitable ending to what equates to an intensely visceral and creative listen. Hard to find comparisons here, but those that appreciate the dynamics of Navicon Torture Technologies, Prurient, and Propergol will certainly find something to like. In 6 panel digipak.. $4.0
Yen Pox - Between the Horizon and the Abyss 2LP (Black Vinyl/Gatefold) (Malignant: TumorLP85)
Arriving on the scene in 1993 with their self-titled demo, Yen Pox immediately made their presence known with an ability to create monumental, light devouring soundscapes that transcended all that had come before it. Proceeding releases, including their debut CD, Blood Music, 2000’s New Dark Age, and the collaborative CD with Troum only solidified their standing and reputation. With Between the Horizon and the Abyss just being their first full length recording in over 15 years, Yen Pox will never be accused of being prolific. After all, with the two members spread out between Indiana and Washington State, creating new material doesn't exactly lend itself to convenience. But on the rare occasion that recordings do arise, it’s nothing short of masterful, reminding listeners why they’ve achieved such notoriety with such a limited discography, and why their recordings are consistently recognized as benchmarks within the dark ambient genre.Time between releases has been well spent, with the new material taking the early template and expounding upon it greatly, adding layers of industrial churn and structure to the infernal kosmische sprawl they’re so adept at creating. And yet throughout its entirety, Between the Horizon and the Abyss is remarkably polished and fluid. Within its realm, no seconds feel wasted, and every sound feels purposefully placed, even as it moves and flows in perpetual motion; strains of a distant angelic choirs fall beneath a complex array of arcing tones, liquidous, molten textures, & harrowing orchestral shimmer, with fervent masses of malevolent atmospherics billowing forth in glorious detail.While this technically falls under the banner of dark ambient, what Yen Pox has managed to create goes far beyond genre specifications and boundaries, crafting a new benchmark and adding a high water mark to an already stellar discography. Tracklisting: The Awakening (6:29), White of the Eye (9:41), Cold Summer Skin (9:44), In Silent Fields (8:59), Grief Ritual (8:40), Ashen Shroud (10:23), Tomorrow in Ruins (8:48), The Procession (11:09. .
Lmtd 250 on black vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. Collaborative release between Malignant and Burning Inside Records (Netherlands))
"Not since the days of Irrlicht and Zeit has dark ambient sounded so sinister. Two decades after helping to define the genre Yen Pox emerge with what is probably the heaviest and most chilling pure dark ambient album in existence today." Zero Tolerance
"With the monolithic sound of Yen Pox’s dark ambient soundscapes, they effortlessly articulate a vast cosmic sonic scale which overshadows a human scale perspective..."Noise Receptor
"...one of the most defining albums for dark ambient music of the past decade". Heathen Harvest
Yen Pox - Between the Horizon and the Abyss CD (Malignant: TumorCD85)
Arriving on the scene in 1993 with their self-titled demo, Yen Pox immediately made their presence known with an ability to create monumental, light devouring soundscapes that transcended all that had come before it. Proceeding releases, including their debut CD, Blood Music, 2000’s New Dark Age, and the collaborative CD with Troum only solidified their standing and reputation. With Between the Horizon and the Abyss just being their first full length recording in over 15 years, Yen Pox will never be accused of being prolific. After all, with the two members spread out between Indiana and Washington State, creating new material doesn't exactly lend itself to convenience. But on the rare occasion that recordings do arise, it’s nothing short of masterful, reminding listeners why they’ve achieved such notoriety with such a limited discography, and why their recordings are consistently recognized as benchmarks within the dark ambient genre.Time between releases has been well spent, with the new material taking the early template and expounding upon it greatly, adding layers of industrial churn and structure to the infernal kosmische sprawl they’re so adept at creating. And yet throughout its entirety, Between the Horizon and the Abyss is remarkably polished and fluid. Within its realm, no seconds feel wasted, and every sound feels purposefully placed, even as it moves and flows in perpetual motion; strains of a distant angelic choirs fall beneath a complex array of arcing tones, liquidous, molten textures, & harrowing orchestral shimmer, with fervent masses of malevolent atmospherics billowing forth in glorious detail.While this technically falls under the banner of dark ambient, what Yen Pox has managed to create goes far beyond genre specifications and boundaries, crafting a new benchmark and adding a high water mark to an already stellar discography. Tracklisting: The Awakening (6:29), White of the Eye (9:41), Cold Summer Skin (9:44), In Silent Fields (8:59), Grief Ritual (8:40), Ashen Shroud (10:23), Tomorrow in Ruins (8:48), The Procession (11:09).
"Not since the days of Irrlicht and Zeit has dark ambient sounded so sinister. Two decades after helping to define the genre Yen Pox emerge with what is probably the heaviest and most chilling pure dark ambient album in existence today." John Norby, Zero Tolerance
"With the monolithic sound of Yen Pox’s dark ambient soundscapes, they effortlessly articulate a vast cosmic sonic scale which overshadows a human scale perspective..."Noise Receptor
"...one of the most defining albums for dark ambient music of the past decade". Heathen Harvest
