From what I can gather, the compilation was put out by the guy who runs this website...a great resource for obscure and out-of-print metal. He's a metal record collector, but also, like myself, into the 'outsider' musical spectrum. Luckily, he extends that to his metal collecting, and there's a lot of really wild stuff on that album.
Unfortunately, since its release in the 90's (I think), there hasn't been a 'volume two.' So...I'm going to try puttin' something together for ya, since I know a lot of people come here for the weirdo/outsider stuff. Before we get started, let me say that this isn't associated with the Corroseum folks or Dan Edman, because I don't want them gettin' pissed at me or nothin'....I don't have the time or money to be a record collector, so I just scam off websites and shit. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't hear this stuff.
Some of these songs were dug up by the Corroseum (but well after the release of the original compilation), but most were dug up by me. Here and here are a couple other really good resources for what's been called 'incredibly strange metal' and 'savant metal.'
Since the 00's, the black and doom metal genres have become a great place for finding weird shit...much more so than the 90's, so my cuts try to represent that.
Without any further ado, Bizarro Jerry's Incredibly Strange Metal, Vol. 1 (aka ISM Vol. 2):
1. Alvin Dahn - 'You're Driving Me Mad'
We start things off with a WFMU outsider classic...don't know much about this guy, but he's an insanely talented metal guitarist. The only problem is that voice...and the lyrics...and pretty much everything else besides the guitar. One of the most enjoyably goofy metal anthems of all time.
2. Reencarnacion - 'Seduccion Y Eucaristia'
This Colombian group is best described as 'progressive metal,' but where they're progressing towards, I'm not sure...The album this comes from is a concept album of sorts, and some songs aren't even remotely metal. The basic premise seems to be South American traditional music mixed with black metal guitars and guttural vocals...pretty much no drums, just weird percussion. I tried not to include a lot of the 'weird for the sake of weird' progressive metal I've found, but this is just so fucked up and misguided.
3. Circle of Ouroborus - 'Nothingness'
Another group that probably set out with a specific idea (in this case, buzzy lo-fi black metal mixed with English post-punk like Joy Division) but executed it in such a messed up way that it transcends its original 'weird' intentions.
4. Lullaby - 'Lucifer'
This one just sounds completely wrong, but the backstory makes it all the better. Supposedly a female South American metal journalist, this chick is blatantly satanic, and spends most of her time writing love letters to Varg from Burzum and other metal elites. Her own music is like a homespun attempt at doom metal with cheesy drum machines and raspy low vocals. She also posts plenty of fucked up vides on youtube and NSFW pictures of herself on her website.
5. Lugubrum - 'De Vette Cuecken'
Really oddball 'farmer metal' from Belgium that features jazz saxophone pretty prominently. The words are supposed to be pretty funny, but I don't understand most of them. It sounds like Burzum if Varg spent all his time listening to Frank Zappa instead of the Cure.
6. Killer Fox - 'Running Blade'
The only Metal Enterprises track included here. There's a really good article on this stuff on the Corroseum website linked above, but just as a brief recap: This German record label used to re-release shitty American metal albums, then use their cast of studio musicians to create fake 'follow-ups' (most of the original bands were long since broken up). Sounds shitty, but you won't even believe the actual music. It's like they tried to make fun of metal music, but were so retarded that you still end up laughing at them instead of with them. It's like the metal version of a Larry the Cable Guy joke.
7. Ahulabrum - 'The Rendlesham Forest Psyop'
Really lo-fi black metal...all their songs are about UFO abductions. Not sure if this guy is legitimately crazy or if it's intentional, but it doesn't matter.
8. Dwarr - 'Heavy Vibrations'
This guy's stuff is pretty well-known as far as 'outsider metal' goes, but it didn't find its way onto the first 'ISM' compilation. Duane Warr recorded several albums in his trailer park home with gear he borrowed from the local high school marching band. Then, he decided what he was doing was pretty evil and burned a lot of his LP's. Sounds like aliens playing old school Sabbath tunes. All his releases are worth hearing, and this stuff is unbelievably awesome and weird.
9. Violent Playground - 'Thrashin' Blues'
Whoever told these folks that thrash metal and blues made a great combo were very wrong.
10. Trifixion - 'Fear, Is All That I See'
Italian prog-metal....but another instance of a band attempting something way over their heads. If you want to make symphonic jazz-death-metal, at least learn how to write songs and play your instruments. The results are very deranged on this track.
11. Varghkoghargasmal - 'The Forest is Whispering'
Self-described 'wooden metal,' this guy apparently wanted to make 'acoustic' black metal....I mean, there's lots of stuff like that, but this IS an electric guitar (albeit played clean.) The playing is very clumsy and poorly recorded, but it's also a pretty cool sound. Kind of like really dark surf-rock?
12. Warning - 'Magic Castle'
The members of this band dressed up like space monsters, and I'm not sure if they intended this to be a heavy metal release, but it sure does have metallic guitars and death-metal style growling vocals. There's some link to the German electronic scene that spawned Kraftwerk, but I'm not sure what it is. This is just totally weird and wrong.
13. Flames of Hell - 'Flames of Hell'
Icelandic teenage metal recorded in a youth center (like YMCA). Rumored to have been ejected from said youth center when the leader heard their lyrics. This came out around the same time as stuff like Venom, and you can hear that influence, but this is soooooo extreme. Especially the vocals. Dude sounds like some dark ages wizard on some other level shit.
14. Lues de Funes - 'Po+me sa obesif'
Completely abnormal prog-grindcore with ridiculous vocals and time signatures left'n'right. Sure, it's intentionally weird, but it's also just weird weird.
15. Ornaments of Agony - 'Huyten Amsgal'
Doom/sludge created by inept musicians that manages to sound completely terrifying instead of completely dumb. Just a big, noisy, angry mess.
16. Shores of Evening - 'Fists in the Air'
Maybe more inept than weird, this still deserves to be on here. I think these guys wanted to be a power-metal band..y'know, dragons and stuff, but EVERYBODY is bad at what they do, especially the vocalist/lyricist. Of course, I wouldn't have put it on here if it wasn't enjoyable to listen to. You'll laugh for sure.
17. Malicious Onslaught - 'Blademare'
Everything I've read about this band describes their production as 'psychedelic,' which I guess is true. It really does sound like the studio engineer wanted to turn this pretty standard death metal release into a Pink Floyd album or something. Guitar solos come out of nowhere, drums have all sorts of weird effects, and the vocals are pitch shifted to bizarre extremes. I'm not sure why, but both their albums sound like this. Seems like they'd ditch the engineer after the first mishap...Regardless, this music is undeniably cool.
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So there ya go...I've already got enough music compiled for a second edition, so expect that shit SOON. Also, feel free to share this compilation on your blog/site/message board/whatever...
2 comments:
Could you re-up this, possibly? Looks awesome.
Re-upped 2-3-13
-Jerry
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