n e w s 09/22/07 Hail once again tUMULtuous ones! Looking back over the last few news updates, I'm feeling a bit foolish, and embarrassed, pretty much every one begins with something like "I can't believe it's been a year since the last update!" or something to that effect, and it's true, every time... and again, we find ourselves in a similar situation, this time it's been almost two years since this little old news pages has been dusted off and gussied up, and for that I do apologize. It wasn't for lack of trying... okay, well maybe a little bit for lack of trying, but a lot of it had to do with all the craziness that has been going on. And while they may not have been reflected on the news page, or in the non-existent email updates, it is definitely reflected elsewhere on the site, and in all the amazing music that has been oozing out of tUMULt HQ these last many months. Most of you are probably hip to the fact that I also run a record store called aQuarius here in San Francisco. And if you're not, check it out, not just for tUMULt stuff, but all kinds of weird and wonderful music. But if you have been checking the AQ site or receiving the updates, you probably know all about the tUMULt stuff that has been going on over the last couple years. If not, we'll get you all caught up right here right now. Way back when, I proclaimed 2005 to be the year of the Anus, but as with most things tUMULt related, things move a little slower than normal (5 years in this case, from beginning to glorious end), so it wasn't until 2006 that my glorious proclamation was in fact proven quite prescient, with the release of the massive and mindblowing complete collected works of Japan's damaged doomlords Solar Anus. All three albums, plus an unreleased bonus track, on two cds, with eye popping collaged artwork and a super deluxe diecut slip cover. And inside, some of the heaviest, spaciest, most far out space rock acid doom groove sludge you've ever heard, from the primitve thud of the first record, to the tranced out freakiness of the third, this is pretty much an utterly untouchable slab of monumental heaviness and glorious fucked-up-ness. The other BIG release, another one that was in the works for years, was the two cd DRONE RECORDS compilation, collecting a bunch of gorgeous, previously vinyl only, and long out of print 7" recordings from one of our favorite labels in the world. Just have a look at the lineup: Maeror Tri, Alio Die, Dual, Reynols, Spear, Yen Pox, Aube, Inade, Tarkatak, Toy Bizarre, Francisco Lopez, Osso Exotico, Ultra United and more. An amazing assemblage of muted minimalism, packaged in a super striking, ultra minimal mini gatefold sleeve.... And as if that weren't enough, recently, again after some unforseen delays, the latest from Nordvargr / Drakh, the men who were once partners in black ambient dronelords MZ412. Together again, weaving elaborate and ornate doomscapes of drone and riff, a record rejected by a handful of dark ambient labels for having too much guitar and being too heavy. Need I say more... In a gorgeous 6 panel digipak designed by badass artist / graphic designer Paul Mccarroll (who also does time in outsider ambient metal horde Scald!) There might have been more, but some releases got delayed a bit cuz lots of tUMULt classics sold out and needed to be re-pressed (which means all kinds of action on deck!), and are thus available again: Leviathan's Verrater, the release that started it all, a 2cd collection of all the best tracks from the 15 or so full length demos, no longer $80 on ebay we're happy to report... Another eBay outrage is also available again at a nice price, Leviathan's split with fellow Bay Area black metal misanthrope Crebain... And still more out of print goodies back in print: Circle's legendary US debut, the ultra hypnotic Andexelt. The damaged freaked out blackness of Draugar's From Which Hatred Grows The double cd odds and ends collection from Finland's forest freaks Avarus. Dead As Dreams, one of the greatest black metal records EVER, from defunct SF horde Weakling Some other news of note, the tUMULt version of Harvey Milk's Courtesy And Good Will Toward Men, in the super deluxe mini lp gatefold style sleeve is no longer, the record was snapped up by Relapse, and reissued as a double cd with a bonus live disc. The packaging is not quite as cool, but it's still one of the weirdest and most beautiful heavy records ever made. So if you don't own it, for god's sake man TRACK IT DOWN, BUY IT. LISTEN TO IT. AND BOW BEFORE THE MAJESTY OF THE MILK!! Also, the Brainbombs 7" Stigma Of The Ripper is out of print, but is now available on a cd collection of singles (the second volume) on Polly Maggoo records. And need I tell you, a Brainbombs singles comp is like a velvet wrapped, gore soaked anvil to the head. Amazing. So that's what's been going on in a nutshell. Check elsewhere on the tUMULt site for more on all of those releases, new sound samples, the usual Bush bashing and whatever else I've had time to stick up there. Oh and of course, an unbelievable list of upcoming releases. I'm still in the process of getting them all posted, but will try to soon. Here are some of the highlights: OUT ANY DAY NOW!! CREBAIN "Night Of Stormcrow" SF one man black metal outfit. Shared a split with Leviathan. The first demo finally available on cd, remastered, with all new artwork, and bonus tracks in the form of rehearsals from a pre-Crebain Gauderon Dherg. Where as lots of tUMULt black metal is freaked out and bizarre, Crebain is buzzing and furious, intense and technical. It's a crime this guy doesn't rule the BM underground. Check it out HERE. OUT SOON!! PYHA "The Haunted House " The debut recording from this Korean one man black metal band. Who just so happened to be a 12 year old seventh grader when this was recorded. Unbelievably grim Burzumic buzz. The demo received a TEN in terrorizer and you'll understand why. Burzum meets Abruptum but even more harsh and atmospheric. Anti war, anti military outsider individualistic blackness that destroys any other BM you've heard. What the fuck were YOU doing when you were 12 years old?! More HERE. LIKE A KIND OF MATADOR "Halfway To Dangerous " A mysterious doom prog juggernaut from the UK. Epic, crushing ambience, flutes and gongs and sleigh bells and of course soul crushing riffs. Long overdue but well worth the wait. Go HERE. VARGHKOGHARGASMAL "Drowned In Lakes " Wooden metal from Germany. Stumbling and confusional. Not so much metal as some strange woodland surf flecked krautrock, but wrapped in blackness and stange FX. Still haven't quite figured out how to accurately describe this, other than to say it fucking destroys. Read about it HERE. V/A "Unblack And Blessed " A massive double disc collection of some of the most crucial and essential unblack metal of the last few years. That's right, Christian black metal. Makes no sense, but it might once you lay your ears on some of this stuff. Absolutely some of the most individual, abstract, experimental black brilliance I've ever heard. More HERE. BERKOWITZ LAKE AND DAHMER " MDP " Finally to see the light of day, latest from these electronic experimentalists, drone and buzz, glitch and warble, swoon and shriek, all woven into some organic frightening beautiful thing. Lots more HERE. DEAD REPTILE SHRINE "tbd 2cd " Brand new double disc from these Finnish misanthropes. Bizarre blackness from the forests of Finland. A sprawling confusional epic. You have been warned. Follow the dark path HERE. TIERMES "tbd " The newest release from this mysterious, mystical, magickal, industrial ambient drone outift from Finland, unfurling a gloriously blackened world of glistening shimmer and Krautrock dirge, nestled amidst breathtaking expanses of crystalline drone and hypnotically buzzing rumble. Dark sonic rituals, ceremonies of drifting tribal minimalism, abstract dronefolk sacraments and shamanic explorations of shadowed and starless otherworlds. Fall freely into a swirling, soul swallowing black oblivion... Discover much more HERE. And if you can believe it, lots more still to come after all that madness... but you'll just have to wait and see. Sorry this is so long but lots has been going on. I'll be opening a new wing of tUMULt, a sublabel maybe you'd call it, to release lost eighties metal classics. HEAVY RESCUE will be the new home for some of the most amazing metal you've never heard, rescuing classics that have permanently burned themselves into our ears, and hearts and souls. Hopefully this will be a joint endeavor with my partner in AQ (although he was pushing to call the label HAIR SPRAINED...). We had our hearts set on two specific bands, one, the UK's Rogue Male, but we just discovered that both the Rogue Male records are already being re-issued. The other, is my ALL TIME favorite eighties metal band, which is saying a lot since that's what i grew up on and still love. That band is Pandemonium from Alaska. Three pretty much perfect records on Metal Blade, all out of print for WAY TOO LONG. I've already talked to one of the guys in the band, and it looks like it could happen. But you know what, I almost don't even care if it comes out on HR/tUMULt (although I would be honored and ecstatic), I just want people to hear those records, so even if I don't end up doing them, I'm sure as shit gonna help those guys make it happen. When you hear these records you'll totally understand.... And just cuz some folks have asked, here's some stuff that's been constantly in the headphones pretty much nonstop lately (and in some cases for YEARS!): Leaving Trains - Kill Tunes Leaving Trains - Fuck Lee Harvey Oswald Band - A Taste Of Prison Editors - An End Has A Start Redd Kross - Third Eye Strangulated Beatoffs - Days Of Our Lives Strangulated Beatoffs - s/t Strangulated Beatoffs - Greatest Hits Strangulated Beatoffs - Reverse CHild Psychology Vorak - Rhetoric Of The Supermen Acrimony - Bong On- Live Long! Pandemonium - Heavy Metal Soldiers Pandemonium - Hole In The Sky Pandemonium - The Kill Finally on a more personal note, the wedding compilation. Most of you probably don't even remember, but yes, it's been sequenced, and mastered. I'm still working on the artwork. But no, Heather and I are not yet married. We're working on it though. I swear. And the comp and the wedding will both happen soonish. Doing everything in my power. Thanks again to the bands, now not for just getting us songs, but for being so patient. Check out the lineup: BERKOWITZ LAKE & DAHMER - Wedding March LESSER - When It Comes To Fidelity, Birds Beat Out Mammals Nearly 10 to 1 JCHURCH - Trehouse Of Love DIAMATREGON - I Drank The Blood OF The Black Snake MATMOS - A Handfast THE QUAILS - Easy (live) EIKENSKADEN - Heather Wearing A Wedding Dress... BURMESE - Babysitter REEKS AND THE WRECKS - Cha Cha STEVE VON TILL - Can I Sleep In Your Arms Tonight THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM - Song 15 OCS - I Guess We Can't Hang Out MOUNTAIN GOATS - You And Your Latin Jazz NOISEGATE - Modoc Plateau ALGER HISS - Mason Jar HALE ZUKAS - Forest Fantasy BYRAM ABBOTT - Bell SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN - Soft Hustle THE HUSBANDS - Ain't That Lovin Ya Baby THE ANAKSIMANDROS - Anaksimandros Love Theme KAWABATA MAKOTO - Pledge Of Love IRR. APP. (EXT.) - A Marriage Processional BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL - Second Shining Earth MYLES OF DESTRUCTION - Ghost AUTODIDACT - Meditations On A Series Of Anotomically Explicit Drawings By Phobe Gloeckner DRAUGAR - Conversations Between Time And Death THE INDIGNATERIES - Blank/Pain Lullaby ANTONY MILTON - Saline HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE - Vexation LOREN CHASSE - Fantasy Emanation 1-4 TRACK STAR - The Party THUJA - Red Branches JIM HAYNES - Castor And Pollux 7000 DYING RATS - Mechanized Reaping (Burning Farm) HWYL NOFIO - Surreal Cathedral CASTRO - Talk To Me SKULLFLOWER - Whipping Post (A wedding Song) GREG WEEKS - Summer Burns Away SOLAR ANUS - Fuzakerunjyane TROUM - Dat Du Mien Leevsten Buest NOXAGT - Wounded Pride: All My Love (I'm Gonna Make You Know) REYNOLS - Ornivo Romantico Surido HATEWAVE - Face-fucked BERKOWITZ LAKE & DAHMER - Beast With Two Backs DIE ELEKTRISCHEN - Hochzeit DJ JESTER - Matriphony GUAPO - Socrates Drank The Conium GOLDEN HOTEL - Judah LEVIATHAN - Withered Upon Her Kingdom Of Was SOULED AMERICAN - Ringside Suite WORMS - Heaven YOUNG PEOPLE - Lifting Again CIRCLE - Aarniometsa I AM SPOONBENDER - Secret Everything (Feel Spectre Mono Marriage Mix) THE FUCKING CHAMPS - All The Kids With Stereovision Pt. 1 + 2 HRVATSKI - Dom ROB CROW - Unrelated PAINE - Inhale-on OXBOW - The Valley Not sure I could've imagined a more amazing group of musicians. And while these comps are meant for friends and family, and for the bands of course. When they're done, we'll figure out a way to make them available here. Maybe not for sale, but we'll see... Okay, I hate to jinx myself, but here's to more regular updates and lots more new music! Thanks to everyone for digging tUMULt, and all the amazing bands that sail with her. I love you all. xoxoxo ...andee tUMULt OverlOrd Old news return to tUMULt main lab