What are you listening to?

Gotta love that VHÖL. Outstanding group of bands represented in their lineup and Profound Lore is a no compromise sort of label. Glad I gave the first song a full listen to hear the progression after the opening old school DM buzzfest. Shifted my understanding of how the project fits together. Good stuff.
 
Profound Lore is probably the best metal label currently. I'm yet to hear a single release of theirs that is disappointing in any way.
Only flaw with PL is that their shipping costs are f*cking sky high, but that's hardly their fault - from what I've heard, Canada is the most expensive country shipping-wise. Hell, even Japan is cheaper.
But they put all their releases (or rather, he puts it, since it's just one guy) on bandcamp, so it's cool. In any case, I need to get VHÖL CD ASAP (I love how those three words turned out).
 


Because it seems that Johan Edlund has called it quits.
A shame, really, though their style changed a lot since this masterpiece. Still, this is the first metal album I ever bought and shall forever love it.
 
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Dan Swanö is awesome, although his new project Witherscape was a bit disappointing. Still, Edge of Sanity remains his best project so far.
 
Nothing at all metal about this one...pure 70s fusion jazz with four hot trumpets creating a wall of sound. Amazingly tight group, though. Worth a listen if you are into stranger progressive stuff and hard edged 70s jazz:

 
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Insomnium - Shadows of the Dying Sun

Yeah, it leaked. I think this will be a huge record for them, such a beautiful evolution of sound.
 
Much to be hoped for with Insomnium. I like them a great deal but had been waiting for them to explore and diversify their sound a bit. Same goes for Swallow the Sun. Used to listen to both a lot, but have since moved on to other bands and neither has lured me back for more than a visit. No knock on their releases, I'm just in the mood for something other than what they have been offering.

Will check out Insomnium's latest once it is legit.
 
Much to be hoped for with Insomnium.

Here's my review, haven't listened to much else lately (apart from their older albums for the sake of direct comparison) and despite the obvious lack of surprises, I have no complaints with it. Happens to capture my current emotional state about as perfectly as Skyforger did five years ago and Riitiir in 2012, which of course says more about my life than about any of those albums. :p Anyway, I like it, and the cats don't seem to be fed up with it yet either.
 
Been re-listening to Insomnium and grooving on the musicality of Niilo's bass playing. Also been spinning a lot of Opeth in preparation for the new album in June.

As for something different, again, have broken out some old Dada from the early 90s. Just an amazing power trio with eclectic influences and a diverse sound. Especially love Mary Sunshine Rain and the way it goes from acoustic rock to pop tune to full on Who style Maximum R&B:

 
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The new album by Agalloch is...problematic. After Marrow of the Spirit and Faustian Echoes, I was thinking this will be another black-metal-induced release. Sadly or luckily, this is not the case.
The album is very intricately structured and layered, but again, all of their albums are. In the outlines, it's their most accessible one, but in the essence, highly complex beast.

http://agalloch.bandcamp.com/album/the-serpent-the-sphere

It will require several more listens to fully adapt to it, but I like it so far. Will see if I will love it...

The digipak's design itself is exquisite tho - again, simple in the outlines, complex in essence.
 
New Agalloch is good stuff. Love their integrity and love the mood of their music.

Have swung back into Moonsorrow mode, myself. Been cranking Pimeä and gave myself a blister on my index finger trying to play along on bass. Am now nursing my injury :cry: :rolleyes: and listening to Viides Luku - Hävitetty for consolation. Still one of the most epic things ever. :headbang:
 
Hi! This is my first time posting :)

I've been on a big Finnish bender and have Seremonia on repeat:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdoIdMoT-YY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdoIdMoT-YY[/ame]
 
Thank you!

Yeah, they are quite unlike anything else I've found, kind of remind me of Jex Thoth or other similar throwbacks to early Sabbath.
 
Welcome! :) And thanks for the Seremonia link, somehow I've never come across them so far. Apparently they don't play a whole lot of gigs... Check out Avatarium from Sweden, too, they sing in English but sound like a mixture between Jex Thoth ( <3 Jessica! :) ) and Candlemass. As for more Finnish-language doom, there's not a whole lot but Kuolemanlaakso is great.