TOP TEN: Most evil sounding records

Here's our list of the most evil sounding, creepiest sounding records we could find. Some of these are well known, some aren't. Prepare to get spooked, readers of PMR.



1. Batushka- Litourgiya
 Polish metal band Batushka has only one release out, Litourgiya and boy oh boy does it sound evil. The chanting in Old Church Slavonic that functions dually as an effect and a lead vocal makes for one experience that will leave you haunted. The creepier part is that nobody knows who they are, though it is known that they're from well known bands.



Listen to Litourgiya here

2. Stallagh-Projekt Misanthropia

Dutch Combo Stallagh made one of the most horrific, painful and scary releases I've ever heard, combining noise with the sounds of mental patients agonized screams of hallucination and derangement. Overall, this is 35 minutes of sheer noise terror, and a great listen for any fan of noise and really anybody whose adventurous enough to listen to it. 

Listen here( at your own risk )

3. Throbbing Gristle- The Second Annual Report
I'll admit, I'm not sure what the hell I listened to here, but I was given a true sense of dread through the whole experience. Throbbing Gristle was a visual arts and music collective in the 70's and I won't dwell much on their history. But overall, this whole experience was terrifying to say the least, with haunting noises, distortion and noise in abundance. 

Listen here

4. Deathspell Omega - si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice Deathspell Omega is an avant garde black metal band from France, and giving this record a listen through and through, I can say it gave me the feeling that I was given after reading Dante's Inferno. The first track leads you down this trail of darkness and dispair that is second to none in terms of their genre besides oldschool Burzum or some of the Behemoth demos from the 90's. Listen here 5. Dir En Grey- Vulgar I think what made this record terrifying was the industrial metal on top of how the Japanese language can sound when spoken oddly whilst singing or done in metal vocal style. Let's not forget, the track Obscure is on this, with one of the most disturbing music videos I've seen just about ever. 6. Peter Sotos- Buyers Market In all seriousness this is just like a book, a story of dark evils that most don't come face to face with. We're kind of in love with these evils, at least we put an evil image on these acts. We still indulge in this media, which kind of also condones it. That's what columbine practically taught us. This record, whatever it is, is arguable evil, and I'm not sure it was ever TRULY meant to be listened to, at least not without being disturbed thoroughly. I don't even want to put a link to it, find it on your own, putting a HEAVY trigger warning on this one. 7. Ramleh- Hole in the Heart Ramleh is a British experimental noise act, using influences of Power Electronics, as well as noise rock. This record from what I've heard is simply put, a cyberpunk nightmare in a way, like something you'd expect to hear while experiencing a cyberpunk, dystopian nightmare trip through an unrecognizable world. Listen to the record here, it's a playlist 8. Burzum-self titled(1992) This made the list because of how poorly recorded it sounds, it sounds like some sort of cheap 80's psychotic slaughter soundtrack. However it is quintessential to any Black Metal fan as Burzum is what many people think to first when thinking of Black Metal. Plus let's not forget the crimes committed by everyone's favorite, Varg. Listen here 9. De Magia Veterum-Eradication+Thorns I heard about this one through my research on the subject not only of Black Metal but also on scary fucking bands. And this one definitely makes my list, because it sounds like something out of fucking hellraiser. I can just imagine pinhead doing some evil shit to some poor fucker to this whole record. Listen here 10. Kriegsmaschine- Enemy of Man Kriegsmaschine, which translates to War Machine in German, made this record in 2014, and it totally went under my radar. The groove it has to it, on top of the phenomenal vocals and drums make for a haunting experience, totally. Listen here Honorable mentions Carach Angren- Where the Corpses Sink Forever

Career Retrospective-Weezer

   Weezer was a defining 90s rock act, blending geeky power pop with stadium anthems and managing to sell numerous platinum records in their 20+ year career.

That being said, despite their massive following and commercial accolades, they have a far from perfect track record, as my friend once said: "Weezer are the best band with the worst discography". Whether or not you agree with that is a matter of personal opinion, but at times there's definitely been some weight to that statement.
Picture 1994, shortly after the death of Kurt Cobain, grunge is seemingly dying out. Rivers Cuomo, Matt Sharp, Brian Bell, and Patrick Wilson released a ten-track debut album known simply as Weezer (or as it's been referred to in later years the blue album), and it absolutely set the alternative scene on fire.
It was fun, it was heartfelt, but most of all it was a kickass rock record. With radio hits "Buddy Holly", "Say It Ain't So", and "Undone (The Sweater Song)" the band was shot into superstardom nearly overnight.
The band in many ways wasn't ready for fame, frontman Rivers had trouble dealing with his newfound success. In between recording had surgery performed to align his legs, as he was born with one leg longer than the other. A big cocktail of pain and stress lead him into a reclusive state.
While many were hoping for a cheery follow up to The Blue Album, these personal conflicts lead to a much darker route and the final result was a loose concept album known as "Pinkerton".
It was a grungy, depressing record, full of pent up frustration and sadness. Fans and critics were indifferent initially. It failed commercially as well, and after touring finished Matt left and the band went on hiatus.
The funny thing is, during the five years Weezer was silent the album gained a following. The heart on the sleeve tone of the album resonated with many young music lovers and it's reputation lead to a gold certification.
in 2001, 5 years after Pinkerton came out the band started playing underground shows under the alias "Goat Punishment" with new bassist Mikey Welsh. The band started touring and wrote new material, in May of 2001 they dropped their second self titled album (known as the green album).
A short album clocking in at under thirty minutes the band displayed a much more pop-rock influenced sound, regardless the record is a solid entry in the band's catalog, boasting some killer riffs, and memorable tracks like "Hash Pipe" and "Don't Let Go"
Shortly after though, Welsh was placed in a psychiatric hospital for unknown reasons. The band hired Scott Shriner to replace him (and he's been with the band since).
They released a heavier, more experimental record the following year called "Maladroit". While it was an interesting change-up to their known sound, it felt rushed and unpolished. Fast forward three years and the band released their second highest selling record "Make Believe".
It attracted mainstream attention with hit singles like "Beverly Hills" and "Perfect Situation", but both critics and fans were mixed towards the albums overproduced sound.
Weezer's third self-titled album (the red album) was not as commercially successful as Make Believe, but it was more positively received due to its experimentation, it was still criticized by some for being overly ambitious and weak lyrically. Nonetheless, it featured the grammy-nominated hit "Pork and Beans" which sold over 600,000 copies worldwide, becoming their most popular single.
Now here's what I refer to as "the dark period". A mere year after "The Red Album" Weezer released their seventh record, "Raditude" (I'm cringing too, don't worry), and if Make Believe was "commercial" this was that amplified x10.
With a song written by The All American Rejects (shouldn't this be the other way around?) and another song featuring Lil Wayne (I wish I was kidding) the album was panned upon release and is widely regarded as the worst thing the band has ever done.
Signing with legendary punk label "Epitaph" many had high hopes for their next effort "Hurley". Once again we were all sorely disappointed. A commercial and critical disappointment it seemed the band had yet to learn from their mistakes.
It was announced they would once again go on hiatus, and after years of silence the band dropped a new single "Back To The Shack" in 2014, the track reminisces about the band's golden era and how they want to return to those days. It was fun and nostalgic and it seemed the band was heading in the right direction.
They released "Everything Will Be Alright In The End" shortly after to much acclaim. It seemed like a return to form, and while it was obvious the band was trying to recreate the magic from the early days, it was a damn fine step in the right direction.
But could they follow it up? Many were hesitant based on the band's past missteps. Over the course of a few months, the band released a few singles, King Of The World, Do You Want To Get High?, and Thank God For Girls. It featured classic Weezer themes and a tongue in cheek slant reminiscent of Pinkerton. It was slick and rollicking. It felt like a good middle ground.
The new album has since been revealed to be the bands fourth self-titled record, this time called "The White Album". The band finally seems to have come to terms with their legacy, they can acknowledge their influences without seeming like a nostalgia act.
Fan and critical response has been positive and the band have been touring in support of the record. Hopefully they stay on par with this standard on future releases, but either way weezer have certainly cemented themselves as alternative rock icons

REVIEW- Litourgiya by Batushka

Have you ever heard something so haunting, creepy and evil that you were caught in a mesmerizing spell by it? Well that's how I felt about Polish black metal outfit Batushka's Litourgiya from 2015. The enigmatic black metal band has nothing really known about it's members and the track names and lyrical go to show just how incredibly dark this band is. The tracks are all labeled Litany and a number, followed by, what I could figure out through translations, a word.
 Instrumentally, this band is definitely for fans of DSBM bands, as well as the bands Behemoth(think to their demos) and Impaled Nazarene. The intense tremolo picking combined with the fast paced drum patterns are nothing short of beautifully dread instilling however I could say that the guitar tone is too heavy to be considered really melodic, at least on most tracks. The basstone is gnarly as well, and adds to a great feeling in the tracks throughout. But what I really want to focus on is the lyrical material and vocals.
 This band deals heavily with themes of Blasphemy, and other religious themes in a serious, theological manner as opposed to the satanic gimmick that many other bands do. So much so that, through some digging, Russian religious extremists have given the band trouble in the past. I find it interesting that on top of the harsh vocals, which are phenomenal, the chanting which is done in Old Church Slavonic takes a lead vocal role as well. Those chants are really what make this record special, it's haunting, and soul crushing.
 As an aside, I find it interesting to note that the theme of Eastern Orthodoxy is used here, while chants and such are a common theme in black metal, this is interesting as Orthodoxy itself has not been used before in black metal. I think that the use of these Byzantine style chants is refreshing and far less gimmicky than other bands and this is why I think this record deserves a solid 9/10.

Score- 9/10
Purchase here
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RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW-From Mars To Sirius by Gojira

Gojira is a French metal band that's been releasing a unique genre-blending combination of death, groove, and sludge metal since 1996.

The band has been acclaimed for their environmental themes, conceptual albums, usage of stop/start time signatures, blast beats, and their complex, atmospheric playing style.
The album I'm writing about, "From Mars to Sirius" is a concept album revolving around the resurrection of a dead planet through an interplanetary quest.
With a barnburner of an opener like Ocean World (which samples whale sounds), you get a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the record.
That's not to say the record follows a certain pattern. It features crunching, heavy tracks like backbone that sound like they belong on Slipknot's "Iowa" and shorter, more atmospheric tracks like Unicorn.
Mixing a perfect blend of cleans and brain shattering growls on songs like "The Heaviest Matter of The Universe" the band continues to keep listeners interested and headbanging. Gojira continues to preach their environmental stances through thought-provoking lyricism, and while it's incredibly easy to fall into pretension when writing environmentally charged music they avoid cliche way as they seamlessly weave their messages throughout the albums plotline.
There's also quite a bit of technical death metal influence on certain tracks and the complexity found in the riffs is truly mesmerizing.
While the length of the album may be a bit much for some, the intensity and complexity of the band's work is enough to entice any lovers of heavy music to give it a full listen.

Highlight Track: To Sirius and Ocean Planet
Overall Rank: 4.5/5

TRACK REVIEW/NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT- Windows by Bedmakers

Bedmakers is solo project (at least for the time being) of Gerald "Gerry" Windus, a Long Island native and overall cool dude I've had the pleasure of meeting a few times at a handful of shows. I had only heard about this project a few times but finally got around to listening to it and I have to say, it's incredibly enjoyable. The track evokes sonically the sounds of emo projects such as but not limited to Cyberbully Mom Club, and even Bright Eyes in some aspects, but also aspects of bands like Real Friends, Into it Over It, Bomb the Music Industry and a few others. It evokes a sort of melancholy of youth, growing up and loss of somebody, lyrically and sonically as well. The instrumentals are solid, and evoke a lot of emotion when combined with the lyrical material and Gerry's voice. His voice I find is melancholic but at the same time it's filled with a sort of hope for tomorrow. I was surprised to even find myself choking up, listening to what he had to say and how well put together the accompaniment was. It was really good at evoking emotion and that's hard for somebody like me.
 I'm super stoked to hear some really good emo music coming out of Long Island's eastern reaches again, as I feel like it's been a while since anything of that nature has come about. It's refreshing and overall, highly enjoyable. I spoke to Gerry very briefly, and he said that a full band is in the works, as is more material in the future. Something I'm very stoked to see and hear as this band progresses further into it's lifespan in the scene.

FFO: Bomb the Music Industry, AJJ, Cyberbully Mom Club, Bright Eyes, Real Friends, Into it Over it

Track Rating-8/10

Check out Bedmakers bandcamp here