Disciples Of An Expanding Sun

Female fronted, two-piece, sludge metal duo Jucifer got their start in 1993 when lead guitarist and vocalist Amber Valentine and her then - boyfriend, now - husband and drummer Edgar Livengood began writing together. The duo, according to Valentine, coined their name from a statement heard during the OJ Simpson murder trials: "If he's guilty, then he's the devil and The Juice is Lucifer." Admittedly "nomadic in nature", Valentine and Livengood travel in an RV and prefer to tour constantly. Known for the extreme volume at which they play, Jucifer have become notorious for the "intensity" of their live shows. Since their formation, the duo have released a total of nine albums and EP's, often drawing comparisons to bands like Portishead, Black Sabbath, and Melvins.  Now a part of the Relapse Records family, Jucifer have recently released their latest effort, Throned In Blood. Paying tribute to doom metal classics with tracks like "Contempt", "Work Will Make Us Free," and the title track, the album also features elements of sludge with songs like "Hiroshima" and even battle metal with "Spoils To The Conqueror". The closing track, "Armageddon", offers the album's only moment of tranquility, as it is more of a Celtic folk tune than anything else. All in all, Throned In Blood is a well constructed and unique album, and a great addition to any Jucifer fan's library.

Download: Jucifer - Throned In Blood (2010)

Electric Flower

Formed in 1982, Montesano, Washington's Melvins have established themselves as innovators of genres such as grunge, sludge, and doom. Within their dark, slow, oppressively heavy sound, one can discern influence from bands like Flipper, Black Sabbath, and "My War"-era Black Flag, but pegging them into any one genre would prove to be an exercise in futility. The band's bizarre sense of humor, idiosyncratic approach, and constant experimentation have made any kind of neat categorization difficult. Never finding, and most likely never seeking, any kind of great mainstream success, Melvins have continued to tour and release albums at a steady rate. This year marks the release of the band's TWENTIETH studio album, The Bride Screamed Murder. While the album is most certainly a departure from their earlier work, it is a must have for any Melvins fan. After all, isn't progression what Melvins are all about? Standout tracks include "I'll Finish You Off", "The Water Glass", and "Evil New War God".

Download: Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder (2010)

Invocation Of The Eternally Coiling Serpent

 I'm not going to sit here and type a big, long, boring paragraph about how influential and amazing Integrity are. I've never been a fan of hyperbole, so I'll just let their notoriety speak for itself. Founded in 1988, this Cleveland based hardcore powerhouse has been around long enough to witness the genre they helped spawn (metalcore) become a watered-down parody of itself, complete with petty depressed teenagers and adults that take themselves too seriously. In an attempt to steer the genre back in the right direction, Integrity have given us The Blackest Curse.  The album starts off strong with "The Process Of Illumination", and the songs seemingly get heavier as they go with tracks like "Through The Shadows Of Forever", and the blazingly fast "Simulacra". Things get a little more experimental just after the halfway point, as three of the later tracks favor vocalist Dwid Hellion's side project Roses Never Fade. Some of these songs may take more than a few listens to warm up to, but I think that overall, The Blackest Curse is a decent album, and definitely a must-have for anyone who is a long time fan. I've also posted a link to Holy Terror,  a website where the band themselves have posted a large chunk of their discography for free download,  I suppose in an effort to take back control of their art. Good for them, and good for you...

Download: Integrity - The Blackest Curse (2010)

Free Album Downloads: Classic Albums, Splits, EP's, Etc.

A Passing Thought To The Contrary

Formed in late 2005 by bassist Matt Woods, guitarist Adam Wentworth, and drummer Alex Garcia - Rivera, Boston's Bloodhorse have carved a niche for themselves among fans of bands such as Sleep, Candlemass, and Kyuss. After one self-released EP and two years of playing shows, the band signed with Philadelphia based label Translation Loss Records to release their self - titled EP in 2007. Standout tracks include "Son Of Man", "I'm Burned", and "The Goat". In May 2009, the band released their first full-length,  Horizoner, also on Translation Loss Records. The sounds of Horizoner continue to reverberate from the speakers with a power that is not easily matched, and (in my humble opinion) Horizoner remains one of the best and most underrated albums of 2009. Standout tracks include "The Old Man", "In Horror", and "A Passing Thought To The Contrary."

Download: Bloodhorse - EP (2007)

Download: Bloodhorse - Horizoner (2009)

Come With Me And Walk The Longest Mile

First and foremost... Welcome. I figured I would use my first post to say hello and give you a general idea of what this blog is all about. Then I realized that I have no fucking clue what this blog is all about, and I decided I would just ramble for a minute or two and hope something better came to mind. It didn't. So there you have it. I just wasted part of your day, and you can never get it back. How does that make you feel? Does it make you want to cry? I hope not, 'cause there's no crying in Rule Discordia. Seriously though, I'm sorry I didn't have something better to offer today. I promise I'll be entertaining tomorrow... maybe. In the meantime, here's a copy of my favorite Clutch album to help ease your suffering:

Download: Clutch - Blast Tyrant (2004)