Take two parts Finnish stomp and mix it with one part childlike insanity and enthusiasm and you've got a pretty decent idea where Turku's Maniacs Dream are coming from. On their first few releases (a cassette on Lal Lal Lal and a brand new LP on HP Cycle), Maniacs Dream proved that they can stand with all the other great bands pouring out of Finland. This semi-revolving group of musicians wants to have fun and make each other laugh. At times, these crazy good times feel like one giant inside joke that none of us really get, but still love to listen to all the same. Featuring members of Avarus, this new group is ready to fuck shit up... feature :: by Brad Rose

Sometimes the simplest things ferment in a surrounding of misunderstanding and trepidation, which in turn build occult and somewhat highly sought-after commodities. Sunn O))) have grown from the world of hardcore, joining as a duo in deep dissonant worship to the original doom drone masters Earth. Not a tribute band as such, more of a pair of followers looking to push the limits of volume and abstraction in the dense smog of experimental metal. Anderson & O’Malley have become labels of quality in the explosion of popular drone/ ambient metal that has cropped up since their inception back in 1998. Anderson’s Southern Lord record label remains the place to pick up quality metal and black sonic goodness. O’Malley has collaborated with a plethora of artists from electronic pioneer Peter Rheberg (KTL), to installation artist Banks Violette (see Salt). The combination of O’Malley’s fervent interest in the abstract and complex compositions and Anderson’s innate ability to conjure the pinnacle of metal’s pallet forges a cast iron weapon of weight and brutal ingenuity that has inspired lovers of many musical genres... feature :: by Peter Taylor