When I was editor at Invisible Oranges, we covered the inaugural performance of something called Wrekmeister Harmonies -- an ambitious and artsy project that combined avant-garde film with live music…   Read Story »

Last year, following three albums and two EPs that increasingly and relentlessly strained against the boundaries of black metal, Blake Judd's ongoing project Nachtmystium delivered Silencing Machine,…   Read Story »

I've already written in this space that black metal, by and large, is just a thing that I don't get. The tinny guitar tones, the hummingbird-fast drum assault, the total abandonment of recognizable…   Read Story »

Chicago's Nachtmystium initially started pushing outward on the boundaries of black metal in 2006, with the expansive, psychedelic Instinct: Decay. Their sonic explorations were intensified on 2008's…   Read Story »

There area few extra videos from this week and last, since I was out of town last Friday and missed doing the roundup. This time there are new clips from Shit Robot, Chromeo, Nachtmystium, and of…   Read Story »

When we premiered "Every Last Drop," Addicts's slow-burn melancholic 8-minute closer, I mentioned that the band was shooting a video for the full/unedited track with the assistance of HTC pal Seldon…   Read Story »

Four years ago I suggested Dawnbringer's third album In Sickness and In Dreams had the best sounding guitars of 2006. (Can you think of any that sounded better?) Chicago multi-instrumentalist Chris…   Read Story »

The High Confessions is a collaboration between Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley, Ministry/Revolting Cocks vocal maestro Chris Connelly, Chicago metal multi-tasker/producer Sanford Parker (Minsk,…   Read Story »

People like arguing about Nachtmystium. (They're sort of M.I.A. for metal kids.) So far I've posted Addicts's “No Funeral” -- aka "Burzum On The Dance Floor" -- and the melancholic…   Read Story »

It's hard to believe Nachtmystium's Addicts isn't out officially until next week. At this point, it feels like it's been debated and praised and derided endlessly. Thing is, as many listens as I've…   Read Story »