The 10 Track Mixtape Thread (Song Lists Without Links Will Be Deleted)

[Merkaba]

I'm downloading Urbans, then I'll probably hit up CA's second one because I want to hear some Railroad Jerk and I'm intringed by This Heat. Right-track, your link isn't working for me, no matter, I'll track down as many of the songs as I can individually.

1. Yawning Man - Split Tooth Thunder

Reminds me of Riders on the Storm by the Doors, you know, that 'horse ride across the arabian sands' kind of imagery imagery. It's certainly a little faster than RotS, but this is because the horsies are galloping. The instruments are clean i.e no distortion, and the guitar has this echoing fade about it, as if it's twanging off in several different directions. Their entire album is quite beautiful like this.

2. Sleep - The Druid

Probably one of my favourite pieces of metal ever. It's mainly instrumental, though there are a few lines in there at the start. Mainly what I love about this is the sheer jam it has going for it. It starts off with a rather sinister riff, the bass then starts coming from one end of the railway track and guitar thunders from the other. The drums egging both freight trains on. Then it all goes quiet, a skittish bass line pops up and Sleep takes off in a whole different direction. As far as music and metal goes, this is awesome, I love it very much.

3. Human Instinct - Stoned Guitar

Another instrumental, played by a New Zealand 70's band. The start is creepy, then playful, then downright classy. I'd advise a low volume on your speakers while the guitar self rights itself at the start however, not that it ever gets any quieter at any other stage! After the long but unforced intro, H-I break into an awesome jam. I'm quite proud of this band, they were probably high on something at the time but hey, it's a Hendrix toned good going romp, sit back and enjoy the ride.

4. Kyuss - 50 Million Year Trip

Another classy jam. More a journey than a song. When I listen to this I think I'm on some outback highway in America on a harley, the stars are out and I'm going at speed. Then at about 3 minutes into the song everything changes tack. It's pegged back a notch and it's layed you down on something comfortable and your clearing off up into the night sky full of puffy white clouds, you're comfortably numb.

5. Place of Skulls - Lookin' For A Reason

This song sounds like something Metallica had constructed a couple of times before. It's a heavy metal song (Black Sabbath like) in essencse and I didn't really pay mind to it much until I heard their guitarist wailing away for about 2 minutes, it was an awesome piece. The band goes quiet and lets the 6-string take the limelight, it's very much a Kirk Hammet moment but it's no wankery, it's playing to the music that is this track, and it makes a not overly special song very cool indeed.

6. Sgt. Sunshine - Vega

A band of today, these guys are just like Colour Haze in terms of genre, even Yawning Man in some respects. Awesome jamming qualities with that slightly distorted fuzz sound, Vega is 7 minutes in length and is a progressive space jam with many choice sounds happening throughout. It is nothing new in terms of sound, but it is still awesomely creative. It opens it's doors and welcomes you in, then about 4 minutes later it springs into life. Throughout the 7 minutes several different jams will operate, each one is awesome, you tend to forget what was happening 2 minutes ago but then as soon as you begin to have a think about it a different jam will derail your train of thought and bring you back to what's happening now.

7. Tool - Merkaba

Nigh on 10 minutes of ambience and haunting sound effects, goddamn windchimes creeping up behind you and oddly gripping drums leading you into the jaws of an elusive hunter, like some horror movie. The odd piano key comes in and jabs at you with that well known horror movie style beat too. It's all awesome, but what I really love about this is the climax it builds. Wait until you hear the mystical ramblings along the lines of "our body is light" at about 5 minutes, thats where your climb up the mountain begins. From there it's a great ride. Tool performed this track live, and it was put on their box set disc, Salival, I've never heard anything like it before, still love it.

8. Boris - Pseudo Bread

Holy shit. I said that the first time I heard this. Holy shit, thats what I still say now. These 3(?) Japs blow the arse off of almost everyone when it comes to noise. Boris have got a few sounds going for them, one is the sound thats heavier than a tablespoon of Black-Hole space matter, another is this one here. Pseudo Bread is intense and quick. The vocals are clean but they climb when the band climbs, it's like Boris are working as some sort of sick sound unit but at the same time they're trying to out do each other. This gave my ears blisters. It's a terrifying piece of screeching guitar and thundering everything else.

9. Fatso Jetson - Pleasure Bent

A welcome song after that bloody Boris, I bet?
I like these guys a lot, they go about their work with energy and they've definitely got that "I love my job" vibe about them. Pleasure Bent is an awesome sunny Saturday afternoon, have your mates over for a barbecue and chill out with a cold beer. In fact most of their songs do that for me, but this is the one I picked.

10. Colour Haze - Ozean

Probably one of the greatest European bands of their time, that is, of today. These guys are amazing in pretty much every facet of their work, and most of their compositions come under the 'beautifully crafted' category. I thought I'd finish my 10 the same way I started, with a song relaxed and harmonious in it's approach and rather wavey in it's sound. Colour Haze usually have lyrics, and usually get a sweet jam going, but Ozean is different. It's most definitely an eye-shutter that politely asks to wash over you. A very rewarding song when you don't try to pull it to pieces.

I'll chuck a link up when I can.