Metal, Doom, Dark Ambient, Experimental, Search Terms

In an effort to generate interest by means of creating a blog entry that will contain a host of potential search terms, I aim to make this entry solely about music. In particular, it is hoped the entry will attract the interest of those with special interests in dark ambient music, doom metal, black metal, experimental classical music and triphop. To maximize the number of potential search terms, I simply list performers (and in many cases, composers or songwriters) who make the kinds of music I've listed. The list includes Emperor, Belphegor, Gorgoroth and their American counterparts Xasthur and Azrael. A stunning Greek version is Rotting Christ. For doom, the earth2 recording has yet to be surpassed for its calming effect; for agitated or frustrated individuals, early Swans is ideal doom. The reach of dark ambient is vast, embracing Lustmord, Metaconqueror, Lull, Robert Rich and the dozens of recordings of Steve Roach. Performers melding all the sounds mentioned thus far, and power electronics as well, are Navicon Torture Technologies and Abyssic Hate: two acts whose recordings can always be counted on for rapturous beauty. Less rigorous, but sometimes as lyrical, is the work of such triphop DJs as DJ Spooky, Coldcut, DJ Shdow and others. Comparable melodies are found in the breakneck drum and bass beats of Kenny Kenn, DJ SS and the David Bowie album Earthling. As for experimental classical composers (whose work often overlaps with dark ambient or power electronics), the very long list includes such names as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luciano Berio (hear, for example, "Laborintus 2"), Sal Martirano (for example "L's GA"), Kenneth Gaburo (for example, "Fat Lilly's Lament"), Maurizio Kagel, Luigi Nono.

Such compositions paved the way for the great, early, nonacademic noise music works, such as Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music," the performances and compositions of Diamanda Galas and Joanna Went and what I feel is the greatest recording of noise music to date, Yoko Ono's "Fly." Additions to this very short list are heartily welcomed.