Nadja - Radiance Of Shadows [12", 2LP]

I mentioned this LP earlier when i wrote about the Truth Becomes Death album by NADJA. RADIANCE OF SHADOWS, originally released on CD in 2007, is a great album as well. It features three lengthy tracks and each one takes one side of this double-LP. The last side shows a beautiful etching of a landscape.
Dark, heavy, atmospheric, noisy... just a few words that come to mind when you'd have to describe Nadja's music. It's not something i'm playing every day, but every now and then it's just a brilliant record to put on. Same as with the other album in this series: 750 made in total. I've got a copy on black of the 550 they made of that color, while also 200 copies on white exist.

Label: Conspiracy Records
Cat.nr.: CORE 064
Year of release: 2008

SIDE A:
01. Now I Am Become Death The Destroyer Of Worlds

SIDE B:
01. I Have Tasted The Fire Inside Your Mouth

SIDE C:
01. Radiance Of Shadows

SIDE D:
etching

Isis - In The Absence Of Truth [12", 2LP]

IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH was the follow-up to Panopticon, which i still think is the best album ISIS ever made. But this is a great album as well - don't get me wrong. Especially the drumming really stands out. Like Panopticon, it's again less metal than the previous albums and also the vocals are more clean. My copy's one of the first pressing on Conspiracy Records, the European edition. In the USA it came out on Robotic Empire. Conspiracy pressed 2000 copies and 500 of them were clear/red splattered. Nice and thick quality stuff like all of Conspiracy's releases.


Label: Conspiracy Records
Cat.nr.: CORE 045
Year of release: 2006

SIDE A:
01. Wrists Of Kings
02. Not In Rivers, But In Drops

SIDE B:
01. Dulcinea
02. Over Root And Thorn

SIDE C:
01. 1000 Shards
02. All Out Of Time, All Into Space
03. Holy Tears

SIDE D:
01. Firdous E Bareen
02. Garden Of Light

Red Sparowes - The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer [12", LP]

I've got a couple of albums by RED SPAROWES and this one, THE FEAR IS EXCRUCIATING, BUT THEREIN LIES THE ANSWER is their latest. It originates from 2010. The Sargent House label released it in the States, and over here in Europe it was released on Conspiracy Records. That's the version i have. The band consists of members from various other bands, of which Isis is the best known. And if i'd have to describe the band's sound i would say it's like an instrumental version of Isis. Or maybe: Isis-light. No big riffs, no dramatic vocals except for a some choir-like ones here in the last two songs. Epic stuff. First pressing on black vinyl, 1400 made.

Label: Conspiracy Records
Cat.nr.: CORE088
Year of release: 2010

SIDE A:
01. Truths Arise
02. In Illusions Of Order
03. A Hall Of Bombs
04. Giving Birth To Imagined Saviors

SIDE B:
01. A Swarm
02. In Every Mind
03. A Mutiny
04. As Each End Looms And Subsides

Nadja - Truth Becomes Death [12", 2LP]

In 2008, Conspiracy Records had the amazing plan to release 3 NADJA albums on vinyl that were previously only released on CD, on Alien8 Records. All in new artwork: awesome nature pictures by Seldon Hunt (known from his great work for bands like Earth, Isis and Jesu) for the inner sleeves, and embossed die-cut outer sleeves. Besides that they all have an etching on side D. Unfortunately i never managed to get my hands on Touched so far, but i'm happy enough to own both Radiance Of Shadows and TRUTH BECOMES DEATH. This album is originally from 2005 and Conspiracy pressed 200 on white and 550 on black vinyl. My copy is a black one. Three sides, three tracks of shoegaze/drone/post-metal. Awesome stuff.

The etching on this LP shows a forest:

Label: Conspiracy Records

Cat.nr.: CORE 065

Year of release: 2008

SIDE A:

01. Bug/Golem

SIDE B:

01. Memory Leak

SIDE C:

01. Breakpoint

SIDE D:

etching

Jesu - Conqueror [12", 2LP]

To me, CONQUEROR is still the magnum opus of JESU. Their (or i should say his, as it is a one-man project) second full length is a perfect example of how some post-metal bands have more in common with shoegaze than metal. I dare actually say that this album is more shoegaze than for example The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - a band that's often labeled as shoegaze while their music is pure indie / power pop. Anyway, if you like drony melancholic shoegaze with powerful guitar chords then this is your album.

Label: Conspiracy Records
Cat.nr.: CORE046
Year of release: 2007

SIDE A:
01. Conqueror
02. Old Year

SIDE B:
01. Transfigure
02. Weightless & Horizontal

SIDE C:
01. Medicine
02. Brighteyes

SIDE D:
01. Mother Earth
02. Stanlow