The final part of my whirlwind tour of recent Bandcamp purchases starts with:

Abrasive Trees - Bound for an Infinite Sea

This is a debut EP from what is basically a one man band with some talented help. The title track has some gorgeous rumbling bass and a musical palette pitched somewhere around the sound of the more underground early goth bands and maybe a dash of post punk. The guitars are more brooding than flash while the vocals definitely remind me of the Dream Disciples

The rest of the EP is two instrumentals - The first is more plaintive, played solely on guitar with repeating refrains from the title track. The second slows things down even further with just washes of sounds easing you to it's conclusion

I'm really looking forward to where this project goes next

 Rosetta Stone – Cryptology

Now this is more like it. A proper comeback album for Rosetta Stone rather than the rehashed Miserylab songs the last album gave us.

All the classic elements are here - Drum machine, throbbing bass lines and big choruses. It very recognisable as the work of Porl King

There are ten new original songs with all but one being under 4 minutes so it’s a short punchy set of songs. A bit more light and shade in terms of tempo would be nice but that’s been a minor criticism of most of the Rosetta Stone back catalogue

If you like a bit of early 90’s goth then this album will not only satisfy nostalgia seekers but also serve as a good introduction for new listeners

Korn – The Devil Went Down to Georgia

There’s not really a lot you can say about this that you couldn’t guess from the song title and artist.

It’s a much more muscular version with the fiddle parts replaced with trademark down tuned guitars from Korn and guest vocal from Yelawolf (possibly a rapper, though my knowledge on that subject is very patchy) 

It is for charity and it’s nowhere near as awful as the idea sounds. It’s rather fun in its own way but it will never be declared a classic

 Next up on the whirlwind review of Bandcamp purchases are:

Happy Axe – Tiny Stromlo

This is just strange on a large scale. Armed only with a computer, a violin and a saw(!) the artist known as Happy Axe climbed a mountain in Australia and embarked on a massive improv session. The original Stromlo was over 40 mins long but this is two shorter 4 min singles taken from the session.

Part ambient, part soundtrack, all very weird - However it's curiously listenable

Witch of the Vale – Boys of Summer

Now for something you know but not as you know it. The Don Henley classic is given an electro gothic makeover with some beautiful female vocals. Slowed downed to a stately pace it really is a great version. Not a great referemce, as no one else will know them but this reminds me of a band called Roman Remains who I saw live once

Unreqvited  - Empathica 

The word you use with this album a lot is epic. The sheer ambition of this one man project is off the scale. The orchestration, choirs and tinkling piano runs of Empathica I: Heart of the Spectral Mountains is up there with anything Nightwish can produce (which is a good thing). However Empathica II: Everwinter ups the epic content with huge guitar riffing and wordless screams to remind you this is a black metal album. The mix of brutal metal, melody and orchestration is nothing like I've heard and I love it.

Jo Beth Young – Allumez

I could listen to this voice all day. The music takes a back seat as vocals swoop and soar in the most beautiful way. Comparisons would be lazy as this is Jo Beth Young and  she deserves to be recognised in her own right.