It's been out for nearly a couple of months and somehow I missed the announcement. So far, vinyl only, but a CD is apparently on the way. Anyone heard the record yet? Or want to discuss this singular, weird, depraved musical entity in general?
For the longest time now they've sounded like a group of very talented musicians who are just too damn intoxicated to play quite right, or normally, anyway. They're a band whose appeal I find quite difficult to explain at the best of times, but though it's cliché to say: Those who get it, really get it. I love how even while their music becomes somewhat progressive, they won't ever compromise their dirty-sounding spontaneous approach, or lessen the extremity of their vocals, or record somewhere that doesn't sound like a garage. They're the kind of band that will unapologetically play a blues riff in a vaguely BM context, but then add a couple of notes to chords here and there to make it sound all wrong and fucked up.

Their drummer, too, is a bit of an unsung talent, I think.

Hahah well I'm not going to say anything you and I haven't already discussed recently, but De Totem has been a revelation for me lately. I've owned both De Totem and De Vette Cuecken for years, but I think they're just starting to properly click. De Totem in particular has some BRUISERS in Beard of Disease, Ratteknaeghen, and Udder of Death.

I need to lock myself in a vacuum with De Vette Cuecken. It's quite a bit more off-rails than De Totem, and I think their style in particular lends itself to solitude and whenever possible, drugs. As soon as my money is right I'll be ordering Albino de Congo on vinyl, and quite possibly Herval as well. I think these guys are "important" in a weird way. Even if they're completely unheralded.

like Jonpo, I only have De Totem and De Vette Cuecken, but I like them both. Especially DVC. De Totem is cool though, like a cracked-out Under a Funeral Moon (which was already pretty cracked-out). DVC is an underrated minor classic though. I'm not sure what I think of their later stuff but I've only sampled a few tunes here and there. Sounds like an evil jam band or something.

De Totem was my first Lugubrum album and I loved its weird caustic sound right away. But De Vette Cuecken was the album that really made me think these guys were on to something very special indeed. The insane twisty groove in some of these songs! Also you wouldn't think the addition of saxophone and banjo would work out so well, but damn, when that horn starts wailing at the end of the song "De Vette Cuecken" I get shivers all over.

Nice description of De Totem as a "cracked out Under a Funeral Moon"; I definitely hear it!

I've seen them a couple times now and the first time i saw them was especially bizarre. The 2nd time they played the entire Face Lion Face Oignon iirc.
I don't listen to them regularly because i forget to more than anything else.
That said i did acquire the new album and will listen to it soon.

"Bizarre", you say? Intriguing. Do tell.

Albino de Congo was good but Face Lion is brilliant, and also free of several-minute-long clips of old Africans speaking a mysterious tribal language.

I've never picked up a Lugubrum album (although I have their split with Urfaust). I sampled a couple tracks and didn't really like what I was hearing. They kind of remind me of Circle of Ouroborus in that they clearly don't give a shit what people think of them and just play whatever they feel like. I can respect that, but they just don't really appeal to me like CoO does. I might take a listen to their newest though, because I actually like the track on their split with Urfaust.

I want Face Lion, Face Oignon so bad!!! Must find on vinyl.

What did you sample MBA? I gotta say man, I don't think they're the kind of band you can sample with any success. You gotta get the full picture. De Totem has some riff MONSTERS in the middle of the album. The greatness starts on the 3rd track though. The second track is honestly a bit misleading. Almost "standard bm" relatively speaking.

MBA, they might yet grow on you, like an evil fungus, but it's possible you just won't like them. I think that's the response I would expect from most people, honestly. They're just really weird with their musical personality and I would think the kind of haphazard way they sound sometimes would put off quite a few folks.

I was going to say, "check out KFD's review on here for an example of someone who doesn't get it and never will", but, on reflection, he kind of does, he just doesn't like it:

"De Vette Cuecken sounds like intentional modern degenerate art. It makes me feel like if I was bad tripping in a sleazy restaurant with horrible lights and disgusting food in my plate. That's probably what the band wanted to evoke, but that's not the atmosphere I'm looking for when I listen to black metal."

nice.

I just clicked on like two or three different songs on Youtube, don't remember which album they were from. I'll give De Totem a chance tomorrow. Can't say no to riff MONSTERS.

Abominatrix, I don't think it's the weirdness that threw me off. I listen to plenty of bizarre shit. Maybe I just sampled a couple iffy tracks?

I'll report back once I've listened to De Totem!

What I meant by 'weirdness" though was a very individual thing. I mean there's no template for weirdness is there? So what works for one man might just be off-putting for another.

Herval is crazy and brilliant, like the rest of their discography(at least, starting from De Totem).
My favorite track is Uri Noir, which sounds like something off Bruyne Troon. Unfortunately, it's also the shortest.
Like Abominatrix said, the drummer is very talented. He adds a lot to the music

Love this band so much, one of my all time favorites. I really need to get my hands on Herval, but it'll have to wait a bit as I'm a little low on funds. As a side note, Lugubrum's sound always struck me as being sort of Captain Beefheart-esque in a lot of ways. Mostly in the intentionally off kilter way the compositions are pieced together as well as the jarring instrumentation and the way jagged melodies are used. The band is deceptively layered and I always find new things when I revisit their work.

I'm really glad to see some love to this really hard working but little known band: kinda like later-era Peste Noire i've always found them incredibly consistent quality-wise once you can get into their weird vision of black metal (wich took me a while.. the fact that i started with that monster that is "De Ware Hond" didn't help, it's like hearing a 45 minute long improvisation by deranged jazz musicians)

i've yet to check the last two albums, but i'm sure they'll deliver the goods!

Heads up to the U.S. fans, NWN! just stocked Herval for $17 bucks. He also has their debut and a live album. I almost ordered the live album but I can't afford it right now. Please don't buy them all.

Gave De Totem a listen just now.

Definitely better than whatever I listened to of theirs before. I like how they start introducing the unusual elements in the middle of the album after a bit of a warm up. The guitars are a bit thin, but some interesting riffs that remind me of a drunk lurching through a medieval town square. And the comment "great band. all hail carrots and beer" on Youtube is perfect. At the very least it piqued my interest, so I will maybe grab some of those records from NWN! if I've got the money later on.

I don't listen to them enough accurately place everything.
However the bass was loud and played unconventionally to say the least. Barditus was very awkward about doing vocals, he was just standing there being awkward as fuck.
The comment about a bunch of deranged jazz musicians playing black metal seems quite accurate.

The 2nd time i saw them was a lot more concise and focused.

Herval is a masterpiece. I have nothing to compare it with. It doesn't sound anything like De Totem or Vette Cuecken I can tell you that.

It's fucking mad. There are hard grooving rock bits with absurd swagger. They morph into a reggae band at one point and play the style as justly as any group ever has. There are upbeat galloping uspm sounding riffs. The banjo song is lush (in two ways). Get this. However.

Oh I forgot to mention the parts that sound like old surf music/spy music. This album is a serious contender for AOTY.