Sphongle

                Time for something unusual, because it's about mysterious-sounding genre - psybient (ambient+psychedelic). Weed smokers will really love that music project of two guys - Simon Postford and Raja Jam. Digital sounds are complemented by a flute or other instruments. Really nice sounding and very tripping.

Focus

        Here I come back to the prog-rock with Focus band. As befits this genre, their work (mostly instrumental) is full of guitar riffs and some orchestral sounds. Listening to it you can hear influences of classical music and jazz. Gr8 stuff!

Lunar Dunes

        Bands from space rock genre have not yet appeared on the blog, so today is your chance. Lunar Dunes (England) is not only the space rock, but also some psychedelic rock. It was created through inspiration by the kraut rock and English psychedelia, in addition of little jazz sound. We will hear the guitar, bass, drums and even organs ... Songs fun to listen to, not distracting and does not annoy. You can feel like you are on a spaceship!
Album Galaxsea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_v62rg7U2Y
Album From Above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2jgH6KU6i8

LastFM 
Band's site 

Gryphon

        Another band that is worth a look. It is not so much unknown, but personally I do not know anyone who listens to it - only progressive music fans certainly know the Gryphon. The band was active from 1973-1977. And what is most interesting in their work - inspired by early music, medieval - English courtly music. They used, among others, instruments such as the clarinet, oboe or bassoon and keyboards.

Tammiyön Kilta

       The first time being a folk metal band on this blog. After the name you will see that it comes from Finland (I like Finland :P). It is quite a niche band, as can be deduced from the number of likes on their Facebook - a staggering amount of 46 likes! Probably only local Finns know that band... Anyway, I recommend to listen to their first and only full-length album "Matkan Paa". Typically folk sound, and the Finnish language adds a bit of charm.
MySpace 
Facebook 

Swine of Satan

        Total gem! French black metal band, but in the intention of the creator it is called "true animalistic farm metal". Thye have purely Farmer topics - from demonic ducks, frogs mourning, and, of course, swine of Satan (o_O). Also performed a satirical version of "Lost wisdom" by Burzum - Vikernes would probably not be ashamed. For download on their website we have one released (for now?) album: http://swineofsatan.free.fr/frameset.html

Unfortunately, youtube has only one song (Lost wisdom), but I can not add it here for reasons unknown to me: / So I recommend listen to a few songs on Myspace:
MySpace

Steampunk bands

        Steampunk is a stylistic trend in culture (characteristic costumes, literature climates, games, music, etc..) Which applies to the Victorian era, a time of steam and the industrial revolution. I will discuss a pair of steampunk bands, not necessarily rock and metal, but are definitely worth the listen, as it is quite unpopular trend. The list below (in no particular order):

Crom

        The band's name is probably taken from the book of Robert E. Howard's "Conan". Crom is the god worshiped by the cymerian Cromits living in the big mountains. And now about this band. It was established in 1997 in Germany, and more specifically, in Landshut (Bavaria) as a tribute to the Swedish band Bathory. Their genre is a viking / folk metal with elements of power metal. The melodies are like "cold" and delicate guitars may mean that most of the songs sound the same or similar.

Pathfinder

        Today will be about a band of Polish symphonic power metal, which was established in 2006 in Poznań. Interestingly, the Pathfinder is the only performer of the aforementioned species in Poland. Their songs are usually quite fast, melodic, with elements of classical music (they even used Moonlight Sonata as the intro!). Pathfinder also recorded a metal version of the famous Moonlight Shadow (Mike Oldfield and Maggie Reilly), I recommend to listen to it. The band has released 2 albums: "Beyond the space, beyond the time" and "Fifth element", and both present themselves very well.

Höyry-kone

        Höyry-kone from finnish means "steam engine". It is quite interesting, experimental band that combines elements of classical progressive music, jazz, blues and techno, but it is also sometimes classified as orchestral metal or RIO (Rock In Opposition). You can hear a lot of different instruments. Their songs are unpredictable, strange and difficult to describe. However, not everyone has their work can appeal to.

Diablo Swing Orchestra

        Diablo Swing Orchestra is a Swedish band formed in 2003, performing the music of avant-garde metal - with elements of jazz and classical music, but also with influences of symphonic, progressive and heavy metal.
         Interesting is also the story of the DSO, but rather a legend. Well, in the sixteenth-century Sweden (supposed) ancestors of the band performed orchestral works in defiance of the Church. Members had

Canvas Solaris

        This time will be about the american progressive-metal band, who acted in the years 1999-2011. Although initially the songs had vocals, later abandoned it in favor of a purely instrumental tracks. Canvas Solaris was created with the inspiration of other well-known bands such as Rush, Cynic, King Crimson, The Watchtower, Death, and The Mars Volta.

Arthemesia

     

        The next (and not last) Finnish band that I put here. Perform music with melodic black metal genre. Band was formed in 1994, working up to 2010, which means that the team will not be dropped and the newer albums. What is interesting here also performed Jari Mäenpää, famous guitarist from the bands like Ensiferum and Wintersun and a few other people known to Moonsorrow, Finntroll or Barathrum. The song's themes are Satanism, the occult, nature and shamanism. Fans of black metal in melodic form should listen to it.

The Mystic Braves

        The band originally was called the Blackfeet Braves. Their music has the characteristics of garage rock, with influences of surf and south rock, while maintaining its psychedelic sound - we hear the characteristic "muffled" voice. Overall, the guitar playing and vocals are very pleasant to the ear and relaxing. It may even sound a bit like Beatles... I recommend the first three songs below and the album or even the whole album.

Band's site
Facebook 

Jex Thoth - proto-metal

         Jex Thoth (USA) is both the name of the band and singer. Initially they were called "Totem", but the name was changed. They play (as they call it) alchemical proto-doom metal. -proto from the Greek prefix means "first, the original". Their music is (as befits doom metal) quite slow, psychedelic, with a characteristic "buzzing" sound.

Olema

        Olema is a finnish band, but rather a musical project created by Tatu Hanhikoski performing music from the genre of avant-garde progressive / alternative death metal. So here is pure feminine or masculine vocals and death-metal growl (album Ritti). In some songs you can hear a little pop-ish sound (Felis Catus album versus homo sapiens). As it is likely some local finnish band, he is very little known outside Finland. So far he released three albums. You can download them for free from the band's site: http://olema.bandcamp.com/

On youtube

Magma - Kobaia Iss Deh Hündin

    

        At the beginning I'll write about little-known genre of music and little-known representatives - Zeuhl. This strange-sounding word means in Kobaïan "celestial" or "heavenly", "unearthly". So what is the music, giving an impression that was not of this Earth, but another planet. And so it is. The first album of the precursor - Magma - tells a story about a group of people who escaped from contaminated ecologically Earth to the Kobaia planet. But after some time between Kobaïans - descendants of the original settlers - and escaped from Earth humans - is growing a conflict.

Zeuhl is a combination of symphonic and progressive rock, avant-rock and jazz.
       

What is that blog about?

In this blog I will not elaborate on the topic of bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Manowar or Guns n 'Roses - (because it does not make sense when these bands are appearing on almost every blogs), but on the little-known, which did not have gained so great fame as the above, but still are worth noting. I'll take a closer look at each subspecies, ranging from folk, psychedelic and instrumental rock / metal, and ending with the avant-garde, experimental bands.