Free music rules!

Am currently listening to The Ivory Chapel, by Rainwound. Stylistically a lot like Opeth, only mellower and less awe inspiring melodies. Also it appears to be one guy doing everything and putting it all together, which is pretty darned impressive but I can't help thinking he might get better with some more input. The real cool thing though is that he put all of his Rainwound output up for free download, so even if I didn't like it it cost me nothing. Seems like a lot of lower key metal bands are doing the same thing, and just using digital contribution boxes for those with means or inclination to donate. I'd do so myself but am unemployed at present, though when I have my own shit up and running I'll have to spread my token appreciation to all those whose work I've grabbed in the past couple of months. Especially helpful for me because I tend toward the esoteric in my tastes (pagan, Viking or experimental black metal, blackened folk metal, progressive melo-death, instrumental doom etc.) and the sort of bands that tend to make those kinds of metal tend to be on labels that tend towards charging more than I usually like to pay. So I gravitate to free music and so far its done me pretty well. I might even write more of a proper review of The Ivory Chapel after a few more listens (its 76 minutes long and one of those which tends to grow on you rather than make instant contact). In the meantime I recommend it, and cheers to Rainwound and all the other cool bands generous enough to be free from the machine!