May 082017
 

 

(Our friend Gorger from Norway sings the song of his people in this 22nd installment in his ongoing series reviewing releases we’ve overlooked. To find more of his discoveries, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

 

☠ True Norwegian Black Metal ☠
 

When realizing I had four pieces of True Norwegian Black Metal to share with you, I obviously decided to pile them together. I’ve sorted them alphabetically, allowing me to finish of with a favored newcomer. All the others are veterans, each with a more or less significant background and history. Continue reading »

Apr 042017
 

 

(Our super-hero friend Gorger returns — quickly — with the second 2017 installment in his ongoing series providing super-heroic support to our mission by reviewing releases we’ve overlooked.  To find more of his discoveries, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

In the very first sentence on your average Beneath the NCS radar post, Islander tends to present me as some kind of super-villain who “embarrasses” everyone by holding up whatever gem they’ve “failed” to mention. Although I dream of becoming a super-villain when I’ll never grow up, this might leave you with a somewhat distorted impression. Allow me to clarify.

There’s about a dozen metal albums being released every single day. Counting all kinds of releases, we’re talking 45-50 a day altogether. And that’s just the “tip of the iceberg” that’s being listed on Encyclopaedia Metallum, whose strict policy prevents more alternative forms from gaining an entrance. (I’m all about true metal, and so I agree, but that’s simply a matter of taste because I’m so bloody trve). If we were to look into all kinds of unconventional styles that might appeal to metalheads, whether it’s atmospheric dungeon synth, soaring acoustic tree-hugger hard rock, or DIY slam-punk hardcore grind-screamo, the list of daily musical launches would grow insuperably massive.

No single human would be up for the task of absorbing all this. Just presenting it would mean receiving newsletters from thousands of bands and labels. Just imagine opening your mailbox only to see that you’ve got 263 new mails. For the past hour. Obviously, there’s going to be tons of shit that floats underneath the radar for any one of us, and my inadequate radar often fails at noticing passing jewels too. I also often find myself detecting a gem and grasping for it, but failing to grab a firm grip, I helplessly end up observing it float off into the mist.

I might, in an infallible matter, present you with those hidden gems that the wretchedly flawed NCS-crew fail miserably to cover, but unfortunately, I’m not the super villain/prophet (delete as appropriate) you all visualize. I just do what DGR, Andy Synn, Austin Weber, TheMadIsraeli, Comrade Aleks, KevinP, Wil Cifer, or anyone else writing anything for this putrid site does; giving Islander a hand by chipping in with some precious metallic picks for the perpetually unquenchable masses. Only difference is they present relevant artists and releases, often in advance, whilst I’m always late to the party like some late bloomer. I’m just another enthusiastic metalhead, whose antennas are no more superhuman than anyone else’s. I’m sorry to disappoint you and to rip this revered illusion of yours to shreds.

What? You already knew all this? Oh… Good. I guess… Continue reading »

Mar 282017
 

 

(We welcome the return of our Norwegian friend Gorger with the first 2017 installment of his ongoing series embarrassing us about releases we’ve overlooked.  To find more of his discoveries, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

Ah, finally back in the NCS saddle. This is my first post on this putrid site in 2017. About fucking time.

I decided to get off to a soft start; EPs. I wrote down a dozen candidates, but when finished removing those that had been covered here, I was left with only three. Although a small number of items suits me just fine, I’ve added a short review of an album to make the equation true. I’ve sorted them by release date, not that it matters. Continue reading »

Jan 162017
 

 

(Our Norwegian contributor Gorger, who usually embarrasses and rewards us by identifying releases that flew under our radar, brings us a year-end list divided into three parts, with this being the third (Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here). To find more of his reviews, type “Gorger” in our search bar and visit Gorger’s Metal.)

Ladies and hobos, sorry about the delay. We’re finally approaching the albums that really stand out by creating their own sphere and universe. Or that I for some reason have spent a lot of time with and fallen head over heels with. To be honest, I don’t have an absolute favorite album from the year, but these are all awesome. I could perhaps have ranked them, but but by the time I’d be done and ready to publish, spring would be upon us. Thus; sequence, thy name is randomness. Albeit, admittedly, release (or rather review) date may to a certain degree have had a finger in the pie.

I’m throwing in proper streams this time. Click the bc logo (where available) to access Bandcamp. Continue reading »

Jan 102017
 

 

(Our Norwegian contributor Gorger, who usually embarrasses and rewards us by identifying releases that flew under our radar, brings us a year-end list divided into three parts, with this being the second (Part 1 is here). To find more of his reviews, type “Gorger” in our search bar and visit Gorger’s Metal.)

This entire list… the more I reflect, the more pointless it seams. Just like one of those words that all of a sudden loses all its meaning. First of all, comparing and ranking all these individual expressions of profound art, oftentimes completely incomparable, causes grievous frustrations. Just how the hell does one compare such diverse stuff as Borknagar, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Obscura, and Schammasch, just to name but a few?

Secondly, I’ve only heard a fraction of what 2016 had to offer. At the time of writing, Encyclopaedium Metallum has 6,922 albums and 9,165 other releases registered for 2016 alone. Those numbers will continue to grow well into 2017. But for now, that’s 19 full-length studio albums each and every day on average.

Allow me to spread the rest of my gibberish in between the following albums. As much as I’ve enjoyed the albums on the previous list, here’s a bunch of even better albums, or at least better received by me. Let’s call them the “second best”, albeit in their own right, they are second to none. The order is partly sorted by release, but you can view it as totally random. Continue reading »

Jan 092017
 

 

(Our Norwegian contributor Gorger, who usually embarrasses and rewards us by identifying releases that flew under our radar, brings us a year-end list divided into three parts, with this being the first. To find more of his reviews, type “Gorger” in our search bar and visit Gorger’s Metal.)

So, then. Here we fucking are. Committing a closure of 2016.

It’s the dawn of 2017. Blinded by the cold light of January, we’re standing on the threshold of what may turn out to be a mighty tower or just another deadly cliff in the fog. Halfway ignorant of what lies ahead, though parts of the path are visible, it feels safer to turn around and behold what is left behind.

One would think you guys were fed up with lists by now, but you’re an enduring pack of bloodthirsty wolves, and if it’s any consolation, the traditional list-mania is nearing its demise. Is this the grand finale, perhaps? I initially wrote that “my list is too long to comment on everything without cutting it into fitting slices, which I will consider doing next year”. This just proves what a naive schmuck I am. Obviously, I couldn’t help myself, and walked straight into the “comment everything” trap regardless of strategy and determination, and I eventually had to send the first part to Islander before we hit April, or something.

Let’s start with a bunch of “good, but not entirely superb” albums. They might be better than traditional “honorable mentions”, but placing them in a particular order based on all those subjective (and partially objective) factors is a seemingly hopeless task. Thus we abide by the alphabet for now, and I’m stealing Andy’s way of linking you to Bandcamp (where possible) or other sources of sound. Continue reading »

Dec 162016
 

collage500

 

( The end of the year approaches, and to commemorate the death of 2016 our Norwegian friend Gorger has prepared a gargantuan installment of his series highlighting releases that we have overlooked.  To find more of his discoveries, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

LISTMANIA is well under way. I still have some 2016 releases that deserve a mentioning at least. And that’s what I intend to do. Inspired by Islander’s overflowing-streams I’ll settle for a short conclusion of my own initial write ups. It’s not going to be easy, as I just don’t know when to shut my mouth. You probably got better things to do with your life than listen to me jabber, chatter, and preach all day anyway.

During December, I’ll probably gather enough material for a 20th round of this here series. When such a post will be published, is still up in the smoggy air. Continue reading »

Nov 092016
 

collage

 

( Norwegian blogger Gorger is back again, highlighting still more releases that we have overlooked.  To find more of his discoveries, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

 

Hot on the heels of the previous part, here’s another attempt at covering the tip of the iceberg of the occasional stream that NCS has missed out on in the otherwise overflowing river of metal releases. Continue reading »

Nov 072016
 

collage

 

( Norwegian blogger Gorger is back, highlighting still more releases that we have overlooked.  To find more of his discoveries, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

Three months have flown by since my last installment. Sorry to keep you waiting. Not that you’ve been waiting, but you know you’ve been missing out on something in the meanwhile. I’ve grown a long list of candidates, but I’d rather not overheat your brain, so we’ll be focusing on a quadruple set as usual, with a further installment coming very soon. Continue reading »

Aug 102016
 

Armagedda-3

 

(All the way from sunny Norway, our blog brother Gorger is back, this time with a special mid-week edition of our usual Sunday column focusing on metal from the past.  To find more of Gorger’s writings, type “Gorger” in our search bar or visit Gorger’s Metal.)

In Norway, pilsner, a light golden beer with a mild and refreshing taste, an eponymous brand originated in the Czech area of Plzeň, or Pilsen if you will, has by far been the beer of choice for most people for decades.

As a white wine of beers (not that it’s weissbier (wheat beer), it’s rather a pale lager), not too unlike Heineken, Budweiser, Miller Genuine Draft, or perhaps Miller Lite, I’d suppose. It’s an unrivaled thirst quencher, but for those moments when you want to enjoy some rich flavored beer, some of us have always turned to the red wine of beers, bayer (a dark lager), ale, porter, and such.

Beer is metal, but it’s not music, so by now, you’re undoubtedly wandering just what the hell this has got to to with metal. As darker, tastier types of beer have grown in popularity over the past few years, and micro breweries have popped up everywhere, we’ve seen a rash of bearded hipsters enjoying it. And whilst it’s a positive thing, it also accumulates that angered feeling of “why the hell didn’t you drink it ten years ago, like some of us did, if it’s so tasty, you fucking pussy”.

Similarly, we all have some obscure underground gems that we almost keep to ourselves, and only sport whence appropriate. If these became majorly famed, hell even trendy, that would undeniably ruin some of their magic, right? Still, I feel like I’ve had these bands to myself for ages, and time is ripe for sharing the murky grandeur with you all. Besides, this music ain’t becoming totally mainstream any time soon anyway. Brace yourself for a true pitch black attack! Continue reading »