SEEN AND HEARD: BELPHEGOR, ALLEGAEON, MEDICATED, MEANKIND

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  8 Responses »
May 072014
 

Here’s the second of today’s planned round-ups of new and noteworthy music and informational items that your fiends at NCS have selectively sifted from the slurry of the interhole for your enjoyment and edification.

BELPHEGOR

It seems to be “Seth Siro Anton” day at NCS. First we helped premiere a new song from his band Septicflesh, and now we have the unveiling of his very recognizable artwork for Conjuring the Dead — the forthcoming 10th studio album by Belphegor. The album was recorded at Mana Studios with Hate Eternal’s Eric Rutan. It’s due for release by Nuclear Blast on August 8 in North America and the EU and on August 11 in the UK and France.

More than three years have passed since Blood Magick Necromance, and so we’re pretty damned hungry for some new Belphegor here at NCS. We’re ready to be fed! As soon as we have music to play for you, you can be sure we’ll do that without delay. To keep tabs on Belphegor, their FB page is at this place. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: INCANTATION, SHINING, MEANKIND, AND EVIL ENTOURAGE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Aug 252012
 

The ol’ fucking day job has had its claws in my viscera the last couple of days, and I haven’t been able to focus my bloodshot eyes on happenings in the metal world as keenly as I’d like. But that vice-like grip has eased somewhat, so it’s time to begin catching up. Here are some items of interest I saw and heard yesterday.

ITEM ONE: INCANTATION

I saw the news that Incantation (pictured above) is at work on their eighth album, to be entitled Vanquish in Vengeance, which is projected for a November release on Listenable Records. I saw this statement by John McAfee:

“The title track is about the massacre of Saxons in the town of Verdun in 782, called on by order of King Charlemagne. As an album title it has a different meaning to me. Vanquish in Vengeance symbolizes the long history of the band. We have fought many battles over the years to keep things going. We have always stayed true to our original vision and have never caved into trends. After a long wait between albums we are back with a vengeance with some of our darkest and heaviest material to date.” 

“Darkest and heaviest material to date”? That would take some doing.  “We have always stayed true to our original vision and have never caved into trends”? True dat. I’m ready for new Incantation.

ITEM TWO: SHINING

I like the music of Sweden’s Shining. I saw that Shining have a new album coming. Instead of persisting with the Roman numerals as on previous albums, this eighth one has a name: Redefining Darkness.

I also saw that Shining’s main man Niklas Kvarforth recorded two teaser videos for the album. In one, he’s having a rub-a-dub-in-the-tub using the favored lubricant of all trve black metallists. He’s also licking something that looks vaguely familiar. I’d say this one is not safe for work, but you’re not working now, are you? In the second video he multitasks, explaining Shining’s self-mutilating mission while taking a shit. Continue reading »

DISCOVERIES

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Apr 072012
 

I had some other ideas in mind for a Saturday morning post, but I got distracted following up on recommendations from other people — so I’m going with those for now. One, two, three . . . Meankind, Soul Cycle, and Fredrik Thordendal’s Special Defects.

ONE: MEANKIND

We’ve been keeping our eyes on this high-speed Hungarian death metal band ever since TheMadIsraeli reviewed their free EP, 22.Zero, last August (here). Back then, they had put together a speed-chess video (included with our review) for a song called “Incomprehensible Appetite”. I still love that fuckin’ video. So, naturally, I perked right up when TheMadIsraeli e-mailed me this a.m. to report that Meankind have a new video.

But before I get to that, you should know that Meankind self-released yet another free EP in January titled Live, Love, Slay, which I highly recommend. It includes a song called “Mantrap” that we featured in another post last fall, and it can be downloaded on Bandcamp. Check out Church of the Riff’s feature on that EP here. Also, while on the subject of Meankind, I’d like to plug That Devil Music, who have a recent interview with Meankind at this place. Now, onward to the video . . . Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: MEANKIND

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  29 Responses »
Aug 272011
 

(In sympathy with our brothers and sisters on the East Coast who are enduring Hurricane Irene, our second post of this Saturday is TheMadIsraeli’s review of the free EP from a Hungarian musical hurricane called Meankind.)

Who exactly is this dynamic duo who dare to call themselves Meankind?

That’s right.  The most boss of metal duo’s ever.  Extreme high-speed death metal offered in short doses on this band’s debut EP 22.Zero is what you get.  Meankind can do melodic, atonal, brutal, grooving — you name it, and Meankind will write a riff that will suit your needs. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »