WHAT OUR FRIENDS ARE UP TO

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  14 Responses »
Feb 162013
 

I have more than three friends. I think the exact number is four or five, depending on the day. So the fact that I’m only writing about three shouldn’t be misunderstood as implying that there are only three.

With that out of the way, here’s a shout-out to Phro, Andy Synn, and Valley of Steel. And if you have a problem with me using space on this blog to crow about my friends, please send the words “Fuck You” scribbled in crayon on a piece of paper and mail it in a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

PHRO

As many of you know . . . as all of you should know . . . occasional NCS contributor and long-time supporter Phro has his own blog (Phro Metal) on which he publishes all manner of speculative, mainly Phro-written, fiction. Okay, “all manner” is an exaggeration. To be more accurate, it’s the manner of speculative fiction that’s hyperviolent, sexual, and psychotic. In other words, it’s fun for the whole family!

Yesterday, Phro became a published author in a compilation that’s actually available for sale on Amazon as a Kindle download. It’s called FULL METAL ORGASM #69003, and at this writing it’s ranked #27,271 in paid sales on Kindle. I would like to make a big push to get that ranking up to #27,270. I’ve done my part by downloading it to my own Kindle, which is now making a low moaning noise and beginning to smoke. The screen is also beginning to look like an Etch-A-Sketch that’s just been given a good shake. Continue reading »

THE TOP 11 OF 2011, BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALLEY OF STEEL

 Listmania  7 Responses »
Jan 062012
 

(As our Listmania series winds down, today we welcome another fellow blogger, whose moniker you may also recognize from his NCS comments. Check out his diverse year-end list of new discoveries below, and be sure to check out the Valley of Steel blog, too.)

Hello, NCS readers! Sitting here on the long bus ride from the Valley to my job in Pittsburgh, I am given the opportunity to do a lot of reflecting. For example, today I am reflecting on the fact that it is FUCKING COLD enough outside to FREEZE A POLAR BEAR’S NUTS OFF. But, since it is also the dawn of a new year, many people like to take the time to reflect back on the year that has just concluded, as well as looking ahead to the one that is just beginning. So I have written posts that look in both of those directions. This first one addresses some of the great music I have discovered during 2011, and if Islander chooses to publish it and if you all don’t completely hate it, there will be a second post to follow which discusses what YOU want the future of metal to look like.

Over the past month or so, I have seen literally OODLES of year-end lists all over the internet. In fact, this website alone has featured damn near an oodle and a half. Many of them (not the ones on NCS, specifically, but just some of those I have seen around) seem to just re-shuffle the same few “big name” releases in various orders, with a couple controversial or “surprise” entries to almost make each list worth reading.

Well, I almost didn’t make my own list, because I really didn’t see the point of just rehashing the same old thing YET AGAIN. The more I thought about it, though, I realized the beneficial part of reading these lists, which is that you might find something new that you otherwise would have missed out on. With that in mind, I spent a lot of time thinking about the joy of discovering new music, and how much awesome music I discovered in 2011. So, then I decided to make a list of some of that music, to share with YOU. Continue reading »