May 2016 - Page 2 of 11 - NO CLEAN SINGING

AN NCS PREMIERE: SLUDGEHAMMER — “DEMONS FROM THE WOODWORK”

May 272016

When I first heard the name Sludgehammer, I was guessing slow, crushing, dreary, doomy… sludge. But when I heard the song we’re premiering for you today from their debut album The Fallen Sun, I quickly realized I was largely off-base — but far from disappointed by the surprise.

Sludgehammer make their home in Toronto, Canada. The Fallen Sun is set for release on June 10 and follows their 2014 EP, Organ Harvester. When asked to comment on this new song you’re about to hear, guitarist Jeff Wilson responded as follows: Continue reading »

THE BEST OF BRITISH 2016, PART 2: FROM SORROW TO SERENITY / KING GOAT / LUNA’S CALL

Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 4 Responses »

May 272016

(Andy Synn brings us Part 2 of a series spotlighting new recent releases by UK bands.)

Ok, so I may have gotten sidetracked in Germany somewhere along the way, but I promised you a second edition, and here it is.

This time around we’ve got another varied crop, featuring the burgeoning Deathcore delights of From Sorrow to Serenity, the expansive doomery of King Goat, and the indulgent Prog-Death of Luna’s Call.

So, without further ado, let’s get to it! Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: BEHEXEN — “THE POISONOUS PATH”

Premieres 2 Responses »

May 272016

Today Debemur Morti Productions releases the new fifth album by the infamous Finnish horde Behexen. Its name is The Poisonous Path, and we’re helping deliver the stream to your ears.

The smart move would be to skip down to the bottom of this post and start playing the album, even if you intend to read the following paragraphs. The album is so good that there’s no reason to lose any time before inviting it into your head, where it will trigger the release of adrenaline and then drive all other thoughts away with blades and fire. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: ILL OMEN AND SLAUGHTBBATH — “PESTILENTIAL HIEROPHANIES”

Album Reviews, Premieres, SHORT BUT SWEET 1 Response »

May 262016

Two striking black metal bands separated by the Pacific have joined forces in a new split release coming out tomorrow on 7″ vinyl from Iron Bonehead Productions. The split’s title, Pestilential Hierophanies, is a conjunction of the two track names on the album, with Australia’s Ill Omen contributing “Whited, Pestilent Sepulchre…” and Chile’s Slaughtbbath providing “Inverted Hierophany”.

You can — and should — listen to both tracks below. I have a brief review first, and in a nutshell, this is one of the best splits I’ve come across this year.

ILL OMEN

The lone artist behind Ill Omen (“IV”) has quite a resume of participation in other groups, including his membership in Temple Nightside and previous work in Austere. Under the Ill Omen banner he has produced many short releases as well as three albums, including this year’s Æ.Thy.Rift. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: GLOOMY GRIM — “A LADY IN WHITE”

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May 262016

On June 6, Satanath Records will release a new album named The Age of Aquarius by the Finnish horror-prone black metal band Gloomy Grim. To whet your appetite for the album, today we bring you the stream of one of the new songs, “A Lady In White“.

This premiere marks Gloomy Grim’s first appearance at our putrid site, and so a word of introduction may be in order. The band first took shape in the mid-’90s as the solo project of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Agathon. Since then, Gloomy Grim evolved into a full band and have released six albums (including this new one), along with a few shorter releases. They have consistently been inspired by horror movies and their soundtracks, as well as by the darkness of life in general.

(Fair warning… there’s a band photo after the jump that’s NSFW.) Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD (ON THE WAY TO MDF): WITCH MOUNTAIN, NIFELHEIM, HELLISH GOD

RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 5 Responses »

May 252016

As I write this I’m somewhere over Wisconsin, about to enter Michigan air space — about two hours left before plummeting into the raging hell of Baltimore, or more precisely Maryland Deathfest 2016. I’m excited despite the fact that I’m operating on three hours of sleep and planning to go to the fest pre-party not long after landing. Weep is for the sleak. Or something.

My NCS comrades Andy Synn and DGR, plus former NCS comrade BadWolf, will also be there, plus lots of other friends I haven’t seen since this time last year or longer. Just thinking about the next four days, I smell trouble brewing. Or perhaps the lady in front of me found this a good time to pass wind. Probably both. Continue reading »

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROSETTA’S MATT WEED

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May 252016

(Our guests Dimitris Mentes from Greece and John Sleepwalker present this interview with Matt Weed of US atmospheric space metallers Rosetta.)

Current times have been insurmountably busy for Rosetta, a band known to push their boundaries into new unexplored territories with no tight restrictions blocking their view. Starting with their freshly pressed digipack versions of Audio/Visual Original Score and A Dead-Ender’s Reunion, their plans seems to include a number of CD, vinyl, and cassette releases along the way; a special treat for the fans, as this is the first time any Rosetta releases will be materialized on tape.

Therefore, shortly before embarking on a full-scale European tour with fellow sludge/post-metallers North, Matt Weed was kind enough to inform the two restless interviewers about his cooperation with Arcane Angels and Translation Loss Records. Among the answers you’ll read about his views on their digital releases, his recent studio work, and current gig preparations with their renewed line-up, as well as a deep sense of gratitude expressed towards the loyal commitment of their fans. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: WILDERNESSKING (KEENAN NATHAN OAKES)

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

May 252016

photo by Eckardt Kasselman

(We present Andy Synn’s interview of Keenan Nathan Oakes, vocalist for South Africa’s Wildernessking, whose new album Andy reviewed here.)

Spoiler alert: Mystical Future, the second album by South Africa’s most majestic of Metal exports, Wildernessking, is likely to feature very prominently on either my Critical or Personal lists of favourite albums at the end of the year (if not both). I’ve loved this album since the first time I heard it, and I was lucky enough to hear it far earlier than most.

I’ve also been lucky enough to grab the band’s vocalist Keenan Nathan Oakes for this interview, where we get to go deeper into the motivation and inspirations behind Mystical Future, as well as a bunch of other topics which I’m sure you’ll find most illuminating! Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): GEVURAH — “HALLELUJAH!”

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May 252016

The Montreal black metal band Gevurah made deep and lasting impressions in these quarters with their 2013 debut EP Necheshirion (discussed here) and their 2015 two-song demo Dialogue of Broken Stars (reviewed here). In less than 10 days the band’s stupendous debut album Hallelujah! will be released by Profound Lore Records, and we bring you the chance to hear all of it today.

The album is the creation of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/songwriter X.T. (who also recorded and mixed the album) and guitarist/bassist A.L. It consists of seven tracks and more than 60 minutes of music. As described by the band, “Hallelujah! is a seven-step spiritual journey of Alchemical transformation, through the death and rebirth of the Self as a pure entity of praise, a vessel for the powers beyond. It is an exhalation of worship, a humbling vow of unwavering devotion to the Lord of unbound Light.” Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: THE LONE MADMAN — “DREARY TASK”

Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule, SHORT BUT SWEET No Responses »

May 242016

(In this post Grant Skelton reviews the new EP by Finland’s The Lone Madman — an exception to our “rule”.)

“…Finland has perhaps the most heavy metal bands in the world, per capita…” If President Obama himself is aware of Finland’s contributions to heavy metal, then it would certainly behoove us at No Clean Singing to follow suit (and obviously not for the first time). Children Of Bodom, Ensiferum, Shape Of Despair, Amorphis, Omnium Gatherum, Swallow The Sun, Skepticism, Insomnium. And those are only a scant few!

I must give credit to the stellar blog The Shrieks From Below for my discovery of Helsinki’s The Lone Madman. In recent years, I’ve become quite a doom hoarder. You know what they say. “Listening to doom all day keeps the reaper at bay.” If you’ve enjoyed the recent resurgence in heavy, traditional, and/or epic doom from Crypt Sermon, Below, and Pilgrim, then The Lone Madman are the cushion for your proverbial casket. Continue reading »

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