AN NCS PREMIERE: NINTH REALM — “DAMNATION’S VEIL”

(written by Islander)

On August 28th Transcending Obscurity Records will release Damnation’s Veil, the second full-length from Maryland-based Ninth Realm. The label rightly describes it as “a scathing form of death/thrash metal music bearing influences of hardcore and heavy metal, with a slight blackened edge”, and a narrative theme that delves further into the band’s original dark fantasy world, Tythorin.

Today we’re premiering the new album’s title song, but before we get to that we’ll encourage you to check out the first two singles from the album that have preceded the one we’re revealing today.

The first of those, “Rituals In Thar’amath“, first surfaced on Transcending Obscurity’s 2026 label sampler. That song wastes no time attacking listeners with wildly roiling and brazenly blazing riffage, backed by clobbering drums and fronted by equally wild vocal ferocity. But the band also quickly segue into a head-hooking chugfest that’s spiced with strangely squirming guitar leads.

The song is in constant flux as the riffing inflicts bouts of venomous circle-saw evisceration and delivers punk beats, gut-punching breakdowns, woozily writhing and dismally dragging fretwork with an esoteric aura, a delirious guitar solo with a melodically exotic flair, and a closing dose of neck-wrecking, pile-driving punishment.

The vocals are persistently insane; the drumming is persistently tremendous; and the song’s non-stop genre-splicing dynamism makes a very strong impression. No wonder this electrifying song was the first single.

The second song revealed from the album is “Cohorts of the Abyss“. This one arrived with a video that lets us see the band in action (they’re a hell of a lot of fun to watch). As vocalist Ben Hageage screams bloody murder, his bandmates send up blazing and haughty chords and then race into circle-pit-inducing slaughter, propelled by neck-cracking gallops and riffage that swarms and slashes.

Once again, Ninth Realm pack in a lot of changes, including a twitchy chugfest that will get muscles moving reflexively and a closing breakdown that sounds gruesomely morbid.

And now we come to the title song we’re premiering today. Unlike the first two singles, this one begins slowly and creates a doomed and desolate mood through immense heaving chords and a miserably wailing lead guitar (though drummer Joey Burke accents this oppressive experience with exhilarating fills).

But with a feverish guitar bridge leading the way, the pace picks up and the riffing segues into a distressing delirium, but the band also open up another episode of fast chugging that’s one of the band’s head-hooking and body-jolting hallmarks.

Writhing guitar leads continue to insinuate miserably desolate moods, and even the frantic tremolo’d riffing carries an edge of desperation, but the song is still a big blood-rush — right up until a slow-paced finale in which a guitar solo spirals and screams like a tormented apparition.

Perhaps needless to say, although this song is the darkest of the three to surface so far, it’s as infectious as the first two — which is really true of every song on the album.

NINTH REALM:
Amelia Morris – Bass
Charles House – Rhythm Guitar
Ben Hageage – Vocals
Joey Burke – Drums
Liam McMahon – Lead Guitar

The cover art for Damnation’s Veil was created by Jerry “Wyrmwalk” Hionis (Maul, Celestial Sanctuary). Transcending Obscurity will release the album on vinyl LP, jewel-case CD, and digital formats, with lots of apparel choices. They recommend it for fans of Power Trip, Malevolent Creation, Deceased, Ritual Fog, and Glorious Depravity.

PRE-ORDER:
https://ninthrealm-label.bandcamp.com/album/damnations-veil
http://us.tometal.com/
http://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/
http://eu.tometal.com/

NINTH REALM:
https://facebook.com/ninthrealmband
https://instagram.com/ninthrealmmd