AN NCS PREMIERE: GORGATRON — “TURMOIL”

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Nov 132026
 

(written by Islander)

The last time we hosted a premiere for North Dakota’s Gorgotron, in the context of a 2022 pandemic-spawned EP (Agony Reborn), we summed it up as “a blood-rushing death metal song that’s both powerfully groove-some and maniacally unhinged — and as catchy as Chlamydia too”. They followed that with their fourth album, Sentience Revoked, and now a fifth one is on the horizon.

The name of the new album is Turmoil, and as that title suggests, it was the product of turbulent events — and it was fueled by anger. Or at least that’s the conclusion we’ve drawn from bandmember comments about the album’s title track, which we’re premiering today in advance of the album’s December 11 release by Time To Kill Records. Before we get to the song, here are those comments: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: BALANCE OF TERROR — “MORBID GLUTTONY”

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Nov 132026
 

(written by Islander)

It has been a long wait for more music from the French death/grind band Balance of Terror. They released their World Laboratory debut album in the summer of 2017, and then fell silent, at least in terms of recordings, until now. But at last they will have their second album released on December 11th by Transcending Obscurity Records.

The name of the album is Addicted To Any Kind Of Rot. That title sends a certain kind of hungry chemical signal into the brains of people who relish morbid musical filth. Some of the song names reinforce those signals, while others also add expectations of drunkenness and delirium.

But we should tell you right away that Balance of Terror’s new music is more crafty and creative than these superficial impressions might lead you to believe, and you’ll get first-hand evidence of that in the song we’re now premiering: “Morbid Gluttony“. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): CONCRETE GHOSTS — “ECHOES OF THE DEAD WORLD”

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Nov 122026
 

(written by Islander)

We don’t know precisely why the relatively new Finnish band Concrete Ghosts chose their name, but they have left clues. They describe their mission as musically documenting the slow-motion erosion of the human mind and spirit within modern structures, capturing “the precise, horrific moment where the individual is hollowed out by the very environment they are forced to inhabit”, becoming shells of what they once were.

Their thematic landscape is thus a “concrete coffin” filled with “ashen whispers” and “nauseating chemical fumes of false hope”. As further described by their label Fetzner Death Records, they document “the parasitic nature of modern life”. They stand “in the center of this human-made horror” and from that perspective “translate the crushing weight of isolation into a balance of raw aggression and layered, melancholic atmosphere” through “a bleak, chromatic production that acts as a personal record of the world’s spirit failing in real-time”.

These descriptions are based on Concrete Ghost’s debut album Echoes of the Dead World, which Fetzner Death has set for release tomorrow (February 13th) — and which we are premiering in full below. Of course, we have our own impressions to share about the music, and another way of understanding the band’s name based on what we hear. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): DIE SÜNDE — “EFFEMERIDI”

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Nov 112026
 

(written by Islander)

Building upon a pair of EPs (Die Sünde and Strega), the Italian post-black metal band Die Sünde have created a debut album named Effemeridi that will be released this coming Friday, November 13th, by Time To Kill Records, and we are in the fortunate position of sharing all of it with you today.

Both the album’s name and its intriguing cover art connect with both the evolution of the band’s music and the deeper meaning of their new songs. With regard to the music, Die Sünde explain:

“Effemeridi are tables that reveal the position of an astronomical body at a given moment. They are consulted when navigation is needed and there are no other points of reference. In that sense, this album was a way for us to mark our position four years after the release of Strega, to understand where we were and in which direction we were heading.

As for the deeper meanings behind the nautical references, Die Sünde have shared these words: Continue reading »

AN NCS DEMO PREMIERE: XEROPOLIS — “PROMO 2026”

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Nov 102026
 

(written by Islander)

G.E.F., the artist driving such musical vehicles as Thecodontion and Clactonian, and the proprietor of the Prehistoric Sounds label, has created a new band named Xeropolis. In this new endeavor he uses the name Sangu Anticu, which is Sicilian for “Ancient Blood”, and is joined by multi-instrumentalist Kris Vudz (from Skialykon). Their first recording is a demo named Promo 2026 that we’re premiering in full today in advance of its release by Prehistoric Sounds this coming Friday, November 13th.

G.E.F. has explained the thematic focus of Xeropolis: “The band’s name comes from Greek and roughly means ‘dry city’. We’ve sought to portray the landscapes of the Mediterranean (particularly Sicily) in a different light: no longer lush and flourishing landscapes, but arid and desolate images stretching out under a scorching sun, in a land that seems to offer no hope.”

In line with this theme G.E.F. voices the lyrics entirely in Sicilian. Musically, he introduces the songs as “black metal with punk influences, inspired by bands such as Ildjarn and Darkthrone, among others”, but explains that the Xeropolis interpretation of the genre “is a sort of reversal of the perspective of the Norwegian bands of the 1990s: in addition to the themes, which suggest a climate diametrically opposed to Scandinavian winters, we opted for a scorching production to emphasize this aspect.” Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SEID — “URSEIÐR”

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Nov 102026
 

(written by Islander)

Over the last decade the Swedish black metal band Seid have released five albums, with a sixth one named Dystopolis set for release by ATMF on December 11th. Thematically, they have built a reputation for delving into ancient Norse lore and Viking culture. Musically, they have demonstrated creative progression, sometimes in quite unexpected ways.

The themes of the new album are worth considering before we get to the main point of this feature, which is the premiere of a song from the new album named “Urdseiðr“. Here is how ATMF’s press materials describe them: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): RADIANT KNIFE — “SANKALPA”

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Nov 092026
 

(written by Islander)

Radiant Knife is a superb name for a musical group. It would be alluring regardless of genre, though maybe especially for a metal band. Knives are utilitarian but inherently dangerous, and the human soul yearns for danger, at least in non-lethal doses, because the adrenaline kick makes us feel alive. And the idea of a knife that shines, especially a vision of one that doesn’t merely reflect but generates its own light, is suggestive not just of danger but of another world beyond our own.

The Radiant Knife we’re speaking of today is the southern Louisiana duo of Stephen Sheppert (guitars, synth, vocals) and Greg Travasos (drums). It is perhaps not coincidental that the name of the river that runs along the banks of their hometown Lafayette is Vermilion, and that the town’s original name was Vermilionville. It’s an earthly color, but not a common color coming off of radiant knives. Its hue is also fiery (or bloody), and the pigment can be toxic.

Well, now that we’ve planted a few ideas in your head, drawn from the name and location of Radiant Knife, we can turn to the music on their new album Sankalpa and see if those ideas have any currency in this new music. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: DISSECT THE MASSES — “THE HARVESTERS RETURN”

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Nov 062026
 

(written by Islander)

As trained medical professionals, we need to warn those of you who took in our first premiere on this Bandcamp Friday that this next one is likely to produce a severe whiplash effect with traumatic consequences for necks and heads.

Okay, just joking, we’re not trained medical professionals, just ardent metal fans — but the warning still stands because the change you’re about to experience is sudden and startling.

The authors of the change are the U.S. triumvirate Dissect the Masses, which includes members of Fleshbore, Unaligned, Abyssalis, and Demon King in the lineup, and the song we’re bringing you is from their debut album A Vile Disfigurement in advance of its December 11 release by our friends at Transcending Obscurity Records. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DESTRUCTION OF ORION — “BETTER DAYS”

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Nov 062026
 

(written by Islander)

Darkness. A life devoid of hope.
For it is that light, that semblance of hope,
which destroys.

There is not hope in this moment,
It is not found in the past,
Nor realised in our death.

The burden of such unrelenting pain,
denies our truth, our healing.
Existing as fragments of ourselves,
broken, beyond repair,
…yet clinging on for better days.

Those dark words form a preamble to the song we’re about to premiere. It’s from Dimensions Of Chaos, a new album by the Bulgarian funeral doom project Destruction of Orion, which will be released on November 27th by Aesthetic Death. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): NOCTURNIS — “DRANGSAL”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  2 Responses »
Nov 052026
 

(written by Islander)

Since the earliest days of metal’s dawning bands have expressed rebellious themes by embracing the symbology of Lucifer and his fallen angels, some have delved into the occult in more than symbolic fashion, and others have drenched themselves and their listeners in gore. And so it is refreshing to continue finding bands who put their thematic focus on historical events and social commentary.

The black metal band Nocturnis, who dwell in the Black Forest region of southern Germany, are one such band. Their powerful 2022 debut album Unsegen told the story of a young soldier in World War I, who was driven by his conscience into a no less harrowing inner struggle due to the atrocities he experienced, a struggle he ultimately loses.

And now we have a second Nocturnis full-length that explores a different series of historical events. Titled Drangsal, it is a concept album about the European witch hunts. It’s set for release on November 6th (tomorrow!) by Fetzner Death Records, but we’re sharing a full stream of it now. Continue reading »

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