AN NCS PREMIERE: ORDER OF THE EBON HAND — “HEIRS”

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Sep 152025
 

(written by Islander)

Long ago, in 2005 to be precise, the Greek band Order of the Ebon Hand embarked on an ambitious project, the goal of which was to explore each card in the Tarot deck through the perspectives of black metal. In that year, which arrived eight years after their debut album The Mystic Path to the Netherworld, they released XV: The Devil, the first card they drew from the deck. Fourteen years later, with only a couple of splits and compilation appearances to fill the gap, they released VII: The Chariot.

Obviously, Order of the Ebon Hand don’t work quickly. But the unhurried nature of their artistry may be a vital part of what has made their music so extraordinary. We attempted to capture what they rendered on those first two albums in the Tarot sequence by describing the songs as “beautifully crafted and expertly executed”, as “pageants of turmoil, torment, terror, and inconsolable anguish”, “warlike and violent” but also “manifestations of ravaging desolation”, experiences “of ominous foreboding and titanic ascension”, and “breathtaking extravaganzas” that “seem to be devouring the world in fire and flood”.

And now, six years after their last album, they’re on the verge of releasing XI: Justice, the third card in the band’s musical Tarot sequence, and we could hardly be more thrilled to premiere a song from it today. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: PENTHOS — “Όλεθρος (OLETHROS)”

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Sep 152025
 

(written by Islander)

Seemingly out of nowhere, but really out of Athens, Penthos released their self-titled debut album in 2022, and next month they will follow that with a second full-length named Erevos. The music is rightly previewed as traditional black metal in a more Scandinavian than Greek vein, a changing tapestry of dark moods and supernatural forces, experiences both devastatingly bleak and hellishly fierce.

As an example of the band’s meticulously crafted changing states, today we’re presenting the second advance song from the album, a shuddering and startling sensation called “Όλεθρος (Olethros)“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SILENT TOMBS — “DISSOLVE”

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Sep 122025
 

(written by Islander)

Personal Records has already conclusively demonstrated its taste for a range of extreme metal genres, with a roster of releases that appeals to a variety of tastes. But the releases might show a special affinity for doom/death (or death/doom) metal, and we have a prime example of that today.

What we’re about to present is the second single from the forthcoming debut album of Silent Tombs, a Mexican band who whole-heartedly join “the primitive lineage of doom from the 1990s and early 2000s.” That album, Mourning Hymns From Beyond, is the work of an experienced lineup that now includes Enrique Martínez and Arturo Delgado handling guitars, Mauricio González on bass, Felipe González on drums, and Victor Mercado providing vocals. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): BERGSVRIDEN — “I HAGGANS AFTON”

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Sep 112025
 

(written by Islander)
”Folk Metal” is such a sloppy label. It has been applied to such an extraordinarily broad range of bands who sound very little alike that it’s a near-useless appellation — near useless because it doesn’t tell you what kind of “folk” or what kind of “metal” or how those intertwined influences (whatever they are) might play out together.

And so, we’re steering way clear of that genre term as we introduce you to I Haggans Afton, the latest album from the wicked Swedish band Bergsvriden, which will see release tomorrow via the Dusktone label.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with Bergsvriden, you could guess that their music has a folk influence, else why would we begin by even mentioning the “folk metal” pigeonhole? But it’s the details that matter, and especially for listeners who might reflexively shy away from anything associated with that label. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: THAUMATURGY — “PLAGUE RITUAL”

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Sep 112025
 

(written by Islander)

Thaumaturgy: the working of miracles, magic, or supernatural feats, whether genuine or illusory. The term originates from Greek, meaning “miracle working,” and is associated with any art that invokes supernatural powers, performing wonders or creating illusions through esoteric knowledge and ritual practice.

It’s worthwhile to begin with that definition, because thaumaturgy is an uncommon term: according to this source, the word’s frequency of use in modern written English is 0.02 occurrences per million words. We will appreciably increase the number of those meager appearances today because Thaumaturgy is the name of the Kansas-based band whose song “Plague Ritual” is the subject of this premiere. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): REVELATOR — “LIGHT OF THE DEVIL’S FIRE”

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Sep 102025
 

(written by Islander)

The Alberta-based black/death metal band Revelator named their debut album Light The Devil’s Fire, and that is exactly what they attempt to do in their music — to wake up Lucifer, to ignite his flames to bonfire intensity, and to ascend with them to heights of evil glory.

Bold words those, but we can back them up today with a full streaming premiere of Revelator‘s revels in advance of the album’s September 12 release by Nameless Grave Records. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: CRAWL — “NO WAY OUT”

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Sep 092025
 

(written by Islander)

In late June of this year something very surprising but very welcome happened: The vanguard industrial death metal band Crawl released their first album in almost 30 years through THC MUSIC/Virgin Music Group.

That album, No Way Out, was the horned flowering of seeds planted when Crawl reunited for a record release show on the occasion of the reissue of their remastered EP Womb, originally released in 1993 under the band’s previous name, Bleed.

Following that August 2019 performance, the band decided to start writing new material, and eventually produced No Way Out — despite being slowed by the challenges of reintegrating after so many years and despite the big roadblock thrown up by the covid pandemic (as well as a lot of subsequent impediments we needn’t detail that created further delays).

All the obstacles undoubtedly spawned a lot of wrenching frustration among the members of Crawl, but for both old die-hard fans and a lot of new ones, the album proved to be well worth the wait. It seemed like the band had picked up right where they left off so many decades ago, without missing a step. As a tremendous example of what we’re getting at, today we’re premiering a visually startling lyric video for the new album’s title track. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: PLAGUE CURSE — “UMBRAGE EARNED”

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Sep 092025
 

(written by Islander)

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Let’s immediately address what you’re about to hear and then come back and fill in some details about who’s doing it.

Figuratively speaking at least, it might be smart for you to strap on body armor and a tough helmet before you press play on “Umbrage Earned,” the Plague Curse song we’re now premiering, because it’s a roaring blast front of weaponized sound. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): WINTERNIUS — “UNDERWATER DARKNESS”

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Sep 092025
 

(written by Islander)

We have for you today what we think will be a big eye-popping surprise, a carnival of musical wonders, something like a black metal rock opera, namely a full stream of the forthcoming second album by the evil Italian wizards in Winternius.

Titled Underwater Darkness, it’s set for release on September 12th by the Dusktone label, and it follows the band’s 2020 debut album Open the Portal and their 2023 EP Kultra Nightmares.

Still at the helm is founder Roby Grinder, also known as Winternius during his time with Sacradis, a band active in the Italian black metal underground from 1996-2011. The lineup through the years has included members and former members of Sacradis, Spite Extreme Wing, Abysmal Grief, and Necrodeath.

Winternius call their music “Black Rising Metal”, and you may understand why when you hear this album. It’s certainly not conventional black metal by any stretch. Up in the first paragraph we’ve already hinted why, but would like to explain in greater (but hopefully not too tedious) detail. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: ILDVERDEN — “DOWN TO THE HOLE”

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Sep 082025
 

(written by Islander)

Beginning in 2007 the Crimea-based Ukrainian band Ildverden released four albums, the last of those in 2015. In the 10 years since then, of course, Ildverden‘s homeland has been wracked by increasingly awful upheavals, and yet the band’s sole participant Kvolkaldur has chosen to persist, much as his country has, and so next month will see the release of Ildverden‘s stunning fifth album, Thou Not Shalt.

It should not be surprising that after 10 years — and especially those last 10 years — both Ildverden‘s music and lyrical themes have changed. As summed up by the labels that will release the album, the lyrics “have somewhat moved away from the pagan theme towards nihilism, detachment from what is happening and what exists, reflections and regrets, with moods of existentialist philosophy,” plunging “into melancholic deep reflection on the meaning and meaninglessness of existence itself.”

As for the music, the songs are more compact and reflect the emergence of different stylistic amalgams, of which we provide a stirring example today through our premiere of the album track “Down To the Hole“. Continue reading »

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