AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): VANIR — “WYRD”

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Apr 012026
 

(written by Islander)

For people of a certain age and living in a certain time, melodic death metal opened a magical musical portal. Principally originating in Sweden, it eventually led enormous numbers of listeners around the globe (including this writer) into new worlds. Other portals forged of metal were opening at the same time, and many others have opened since then, but thanks to bands like the Danish group Vanir, this one has remained open.

Vanir have been musically exploring other worlds (often mythic ones) since 2010, with a discography that has come to include seven albums, and their eighth one — Wyrd — will be released in just a couple of days by Mighty Music. As the label describes, “The record revolves around the timeless theme of fate – spun from war, from the choices of humankind, and from the consequences that have shaped our world”, and it “invites the listener into stories of downfall and triumph, of lives lost and victories won.”

What we bring you today is the chance to hear Wyrd in its entirety. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: THE GREAT OBSERVER — “SENTENCED AT HIGH NOON”

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Mar 312026
 

(written by Islander)

The Italian band The Great Observer developed serious ambitions for delving into profound subjects after they began coming together in Rome in 2021 — ambitions reflected in the choice of their name and the philosophers they drew upon for lyrical inspiration.

To express those ambitions in their music, they spent years working toward an alchemy of Mediterranean black metal (Mortuary Drape, Zemial) and early death/thrash (such as Canada’s Slaughter, Master, Order from Chaos). The results are now encompassed by a debut album named Loss of Transcendence that will be released on April 30th by Blackseed Productions.

We will share more details about what inspired the band, but first we’ll turn to the album track we’re premiering today — “Sentenced at High Noon“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DEVENIAL VERDICT — “RITUALS OF IGNORANCE”

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Mar 312026
 

(written by Islander)

Devenial Verdict’s new record could be considered a retrospective on a 20-year career, but also a reimagining of their past. As a reflection of that concept, the name of the record (which is a combination of two EPs) is Old Blood – Fresh Wounds. To explain, here’s this Finnish band’s statement about the record, which is now set for release by Transcending Obscurity on May 1st:

“This release celebrates the 20th anniversary of Devenial Verdict. We wanted to update some of our older songs on this EP; these songs mark some of the most important musical moments of us as a band. We have the first instances of dissonance in our music and the seeds of our melancholic and atmospheric leanings; we have brutal passages and rare instances of melody. It was really eye opening to realise that all the influences were there all along! Some of these songs have never been properly released and exist only as live videos captured at our shows.

“We wanted to add the Soulthirst EP to this release since 2026 marks the 10 year anniversary for that release. Soulthirst functions as the bridge between all of our older material and our current sound, which we fully unleashed on Ash Blind in 2022.”

What we have for you today is the premiere of the new album’s opening song, “Rituals of Ignorance“. According to a note at Metal-Archives, it was originally part of a four-song demo recorded in 2010 but never officially released. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): MALAURIU — “THE THIRD NAIL”

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Mar 302026
 

(written by Islander)

On April 3rd Adirondack Black Mass will release the third album by Malauriu, fittingly named The Third Nail (though we suspect that name has other meanings besides the fact that it’s the band’s third full-length). We’re giving it a big showcase, not only providing listeners a full stream today but also publishing an interview of Malauriu’s founder Schizoid and their vocalist RM tomorrow.

Those of you seeing the album’s cover art for the first time will likely be perplexed by how strange it is, and it’s worth sharing Schizoid’s explanation, because the cover image connects to the album’s lyrical themes, and indeed to the often macabre nature of the music. Here is an excerpt from the interview we’re publishing tomorrow: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: RIVERFLAME — “WHERE DRAGONS ONCE RULED”

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Mar 272026
 

(written by Islander)

“Riverflame were created in 2024 by members of Hail Spirit Noir, Ponte Del Diavolo, and OWLS.” That short announcement got my attention just as effectively as if it had been a meteor plowing into the house next door. Those other groups happen to be personal favorites, so there’s that, but the strong attraction also derives from curiosity about what these four musicians have done together.

What they’ve done is to record an album named Lunar Crusades that will be released on April 24th by code666/Aural Music. But what shape(s) does the music take? That’s hardly predictable, given the distinctively different nature of the music they’ve made in their other bands. The label provides some strong clues by describing the album as “a journey of epic medieval black metal atmospheres and neo-classical arrangements,” channeling “the spirit of Stormkeep, Summoning, and Dissection.”

Even more tangible clues were provided through the release of a song that shares the band’s name, and now we’re presenting more evidence through our premiere of the stunning album track “Where Dragons Once Ruled.” Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: SAILLE — “CYCLE OF CYNICISM”

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Mar 272026
 

(written by Islander)

Today we have a reminder for you — and, as you’ll see and hear, it’s not a subtle nudge or a polite whisper. The reminder is that the epic black metal band Saille (originally formed in Belgium but now a fully Netherlands-based group) released their sixth album Forebode last month through Non Serviam Records, and it’s one you really ought to check out if you haven’t already. The reminder takes the form of a new lyric video for the ravishing album track “Cycle of Cynicism” that we’re premiering today.

For those listeners who are new to Saille’s music, this latest album provides a great introduction. It includes four new songs, of which “Cycle of Cynicism” is one, but also a newly re-recorded version of “Haunter of The Dark” from their 2013 album Ritu and an extended classical version of “Eater of Worlds” from their 2014 album Eldritch, with additional instruments.

In addition, the physical edition of the album (unlike the digital version) includes three bonus tracks — live recordings, featuring a violinist, that were captured at Metal Méan Festival and Graspop Metal Meeting.

And now… onward to the new lyric video for “Cycle of Cynicism“. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: WITHOUT MERCY — “THE SAINT”

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Mar 262026
 

(written by Islander)

Vancouver, Canada’s Without Mercy have announced that on May 8th they will release a new three-song EP named Infinite Loss. The EP is a mark of change for the band. They’ve explained that for the first time they “left home to make a record, crossing borders, abandoning routine, and committing fully to the process.” That process included confining themselves in a studio environment for 10 days.

As guitarist DJ Temple has stated: “There was no comfort, no distance, and no way to step away. That isolation mattered. It stripped everything down to what was essential. This record exists because we chose to be uncomfortable, to argue honestly, and to stay in the room until it felt right”.

As the first sign of what that creative process yielded, today we’re premiering the EP’s first single, “The Saint,” accompanied by a new music video. Lyrically, the song confronts the idea of being enslaved by the land, “all the different whips, and all the different backs.” Musically, it puts some head-spinning twists on Without Mercy’s branding as a “groove metal band”. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: YEAR OF THE COYOTE — “MAN ALIVE”

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Mar 262026
 

(written by Islander)

Year of the Coyote is a new name here at our site. They’re a DIY sludge-hardcore trio from Portland, Oregon. They descrbe their music in terms that piqued our interest: “Paying homage to an array of grimier hardcore and metal acts — think the suffocating feel of Coalesce, Cult Leader, or Torch Runner mixed with the open, sledgehammer ambiance of late-90s Isis — Year Of The Coyote churns out a mix of off-kilter grinding intensity and avalanche-like dissonance.”

The band released a three-song debut demo in late 2014, and then a first full-length named Siege in 2018. That was quite a while ago, and of course the world has become a very different place, but at last Year of the Coyote will be releasing a second full-length on April 23rd. Its name is Hell Wall, and today we’re premiering its first single, “Man Alive“. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: SICARIUS — “NEX”

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Mar 262026
 

(written by Islander)

The U.S. black metal band Sicarius has a storied history, one that includes two albums released in 2017 and 2020 by M-Theory Audio, extensive touring, and stage performances with such bands as 1349, Goatwhore, Vader, Marduk, Disgorge, and Incantation. But in the next few years following release of their second album, the band essentially dissolved and was left for dead.

Yet a resurrection has occurred. The band’s co-founders Argyris and Carnage reconnected and have rebuilt the dead organism of Sicarius. We’re told that they began writing and recording new songs in 2024, pulling influences from bands such as Bathory, Rotting Christ, Dissection, Mayhem, Urghehal, Marduk, and Absu, and fusing in elements from groups like Type O Negative. They also brought on board a new vocalist of wide-ranging power, Akefalos.

And now their work on a new album named Nex is complete, and the record is set for release on April 10th by Adirondack Black Mass. It is described as “a 10-track story about loss, death, retribution, and fury that honors tradition while being unafraid to venture on its own.” It’s the album’s title track that we bring you today through a lyric video — a song that includes a guest performance by guitarist Charles Hedger (Ghul) of Mayhem. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: BLOOD COUNTESS — “THE SCAVENGER’S DAUGHTER”

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Mar 252026
 

(written by Islander)

The last time we encountered the music of Blood Countess from York in the UK, in the run-up to their 2022 debut album Occulta Tenebris, we wrote: “The stench of sulfur and the fear of peril hang about these lunging and whirling ecstasies, and it’s not hard to imagine the flashing of bat wings and the baring of knife-sharp fangs.” Now, four years down the road from then, Blood Countess return with their second full-length, Imperatrix Sanguinis.

As explained on behalf of their label, Dominance of Darkness Records, the band “remain true to their moniker, spilling tales of Elizabeth Bathory’s reign of blood-soaked tyranny – obsession, sex, and perversion entwined with madness and hatred for humankind – all led by the invective throat of frontwoman The Cuntess”.

As a sign of the merciless but head-spinning slaughter that the new album delivers, what we have for you today is the premiere of the record’s second single, “The Scavenger’s Daughter“. Continue reading »

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