AN NCS PREMIERE: ABYSSUS — “OPERATION RANCH HAND”

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Jan 312018
 

 

The superb Greek death metal band Abyssus was on a pretty regular once-a-year release schedule from their debut EP in 2012 to their most recent split in 2016, but last year came and went without a release, although the band continued to be active on stage. But now a new Abyssus EP named Unleash the Storm is headed our way via the Mexican label Death In Pieces Records. It will be released in March and will serve as a kind of precursor to a new Abyssus album, Death Revival, that’s expected within the next year. And we have the good fortune to bring you a song from the new EP today.

The EP includes two brand new songs (“Operation Ranch Hand” and “Unleash The Storm”) and three cover songs from Bathory (“The Rite of Darkness”), Venom (“Warhead”), and Manilla Road (“Open the Gates”). The track we’re premiering is one of those two new original songs, “Operation Ranch Hand“. It is not a country-western song. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: AN EXCERPT FROM CADABRA RECORDS’ AUDIO PLAY “CASTING THE RUNES”

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Jan 302018
 

 

Cadabra Records presents itself as a vinyl-only record label that “specializes in the Spoken Arts, scored with ambient, nightmarish sound” and catering “exclusively to the horror/ weird genre”. The label has already released a rich array of terrifying performances, and their most recent one is an especially fine example of the label’s zealous dedication to their vision.

The new release is a presentation of M. R. James’ Casting the Runes, a  full-cast audio play produced by Bleak December, adapted from James‘ 1911 short story by Anthony D. P. Mann, and featuring acclaimed actor David Warner, known for his roles in The Omen, Titanic, Tron, Star Trek, and many more films. The album also features striking commissioned cover art by an artist well-known to our readers (and many other metal lovers), Adam Burke.

And today we present the premiere of an excerpt from the recording. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: DZSTRKRFT — “A BLAZE IN THE AEON SKY”

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Jan 302018
 

 

A long and winding road lies behind the song we’re about to premiere, the name of which is “A Blaze In the Aeon Sky“. It’s the first single from a forthcoming five-track EP entitled Apocalypse Horizon by DZSTRKRFT (pronounced “Disaster Craft”, for those willing to buy some vowels).

DZSTRKRFT is the solo project of Los Angeles-based musician roycifer, and he’s joined on this song by vocalist Jason Spawn. Both of them were at one time bandmates in the symphonic black metal band Sanctus, whose debut album Aeon Sky was released 18 years ago by Metal Blade. DZSTRKRFT was hatched much more recently — only four years ago — but its first releases didn’t conform to the original concept for the band. It was conceived as a black metal project, but until now the music has been electronic and experimental, more inspired by acts like Godflesh and Scorn, mixed with the influence of electronic artists such as Atari Teenage Riot and Daedelus. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): ULVEGR — “VARGKULT”

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Jan 292018
 

 

Today we present the full streaming premiere of Vargkult, the fifth album by the Ukrainian band Ulvegr, in advance of its January 30 release by Ashen Dominion. It follows quickly on the heels of 2017’s Titahion: Kaos Manifest, which we also premiered last April. But this album is a different beast from the last one, a relentless, incinerating assault that never pauses to take prisoners.

For those who may be newcomers to Ulvegr, the band’s two steadfast members are Helg (songwriting, vocals, guitar, bass) and Odalv (drums). Both of them are members of Kzohh, Ygg, and Runes of Dianceht, and Helg is also a member of Khors, while Odalv has also contributed his talents to Twilightfall and Elderblood. Continue reading »

AN NCS EP PREMIERE: FEEDING — “IN HELL”

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Jan 262018
 

 

This music is meaner than a junkyard dog, crazier than a shit-house rat, as grim as a lung cancer diagnosis, as brutal as a crowbar to the back of the neck. It screams murder, and then delivers. It’s a good thing it’s an EP; a full album might put listeners in the hospital.

I’m referring to In Hell, by a band of marauders from Edmonton, Alberta, who call themselves Feeding. The EP will be released on February 2nd, shortly before the band go out on tour, but we have a full stream for you today. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK (PART 3): STORMBANE, VÄKI, VARATHRON, VURVARAT, WALDEINSAMKEIT, WYRMWOODS, BLACK REAPER

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Jan 262018
 

 

This is the last installment of a three-part post I began on Wednesday, focusing on new and recently discovered metal in a blackened vein. I packed a lot of music into this tripartite post — including a pair of video premieres today — in part because I failed to get a SHADES OF BLACK column finished in time to post in its usual place last Sunday, but also because I won’t get one done for this coming Sunday either. The weekend is going to be an unusually busy one for me, and if I can manage to get anything done at all for NCS, it will be a continuation of our Most Infectious Song list… because time is rapidly running out on that.

When I started this post two days ago I had a list that I alphabetized by band name before dividing it into thirds. I did say that I might discover something else to add that would screw up the alphabetic ordering, and so I have.

STORMBANE

Stormbane (from Melbourne, Australia) have explained that they recorded their debut album Eldritch Devotion in 2014 but only released it on January 1 of this year “due to explosive bowel movements and disagreements”. It also appears to be a posthumous release — Metal Archives now classifies the band as “Split-up”. Too bad. But at least the band decided to discharge this explosive movement before they themselves exploded. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SKJULT — “INTO THE VOID”

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Jan 252018
 

 

Cuba is home to the black metal band Skjult, through which its lone member Conspirator channels his dark and devilish creative impulses. 2016 brought forth Skjult’s first album, Within the Flesh, and on February 21st of this year Satanth Records and Black Metal Propaganda Deutschland will jointly release the second one, a 41-minute assault entitled Progenies Ov Light.

The new album, which consists of seven songs and a bonus track that appears as a tribute to Trond Alastor Nefas (Urgehal/Beastcraft), reflects changes in Skjult’s musical direction as compared to the first album. Two songs have appeared so far in the run-up to the album’s release, and today we bring you a third one: “Into the Void“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SPIRITUAL DECEPTION – “SPIRITUAL DECEPTION”

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Jan 252018
 

 

It should be evident by now that many Italian death metal bands have undergone gene-splicing experimentation, introducing the speed of cheetahs and the ferocity of wolverines into their DNA, along with cybernetic augmentation that enables machine-like precision in the execution of their jet-fast musical assaults. But if more evidence were needed, we present for your consideration the debut self-titled EP of Spiritual Deception from Milano, which is being released today.

The EP’s eye-catching cover art by Chebakov (who also created the art for Hideous Divinity’s Adveniens album, among other works) ought to be sufficient inducement for you to lend the EP your ears, but I’ll try to provide further temptation. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: AVSLUT — “PESTILENS”

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Jan 242018
 

 

In 2016 the Swedish black metal band Avslut released a very promising debut EP named Vanskapt, and now comes the time for their first full album, Deceptis, which will be released on February 23rd by Osmose Productions. Two tracks from the album, “Deceptis” and “Terra Mater”, have previously appeared, demonstrating that Vanskapt was no fluke, and today we have a third one for you.

“Pestilens” is a good demonstration of Avslut’s ability to integrate moving, atmospheric melody, of the kind that fires the imagination, gripping rhythmic propulsion, and blood-rushing savagery. Osmose proclaims that “Avslut is a weapon”, and you’ll get no argument here, but they are more than that, as “Pestilens” proves Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): BIND TORTURE KILL — “VISCÈRES”

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Jan 242018
 

 

There are no tender mercies on Viscères, the new album by the French maulers in Bind Torture Kill. There is no mercy at all, no prisoners taken, no glass-half-full outlook on the future. But there is staggering power, frightening intensity, and the kind of visceral impact that usually triggers a fight-or-flight response in the average human.

Viscères will be released on January 26th by WOOAAARGH. The label describes the music as “chaotic blackened hardcore”, a charred form of Converge or Trap Them that should also appeal to fans of Baptists, Employed To Serve, God Mother, and The Rodeo Idiot Engine. You can judge for yourselves, because today we present a full stream of the album — preceded by some thoughts of my own. Continue reading »

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