AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: BEWITCHER — “BEWITCHER”

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Aug 162016
 

Bewitcher-ST cover art

 

After releasing three really good demos starting in 2013, Portland, Oregon’s Bewitcher are now poised to release their self-titled debut album on August 18. It will be made available digitally via Bewitcher’s Bandcamp page and on LP through Diabolic Might Records, with a CD edition coming on September 9th from Divebomb Records — and today we give you the first chance to hear the entire album.

Bewitcher have been outspoken about their disdain for a lot of modern metal trends, and the fanatical zeal with which they embrace the hard-rocking, flame-throwing blasphemy of early ’80s devil music is on full display in this new album. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DORMANT INFERNO — “EMBERS OF YOU”

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Aug 162016
 

Dormant Inferno-Embers of You

 

In March of last year we premiered a powerful song called “Deliverance” by the Mumbai-based doom/death band Dormant Inferno from their split with Pakistan’s Dionysus, and then followed that last August with Comrade Aleks’ interview of Dormant Inferno’s guitarist/bassist Sunny Bhambri. Today we bring you a stream of a new Dormant Inferno single named “Embers of You” — and it’s superb.

Two nights ago I fell into a trance-like state during the immense closing set by Australia’s Mournful Congregation at Migration Fest in Olympia, Washington. I was reminded of that set in listening to “Embers of You” again last night. It’s a long song that’s also completely entrancing — and crushingly heavy. But in addition to drawing from the deep underground reservoirs of grief to be found in the caverns of funeral doom, Dormant Inferno also ratchet the intensity levels with elements of earth-quaking death metal. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: COLOSSO — “THE UNREPENTANT”

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Aug 102016
 

Colosso-Obnoxious

 

On September 9 the Portuguese death metal band Colosso will release their second album under the title Obnoxious, which refers not to the sound of the music but to the lyrical focus of the songs — “the extreme void of society, a black hole created by egos, profit and chaos.” Today we have for you the debut of a lyric video for the album’s second track, “The Unrepentant“.

By way of biographical history, Colosso burst upon the scene with a 2012 debut album called Abrasive Peace at a time when Colosso was the solo project of Max Tomé (with drums performed on the album by the esteemed Dirk Verbeuren). By the time of Colosso’s second release, the Thallium EP, Tomé had recruited a full band, and they followed Thallium with a 7″ double-single named Foregone Semblances in 2014.

And still the band’s sound continues to evolve, as reflected on the new album, with more progressive and experimental elements in the music. But as you’ll hear in the video we’re premiering, ferocity is very much a leading ingredient as well. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: FERAL LIGHT — “HELL BY COMPASS”

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Aug 092016
 

Feral Light-A Sound of Moving Shields

 

Feral Light come our way from Minneapolis, with a three-man line-up consisting of vocalist Jeff Scheuermann (Incarnate Deity, ex-Finger of Scorn), guitarist/bassist Andy Schoengrund (previously a member of such bands as Wolvhammer, Empires, and Manetheren), and drummer Andrew Reesen (ex-Censer). With a 2015 self-titled demo under their belts, on August 19 their debut EP A Sound of Moving Shields will be released on tape (and digitally) by Sentient Ruin Laboratories. Last month I raved about the EP’s first advance track, “Baptized In Shellfire”, and now we have the pleasure of bringing you another new song from the EP, “Hell By Compass“.

With lyrical themes that focus on the self-destructive horrors of human warfare, Feral Light draw upon the traditions of black metal, crust, and hardcore to create music that’s dark, intense, and as raw and grim as a mortal wound. But while the band are very effective at pulling the listener by the throat through a harsh and ravaging gauntlet of hopeless turmoil, the music is multifaceted — it rocks damned hard, and its bleak melodies are capable of leaving a mark in your mind as well. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SINGULARITY — “THE REFUSAL”

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Aug 092016
 

Singularity cover art

 

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of a new song by Arizona’s Singularity.)

One of my favorite things about what we do here at NCS is our devotion to showing you new and lesser known acts, and then continuing to cover their careers over the years. While there are many bands I’ve been excited to continue covering over the years, Arizona-based black-metal-infused tech-death band Singularity are one of my absolute favorites.

We first started covering them here in 2013 when I stumbled onto some early tracks by the band, and then later helped them premiere “Throne Of Thorns” off their forthcoming 2014 full-length (and then latered review the full album). Now they’re back at it again with the upcoming Friday, September 2nd, release of a brand new EP entitled Void Walker. And we’ve got the first premiere from it with today’s launch of a stunning new song that doubles as a spacey lyric video journey for “The Refusal”. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: INTO THE STORM — “I GOTTA GET THE BEES OUT OF MY TEETH”

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Aug 082016
 

INTO THE STORM - Where the Merfalo Roam (Web Res)

 

There’s no questioning the fact that Seattle’s Into the Storm have a sense of humor. That’s evident in the play on words that stands as the title of their new album, Where the Merfalo Roam, as well as in some of their song titles, including the one we’re premiering today — “I Gotta Get the Bees Outta My Teeth“. The batshit-crazy video accompanying the song is damned funny, too — in a very strange and somewhat stomach-turning way.

But this is one of those instances when you shouldn’t leap to the conclusion that the music is some kind of goof, just because the band wear their sense of humor on their sleeves. If you do that, you’ll be in for a jarring surprise. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DEPRIVE — “DOOMED TEARS OF HUMANITY”

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Aug 072016
 

Deprive-Temple of the Lost Wisdom

 

At the end of last month Memento Mori released the second album by the Spanish one-man death metal band Deprive. Bearing the title Temple of the Lost Wisdom, it follows last year’s promising debut album Into Oblivion. Today we have for you a stream of one of the new album’s ten tracks, “Doomed Tears of Humanity“.

As before, Deprive’s alter ego Erun Dagoth performs all instruments as well as vocals on this new work, making use of the experience he has gained in a multitude of other bands, including Briargh, Hrizg, Stormstone, CrystalMoors, Eldereon, and Omendark, while drawing upon a similarly diverse array of death and doom influences from the ’90s, including the works of Paradise Lost, Hypocrisy, Morbid Angel, Amorphis, Incantation, My Dying Bride, Cemetery, and Bolt Thrower. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: WARDAEMONIC — “DROWNING IN SEAS OF WRETCHEDNESS”

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Aug 062016
 

Wardaemonic-Obsequium

 

I am so damned happy that I have a reason to put Australian artist Chris Cold’s phenomenal album art for Wardaemonic’s Obsequium on our site again. The last time was in February 2015 when we had the pleasure of premiering a song from that album named “Endless War”. And today the occasion is our premiere of an official music video for Obsequium’s opening track, “Drowning In Seas of Wretchedness“.

For those who may be discovering Wardaemonic for the first time through this post, they are from Perth, Australia, and Obsequium is the band’s third album, and their fourth release overall. And for those who are new to the band, this video makes for a compelling introduction. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SERPENT ASCENDING — “ENTRANCE”

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Aug 052016
 

SERPENT ASCENDING - Ananku

 

Serpent Ascending is the solo project of Finnish musician and vocalist Jarno Nurmi, who was once a member of Slugathor and Nerlich and remains one of the two members of Desecresy. Five years ago, I, Voidhanger Records released a collection of Serpent Ascending demo tracks under the title The Enigma Unsettled, and on September 16 it will be releasing the project’s full-length debut, Aṇaṅku.

The new album includes eight tracks in the range of two-to-five minutes, and today we bring you a stream of the opening song, “Entrance”. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: GEHENNA AND BLEACH EVERYTHING

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Aug 042016
 

Gehenna-Bleach Everything both covers

 

Tomorrow (August 5) Magic Bullet Records will release a powerhouse split named Heavy Metal Suicide by two bands who throw everything they’ve got into uncompromising music that assaults the senses with raw, physical force — The Infamous Gehenna and Bleach Everything — both of whom are also working on new full-lengths.

Gehenna contributes two tracks that prove again the truth of the label “Negative Hardcore” that’s been attached to their music for more than two decades, while Bleach Everything launch three short, sharp shocks to your well-being. For readers who may be new to one or both bands, read on… or just jump to the player below for a vicious, gut-punching, head-battering experience. Continue reading »

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