AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: ASENHEIM — “IM ZWIELICHT”

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Nov 062024
 

(written by Islander)

For as much music as we’ve written about in our nearly 15 years of existence there are still many bands, even long-lived ones, that we’ve managed to overlook. The German black metal band Asenheim is one of those.

Principally the vehicle for vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tiwaz, joined in partnership by drummer Valfor for the last seven years or so, Asenheim has been releasing music since 2007, with eight albums to their credit and a multitude of demos and EPs.

Not surprisingly for a project of such duration and prolific creative output, the nature of the music hasn’t remained entirely constant, though its connection to pagan legends and other themes beyond the confines of the mundane world have been throughlines of long standing.

Where Asenheim proudly stands today is represented by a forthcoming ninth album, Wolkenbrecher, which is set for release on December 10th by the Dominance of Darkness label, and today we share with you a lyric video for a song from the album named “Im Zwielicht“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: HIERARCHIES — “ABSTRACT”

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Nov 062024
 

(written by Islander)

We’re in the camp of people who believe that album cover art is a vital part of musical releases, not merely as a way of attracting attention to what’s inside but as an end in itself.

Of course, we can all think of instances when bland cover art has accompanied fantastic music, and conversely when stunning artwork has heralded what turned out to be bland music.

But today the artwork and the music align. Both are fantastic. And both are terrifying. And both will freeze you in place. Credit to Belial NecroArts for what greets the eyes. Credit to Hierarchies for a self-titled debut album that will do a real number on your psyche. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): PLOUGHSHARE — “SECOND WOUND”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  2 Responses »
Nov 052024
 

(written by Islander)

Think of things you’ve witnessed that have astounded you, things that have shocked and surprised you but also popped your eyes and dropped your jaw in wonder. And not just sudden experiences that end after moments, but continuing cavalcades that catch you quickly, swallow you up, and allow no quick release.

Maybe a circus (when such things still existed)? Maybe a riot? Maybe a brazen symphony? Maybe blizzards and floods that weren’t forecast?

Asking you to recall such events is the best and briefest way I can think of to prepare you for Ploughshare‘s new album, Second Wound. Listening to their previous releases would be another kind of preparation, but not entirely adequate because on the new album these Australian experimental extremists have looped together both newer and older phases of their output to create an even more elaborate and more mind-lacerating (but wondrous!) experience.

Here’s how they briefly describe what they’ve done: Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: GRAVESLAVE — “STRETCHED UNTIL WE BLEED”

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Nov 042024
 

(written by Islander)

Spreading the word about new music from Minnesota’s GraveSlave has become an NCS tradition. What else would you call it when we’ve hosted seven premieres in support of their releases since 2016 — today marking the seventh occasion?

To be brutally honest (which is the only kind of honest we know how to be around here), tradition is often a hollow thing, perpetuating events or activities that have often long lost their meaning or value. But not in this case. We continue welcoming GraveSlave because their music has so consistently been… welcome!

And so it is again today, when the occasion is the debut of a new video for a song from their most recent release, the Relinquish, Life EP that detonated earlier this year. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: RVKKVS — “SHACHIKU”

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Nov 042024
 

(written by Islander)

I wonder what made me curious about the etymology of the word “ruckus“? Maybe it will come back to me.

In searching for an answer I found no clear answer. Its meaning is clear enough — a commotion, a disorderly disturbance, a row. Per one source, it has been compared to ruction and rumpus and rampage, but the early forms vary and include rookus (1882), rucus (1877), rukus (1879), also rukas, roockus, rucuss. And there’s this:

Apparently a regional word in the U.S. West and South; when Sen. William J. Stone of Missouri used it in 1914, the editors of the New York “Sun” were baffled, but the Bismarck, N.D., “Daily Tribune” (March 3) replied that ruckus was “a word in perfectly good standing almost anywhere west of the Ohio.”

Anywhere west of Ohio… apparently including… New Zealand! And now it comes back to me! Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: INVERTED CROSS — “INTO THE CRYPT OF THE NECROMANCER”

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Nov 012024
 

After two demos and two splits the Barcelona based hellraisers Inverted Cross are at last bringing us a short but sweet debut album fittingly named Eternal Flames of Hell, with a release date of November 29th set by Helldprod Records.

The fire-shrouded, goat-headed demon wielding a sword of lightning on the cover imperiously directs you to bow down and beg for mercy, but no mercy is to be found within the album, only riots of venomous black thrashing speed metal that will get rattled heads hammering and heated blood rushing.

You’ll see what we mean as we invite you to enter “Into The Crypt Of The Necromancer“, the latest single from the album that we’re premiering today, and a song that turns out to be hellish in more ways than one. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: MISANTHROPY — “OF SULKING AND THE WRATHFUL”

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Nov 012024
 

Consider the Lovecraftian monstrosity that dominates the cover of Misanthropy’s new album, and the whirling red-tinged void into which the monster is about to plunge its captive, and then consider what it might be telling you about the music.

That artwork (credit to Pedro “Lordigan” Sena) turns out to be a very fitting preview of the new album, the name of which is The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance. As demonstrated by the first two singles released from the album so far, and the third one we’re presenting today, Misanthropy‘s newest creations are indeed monstrous, out-of-this-world, and whipping whirlpools of exhilarating metallic madness. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): EVERTO SIGNUM — “BEASTIARY”

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Oct 312024
 

(written by Islander)

As we all know, lyrics are almost always secondary or tertiary attractions in extreme metal, even when they mean the world to the lyricist, in part because they’re usually indecipherable and in part because they’re often just not very compelling. And so when the lyrics are as fascinating and gripping as they are on Everto Signum‘s new album Beastiary, they warrant special attention — which we’re giving them even before we turn to the main focus of this article — a premiere stream of all the music packed into the album by this avant-garde black metal duo from Portugal.

Here is the album’s thematic concept, as described by the Monumental Rex label, which will release Beastiary tomorrow (November 1st):

“The band stays true to their elemental background by writing an immersive story that guides the listener through a chain reaction of natural disasters. These calamities are beastialized – manifested as wild uncontrollable beasts exhibiting intrinsic animalistic shapes, traits and behaviours.

“The plot is comprised of seven chapters, each consisting of a contextual introduction that describes the scenery and sets the mood for the destruction to come, and an interpretation of the actual cataclysm.

“Written in English, the expressively poetic lyrical narrative portrays a journey from an ice-covered mountain top through a valley, down to the depths of a meromictic lake and finally into a perennial forest to witness the dreadful wrath of ancient forces.” Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: WITCHPIT — “THROUGH EYES OF APATHY”

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Oct 312024
 

(written by Islander)

If you’re making a heavy Halloween playlist you’d be remiss if you don’t include something from Witchpit, and not just because of their name. Their music itself has the capacity to sound witchy and spooky, to reach plateaus of intensity that are scary, even when delivering the kind of monster riffs and visceral punch that shake the floor and the foundations beneath it.

It’s also an especially good time to be thinking of these South Carolina sluggers because they’ve readied a new song and video for this Halloween night that we’re about to reveal. It’s from their forthcoming second album Forever Spoken, which will be out in mid-November via Heavy Psych Sounds and is adorned by the great Dan Seagrave‘s attention-seizing cover art, also perfect for Halloween. The song’s name is “Through Eyes of Apathy“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: HOLY DEATH — “SAD BUT TRUE” (METALLICA COVER)

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Oct 302024
 

(written by Islander)

This Halloween will mark five years of Holy Death, the doom-drenched death metal crushers who call Long Beach, California home. To commemorate the anniversary, and to tide fans over while the band work on their next album, they’re releasing a new EP of cover songs.

The EP leads with Holy Death‘s rendition of Metallica‘s “Sad But True“, and that’s the name of the EP as well. It’s the group’s way of paying respects to a band and a song that have been a “massive influence” on them, and we’re premiering that cover today.

The EP also includes re-mixed and re-mastered versions of two other cover songs they’ve previously released — Metallica‘s “Creeping Death” and Entombed‘s “Wolverine Blues“. Altogether, the EP makes for an excellent way to make your Halloween more electric — and more horrifying. Continue reading »

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