HORRIFIC (Part 1): IMMOLATION, AZRATH-11, HUMANITY DELETE, AND LANTERN

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Feb 222013
 

I couldn’t monitor metal news as closely yesterday and the day before as usual, so I tried to catch up last night. I saw and heard a lot that interested me. But I hit one stretch when, by chance, I listened to six new songs in a row that were . . . horrific . . . and horrifically good. The first three of those are in this post — from Azrath-11 (Italy), Humanity Delete (Sweden), and Lantern (Finland). The next three will be in a subsequent post. But first, a bit of welcome news from . . .

IMMOLATION

A new Immolation album? Yes please!

At a time when Slayer seems to be immolating itself after 30 years of existence, Immolation are still going strong in their 27th year. Yesterday they announced that Kingdom Of Conspiracy is the title of their ninth full-length album and that Nuclear Blast will release it on May 14 in North America.

This follows 2010’s Majesty And Decay and the strong 2011 EP Providence.  Very stoked for this. Continue reading »

A FAST ROUND-UP OF NEWS AND MUSIC: VHÖL, ROTTING CHRIST, BEYOND CREATION, AND MEMORY GARDEN

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Feb 202013
 

As I write this (which was the night before it will be posted), I’m sitting in a hotel room in Texas with a crap-load of day-job work ahead of me on the day you will read this. Actually, I have a crapload of work I should be doing right now. And so this will be the fastest NCS round-up ever — more like an index than anything else.

So, with few words, here are news items and new music I saw and heard that I want to spread around.

VHÖL

Yesterday Profound Lore unveiled the cover to the VHÖL self-titled debut album, which you can see above. The artwork is by band member John Cobbett with design by Kevin Gan Yuen. The release date is April 16. Why do I care about this album? Because the band is composed of the aforementioned John Cobbett (Hammers of Misfortune, ex-Ludicra, GWAR, and Slough Feg), Aesop Dekker (Agalloch, Worm Oroborus), Sigrid Sheie (Hammers of Misfortune), and Mike Scheidt (YOB). For more about this band, see my previous posts. Continue reading »

THE FACELESS “DECONSECRATE” VIDEO

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  2 Responses »
Feb 192013
 

Not long ago The Faceless released an official video for “Deconsecrate”, a song from last year’s Autotheism album (reviewed here by DGR). I suppose everyone who cares to has already heard the song, with its schizophrenic mix of prog, tech death, and jazz. It’s a song that caught me off guard when I first heard it — and I can’t say I’ve gone back very often to give it more time.

But a strange thing happened to me when I listened to the music in the new video, after having put quite a bit of space between me and it: I really enjoyed it.

I also enjoyed the really well-made video directed by Ramon Boutviseth. If you know the lyrical themes of this album, the story won’t come as a great surprise. However, if you think it’s showing a theft in progress, thing again. Watch after the jump. Continue reading »

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, WITH CREST OF DARKNESS, ANTESTOR, JOHN CLEESE, AND SABAZIUS

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Feb 192013
 

Here is a truly random collection of items I came across over the last 24 hours that I’d like to share. On the sublime end of the continuum are new videos from Crest of Darkness and Antestor. On the ridiculous end of the range is a new YouTube clip from Sabazius — the longest clip ever uploaded to YouTube, and it’s a metal song. And in between I have something from the immortal John Cleese that’s both sublime and ridiculous.

CREST OF DARKNESS

Norway’s Crest of Darkness have a new album (their sixth studio release) named In the Presence of Death that’s scheduled to appear on February 25 via My Kingdom Music. Just 12 days ago I wrote about the first new song to debut, a track called “From the Dead”. This morning brought a second new song — “Demon Child” — via an official video. Actually, the song seems to be a special video mix, and so it may differ somewhat from the album track.

I really like the song for the same reason I enjoyed “From the Dead” — Crest of Darkness mix things up. There’s certainly plenty of face-ripping black metal viciousness, but the song also segues into a catchy-as-fuck rock beat that really got my head nodding. Continue reading »

MID-DAY ROUND-UP: THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SYBREED, AND FEARED

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Feb 182013
 

Today and the next few days are pretty jammed with the work that pays the bills, but I just took a break long enough to spot the following tidbits I’d like to pass around like a family-sized bag of popcorn.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN

I saw an announcement that The Dillinger Escape Plan have revealed the title of their next album — One of Us Is the Killer — and a general timeframe for release — May — as well as the album cover (above).

The album will be released by the band’s imprint label Party Smashers Inc. and will be distributed in NorthAm by Sumerian and by BMG everywhere else.

I also saw that DEP has already begun scheduling tour dates in the U.S. and overseas. Many more dates will follow, but you can see the initial list right after the jump. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: LOST SOCIETY, INFILTRATOR, DEMILICH, KATATONIA, SEPTIC FLESH, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, CARACH ANGREN, NAILS, AND NE OBLIVISCARIS

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  10 Responses »
Feb 182013
 

Hey, happy fucking Monday to all you brain-dead metal heads. Here’s a big collection of new music and news that I came across at the start of my bleary-eyed morning today.

LOST SOCIETY

I’ve confessed before that straight-up old-school thrash is not among the metal genres that are nearest and dearest to my black heart. In addition, I’ve become even more numb due to the avalanche of re-thrash releases by many new bands who all sound alike to me. But with that said, I’m digging the shit out of a new song clip that premiered today by a Finnish band named Lost Society.

The song title alone hooked me: “Braindead Metal Head”. And then the music Finnish-ed me off. It’s a jet-fueled, out-of-control thrash rocket with multiple warheads. The riffing is catchy as fuck, the vocals are pleasingly drunk on the high energy, and the obligatory guitar solo is a first-class trip to shred city. This is speed metal I can get behind.

The video strings together words of high praise by the likes of Mille Petrozza (Kreator), Schmier (Destruction), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Craig Locicero (Forbidden), and Kragen Lum (Heathen), and they might know what they’re talking about. Continue reading »

NEW MUSIC: TRIBULATION, WOE, LORELEI, SECTIONED, AND MAN MUST DIE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  14 Responses »
Feb 172013
 

I’m still catching up on new music unveiled last week that I didn’t find time to spotlight when I first heard it. In this post I’ve collected new songs (and a video) that I think are worth your time. It’s also quite a diverse collection of metal. The bands are Tribulation (Sweden), Woe (U.S.), Lorelei (U.S.), Sectioned (Scotland), and Man Must Die (Scotland again).

TRIBULATION

I’m exceedingly stoked for this Swedish band’s second album The Formulas of Death, which is due from Invictus Productions and The Ajna Offensive on March 1. Two songs from it have premiered to date, and they’re striking. The first one (“When the Sky Is Black With Devils”) I wrote about here, and the second one — “Wanderer In The Outer Darkness” — got its debut last week on CVLT Nation.

It’s a catchy, head-rattling mix of rocking riffs, a punchy rhythm section, scalding guitar leads and solo’s, and acid vocals. And the subdued guitar outro is a very pleasant surprise. These guys have definitely created something out of the ordinary. Can’t wait to hear the rest of these Formulas. Be kind to yourself and go HERE for “Wanderer In The Outer Darkness”.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribulation-Official/169889709720460
http://invictusproductions.net/ Continue reading »

WHAT OUR FRIENDS ARE UP TO

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  14 Responses »
Feb 162013
 

I have more than three friends. I think the exact number is four or five, depending on the day. So the fact that I’m only writing about three shouldn’t be misunderstood as implying that there are only three.

With that out of the way, here’s a shout-out to Phro, Andy Synn, and Valley of Steel. And if you have a problem with me using space on this blog to crow about my friends, please send the words “Fuck You” scribbled in crayon on a piece of paper and mail it in a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

PHRO

As many of you know . . . as all of you should know . . . occasional NCS contributor and long-time supporter Phro has his own blog (Phro Metal) on which he publishes all manner of speculative, mainly Phro-written, fiction. Okay, “all manner” is an exaggeration. To be more accurate, it’s the manner of speculative fiction that’s hyperviolent, sexual, and psychotic. In other words, it’s fun for the whole family!

Yesterday, Phro became a published author in a compilation that’s actually available for sale on Amazon as a Kindle download. It’s called FULL METAL ORGASM #69003, and at this writing it’s ranked #27,271 in paid sales on Kindle. I would like to make a big push to get that ranking up to #27,270. I’ve done my part by downloading it to my own Kindle, which is now making a low moaning noise and beginning to smoke. The screen is also beginning to look like an Etch-A-Sketch that’s just been given a good shake. Continue reading »

OMNIUM GATHERUM: FULL ALBUM STREAM OF “BEYOND”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Feb 152013
 

It’s only fair that we tell you Omnium Gatherum’s forthcoming album Beyond is now streaming in full.  Since we published three different glowing reviews of Beyond months before its scheduled release dates (Feb 25 in Europe and Mar 5 in the U.S.) when we had no music we could share with you, it’s the least we can do.

Before today, Omnium Gatherum did begin streaming one of the album’s numerous stand-out tracks, “New Dynamic” (which you can hear at this location), and then they later premiered a wonderful official video for a second one — “The Unknowing” — which, for the hell of it, I’m including after the jump again.

But now you can hear the entire album. Thanks to a tip from DGR, I learned that it was premiered today by the Finnish Inferno site, and the SoundCloud player is embedded after the jump. But Inferno also has a track-by-track commentary by the band, and you don’t even need to process it through the hilarity of Google Translate because there’s an English translation of the track commentary at that site. Go HERE to read it.

Now, music . . . Continue reading »

MORE FREE SHIT: AN AWESOME CANDLELIGHT WINTER SAMPLER

 Free Shit, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  No Responses »
Feb 152013
 

Maybe meteorites need to pulverize Russia more often. Earlier this morning, we got a really impressive detonation from space that has injured 1,000 people so far in central Russia — and that proved to be simply the fanfare for a new free digital compilation from Metality.net, which we’re co-sponsoring (details here). And then I discovered that Candlelight Records has just released their own free digital comp that’s also really impressive.

This digital sampler features music from Candlelight USA’s “Cult Series” and includes songs from many bands we’ve praised here at NCS, including Cnoc An Tursa (Scotland), Khors (Ukraine), Wodensthrone (England), Voices (England), Reverence (France), Kontinuum (Iceland), Crown (France), and Zatokrev (Switzerland), as well as Nine Covens (England).

I want to say an extra word about the Cnoc An Tursa tracks. There are two of them on this sampler and they’re from The Giants of Auld, an album that hasn’t been released yet. I am very excited about this album based on the music I’ve heard so far (one of these songs was featured in a post I wrote earlier this month, where you can find more info about the band). All of the other songs on this comp are super-strong, too. Continue reading »

 Older Entries  Newer Entries