AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): ORDER OF THE EBON HAND — “VII: THE CHARIOT”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  5 Responses »
Jun 272019
 

 

With their second album, released in 2005, the Greek band Order of the Ebon Hand began drawing Tarot cards from an unholy deck, embarking on a plan to explore the signs of each card drawn through the perspectives of black metal. The plan has been slow to evolve. That second album, XV: The Devil, followed the band’s 1997 full-length debut by eight years, and their new album, VII: The Chariot, is now arriving a long 14 years following the second one. It is so sweepingly powerful that we can only hope the next card in the deck will be revealed much sooner.

Today marks the official release of VII: The Chariot by the Russian labels Satanath Records and More Hate Productions, and coinciding with the release we have the good fortune to debut a full stream of this tremendous album — preceded by a flood of thoughts about the experience. Continue reading »

A TALE OF TWO ALBUMS: FUMING MOUTH AND TOWERING

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Jun 262019
 

 

(In this post Andy Synn combines reviews of two recently released death metal albums, by the Massachusetts band Fuming Mouth and the French band Towering.)

Maybe it’s my google algorithm or something, but considering that Fuming Mouth’s The Grand Descent and Towering’s Obscuring Manifestation are two of the downright best Death Metal albums I’ve heard all year, I’ve seen a real dearth of reviews for them, particularly the latter release (which has been out for almost a month now).

Hopefully this co-review will go some way towards correcting this egregious oversight on behalf of the Metal community though, and hopefully a lot of you will discover your new favourite band(s) as a result of what you’re about to read! Continue reading »

MOROKH: “KЛЯТВА”

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Jun 242019
 

 

(This is Andy Synn‘s review of a new album by the Moscow-based metal band Morokh.)

I originally had this album lined up as part of a double-review alongside the latest release from a band who, due to various factors, have ended up becoming this month’s focus of The Synn Report (keep an eye out for that later this week).

But, due to changing circumstances, it’s Russian Blackened Hardcore crew Morokh who are getting top billing today, and will hopefully also garner themselves a few new fans (and sales) from being featured here. Continue reading »

ABYSSAL: “A BEACON IN THE HUSK”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Jun 212019
 

 

(What follows is Andy Synn’s review of the new album by the UK’s Abyssal, which is being released today by Profound Lore Records.)

Over the years only three bands have been deemed worthy of making repeat appearances in my end of the year “Critical Top Ten” list.

Those bands are Alkaloid (The Malkuth Grimoire, Liquid Anatomy), Cattle Decapitation (Monolith of Inhumanity, The Anthropocene Extinction), and Sulphur Aeon (Gateway to the Antisphere, The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos).

But, with the release of A Beacon In The Husk, out today via Profound Lore, there’s a very good chance that Abyssal – whose third album, Antikatastaseis, made an appearance on my 2015 list alongside several of the other records mentioned above – might just be joining them. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): DEEMTEE — “FLAWED SYNCHRONIZATION WITH REALITY”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  10 Responses »
Jun 202019
 

 

And now for something completely different, and quite extraordinary on multiple levels — a smorgasbord of strange delights, mind-warping delicacies, and blood-freezing terrors for the adventurous listener, a work of mad and marvelous genius that discerning consumers of sound will not soon forget. This is Flawed Synchronization With Reality, the debut album by an experimental black metal project that has taken the name Deemtee.

Deemtee is the work of Spanish multi-instrumental artist NHT from Garth Arum, As Light Dies, and Aegri Somnia — though one should not be misled into guessing that this record will be in the vein of any of those other bands. Perhaps the best way to begin (succinctly) is to share some of the descriptive references in the press materials that have paved the way for the record’s June 22 release (by GrimmDistribution and Suprachaotic Records): Continue reading »

BEHEADED: “ONLY DEATH CAN SAVE YOU”

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Jun 172019
 

 

(This is Vonlughlio’s review of the new album by the Maltese death metal band Beheaded, which features cover art by Daniel Corcuero (Nekronikon). It was released by Agonia Records on June 14th.)

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these small write-ups here in NCS, due to life (family and job), but I always follow the amazing posts from the writers and Mr. Islander, to whom I am forever grateful for letting me contribute my year-end list and these reviews.

This time around I’m writing about Beheaded from Malta. I’ve been a fan for quite some time now — for around 17 years. As I write this they are about to release their sixth album Only Death Can Save You through Agonia Records. Continue reading »

IDOLATRY: “IN NOMINE MORTIS”

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Jun 142019
 

 

(This is Andy Synn‘s review of the fantastic new album by the black metal band Idolatry from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — which was released on May 31st via Humanity’s Plague Production.)

One of my favourite discoveries of the last several weeks was this little blackened gem from Canadian chaos-weavers Idolatry, which by turns brings to mind the very best of Inquisition and Necrophobic (with maybe even a little bit of Emperor thrown in for good measure) without sounding overly in thrall to, or derivative of, any of them.

And while they may not be doing much to truly break the mould, there’s definitely something to be said for finding your evolutionary niche and filling it to perfection… and, in that respect, Idolatry are well on their way to becoming an apex predator in their own right. Continue reading »

NEKROÍ THEOÍ: “DEAD GODS”

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Jun 132019
 

 

(Andy Synn wrote this review of the new album by the Floridian death metal wrecking crew NEKROÍ THEOÍ, which was recently released by Prosthetic Records.)

Last week was a surprisingly busy week for new releases, which is why you’ll probably notice that I’ve dedicated all of this week (and possibly a big chunk of the next) to catching up on some of the artists/albums which we missed.

You’ll (hopefully) already have cast your beady eyes over my review of the new Enthroned album, and now it’s time to turn your attention to this stomp-happy slab of deathly delights from Nekroi Theoi. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): WINTERWOLF — “LYCANTHROPIC METAL OF DEATH”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  2 Responses »
Jun 132019
 

 

Bear with me, please. I need to indulge in a personal back-story, which is a partial explanation for why I’m so excited to present the premiere of Winterwolf’s new album, oh-so-fittingly entitled Lycanthropic Metal of Death. Or don’t bear with me, and just skip to the bottom and hit the play button (as long as you eventually do that, sooner or later, I’ll be a happy camper).

In December 2010, a month lost in the mists of time when this site was barely one year old, I impulsively embarked on a project impulsively named Finland Tribute Week. At that time, having become fascinated with (and eventually addicted to) extreme metal late in life, I was still trying to become educated about what I’d missed (a process that continues to this day).

I chose Finnish metal for a deep dive in part because I was so dumbfounded that a nation of such small population (relatively speaking) had succeeded in spawning sooooo many metal bands of soooo many different styles. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): ATLAS ENTITY — “BENEATH THE COSMIC SILENCE”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Jun 102019
 

 

Beneath the Cosmic Silence, the new album by the Florida progressive death metal band Atlas Entity, proves to be appealing on many levels. For those with a taste for fleet-fingered guitar technicality and agile, astute, and creative drumwork, it will deliver enormous smiles — in part because the top-shelf performance skill isn’t brandished for its own sake, but employed in the service of well-crafted songs. For listeners who enjoy becoming immersed in memorable, mood-changing melodies, both introspective and riotous, it offers that too. People who relish biting savagery will also get their fix. But perhaps above all else, the music is bursting with life — the kind of album whose irrepressible vitality makes you feel good to be alive, no matter how shitty your personal circumstances might be going into it.

The album also incorporates some evolutions in sound as compared to the band’s previous release, the 2015 EP Enceladus, even though the same two people are at the helm — composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Alex Gallegos and session drummer Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, Devin Townsend). And as compared to that first release, this one represents a big step forward. We’re very happy to present a full stream of it today in advance of its release on June 14th. Continue reading »

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