Reviews Archives - Page 5 of 615

NO CURE – IT IS GOING TO GET DARK

Jul 062026

(Andy Synn shares his thoughts on one of his most anticipated albums of the year)

What’s the difference between Metal and Hardcore?

Some people, of course, see the two as entirely separate things… and refuse to have anything to do with the other one… but the truth is that Metal, Hardcore, Punk, Grind, etc, have always existed as part of a greater continuum – not a linear spectrum, by any means, but a complex, interwoven web of inputs and influences, constructions and perceptions – that doesn’t necessarily divide the genres into neatly defined little niches.

Take Alabama’s No Cure, for example, who are most definitely a Hardcore band – they even describe themselves as “the world’s most evil straight-edge band” – but who aren’t afraid of acknowledging that, in their own way, bands like Sepultura, Machine Head, and Dying Fetus have had almost as much impact and influence on their sound as the likes of Earth Crisis, Hatebreed, and The Acacia Strain.

So it’s more than fitting that their new album, set for release this Friday, has a little bit of all those bands in it, while still being defiantly its own thing.

OBSCURITIES – VOLUME XXIX: SUMMER SOLSTICE

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jul 062026

(We welcome back Daniel Barkasi with another collection of reviews and recommendations of albums released in the month just ended, this time June 2026.)

The summer solstice came on June 21, and it’s been a wild ride so far in 2026. New house in a new state, new baby horse (Ezri is doing awesome). What’s also new – for me, anyway – is not being cooked alive by the temperature at this point in the year. It has been a comforting 70 – 75°F (around 21– 24°C) for a lot of the time here in the WV mountains. Then there’s Florida, where the real feel temperature has been as high as a sweat-farming 110°F (a hair over 43°C).

I used a past tense in describing the amazing weather we were having, but alas, a taste of Florida has arrived, with those same boiling conditions. Talk about perspiration soup. I miss some things about the home of the infamous Florida man, but not that. With that, it’s been a regular refreshing of cold water for all of the outdoor animals, as well as shearing the sheep – which was quite the ordeal, but absolutely necessary to prepare.

At the beginning of June, we also got to attend an event a little different from music, but with a connection for many who enjoy this sort of music – a horror convention. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK: MORTEM, SOL SISTERE, EXITIUM SUI, DENEVÉR, RIVERS ABLAZE, MIND AFFLICTION, LECHUZA

Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK, SHORT BUT SWEET No Responses »

Jul 052026

(written by Islander)

As you can see, despite yesterday being the Fourth of July, I carved out enough time to find music worth recommending today. I had made some of today’s selections before yesterday but completed the grouping while people were getting ready to make a lot of loud noises last night — or so I thought, because I made one last-minute addition this morning.

As usual, there’s considerable variance among the following songs, because I really do believe (as a long-dead poet said) that variety is the spice of life, and because black metal these days offers tremendous variety. Having said that, the first five selections and the final one all prominently feature keyboards in important roles, though they don’t sound alike either. There are some genuine head-twisters down below as well. Continue reading »

SHOW REVIEW: MONOLORD, ACID KING, MIZMOR – LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, JUNE 27, 2026

Concert Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule No Responses »

Jul 032026

(Kyle Doerksen is a very good photographer of varied scenes and subjects, as you can see here. He also has a taste for metal, and that led him to The Regent Theater in Los Angeles last weekend to witness performances by Monolord, Acid King, and Mizmor. We are greateful that he sent us the following report on the show and his accompanying photos.)

I arrived way too early, as I had never taken photos at The Regent and wanted to get the lay of the land. The room is an old theater from 1914 that operated as a high-end film house, a grind house, and then the logical conclusion: an adult movie theater. The theater eventually shuttered in 2000 and reappeared in 2014 in its current form.

A corridor leads you to two sets of double doors that open into the main room, with a bar to the left and right. A flight of steps down to the sloped floor makes for great sightlines but an awkward pit. There is also a fairly sizable upstairs that hosts another bar, a VIP area, and some sort of makeshift bleacher seating.

After a quick loop, I settled in up front and patiently waited for the show to start. Continue reading »

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 3 Responses »

Jul 022026

(Andy Synn wants you to check out these four albums you may have missed in June)

There’s an unfortunate “catch-22” involved in these “things you may have missed” columns… because while they’re important as away of catching you all up on, well, things you may have missed (the clue is in the title) they also take up time and energy that might otherwise be expended on upcoming albums instead.

Of course, while we do love getting advance promos here at NCS (hint, hint) a lot of what we do (well, a lot of what DGR and I do) is finding newly and/or recently released stuff and trying to signal boost it once it’s already out in the world, and right now there’s only a handful of albums in my extensive “to do” list that haven’t actually been released yet (though I’ve got one lined up for Monday that will definitely please any fans of ultra-heavy Metallic Hardcore among you).

So maybe I shouldn’t sweat it so much… maybe we’re always going to be playing catch-up and the thing to focus on is that getting the music into the right ears is more important than getting it out there in advance.

And in that spirit, here’s four from June (with another four to follow next week) that you might not have heard yet, all of whom focus on the darkest side of the metallic spectrum in one way or another.

JUNIUS – SOTERA

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Jun 292026

(Andy Synn catches up with a band we’ve featured a lot of over the years)

With so much music being released all the time, by both new bands and old ones, it’s all too easy to lose track of even your favourite artists.

Case in point, has it really been nine years since the most recentl album from Boston-based Post-Rock-influenced, Shoegaze-inspired Alt-Metallers Junius?

Well, apparently it has (not counting an interim Live Album from 2024), and while nine years definitely isn’t the longest gap between albums I’ve ever heard of (I’m still waiting patiently for that new Anata album) it’s definitely enough time that you might be wondering if the band have still “got it”.

So, let’s find out, shall we?

SHADES OF BLACK: ALKUHARMONIAN KANTAJA, THE WATER WITCH, BLODTÅR, BLACK DOOR

Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK No Responses »

Jun 282026

(written by Islander)

For this Sunday I don’t have as many selections to recommend as usual. That’s not because I haven’t come across more releases that are worth recommending but because I’m short of time as I begin writing this.

On the other hand, this collection includes two complete albums. To forewarn you, both of them are unconventional, which is to say they may pose a challenge to some listeners who are less inclined to spend their time with avant-garde and experimental concoctions. But for people inclined to get off the usual beaten paths, with a taste for getting their minds bent, both albums are remarkable.

I’ve followed those two with two singles from forthcoming albums. Compared to today’s first two selections, they’re more easily grasped, but they’re still very engrossing. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: BEHEMOTH, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, FUMING MOUTH, SÉPULCRE, LUMINOUS VEIL, JØTNARR, THOLN, MAUNAH

Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET 2 Responses »

Jun 272026

(written by Islander)

Sometimes we lead off these roundups with shiny lures (bands whose names are well known) to attract hungry fish (you), in the hope that the fish will get hooked by something sharp hanging below in darker waters. That’s what I’ve done today, though to be clear, I was also attracted by the lures.

(Note to self: don’t use the fishing analogy again since you haven’t gone fishing in decades and the only lures you used were worms.)

The lures are themselves quite different from each other, and so are the lesser-known hooks, and altogether they provide a lot of listening (and viewing) pleasure. Be forewarned: there’s a bit of singing in the mix until you get to the end — when there’s a lot of it (and extraordinary singing it is). Continue reading »

BLACKER THAN THE BLACKEST BLACK: BLOOD MOTHER / ECHO ZERO / HALO OF TEETH

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Jun 252026

(Andy Synn presents three recently-released albums from the stranger end of the Black Metal spectrum)

When I told you I was switching my focus to Black Metal… for this week, anyway… what I didn’t tell you was what sort of Black Metal I was going to be writing about.

In fact, some of what I’m covering today probably stretches the definition of the term “Black Metal” (though the boundaries of the genre are way wider than the more limited view some people try to impose on it)… but that just makes it more interesting, in my opinion.

So let’s not waste any more time on preamble, and just get weird, shall we?

FORSMÁN: “BRENNDAR RÚSTIR & FUÐRANDI FJÖRUR”

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jun 252026

(Here is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the Icelandic black metal band Forsmán that will be released on June 26th via Vesperian through Metal Blade Records worldwide.)

To any black metal connoisseur not living in a cave – if you are, we get it, the aesthetic makes sense – the Icelandic scene is a treasure trove. Yes, that’s an unsurprising statement coming from this fellow, and to be frank, it’s difficult to not indulge. With that said, we’ve always got a critical eye, so there’s no geographical bias – great stuff is just that, and there’s a common thread from much of the music coming from this locale being unmistakingly inimitable.

We won’t provide a dissertation into every aspect of why this scene speaks to me – an idea for the future, perhaps – so let’s get to the subject of Forsmán. If that’s not a familiar name, that’s about to change. Their debut EP Dönsum í logans ljóma was released in 2021, and is a fine entry to show what they’re about – an expressive, immense style of black metal, with sharp melodies woven in and a crafty yet aggressive, forthright attack. As with many acts from this isle, there’s involvement in other notable projects, and it’s a fine list – Múr, Mannveira, Angrenost, Misþyrming, among others, so a high level of pedigree is present.

The real question, of course, is what they do with said tools at their disposal on their new album. Titled Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjörur – roughly translating via Google to “Burnt Ruins & Flowing Shores” – the answer is as layered as the compositions. Continue reading »

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