Reviews Archives - Page 6 of 615

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): HOC EST BELLUM — “FILTH MAJESTY”

Jun 232026

(written by Islander)

At the end of this week, on June 26th, Time To Kill Records will release Filth Majesty, the debut album of the Finnish band Hoc Est Bellum. That name means This Is War, and as a sign of what their music sounds like, it is absolutely accurate. As you know, we prefer to use our own words in describing the music we recommend, but this is one occasion where the promotional materials hit the nail on the head:

Based between Helsinki and Turku, the power trio unleashes a savage blend of grinding and bestial black/death chaos, channeling a sound that is both primitive and devastatingly direct. Their music thrives on raw aggression and ritualistic intensity, forged in an atmosphere of apocalyptic dread, satanic hostility and visions of mankind’s imminent extinction….

Conceived as an act of ruthless sonic warfare, Filth Majesty descends with the force of dive bombers cutting through the sky, unleashing wave after wave of black-death devastation. Each track hits like a strafing run, relentless and unyielding, carving through silence with bursts of violence and scorched intensity.

That’s probably all you need to know in deciding whether to subjugate yourself to the full-album stream we’re presenting today, but of course, for better or worse, we have our own thoughts about the album to share — and later on in this article we’ll share an extensive statement by the band as well. Continue reading »

FLATLINE FEST 2026: DENVER’S NEWEST EXTREME METAL DESTINATION

Concert Reviews 2 Responses »

Jun 232026

(Denver-based NCS writer Gonzo enjoyed a glorious couple of nights at the inaugural edition of Flatline Fest on June 13-14, and delivered to us the following enthusiastic report, accompanied by photos made by Jacob Juno.)

For heavy music, the US festival circuit is quietly growing into something that defies conventional logic. Recent years have seen the unlikely resurrection of vaunted gatherings like Milwaukee Metal Fest, while longer-running affairs like Maryland Death Fest and Northwest Terror Fest proved that even a global pandemic wasn’t enough to douse their fires for good. And deep in the wilderness outside Glacier National Park, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation enshrined a new kind of heaviness with the 2025 incarnation of Fire in the Mountains.

Obviously, these events don’t just spawn out of thin air. They’re the collective result of dedicated people putting ungodly amounts of time, energy, and creativity into something they all believe in, often at the expense of their own sanity.

But in the end, these festivals are more than just a few days of bands playing songs. They’re community gatherings where occasions are celebrated, longtime friends meet up, new friends are made, and the best kind of chaotic merriment prevails.

Evidently, nobody knows this better than Denver producer Dave Otero and co-promoter Chelsea Lowe, whose first-ever Flatline Fest at Denver’s Oriental Theater last weekend turned out to be a masterclass in how to throw one hell of a fucking party.

BLACKER THAN THE BLACKEST BLACK: LACASTA / MAGDALENE / WINTER GRAVES

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jun 232026

(Andy Synn transitions from covering Hardcore to Black Metal with today’s trio of killer cuts)

The UK is experiencing another sweltering heat-wave this week (let me tell you something, the shift from “temperate” to “temperate tropical” here is having serious consequences for a country whose infrastructure was primarily designed to retain heat and resist cold and damp) which means now is the perfect time to start listening to some blisteringly cold Black Metal, right?

Of course, since I’ve been writing about a lot of Hardcore in the last few weeks maybe a bit of a transitional step is required… so here’s three booming blasts of blackened fury from a trio of bands who also wear their Punk and/or Hardcore influences loudly and proudly.

SHADES OF BLACK (SOLSTICE EDITION): AGONANIST, STARER, ATMOSSOMTA, INCINITOR

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

Jun 212026

(written by Islander)

We wish you a Happy June Solstice, the longest day of the year for everyone living north of the Tropic of Cancer and the shortest day for people living south of the Tropic of Capricorn. (I hope I got that right!) We also wish a Happy Father’s Day to fathers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the UK, and Ireland — and maybe some other countries, but I haven’t checked. I also haven’t checked on how often the June Solstice and Father’s Day coincide here in the U.S. and in those other countries, but they’re coinciding today (the last time was in 2021).

I spent a big chunk of yesterday outside in an early celebration of Father’s Day, a day early because the dads planned to spend today with their families, and probably didn’t want those families to see how tilted they were getting during this 8-hour outing (I prefer “tilted” to “wasted” because it’s the Earth’s “tilt” that produces the solstices). The setting was beautiful, the weather was glorious, the beer was cold and plentiful, and the sun still hadn’t set here in the Pacific Northwest when I collapsed into bed around 9 p.m.

All that brightness and conviviality weren’t conducive to the contemplation of dark music. It’s still very bright where I am this morning (though fog is in my head), and looking ahead to the longest day compounds the difficulty of immersion in dark music. The sun pulls one way, the black metal pulls the other way. I’ve attempted to find an equilibrium by recommending a few things, but not as many as I might have on a different Sunday. Continue reading »

OVERFLOWING STREAMS: AZIMUT, ONUS VITAE, HAINTGROVE, FLEHMEN POSITION, APHONIC THRENODY, CABINET, STAIN, MAGEFA

Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET No Responses »

Jun 202026

(written by Islander)

Just like this same time last week, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the volume of new music I want to recommend, and just like last week I’m resorting to some shortcuts so as to pack more into this column. It’s usually called SEEN AND HEARD, but you’ll probably understand why I change the title on Saturdays like this one.

I suppose it’s up for debate whether I’m really doing a favor to bands when the collection is this large. Maybe if I just focused on the usual four or six selections, more people would listen to all of it. Maybe most listeners won’t make it to the end or will skip over some of the music. But if I leave out something, it’s guaranteed that no one will find their way to it through their visits here. (Of course, I’m not vain enough to believe that coming here is the only way anyone discovers music.)

There’s probably no right answer, only doing what feels right in the moment. So, off we go…. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): IF I DIE TODAY — “I FELT NOTHING”

Album Reviews, Premieres No Responses »

Jun 182026

(written by Islander)

We live in a time of trauma and constant distraction, bombarded by personally damaging events beyond our control, emotional turmoil caused by damage to others, and bafflements produced by algorithmically generated slop and delusion. When it gets to be too much, it might numb us to what matters — tuning-out as self-protection, theoretically for the better but ultimately for the worse.

The title of a new album that will be released tomorrow by the Italian post-hardcore band If I Die Today provoked these dreary musings. Its name is I Felt Nothing, and lyrically it does explore the darker sides of humanity.

But the music is anything but dreary, and it’s about as far away from numbness as you could want — a conclusion we think you’ll reach for yourselves when you hear the album in its entirety via our streaming premiere below. Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: CONDUIT / TORTURE REALM / VOMIT FORTH

SHORT BUT SWEET 1 Response »

Jun 182026

(Andy Synn tries to tempt you with another terrific triptych of short form releases)

The last one of these “Short But Sweet” collections I did was all about Hardcore… albeit, firmly of the more Metallic persuasion… and is well worth checking out if you haven’t already done so (read all about Ecotage, Melting, and Rats Will Feast here).

I promised, however, that next time I’d focus more on the Death Metal side of things, which brings us to today’s trio of terror from Conduit, Torture Realm, and Vomit Forth.

MORK: “MONOLITT”

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jun 182026

(This is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the Norwegian black metal band Mork, which will be released by Peaceville Records on June 19th.)

If you don’t evolve, you can get left behind. As humans, we learn and grow as we traverse this wild journey called life. It can be similar for music, especially for bands who have been around for quite a bit of time. Norway’s Mork is a poignant example of this principle. The solo endeavor of one Thomas Eriksen, Mork has been an active project since 2004, coming forward with a debut full-length in 2013 with Isebakke. An album that was born from the influence of early ’90s second wave black metal, with classic Darkthrone being the most obvious of reflections.

Since then, Eriksen has been consistent with his productivity, releasing a total of seven albums to date under the Mork banner, while also dropping a record with his newer side quest, the blunt and direct Udåd. The progression of Mork has been a fascinating one, leaning into experimentation and spreading his proverbial wings in later efforts, beginning with Det svarte juv and taking off from that point in 2019. Retaining the tried-and-true black metal elements, but also expanding the amount of sonic directions, the distinctly personal and memorable Dypet was a true tentpole moment, taking Mork into even fresher waters. Further risks within follow-up Syv also paid off, with it being as equally distinct as Dypet, leaning much deeper into the folk characteristics than the aforementioned predecessor.

Now with Monolitt, as with all of Mork’s releases at this point, we expect the undertone of the early second wave to be present to some degree, but also don’t know what ideas will pour out of Eriksen this time around. As it turns out, the abrasiveness has been turned up more than a few ticks, and the guitars are increasingly riff-oriented, giving a bushel of earworms that perhaps make this the most balanced and irate effort to date. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): WARTHRASH — “NO LIGHT SHALL REMAIN”

Album Reviews, Premieres No Responses »

Jun 172026

(written by Islander)

Metal fans who aren’t familiar with the Colombian band Warthrash should be forgiven for assuming their music is straight thrash. The pointer is right there in their name, shining like a beacon on an ocean cliff. But although this band from Medellín did sink their early roots in the traditions of thrash when they started more than 20 years ago, their music has evolved in more diverse directions. Newcomers might even get a powerful sense of that by gazing upon the dark and daunting artwork by Felipe Mora that shrouds their latest album.

That album, aptly titled No Light Shall Remain, will be released on June 19th by the band’s new label, the respected Awakening Records. It’s a great display of how varied the songwriting of Warthrash has become over time, and how powerfully their performances translate those varied interests into cohesive songs.

We’re very happy to bring you a full stream of the album today, preceded (of course!) by some of our own thoughts about what they’ve accomplished. Continue reading »

BEST OF BRITISH: SCORDATURA / TEMPLE GUARD / URZAH

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jun 172026

(Andy Synn has three more prime cuts of British beef to share with you today)

Look, I know I’ve titled this series of columns the “Best of British”, but I’ll admit that that’s not always the case… sometimes the artists/albums I feature here are just “good”, rather than “great”, and it’s more about me just wanting to write about them, and get you to listen to them, rather than literally claiming they’re the “best”.

Today, however, I really do have three excellent example of the “Best of British” for you, courtesy of Scordatura (Death Metal), Temple Guard (Metallic Hardcore), and Urzah (Post-Metal).

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