NO CLEAN SINGING

KEVINP’S ALBUMS OF THE MONTH — DECEMBER 2015

Dec 172015

(Here’s the last of KevinP’s monthly selections for 2015, naming his Top 5 favorite albums released or scheduled for release during December.)

Since I’ve had plenty of time with this month’s releases to formulate my list, along with the fact that things start to get slow once Xmas week arrives, you’re getting this a little earlier than normal. Also, my Top 25 Albums and Top 5 EP’s of the Year will be posted the first week of January. Nothing else profound to say, so let’s get on with it. Continue reading »

2015 — A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE CRITICAL TOP 10

LISTMANIA 2015 32 Responses »

Dec 172015

(This is the fourth of Andy Synn’s traditional week-long series of posts looking back on the year in metal. We’ve previously presented his lists of the Great, the Good, and the Disappointing albums of the year.)

Over the years I’ve moved further and further away from presenting this list as a classic, numbered ranking of albums, and more towards viewing it as a time-capsule of sorts, picking out what I think are ten of the absolute best of the year to represent the absolute pinnacle of the year in Metal.

Of course, limiting it to only ten entries means it’s far from exhaustive in capacity, but I’ve tried – as far as I’ve been able – to give a rounded overview of the past twelve months, embodied in these ten selections which I really think represent the sheer quality and diversity of metallic delights released over the last year.

Interestingly enough, there’s a LOT of clean vocals on the list – by my count there’s a good 6 out of 10 releases on this list which incorporate clean singing, in one way or another, across albums running the gamut from Black to Death to Doom… heck, two of these albums use 100% clean vocals! (You’re killing me! I hope the paramedics get here soon! — Islander)

There’s also a strong “Progressive” vibe to a lot of this year’s selections, no matter what genre they come from… though there’s also a couple of albums on here which prove that sometimes all you need to be the “best” is to play harder, faster, and heavier than the competition!

Overall this year’s top 10 is comprised of 3 acts from the UK, and 3 acts from the USA, a Swedish duo (not the only two-piece on the list, might I add), a bunch of German cultists, an unbelievably savage Polish ensemble, and one multi-faceted, multi-national collective… and those are all the hints I’m going to give you! Continue reading »

LIST OVERLOAD?

LISTMANIA 2015 34 Responses »

Dec 172015

I’m willing to bet a wheelbarrow load of loris droppings that we post more year-end lists than any other metal site. Not only do we post lists of the year’s best releases prepared by our own writers (other than me, because my mind doesn’t work that way), we also post lists that appear elsewhere, and every year we also post lists by long-time readers and assorted other guests, not to mention the ever-growing readers’ lists that are hosted here. The risk of doing this is obvious:

I’m already seeing comments, both on our site and on our Facebook page, by people who are starting to feel overwhelmed by the volume of year-end accolades and recommendations. I even received a message yesterday from one of our invited guests who was wondering whether people will bother to continue reading more lists — because we still have a LOT of lists yet to come.

I confess that I worry about this, too — though not enough to stop! So I thought I would tell you my reasoning behind doing what we do this time of year. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DEATH FETISHIST — “FLESH COVENANT”

Premieres 4 Responses »

Dec 162015

Matron Thorn is a prolific musician, seemingly one of those people for whom making music is close to eating and sleeping as one of the essentials for survival, and probably even more important for the preservation of some semblance of sanity. The best-known of his collaborative projects is Ævangelist, his solo work includes Benighted In Sodom and Andacht, and he has contributed in less visible ways to the output of other well-known bands. Now he has created a new project, given the name Death Fetishist, and we’re helping spread the word about the first track to be made public.

The name of the new song is “Flesh Covenant“, and it is planned as part of a two-track EP projected for release by the end of January. If you visit the new Death Fetishist Facebook page, you’ll see the music described as “Psychedelic Occult Black Metal”. When I sought out a further statement of intent, I received this message:

“Somewhere in the rift between madness and catharsis is the true nature of Death Fetishist. All things impure and bleak to the spirit will be converted into a musical narcotic known only as Death Fetishist“.

AN NCS PREMIERE: THE WAKEDEAD GATHERING — “LUNGWORT”

Premieres 4 Responses »

Dec 162015

Gaze upon the frightening album art above (created by the talented Karmazid), and imagine the Great Grey Witch lurking in the ooze of an ancient festering swamp, watching and waiting in the Stygian blackness for the time of her revenge. It accompanies the new album by Ohio’s The Wakedead Gathering, an album that presents an allegory about those who would dismiss scientific inquiry in favor of religious fanaticism — “the story of of a witch hunt that turns hunter into prey and the children of those so-called ‘righteous’ perpetrators into something… not entirely human!”

The name of the new album is Fuscus: Strings of the Black Lyre, and it has been scheduled for release on February 5, 2016, by the always fascinating I, Voidhanger Records. The music on the record — which follows the band’s two previous full-lengths, Tenements of Ephemera (2010) and The Gate and the Key (2013) — displays a variety of terrifying sounds as it follows the narrative concept, and today we give you a sample of what lies in wait with our premiere of the fifth track, “Lungwort“. Continue reading »

LISTMANIA 2015: VONLUGHLIO’S LIST OF 2015’s TOP EPs

LISTMANIA 2015 6 Responses »

Dec 162015

(Our old friend and steadfast NCS supporter Vonlughlio has once again prepared his year-end list of albums, but first shares with us this list of his favorite EPs from 2015.)

First of all I want to start by thanking Islander for letting me do my end-of-year lists. Last year, for the first time I made my list of favorite albums up to 50, plus made a list of my favorite EPs and Honorable Mentions. This year I’m going to divide my year-end list into two posts. This first one will have my top 15 EPs and mentions of some of the places where I find new music. The second one will have my top 50 albums with the Honorable Mentions (when I’m done with that clusterfuck of a list – J).

So, to give you an idea of my year, let’s just say that it has been more Brutal than others. Some might like my list, others will hate it, but I’m doing this for me and the bands I like.

Here are my Top 15 EPs of 2015: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: FLUMMOX — “PAN’S DAUGHTER”

Premieres 1 Response »

Dec 162015

(Austin Weber brings us the premiere of a new song from the band Flummox.)

While 2015 is drawing to a close as we speak, the world of music never really sleeps. Every year I’m already working on reviewing releases for the next year before the current one is over. So before the year ends let’s sneak in another new song with fresh music for your ears.

I first covered Tennessee-based progressive sludge/doom/whatever band Flummox here earlier in the year and wrote about their first record, Phlummoxygen. Somehow these crazy genre-bending weirdos are already close to releasing album number two, Selcouth, on February 12, 2016, through Tridroid Records. So if you want an early Christmas treat, we’ve got “Pan’s Daughter” to show you and get you hyped on Selcouth. Continue reading »

LISTMANIA 2015: A YEAR-END LIST FROM NEILL JAMESON (KRIEG)

LISTMANIA 2015 7 Responses »

Dec 162015

(Once again, we invited Neill Jameson of Krieg to share a year-end list with us as part of our LISTMANIA series, and once again we are very happy to report that he agreed.)

We’re now at that part of the year where everyone sits and jerks each other off in the form of lists of what records industry people are breaking their arms patting themselves on the back for releasing and the inevitable think tank that follows in the comments section complaining that whatever bullshit they like got ignored by the publications they spent the other 364 days of the year saying they hate anyway.

I personally like to use these lists to look into releases that fell through the cracks for me during whatever given year (this is for 2015 I think, I don’t remember anymore) and also when someone is nice enough to want my opinion (sorry in advance) a way for me to show people some bands they might not even know about.

Much like last year I’m going to skip a lot of the more well-known releases from this year, opting to focus on some great recordings you may have never heard but definitely should look into. If you really must know what captured the top slot for the year for me, go listen to the newest Killing Joke record or Leviathan’s Scar Sighted; both records show an energy and focus that both bands have always been capable of, but in a more urgent manner than before. Both are absolutely brilliant and essential. Continue reading »

A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS

LISTMANIA 2015 72 Responses »

Dec 162015

(Andy Synn wrote this. Let me repeat, ANDY SYNN WROTE THIS.)

Well, here it is, the one column of mine a year which I know Islander truly hates with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns!

Ok, maybe not that much, but I do know that the boss-man doesn’t like us being negative on this site… and this is probably the most overtly negative thing that we publish all year, so I can understand where he’s coming from!

Still… we all know it’s important for there to be balance to the force, and I think having this *slightly* more negative than usual post at the end of the year definitely serves a purpose, in the grand scheme of things.

Let me reiterate, though, that just because I feel like these albums are “Disappointing”, to a greater or lesser extent, doesn’t necessarily mean I think that they’re “Bad” albums, per se, nor am I trying to tell you what to think or what you’re allowed/supposed to like.

In fact the general theme of this year’s column is just how many of these albums simply ended up being surprisingly bland or boring – as opposed to utterly terrible – particularly when compared not only with the rest of the year’s best output but also with the usual high standards set by the band’s themselves! Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: IRON VOID

Interviews 2 Responses »

Dec 152015

(Comrade Aleks brings to us this entertaining interview with members of the UK doom collective Iron Void, along with music from their new album an previous releases.)

There is too much news about releases of old and new big bands in virtual space. It’s easy to get lost in this maze of names, artworks, and riffs, but here we go to lend you a hand and introduce music that you could miss in this endless stream of promo! Today we bring a gospel of Doom for you brothers and sisters, so open your hearts and ears to Iron Void.

This band was born in West Yorkshire, England. Jonathan “Sealey” Seale (bass, vocals), Damien Park (drums), and Steve Wilson (guitars, vocals) have successfully done their best in the form of a power trio and have recorded two full-length albums for the last two years: Their self-titled release was born in 2014 with the help of Barbarian Wrath records, and the new Doomsday work was published by Steve’s own label Doomanoid Records.

Is it good stuff? It is nearly perfect stuff! We had a cute conversation with the Iron Void crew, and I welcome you to share in this exciting reading. Continue reading »

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