A WELCOME UPDATE: AT THE GATES HAVE COMPLETED THEIR NEW ALBUM AND ANNOUNCED ITS RELEASE DATE

 Metal News  2 Responses »
Aug 142014
 

In mid-June we reported that Sweden’s groundbreaking At the Gates had started recording their comeback album, At War With Reality. Today, our e-mail in-box received a further report from the band’s label, Century Media, and it’s welcome news: The recording, mixing, and mastering of the album is now complete and release dates have been established: October 27th in Europe and October 28th in North America.

The press release also included this statement by ATG vocalist Tomas Lindberg:

“We are very excited to finally have finished this new album. An album that we’ve been working on for over a year now. It’s by far the most challenging record that we have made, but it’s an honest album and I think that you will feel that it is faithful to the legacy of AT THE GATES.

“We have, through the process of creating it, been true to ourselves and our art. From hearing the first demos that Anders presented to the band last summer, through the extensive stages of songwriting, pre-production, rehearsals, recording and mixing, we now finally got the finished album in our hands. Continue reading »

CIMMERIAN: “HOLLOWING”

 Album Reviews  5 Responses »
Aug 142014
 

(Continuing with our week-long series of daily reviews by DGR, today we present his enthusiastic assessment of the second album by Illinois’ Cimmerian.)

Four drops of rain hit my car today. I know this because I was able get into my car and count them on the windshield, likely long after it happened. The skies, however, were still grey and overcast, which when your city was parked in the low 100s the previous week was an amazing sight. That means that it’s time to make the switch in moods from my love of hyperactive death metal and return to the cold shores of ethereal doom.

Long the forte of the European doom scene, the colder, more blue-feeling brand of doom has often found itself being exercised by the Scandanavian scene. However, over the last ten or so years, America has begun to throw its hat in the ring as second- and third-generation bands influenced by Europe’s love for the snow in musical format have begun to gel together. Many of these are young bands, seeking only to pay tribute to the groups they love, but others have really excelled beyond that simple first bar — becoming a representative of the melodeath/doom scene. Which is a long way to bring you to Cimmerian. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: INTERNAL SUFFERING — “VANISHED FROM COSMOS”

 Premieres  10 Responses »
Aug 142014
 

(Austin Weber brings us the following introduction to our premiere of a lyric video for the first new music from Internal Suffering in eight years.)

Like all genres (and subgenres) of metal, death metal has an abundance of “classic” albums and legendary bands, many of which still remain unheard of by current fans of the genre. The advent of the internet has helped bring many of these killer underappreciated bands to light. Internal Suffering are exactly this kind of band, head and shoulders above most; and, thankfully, the internet has helped spread their name around massively.

The band was started way back in 1996 when they were based in Columbia, though they have since relocated a few times and are now operating out of Madrid, Spain. In 2006, with several eye-popping releases under their belt, Unique Leader signed them and they released a bestial masterpiece entitled, Awakening Of The Rebel, an album that still sounds years ahead of its time. As a result of the group going on hiatus from 2007-2011, Awakening Of The Rebel turned out to be their last recorded material — until now. It’s been 8 long years of waiting for dedicated fans, a torment of fervent awaiting for their next feverish torrent of torment.

Now we are proud to premiere a new lyric video containing a pre-production version of “Vanished From Cosmos” off their next record. This pre-production track perfectly captures the explosiveness and energy of death metal with an appropriately evil flair that at times comes across like Cryptopsy. With “Vanished From Cosmos”, Internal Suffering have taken their blastbeat-barrage-meets-finger-cramping-riff style into a higher strata of ravenous existence. Meanwhile the lyrical side of their equation continues to revolve around Thelema, Magick, and Ctulthu-esque demon beings.  Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: HETROERTZEN, AWAKENING SUN, VIETAH, CVLT NATION GOES JOY DIVISION

 Exceptions to the Rule, Free Shit, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Aug 142014
 

I intended to finish this collection and post it yesterday, making it Part 3 of a big Wednesday round-up of news and new music, but the old fucking day job interfered, and so I’m beginning our Thursday with it. This collection is a bit different from the usual “Seen and Heard” because it includes a couple of items at the end that aren’t new — I’ve just been really drag-ass in bringing them to your attention.

HETROERTZEN

I first came across Hetroertzen last May when I impulsively decided to explore (and write about) some of the releases by an underground Swedish label named Lamech Records. The band are originally from Puerto Varas, Chile, but are now located in Sweden. They have completed recording a fifth full-length album, entitled Ain Soph Aur. It’s currently projected for release on December 6, 2014, in a variety of formats by Lamech Records, Terratur Possessions, and Amor Fati Productions.

In recent days, two songs from the album have been made available for streaming — “Blood Royale” and “The Rose and the Cross”. Both are long pieces, in the seven-and-a-half minute range, and both are very good. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD (Part 2): ACCEPT, THE ACACIA STRAIN, BLACK CROWN INITIATE

 Exceptions to the Rule, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  11 Responses »
Aug 132014
 

 

Here’s Part 2 of today’s effort to catch up on news and new music I think are worth your attention. I had planned a third part, but that will have to wait until tomorrow (fucking day job).

ACCEPT

I’ve made no bones about my lukewarm reaction to much of what passes for “traditional” thrash — perhaps primarily because of the genre’s vocal style. But the new song (“Final Journey”) that NPR premiered today from Accept’s 14th album Blind Rage has knocked my socks off, not least because it includes a guitar melody lifted from Edvard Grieg’s “Morning Mood” as an unexpected accent near the song’s end.

But that’s only part of the attraction. The riffs and the solo are absolutely galvanizing, the melody is heart-pumping, and I actually like the vocals by Mark Tornillo as well. Check out the new lyric video next. The album can be ordered here from Nuclear Blast. Continue reading »

SHOW REVIEW: OATHBREAKER AND CULT LEADER

 Concert Reviews  2 Responses »
Aug 132014
 

 

(Guest writer Ben Manzella attended the final show of the Oathbreaker-Cult Leader tour on August 7 in San Francisco and provides this review, with a few photos and some music streams.)

Outside a fairly non-descript art space, about 3 people began to line up. Along with 3 bands from around California, the night at Submission in San Francisco would feature Oathbreaker and Cult Leader. As we waited, suddenly a crew of about five people just walked right into the venue and we realized that we (the group who had already been waiting about 45 minutes or more) could actually go in. As I said, the venue was fairly non-descript, but this no-frills space was well-suited for the no-frills music that was set to be featured this night.

I’ll admit, because I was going in blind with the “local” support, I mainly watched their sets rather than try to get photos. And in all honesty, at least from a photographer’s perspective, that was probably for the best, considering the challenging lighting the venue offered. Continue reading »

REVOCATION STREAMS THE TITLE TRACK FROM “DEATHLESS”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  9 Responses »
Aug 132014
 

Revocation’s new album Deathless will be in stores on October 14 via Metal Blade (and on slightly earlier dates in Europe). Minutes ago the label began streaming the album’s title track on YouTube, and with a little net snooping I also found an image of the album’s cover art, created by painter and tattoo artist Tom Strom — which I like a lot.

I’m enjoying the song, too. It’s downright ferocious — fast, feral, and of course filled with blistering fretwork, but it bludgeons as well as it strips skin and the melody sticks. Also, those throaty clean vocals you’re going to hear work quite nicely. Check it out after the jump.

Metal Blade is accepting pre-orders for the album here. Continue reading »

BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL 2014 — SATURDAY SHENANIGANS

 Concert Reviews  2 Responses »
Aug 132014
 

 

(NCS writer Andy Synn attended part of the Bloodstock Festival in England last weekend and files this report, with his own photos.)

For various reasons I was only able to make it to the one day of Bloodstock Festival this year. Thankfully that one day happened to be headlined by the legendary Emperor, so I’m not massively complaining!

Due to some issues getting my new laptop (it’s lovely and shiny and I’m writing this column on it right now), I ended up running a little late that morning and so, after picking up my two companions, got to the festival site a little later than planned. As a result I missed out on both The King Is Blind and Shining (Nor), but was there in time to see Old Corpse Road bring their eloquent mix of dark folklore and blackened intensity to the Sophie Stage. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD (Part 1): BLOODSHOT DAWN, DISENTOMB, PSEUDOGOD, KHTHONIIK CERVIIKS

 Eye-Catchers, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Aug 132014
 

I’ve been remiss in posting round-ups of news and new music lately, and I’ve collected quite a large batch of items worth spreading around. As a consequence, I’ve divided the collection into multiple parts that I’m going to dribble out over the course of the day, because what else am I going to do with all this drool? One thing the four items in this Part 1 have in common: Killer cover art. You’ll see.

BLOODSHOT DAWN

This UK band’s self-titled 2012 album was one of my favorite releases of that year, and I included the song “Godless” in my list of 2012’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs. Needless to say, I’ve been eager for the band’s follow-up. They funded its production through a Kickstarter campaign in four days, and yesterday the band revealed a lot more info about it, to wit:

Its name is Demons and it will be released in the UK on October 26. It was was mixed and mastered by Danish engineer Jacob Hansen (Aborted, Amaranthe, Volbeat, Destruction, Epica, Pestilence). It features guest appearances by Sven De Caluwé (Aborted, System Divide), Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry), Teemu Mäntysaari (Wintersun), Andy James (ex-Sacred Mother Tongue), and Chris Amott (Armageddon, ex-Arch Enemy). And as you can see, it features a gob-smacking album cover by the talented Pär Olofsson (click that sucker to make it bigger). I’ll be waiting, eagerly and drooling, for the first advance track…

https://www.facebook.com/BloodshotDawn Continue reading »

KERATOCONUS: “INANE LIVING CONDITIONS”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Aug 132014
 

 

(As part of our week-long series of new reviews by DGR, today we bring you his write-up on the debut album by Keratoconus.)

Few things in the world make me happier than getting to run ridiculous cover art on the NCS frontpage for a few days that will at the very least make someone scrolling along the page do a double-take. It was one of the reasons I enjoyed reviewing GenocideGenerator’s 2013 release this year, because aside from the music, the knowledge that the artwork would be going on the frontpage was enough to carry me on cloud nine for a couple of days. Thus, we find ourselves with Keratoconus‘ big ol’ blotch of blue for its new disc Inane Living Conditions splattered all over our canvas of red and skulls that make up the NCS page.

We found Keratoconus, a one-man project run by one Sam A. Mudd based in the UK, after the main man behind it reached out to us on our Facebook page, describing the music as something of a mixture of death metal and grind, while also having a random smattering of electronics throughout. Which, if anything will go to show you that we do notice the folks posting on our FB page — we just get backlogged super-quick, but we do give everyone a chance. In the case of Keratoconus, the project is very interesting, but if discovering it accomplishes nothing else, at least it has provided me with the joy of putting that artwork up on the front page.

Inane Living Conditions is the first release that S.A. Mudd (as most of his accounts go by) has put out underneath the Keratoconus name, a release that has slowly been in the works over four years and has gone through constant reboots and different changes. This is going to sound like Greek to a lot of you but upon listening to it, the first thing it reminded me of was the British flip-side of the coin to Brandon Duncan’s The Sequence Of Prime project and its album -Inter. Both discs are one man-releases that at the easiest you could probably describe as very “On edge” — like the person behind it was slowly losing his mind and decided to scream about it over a bunch of bouncing guitars and hammering drums. Continue reading »

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