SHADES OF BLACK: SZNUR, DISCORPORATE, A//PLAGUE, ANONYMOUS SKULL, NIGHTGOAT INVOKATE THE STARS, AUTGER

 Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK, SHORT BUT SWEET  2 Responses »
Jul 092023
 

Over the last few days, in between other things, I wandered down an underground musical path that took some very unexpected turns. Rather than focus on names that might be well-known, I focused instead on obscurity. I did recognize two names whose new music I explored (they begin and end today’s collection), but most I had never before.

In each instance, something about the music grabbed me, even when in some instances it initially seemed to pose a rude challenge to my ear drums. I hope you’ll find it an interesting musical odyssey, as I did, straight through to the fascinating surprise that’s waiting at the end. I don’t expect everything will appeal to everyone, but what does?

SZNUR (Poland)

As noted, I’m beginning with a name that already resonated well with me thanks to my discovery of the band’s third album, Dom Człowieka, soon after its release by Godz Ov War Productions about two years ago (which I enthusiastically reviewed here). Now Sznur‘s fourth album Ludzina is on the way from the same Godz Ov War. I haven’t yet heard all of it, but the two tracks currently streaming are high-octane fuel for the reptile brain. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: CRYPTOPSY, GRIDLINK, RINGWORM, PHANTOM LUNG, CLOUDS

 Exceptions to the Rule, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Jul 082023
 

I don’t work regular hours for my “day job” (in quotes because it can require night hours too, because it’s irregular). The upside is that it usually gives me time for NCS in the early part of the day when I do most of what I do around here. The downside is that it sometimes inserts itself unexpectedly, like on a Saturday morning of all fucking times, which is what happened to me today, never mind that it’s also my birthday (please hold your applause).

So, getting a late start on this roundup means it’s not as fulsome as it should be. I was able to manage more than two songs (which was the sum total of what yesterday’s roundup provided), but not many more. But they’re good ones!

CRYPTOPSY (Canada)

Cryptopsy are one of those bands that I think all of the steady contributors to our site have enjoyed for a long time (at least I can speak for myself, DGR, and Mr. Synn). So the news of a new Cryptopsy album and song popped up in our secret discussions very quickly. So that’s where we’ll start… with the video for that new song, “In Abeyance” (especially because it gives us a chance to show off some more of Paolo Girardi‘s artwork at the top of the page). Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: PANOPTICON, BEYOND GRACE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  2 Responses »
Jul 072023
 

My stack of links to new songs and videos is so high it would fall over and crash if they were dominoes. Here are just two, by good friends, that I’ve enjoyed which came out during the week that’s about to end. Barring unforeseen disasters, I’ll pick many more to share tomorrow and the next day.

PANOPTICON (U.S.)

Austin Lunn encouraged Panopticon fans to send messages to the county commissioners with permitting authority over Wyoming’s Fire in the Mountains festival by promising to release a new song if 100 or more such messages were sent. That goal was more than met, and so true to his word, Austin released “Cedar Skeletons“, which will appear on Panopticon‘s new album The Rime of Memory. As Austin has explained, the song includes some very talented guest performers:

“It features guest vocals by my friend Victor Sanchez and a choir comprised of many of my collaborators (Andrea from Exulansis, William from Dalla Nebia, and Andy, whom yall know as the bass player from our live band.) Patrick Urban (Dämmerfarben) wrote and performed Cello, Charlie Anderson returned to collaborate on this album on fiddle, and we had a great time recording and arranging together.”

Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: BLACK PESTILENCE–“THE DEVIL’S CONNECTION”

 Premieres  1 Response »
Jul 072023
 


Photo Credit – Wikked Twist Media

Let’s cut to the chase and then go back and fill in how we got here.

The video you’re about to see for the new Black Pestilence song “The Devil’s Connection” uses the kind of long tracking shot that has fascinated fans of such works as the 1917 movie and “The Bear” streaming series, even if not nearly as long as those. Bassist/vocalist Valax starts swaggering toward us as the song begins, later slinging his bass over the shoulder just in time to execute his solo in the song, eventually joined by drummer Davey Hellfire and then guitarist Daniel Toews, also just in time for his own fret-melter of a solo.

Like his bandmates, Valax is masked, but you can imagine the vicious rage on his face just from listening to the gritty snarling intensity of his voice. As for the music around that, it’s… crushing. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: FOSSILIZATION — “ONCE WAS GOD”

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Jul 072023
 

Conquered at the gateways of light
Enslaved in the heavens
Shadows taking over the skies
With infinite malevolence
Feathers of the glorious days are scorched
His kingdom is gone
The sun that once protected now hides
The moon that was the beacon now starves

…Our hunt shall be glorious….

Those are among the lyrics to be found in the song from Fossilization‘s debut album that you’re about to experience. It’s called “Once Was God“, phrased in the past sense because it narrates the vengeful execution of the almighty and all his heavenly minions. As you’ll see, the music is every bit as malevolent and murderous as the lyrical theme, and it revels in its slaughtering, but it also draws us into lightless pits of degradation and death. Continue reading »

KONSENSUS: “LIFE DEPRIVED”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Jul 072023
 

(As you’ll see from the following review, DGR got his grind tank fully fueled up by the new album from the Greek one-person operation Konsensus that came out last month.)

The opportunity to open a review or writeup with ‘wow, it sure is a great time such and such genre’ is always an appreciated one. Cards on the table though, one of the best parts about being a grind fan and writing about grind music whenever the chance strikes is that it is generally always a good time for grind because the formula is so honed down and about as high or low stakes as you want it to be that someone out there, somewhere, will have picked up on the punk-as-fuck ethos of ‘what if we just play really fast and beat the hell out of the instruments behind it’ and more often than not, be pretty dang good at it.

There are obviously highlight releases every year – for fucks sake, this a Rotten Sound year – but if you likes you a good ole’ fashioned circle-pit riff and a whole bunch of energy being expelled outwards in a direction that boils down to ‘everywhere’, the hyperspeed musicians who make their grind out of all things blastbeats, heavy and fast, are able to provide. Greece’s one-man show Konsensus was one of those highlight releases back in 2021. Bravely launched during the glory years of endless frustration at people’s damned near-malicious ignorance and brilliantly armed to the teeth, New Age Of Terror was a solid hit to the system that promised a whole lot of fury for music in the future, and now in 2023 we have that in the form of a full-length under the title of Life Deprived. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: TACOS! — “CHIN UP, TITS OUT”

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Jul 062023
 

“Wisconsin probes how 8 roller-coaster riders became trapped upside down for hours.” That’s the headline of a news article that surfaced this morning, just before we put the finishing touches on this article. Using ladder trucks to reach them, it took firefighters more than three hours to get all the passengers down.

To experience getting stuck upside-down on a roller coaster ride, it would have been easier for all concerned (though only slightly less scary) if they’d just listened to the new Tacos! song you’re about to hear.

You might get some sense of that just from gazing at the cover art for this Seattle band’s new album 3, which is headed for release in August via Portland’s Nadine Records. Seeing those three children dressed from an older era skipping through a field of skulls beneath interested vultures suggests a strange trip is at hand, and so it is. You’ll also get a good sense of that in listening to this new song, “Chin Up, Tits Out“. Continue reading »

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Jul 062023
 

(Andy Synn presents four albums from the last month – or so – that you may have overlooked)

What is there to say about today’s selection of albums – which run the gamut from Hardcore to Black Metal to Death Metal to Doom – beyond the fact that you really should check them all out?

Well, hopefully a lot, because otherwise this is going to be a fairly short (and boring) article!

Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): GUTSLIT — “CARNAL”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Jul 062023
 

Almost six years ago the Indian extreme metal band Gutslit released their eye-opening second album Amputheatre, and now we’re on the eve of release of their third album Carnal. As we did roughly six years ago for Amputheatre, today we’re hosting a premiere for the new album by these brutal death/grind marauders, but this time it’s the whole record you’ll have a chance to hear, all eight neck-wrecking and eviscerating tracks —

Carnal is the name of the new full-length, and as the band explain, it “explores the intricate struggles of the human psyche and the conflict between good and evil,” and features tracks that draw inspiration from infamous serial killers, offering a unique perspective on the human experience”. Carnal also marks the return of Aditya Barve (Skewered in the Sewer) on vocals and features guest vocals by Benighted‘s Julien Truchan on the track “Bind Torture Kill.” Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): UAMH — “AT THE EDGE OF THE LOCH”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Jul 052023
 

On July 7th, Fiadh Productions will (with considerable delight) release At the Edge of the Loch, the debut full-length by the Montana-based atmospheric black metal artist Uamh. As the album title itself suggests, Uamh‘s music draws inspiration from Celtic traditions, and subtly interweaves old folk instruments, along with drumming that sounds more stripped-down and even primitive than flashy (but still makes a visceral impact).

On the other hand, with one prominent exception, the vocals take the form of raw black metal screams, and the music, which derives its greatest strengths from the ravaging and ringing power of the carefully layered guitars, is capable of searing the senses and melting hearts as well as opening the mind’s eye to breathtaking panoramas.

We have a lot more thoughts about each of the album’s five compelling tracks, all of which we’re sharing with you today in advance of the album’s release this Friday, but we ought to begin the introduction with Uamh‘s own words: Continue reading »

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