AN NCS PREMIERE: VATICINAL RITES — “DYSPHORIA” AND “TELEKINETIC BLOOD RITUAL”

 Premieres  1 Response »
Oct 122021
 

 

We have yet another silver lining to the immense black cloud of our pandemic existence, and the silver here is shaped by a band whose name sent us scurrying to the dictionary. What might “vaticinal” mean? Authoritative sources explain that the word means “having the nature of or characterized by prophecy; prophetic”.

And yes, this UK band was formed in 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, social upheaval, and isolation. As the band themselves explain, they “play a visceral form of death metal inspired by the classic Floridian bands of the early – mid ’90s, with a special homage also paid to the European underground sound” and with lyrical and visual themes that “explore spirituality, loss, the occult and escapism”.

The debut EP of Vaticinal Rites is a self-titled four-track affair that arrested the attention of three highly-regarded labels — Redefining Darkness Records, Caligari Records, and Dry Cough Records — who will jointly release it on November 12th. Today we present the first two tracks on the EP, and when you hear them it will become obvious why the band’s debut release attracted such support. Continue reading »

SHOW REVIEW: HEILUNG, RED ROCKS AMPITHEATER, OCT. 5, 2021

 Concert Reviews  3 Responses »
Oct 122021
 

 

(Our Denver-based friend Gonzo had the good fortune to witness a recent performance by the multinational European collective Heilung at the extraordinary Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado, and he sent us the following impassioned review plus photos that he took.)

There aren’t many words in the English language that describe what it’s like to watch Heilung perform their ritual in a live setting.

Captivating? Yes.

Immersive? Also yes.

Spellbinding? Definitely.

But just as their self-proclaimed moniker of “amplified history” seems to imply, you’d almost have to come up with new expressions to adequately describe their show to someone who’s never seen it, let alone heard of the band at all.

How else could you describe the thunderous booms of massive drums made from deer skin and painted with human blood? The hypnotic throat singing of Kai Uwe-Faust? The piercing siren songs of Maria Franz? And the modern-day portrayal of an ancient Iron Age ritual that features about 15 other performers, dancers, singers, actors, and enough ambience and atmosphere to be one of the most memorable live shows you’ve ever seen?

I have no idea, but it’s more than worth a try. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: CONJURETH — “AN OCCULT MOSAIC”

 Premieres  2 Responses »
Oct 112021
 

 

At last, the diabolical death metal band Conjureth from San Diego, California will be releasing their debut album on October 25th, via a label conspiracy with Memento Mori and Rotted Life.

In fashioning this beastly offering, emblazoned with the name Majestic Dissolve, Conjureth (whose line-up includes current or former members of such stand-out groups as Encoffination, VoidCeremony, and Ghoulgotha) creatively rooted themselves in the filth and fury of DM classics from the late ’80s, ranging from Florida to Finland, and the results on display in Majestic Dissolve are electrifying…

…and “electrifying” is definitely the word for the well-named song we’re premiering today: “An Occult Mosaic“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: MORS VERUM — “PURGE”

 Premieres  3 Responses »
Oct 112021
 

 

The titles of the five tracks on Mors Verum’s new EP The Living consist of single words — but they collectively create a sentence: “Inside Death’s Womb Purge the Living“. As this Canadian death metal trio explain, The Living is a concept EP “that beckons the listener to inspect life as an artifact of death and its infinity”, and that sentence is “a statement reflecting our observations of conscious existence”. “Though the subject matter is grim”, they say, “the music implores the listener to seek beauty in the vast emptiness of mortality.”

Dissonant and dizzying, the music does indeed create a kind of terrible and transfixing beauty, a mind-warping and continually jaw-dropping vision of delirious exultation and ruinous destruction. As to how they do this, the press materials invite you to consider a collision of such bands as Artificial Brain, Fuck the Facts, Imperial Triumphant, Plebeian Grandstand, Morbid Angel, Incantation, and Ulcerate.

More to the point, we invite you to listen to the second single from the EP that we’re premiering today in advance of its November 5 release, a track named “Purge” that will send your head somersaulting. Continue reading »

AN NCS EP PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): THE TROOPS OF DOOM — “THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT”

 Album Reviews, Premieres, SHORT BUT SWEET  1 Response »
Oct 112021
 

 

The Absence of Light is the kind of recording that first sells itself by the names of the people who participated in making it.

It’s the work of the Brazilian death metal band The Troops of Doom, whose line-up includes guitarist Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz, a former member of Sepultura’s original lineup playing author and co-author to classic Sepultura albums Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions, alongside bassist/vocalist Alex Kafer (Enterro, Explicit Hate, ex-Necromancer), drummer Alexandre Oliveira (Southern Blacklist, Raising Conviction), and guitarist Marcelo Vasco (Patria, Mysteriis, and an acclaimed graphic artist for the likes of Slayer, Kreator, Machine Head, Soulfly, and Hatebreed).

Moreover, Jeff Becerra of Possessed shared vocals on the track “The Monarch”; Lars Nedland of Borknagar, Solefald, and White Void performed bass on the first three tracks; and Dave Deville conducted the orchestral introduction. As additional icing on the cake, the songs were mixed and mastered by Øystein G. Brun (Borknagar) at Crosound Studio in Norway.

All these names draw attention by themselves, but of course the music must ultimately win people over. The music here is guaranteed to do that, because it’s absolutely electrifying, written and performed with the kind of veteran skill and spirit  you would expect. And you’ll have the chance to experience it through our premiere stream of the EP’s three original tracks today, presented through a video (made by Wanderley Perna) as a single work. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: GARGOYLE

 Interviews  No Responses »
Oct 112021
 

 

(Comrade Aleks delves into the dark Italian roots of Gargoyle with vocalist/guitarist C. Conqueror. It’s a very extensive, very revealing, and very congenial dialogue, and a tantalizing teaser for the band’s 2021 debut album Hail To the Necrodoom, out now on Sun & Moon Records.)

Gargoyle’s nest is the blessed land of Calabria, the very “toe” of the Italian “boot”. So fed with the Italian past horror stories, local traditions of horror movies, and dark underground music, the beast was born!

Their demo Reborn In Blasphemy (2016) was something promising but the full-length album Hail to the Necrodoom (2021) is something exceptional! This mix of early black, doom, and a bit of death metal has this strong Italian flavour and is simply charming! It’s all about Necromantia, Nosferatu, Nihilism, Night, and Nightmares, embodied in grim and gloom metal.

The names of those who are responsible for this act of wicked insubordination are known well: Krommak (bass, vocals), Malumbra (drums), C. Conqueror (vocals, guitars), and Helkaar (synths, organs). Serious guys… But I was lucky to get in touch with C. Conqueror and in the dead of an unholy October night We managed to do this nice interview. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK: CROCELL, HEATHEN DEITY, BØG

 SHADES OF BLACK  No Responses »
Oct 102021
 


Crocell

 

Last Thursday I seized on the chance to insert SHADES OF BLACK into the work-week with a trio of EPs as a way of trying to clear out a backlog of reviews that had been percolating in my head. I’ve decided to do the same thing today. Rather than include the usual scattering of advance tracks from forthcoming releases I’m focusing entirely on albums and EPs that are already out in the world.

Having said that, I have to confess that these reviews may not qualify as thorough reviews in the minds of some people. They’re more like brief previews and recommendations, leading all you horses to water and hoping you’ll drink.

CROCELL (Denmark)

The name Crocell has stuck in my head on the strength of their past releases (five albums over the course of a decade), despite the absence of anything new for the last 3 1/2 years. If you’ve been haunting NCS for a while, you’ve seen how often we’ve written about them. And so I didn’t waste much time reacting to the news that the band had released a pair of EPs, Funeral Bliss and Baptized in Bullets, on the same day near the end of September. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: GLOSON, BLACK CILICE, UNDER THE CHURCH, FLESH OF ONCE DEMENTED, CREATURE, DECAYING

 Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Oct 092021
 

 

I hope you’re having a good weekend already, and I hope what I’ve chosen for this round-up of new songs and videos will make it even better. As usual, I had a lot to choose from based on discoveries from the past week. I thought about resorting to another “Overflowing Streams” deluge to get more of them in front of you, but decided instead to exercise a rare bit of discipline.

In making these choices I was influenced by previous knowledge about the music of five of these bands (all of whom are personal favorites) and knowledge about the past work of one of the creators, even though he’s creating under a new guise.

GLOSON (Sweden)

The first track here, “Impetus“, is a massive and unearthly song, one that takes a sledgehammer to your spine and claws at your mind. The central riff abrasively roils and darts; the ritualized drum rhythms go off like bunker-busting bombs; the yells and roars are harrowing. The song twists the tension dial, becomes sweeping, and then boils and pounds, the intensity unrelenting. You best get ready to flex your neck too.

The accompanying video made by Ulf Blomberg is as dark and unnerving as the music, but you can’t take your eyes off it. Continue reading »

WAXING LYRICAL: DECLINE OF THE I

 Interviews, WAXING LYRICAL  2 Responses »
Oct 092021
 

 

(Andy Synn brings us another episode in his series about lyrics in Metal, and today the responses come from A.K. of the French band Decline of the I, whose latest album Johannes was released last spring by Agonia Records.)

I know it’s been a little while since we last published one of these columns – that’s largely because I want the various artists involved to work on them in their own time and without feeling pressured from my end – but the wait has definitely been worth it, as today we’re talking to songwriter, lyricist, and all-round mastermind A.K. of Decline of the I (along with many other bands).

It’s a fascinating piece, mark my words, which touches on the conceptual underpinnings of the group’s first album trilogy, and their next one, as well as the unusual methods involved in composing each record’s vivid yet dreamlike lyrics. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: GRAVESLAVE — “IN THE MOUTHS OF GIANTS”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Oct 082021
 

 

Last summer we had the pleasure of premiering the title track from No Center, the latest album by Graveslave from the Minnesota Twin Cities, which was subsequently released on July 30th by TRVASFUK Music, adorned by the terrific cover art of Adam Burke. In an effort to sum up the music, we called it “a rich and relentlessly dynamic mix of sounds and sensations, which underscores the progressive elements of Graveslave‘s brand of death metal… intense in different ways and highly memorable”.

If you overlooked the album, today we have a reminder of just how good it is. What we’ve got today is a new music video for the album’s epic and unnerving closing track, “In the Mouths of Giants“. Continue reading »

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