WHAT I DID FOR MY BIRTHDAY

 Concert Reviews  3 Responses »
Jun 172019
 

 

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of three posts we will publish in as many days about the recently completed Ascension Festival MMXIX, which took place in Mosfellsbær, Iceland, on June 13-15, 2019. These are Andy Synn‘s impressions of the event, and the next two are being written by Islander., who took the photos included here, unless otherwise noted)

As the title above indicates, I recently celebrated my birthday (all presents and donations will be graciously accepted), and this year decided to celebrate it in style by attending Ascension Festival in Iceland, where the brooding darkness and overall brilliance of the music was matched only by the brightness of the ever-present sunshine and the brilliance of the company.

So what you’re about to read is a few random thoughts about the experience which, while not totally comprehensive (although I made sure to see something of every band, I’ve decided only to write about the ones which really stood out), should hopefully convince one or two of you to join us at next year’s edition! Continue reading »

BEHEADED: “ONLY DEATH CAN SAVE YOU”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 172019
 

 

(This is Vonlughlio’s review of the new album by the Maltese death metal band Beheaded, which features cover art by Daniel Corcuero (Nekronikon). It was released by Agonia Records on June 14th.)

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these small write-ups here in NCS, due to life (family and job), but I always follow the amazing posts from the writers and Mr. Islander, to whom I am forever grateful for letting me contribute my year-end list and these reviews.

This time around I’m writing about Beheaded from Malta. I’ve been a fan for quite some time now — for around 17 years. As I write this they are about to release their sixth album Only Death Can Save You through Agonia Records. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: IATO — “SOGGETTO ALIENATO”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Jun 172019
 

 

Rising from the ashes of a hardcore punk band, the death-metal/grindcore band Iato first came together in 2011 in the town of Quartu Sant’Elena on the Italian island of Sardinia. Now consisting of drummer Lorenzo Balia, bassist Andrea Manis, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Federico Pisano and vocalist/guitarist Francesco Nano, Iato have released a pair of EPs, and are now on the verge of seeing the release of their debut album Ucronia via GrimmDistribution (Ukraine) and The Triad Rec (Italy-Malta).

The release date of June 19th is only two days away, and so you won’t have to wait long to hear the entire album, but to whet your appetites for it we’re presenting a new track today named “Soggetto Alienato“. Continue reading »

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

 Premieres  1 Response »
Jun 142019
 

 

After releasing an album, an EP, and a split under the name Aetherium Mors, the UK duo of multi-instrumentalist Dan Couch and vocalist/lyricist Kane Nelson changed their name to Itheist, a word that figured in a song on their last Aetherium Mors release, a word found in The Satanic Scriptures by Peter H Gilmore (and spelled there as I-theist). The name fits the philosophical underpinnings of their new self-titled album, which (as Dan Couch explains) “focused on forging one’s own reality through the Satanic virtue of discipline and creating an environment that cultivates the causal advancement of personal greatness and power”.

In keeping with the lyrical concepts, the album itself is dramatically powerful, with songs that are are rampantly dynamic, often electrifying, frequently disorienting, and almost always fearsome. They harness elements of classic bands such as Death, Carcass, and Dissection, together with more experimental bands such as Akercocke, Ulcerate, and Gorguts, and the results are riveting — as you will discover through our full stream of the album in advance of its summer-solstice release on June 21st. Continue reading »

IDOLATRY: “IN NOMINE MORTIS”

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Jun 142019
 

 

(This is Andy Synn‘s review of the fantastic new album by the black metal band Idolatry from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — which was released on May 31st via Humanity’s Plague Production.)

One of my favourite discoveries of the last several weeks was this little blackened gem from Canadian chaos-weavers Idolatry, which by turns brings to mind the very best of Inquisition and Necrophobic (with maybe even a little bit of Emperor thrown in for good measure) without sounding overly in thrall to, or derivative of, any of them.

And while they may not be doing much to truly break the mould, there’s definitely something to be said for finding your evolutionary niche and filling it to perfection… and, in that respect, Idolatry are well on their way to becoming an apex predator in their own right. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: THORNS OF GRIEF — “ILLUSIONS”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Jun 142019
 

 

As I write this article I am in Iceland at a music festival, experiencing the strange effects of daylight throughout the waking hours, even at 2:30 a.m., when I finally fell into an exhausted slumber earlier this morning.

Iceland is just a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle, that imaginary line around the Earth that marks the latitude above which the sun does not set on the summer solstice and does not rise on the winter solstice. The summer solstice arrives on June 21st, one week from today.

The rhythms of the body rebel at so much light, but there is at least a temporary remedy for the disorientation, a balance to be found as the mind is seduced into deepest darkness through the sound of “Illusions“, the song from the debut album by Thorns of Grief that’s been devouring the light around me this morning. Continue reading »

NEKROÍ THEOÍ: “DEAD GODS”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 132019
 

 

(Andy Synn wrote this review of the new album by the Floridian death metal wrecking crew NEKROÍ THEOÍ, which was recently released by Prosthetic Records.)

Last week was a surprisingly busy week for new releases, which is why you’ll probably notice that I’ve dedicated all of this week (and possibly a big chunk of the next) to catching up on some of the artists/albums which we missed.

You’ll (hopefully) already have cast your beady eyes over my review of the new Enthroned album, and now it’s time to turn your attention to this stomp-happy slab of deathly delights from Nekroi Theoi. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): WINTERWOLF — “LYCANTHROPIC METAL OF DEATH”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  2 Responses »
Jun 132019
 

 

Bear with me, please. I need to indulge in a personal back-story, which is a partial explanation for why I’m so excited to present the premiere of Winterwolf’s new album, oh-so-fittingly entitled Lycanthropic Metal of Death. Or don’t bear with me, and just skip to the bottom and hit the play button (as long as you eventually do that, sooner or later, I’ll be a happy camper).

In December 2010, a month lost in the mists of time when this site was barely one year old, I impulsively embarked on a project impulsively named Finland Tribute Week. At that time, having become fascinated with (and eventually addicted to) extreme metal late in life, I was still trying to become educated about what I’d missed (a process that continues to this day).

I chose Finnish metal for a deep dive in part because I was so dumbfounded that a nation of such small population (relatively speaking) had succeeded in spawning sooooo many metal bands of soooo many different styles. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: TAU CROSS, SÓLSTAFIR, TENGGER CAVALRY, TREST

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Jun 122019
 

 

I had grand ambitions for this post, with many more selections than you’re seeing here. I also had the goal of posting it yesterday before I left for the airport to begin a trip to Iceland. That’s where I am now, having arrived foggy-eyed and fuzzy-headed at Keflavik Airport this morning after a red-eye flight. I obviously didn’t get this done in time for yesterday, and had to cut it back to finish in time for today,

TAU CROSS

I’m a huge Tau Cross fan, and therefore was excited to see yesterday’s announcement by Relapse Records that a new album named Messengers of Deception will be released on August 9th. Equally exciting, the band rolled out a video for a new song to mark the occasion. Continue reading »

SHOW REVIEW AND PHOTOS: DARK FUNERAL, BELPHEGOR, INCANTATION — LIVE IN ATLANTA, JUNE 6, 2019

 Concert Reviews  5 Responses »
Jun 122019
 

 

(Our Atlanta-based contributor Tør was in the audience at The Loft on June 6th when the Devastation on the Nation Tour made its stop in Atlanta, and he provides these impressions, with his own excellent photos following the text.)

I have been looking forward to this night for months. The Devastation On The Nation Tour is in full swing, and co-headliners Dark Funeral and Belphegor are being supported by a host of bands including legends Incantation, HATE, Vale of Pnath, Nightmarer, and Malformity.

I make it to The Loft and have to walk up the stairs past some teeny-bopper event going on in the first-floor lounge area. Yes, I am a metal snob. I walk in the middle of HATE’s set, and Sinner’s vocals hit me like a brick. After a short setup, death metal legends Incantation take over the stage. With every riff and groove, I’m reminded of why this band has such a cult following. Incantation embody American death metal in the most imaginative way possible and I have a total blast watching their set. Continue reading »

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