AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): XUL — “WHAT LIES HIDDEN”

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Oct 152018
 

 

In writing about this British Columbia band’s two previous releases, their 2012 album Malignance and their 2015 EP Extinction Necromance, I tended to lose control of my metaphors, because their blackened melodic death metal had a tendency to make me lose control of my mind, at least temporarily. Their sound was so explosive, so jet-fueled, so technically impressive, and so rampantly ferocious, that any kind of calm and clinical analysis was beyond my capabilities. The music did display intensifying twists and turns and alluring melodic nuances, but the enduring memory is of the pure blood-rushing energy of the attack.

At last, Xul will be releasing a second album. Entitled What Lies Hidden…, it’s now scheduled for release on October 19th, and it’s our pleasure to present a full stream of this electrifying album today. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SINISTER DOWNFALL — “ASHES OF TIME”

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Oct 152018
 

 

It will become immediately apparent, through the song we’re about to premiere, that the shadowed ranks of funeral doom practitioners spread across the globe must make way for another band in their vanguard. The band is Sinister Downfall, the work of a single individual who in this debut album has already demonstrated an impressive mastery of these very dark arts.

The name of this beautifully crafted album is Eremozoic, and it is the first release by a promising new Armenian doom label called Funere, though it will also be jointly released by the more venerable Japanese label Weird Truth Productions. And in advance of that November 28 release, the song we bring you today is “Ashes of Time“. Continue reading »

DEATH RITUALS: NEW MUSIC FROM SVARTIDAUÐI, WINGS OF DAHAK, BLASPHEMER, ROTTEN EVISCERATION, CURSUS BELLUM

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Oct 152018
 

 

I’m in catch-up mode on songs that debuted last week. At first I thought I would include the new Soilwork and Gorod songs in this collection, along with a few others from what I’d call similarly higher-profile bands, but then last night I hit this stretch of four songs in a row that seemed to hang together so damned well that I jettisoned those earlier plans. All four have slaughtering death metal at the core, hence the title of this post, but you’ll notice significant differences among them as well.

And then, the first thing I saw this morning were messages from multiple friends on Facebook pointing me to a new Svartidauði song, which was such a welcome surprise that I hurriedly inserted it at the top before getting to the four I chose last night. No need to change the post title.

SVARTIDAUÐI

Yes indeed, the Icelandic band Svartidauði, whom I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing live both in Reykjavík and here in the U.S., have a new album coming our way. Entitled Revelations of the Red Sword, it will be released by Ván Records on December 3rd, six years to the day after the advent of their debut album Flesh Cathedral. This morning, along with that announcement, the band provided a stream of a new song called “Burning Worlds of Excrement” — which could double as a headline for the daily news. Continue reading »

INSIDIOUS SQUELCHING PENETRATION: “WRITHING IN DARKNESS”

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Oct 152018
 

 

(For your disgusting pleasure, Vonlughlio reviews the debut album by the sickos in Insidious Squelching Penetration.)

As I mentioned in my last small write-up, for me 2018 has been a good year for music, especially in the BDM genre. I’ve particularly enjoyed discovering bands that came out of nowhere to blow me away with their releases, including Galvanizer and The Heretics Fork. Just wonderful music that keeps the listener engaged for every second. Such is also the case for this band called Insidious Squelching Penetration and their debut album, Writhing in Darkness, which was released October 12th via Lord of the Sick Recordings.

I first found out about the band thanks to a FB post from the label promoting their demo Delectable Rectal Mind, so I decided to check it out and bought it from the band soon after. This demo had the rawness I like in Goregrind and a straightforward approach, with songs below the one-minute mark (which is typical in this genre). The vocals went hand-in-hand with the music, and reminded me of Last Days of Humanity. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK: WELTSCHMERZ, DEWFALL, MAGOTH, PANDISCORDIAN NECROGENESIS

 Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK  2 Responses »
Oct 142018
 

 

For this Sunday’s column I’ve picked music from four bands we’ve never previously written about at NCS. Three are advance tracks from forthcoming records, and one is a complete new album, released just yesterday.

WELTSCHMERZ

To begin, I’ve chosen a song from the second album by a band who, despite their German name (which seems to mean “world-pain” or “world-weariness”), are Dutch. We’re further informed that weltschmerz “is a term coined by the German author Jean Paul and denotes the kind of feeling experienced by someone who understands that physical reality can never satisfy the demands of the mind”. Continue reading »

FEAST YOUR EYES AND EARS ON THIS NEW FALLEN EMPIRE SAMPLER

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Oct 142018
 

 

Four months ago Fallen Empire Records announced that it would be shutting down, marching blissfully to its demise at some point before the end of this year. For those of us who had greatly respected the musical choices of this Portland, Oregon label and enjoyed so many of its releases over the last seven years of its existence, this was sad news indeed. But Fallen Empire isn’t moving toward self-extinction with a whimper, but in something akin to a blaze of glory.

Based on a Fallen Empire announcement two days ago, I count 6 albums and one EP scheduled for release later this month (plus a Triumvir Foul release by Vrasubatlat that FE will be distributing), another seven releases in November, and six more in December. Most of these will be physical releases made-to-order based on however many copies are pre-ordered. Some will be digital releases by Fallen Empire, with physical editions provided by Amor Fati Productions, and some will also be released on cassette tape.

Along with that announcement, Fallen Empire launched a sampler of music from eight of these forthcoming releases on Bandcamp — the ones that FE will be handling exclusively — and the music is fantastic. Along with those eight song streams, the label also revealed the artwork for all but one of them, and the cover art is also quite good. In fact, let’s start with the artwork, which I’ve annotated with the name of the band whose album it will accompany: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: AGOS — “GLORIOUS RETURN”

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Oct 142018
 

 

Former NCS writer KevinP named the debut EP of the one-man Greek band Agos (the work of Van Gimot from Virus of Koch and Carrion before that) one of his “Albums of the Month” for January 2015, praising it in these words:

“This is mid-paced death metal with a blackened feel, but it’s so much more than that. Guitars have a huge sound to them, just enough grandiosity mixed with the perfect amount of filth. Vocally cavernous with reverberating hellfire (aka, a cool echo effect). It’s hard to get super-jazzed about new bands these days, but once in awhile something comes along that just screams out for attention. Hopefully this is just a small sample of what the future holds for this band.”

And here we are, almost four years after the release of that Irkalla Transcendence EP, welcoming the (glorious) return of Agos and sharing with you a song from the band’s debut album, Aonian Invocation, which will be released on October 28 by the triumvirate of Satanath Records (Russia), Deathhammer Records (Cyprus), and Heathen Tribes (Germany). Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: HEKATA — “PSALM”

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Oct 132018
 

 

We have a rare Saturday premiere for you, and we fervently hope that word of it will spread like wildfire despite the fact that people seem to spend less time browsing for new music on weekends than during weekdays. The name of the track is “Psalm” and it’s one of six songs on the debut album by a Russian death metal powerhouse called Hekata.

Following the release of a debut EP (Dirge) and some line-up changes, these three men and one woman are now based in Saint Petersburg, where they’ve crafted a staggeringly powerful album in which elements of black metal and crust have been woven into a titanic death metal framework. Entitled Ruin, it will be released on October 27th by a consortium of three labels: Satanath Records (Russia), More Hate Productions (Russia), and Hecatombe Records (Spain). Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): DEKAGRAM — “MAY FLIGHTS OF DEVILS GUIDE YOU HOME”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Oct 122018
 

 

I think it might be best to begin the introduction to this premiere with a few words of warning.

Without any advance preparation, the music immediately assaults the sense, so intensely and so abrasively that the impact is shattering… and for some of you, it will be unpleasant. The layering of high, mind-searing tremolo riffing erupts in an immediate boil, coming in rippling waves of frightening urgency, with a no less urgent snare drum persistently driving the rhythm. There’s virtually no low-end heft in the sound at all, which is made even more incinerating by absolutely terrifying, brain-scarring, reverb-drenched shrieks.

So there — you’ve been warned. And now I’ll explain why you should stick with the song despite the way in which Dekagram starts this musical bonfire. And yes, this album (or EP, depending on where you draw the line) is one song — one 22-minute composition that goes places you probably won’t expect. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: COGNITIVE — “FRAGMENTED PERCEPTION”

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Oct 122018
 

 

Let’s cut to the chase: Prepare for a brain-twisting, spine-fracturing experience. It’s not even really a chase; at some point you’re more likely to just stop running and stand there, gasping and gap-jawed, as this demon-eyed musical jack-rabbit with a rocket strapped to its back leaves you in the dust.

The band is Cognitive, their album is Matricide, Unique Leader will release it on October 26th, and “Fragmented Perception” is both the name of the song and a summing-up of where it will leave your own mentation. Continue reading »

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