AN NCS PREMIERE: ENOID — “ECNARFFUOS”

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Nov 222017
 

 

Few would deny that we are in the midst of a resurgence and a branching of black metal that rivals, if not eclipses, the torrent of the second wave in its flourishing abundance and creative fertility. There are a lot of forks in this great, gnarled tree of music, and some of the off-shoots bear little resemblance to the original root stock, much to the disgust of purists in certain quarters. Other thorned flowerings have hewed more closely to the vitriolic intensity and scarifying aggression of the progenitors. The Swiss band Enoid is in that camp.

The project of a sole creator who calls himself Bornyhake, Enoid has been a prolific source of musical hate and misanthropy, releasing seven albums since 2006 as well as a trio of shorter works. The first two of those albums, Livssyklus and Dodssyklus, were released in 2006 and 2007 by Rotten Vomit Records and NMB Records, respectively. They have become hard to find, but on December 16th they will be re-released in a re-mastered compilation recording by GrimmDistribution (Belarus) and Final Gate Records (Germany).

To help spread the word, we’re premiering a remastered track called “Ecnarffuos“, which originally appeared on the Dodssyklus album. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: GARHELENTH — “SELF-HUMILIATION”

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Nov 222017
 

 

We are told that the name chosen by the two-man band Garhelenth (originally from Iran, then Georgia, and now based in Armenia) will not be found in any dictionary, in any language. It is instead a creation that has symbolic significance in the band’s occult philosophies, and it is black metal that forms the musical channel of their communication.

Gerhelenth’s new album (their second) is About Pessimistic Elements & Rebirth Of Tragedy. It will be released on December 14th by Satanath Records (Russia) and The Eastern Front (Israel), and from that album we bring you a stream of a track whose name is as gloomy as the album’s title: “Self-Humiliation“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DOOMORTALIS — “TRANSCENDENCE TO FINAL ECLIPSE”

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Nov 222017
 

 

Earlier today we invited our readers to suggest candidates for our list of 2017’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs. We have our own list of candidates as well, one that has been building in size over the last 11 months, and today I added one more to it — the song we’re premiering in this post.

The name of the song is “Transcendence To Final Eclipse“. It’s from a debut album entitled Splendor… Then Gloominess by Doomortalis from Irapuato, México, which will be released later this month by Chaos Records. It’s a pulverizing track, and it really gets its hooks in your soon-to-be-headbanging skull as well. Continue reading »

CLERIC: “RETROCAUSAL”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Nov 222017
 

 

(We present Austin Weber’s review of the long-awaited (and very eagerly awaited) new album by Cleric.)

 

In 2010, the Philadelphia-based avant-garde metal band Cleric dropped one of the biggest mindfucks ever to appear in the modern metal era called Regressions. In a lot of ways, the album felt like the rightful spiritual heir to Mr. Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3, endlessly explorative and capable of churning out incomprehensibly dense and eclectic compositions that sound like nothing else out there.

It was fitting then that Regressions was put out by Secret Chiefs 3/ex-Mr. Bungle mastermind Trey Spruance’s label, Web Of Mimicry. To give you another prime example of Regressions‘ complex mind-bending insanity, a prominent Cleric trait which certainly holds true to the music on Retrocausal as well, Colin Marston once discussed their debut in an interview in the following way: “Regressions by Cleric took waaaaaay longer than any other record I’ve ever worked on. It’s also probably the most dense in terms of the sheer number and complexity of layers being heard at any given time.”

Now, with little pre-warning, comes the dawn of album number two, Retrocausal, with Cleric once again reuniting with Colin Marston to handle the recording, mixing, and mastering of another amorphous musical behemoth. Continue reading »

THE “MOST INFECTIOUS” EXTREME METAL SONGS of 2017: AN INVITATION TO OUR READERS

 MOST INFECTIOUS SONGS-2017  44 Responses »
Nov 222017
 

 

Well, here we are again. It’s the time of year when we are beginning our year-end LISTMANIA extravaganza. For those of you new to this orgy, our LISTMANIA blockbuster comes in four parts:

First, we re-print assorted lists of the year’s best albums, leeched from other big web sites and magazines, like this one a couple days ago which launched that part of LISTMANIA 2017. Second, we will provide a post in which our readers’ can share their lists of the 2017 albums and shorter releases they enjoyed the most (we’ll be asking for those on December 1, so get ready). Third, we post the year-end lists of our own staff and assorted guest writers. And fourth, I’ll roll out my list of the year’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs.

And that last list is the subject of this request for help.

In case you’ve become an NCS reader since this time last year, here’s what this Most Infectious Song list is all about: Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: BRIDGE BURNER — “THE BLOOD NEVER LIES”

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Nov 212017
 

 

(Our New Zealand compatriot Craig Hayes (Six Noises) brings us this tremendously exciting premiere of a track from the forthcoming debut album of NZ’s Bridge Burner.)

 

You’d be hard-pressed to put your finger on where New Zealand four-piece Bridge Burner sit on the extreme metal spectrum nowadays –– and that’s no bad thing. Originality counts for a lot with today’s jam-packed roll call of noise-makers. And while Bridge Burner list groups like Botch, Godflesh, and death metal legends Bolt Thrower as influences, you’ll also find that grindcore, crust punk, and even dissonant black metal feature on the band’s latest full-throttle track, “The Blood Never Lies”, which is streaming below.

“The Blood Never Lies” is taken from Bridge Burner’s upcoming album, Null Apostle, which is due for release in 2018. In truth, it’s not that much of a surprise that the band display such energetic and multi-hued creativity on “The Blood Never Lies”. For a start, Bridge Burner’s members have also played in a raft of other notable bands, including Graves, Diocletian, Ulcerate, Punished, Witchrist, In Dread Response, and The Mark of Man. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: TAIGA — “Стыд” (Shame)

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Nov 212017
 

 

When last we visited the Russian atmospheric black metal band Taiga, roughly 14 months ago, their third album (Sky) was on the brink of release and we were premiering a track from the album named “Похоть“, which in English means “Lust”. Now Taiga are returning with a fourth album, and we’re again premiering a song, this time through a lyric video. This one is named “Стыд” (Shame).

The title of the new album is Cosmos, which might make you think of the vast mysteries of an endless, star-spangled void. But the concept here is an inner cosmos, a space in which anger, love, hate, decency, and other impulses and emotions orbit each other, colliding and exploding in ways that could lead to self-destruction, or to new heights of self-realization. Continue reading »

THE 3RD ATTEMPT: “EGOCIDAL PATH”

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Nov 212017
 

 

(Karina Noctum reviews for us the new second album by the Norwegian black metal band The 3rd Attempt, which will be released on December 1 by Dark Essence.)

The 3rd Attempt started back in 2014. The masterminds behind it are former Carpathian Forest guitarists Tchort (Blood Red Throne, Green Carnation) and BloodPervertor (Trail of Tears). The band was then completed with vocalist Ødemark (Midnattsvrede) and drummer Tybalt (Fortid, Den Saakaldte). That’s a pretty awesome line-up with lots of expertise that really gets to shine in their latest album.

Egocidal Path is a display of skillful composing and performing. It is not just another Black Metal release, it’s actually an attempt to blend and experiment without transgressing boundaries. It’s innovative but still safe ground for those black metal fans who are not fond of too many surprises. A good rendition of traditional solid metal with a modern touch. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: EMBRACE THE DAWN — “PUTREFACTION OF GOD”

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Nov 212017
 

 

In the first week of this month, Embrace the Dawn released their debut album, The Effigist, and today we’re premiering a lyric video crafted by Scott Rudd for a turbocharged, mind-warping track from the album called “Putrefaction of God“.

The album is Embrace the Dawn’s second release overall, following their self-titled EP in 2015. Australian musician Ben Tinker remains the principal creative force behind the band, but for the debut album he enlisted the aid of a new line-up of performers who are scattered around the globe.

With Tinker as the composer, guitarist, and programmer, The Effigist features Canadian bassist Denis Landry, American drummer Kevin Talley (Feared, ex-Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Dååth, etc.),  and Norwegian vocalist Roger Isaksen. In addition, the album was mixed by producer Eyal Levi (Levi/Werstler, Dååth). Continue reading »

HAPPY EIGHTH BIRTHDAY TO US!

 Birthday Posts, Metal News  38 Responses »
Nov 212017
 

 

We have survived another year, and yes, I still count mere survival as a kind of triumph in the precarious realms of metal blogdom. We are a whopping eight years old today — we made our first post on November 21, 2009.

Measured according to other time scales, eight years seems like the blink of an eye. But measured by the lifespan of your average metal blog (or even by some large commercial metal sites), we’re… kind of mature. Not in our behavior, of course.

I continue to be amazed and thankful that we’re still here, that so many good friends are still devoting themselves to writing for NCS on a purely volunteer basis, and that so many readers haven’t yet gotten fed up and purged us from their lives. Continue reading »

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