AN NCS PREMIERE: MERRIMACK — “APOPHATIC WEAPONRY”

 Premieres  3 Responses »
Mar 092017
 

 

In a career that stretches back into the stygian mists of the mid-’90s, the French black metal band Merrimack have released four remarkable albums… though roughly five long years have passed since the last of those, 2012’s The Acausal Mass. But those of us who have been hungering for more of this band’s brand of fervent and unflinching underground terrorism will have that hunger sated early this summer: On June 9, 2017, Season of Mist will release the band’s fifth album, Omegaphilia. To help prepare the way for its advent, we are helping to premiere a song from the album named “Apophotic Weaponry“.

As the song’s name might suggest, “Apophotic Weaponry” is both physically assaulting and dreamlike, both murderous and mystical. It strikes with cyclonic abrasive power, yet seems to cut through limitations of space and time in search of something formless and timeless. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT — “THIS INHUMAN PLACE MAKES HUMAN MONSTERS”

 Premieres  3 Responses »
Mar 092017
 

 

(The half-witted editor of this site asked NCS scribe Andy Synn to introduce our premiere of the first single from the new album by one of our putrid site’s favorite bands, The Monolith Deathcult. Through a combination of bribery and intimidation, he agreed. And actually, this isn’t really the full song as it will appear on the album, but it’s enough.)

The Monolith Deathcult are a band who need no introduction.

So… that’s my work here done then, right?

Fine, if I have to write something more, I will do. But I am hereby registering my protest against this inhumane treatment. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: HENRY KANE — “DET VAR INTE DITT FEL”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Mar 092017
 

 

You might recognize Henry Kane as the name of the soul-devouring supernatural antagonist in the Poltergeist film series. It’s also the name chosen by the veteran Swedish vocalist and musician Jonny Pettersson for a solo project in which he puts a unique spin on his beloved Swedish death metal. The debut album of Henry Kane is named Den Förstörda Människans Rike, and it was released last month by Transcending Obscurity Records. What we have for you today is a video that matches the horrors of the album’s namesake against the horrors of the music in the song “Der var inte ditt fel“.

Jonny Pettersson has contributed his ferocious voice and his musicianship to an ever-increasing number of projects, including such bands as Wombbath, Just Before Dawn, Vholdghast, Syn:drom, Ashcloud, and Skineater, but he really outdoes himself in Henry Kane. His voice alone in the song that’s the subject of this video is terrifying enough to raise the hackles on the back of your neck. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): CONDEMNED — “HIS DIVINE SHADOW”

 Premieres  2 Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

We present the full streaming premiere of His Divine Shadow, the new album by San Diego’s Condemned, just a couple of days before its March 10th release by Unique Leader Records.

One might think that Condemned need no introduction, at least to fans of more technically extravagant forms of brutal death metal. They developed a significant following on the strength of their first two albums, Desecrate the Vile (2007) and Realms of the Ungodly (2011). But in addition to the passage of six years since that last release, there are now many new faces in the band.

In fact, only guitarist Steve Crow remains from the group that released those first two records. Vocalist Angel Ochoa has been replaced by Sam Townsley, although he is not a completely new face, having appeared as a guest vocalist on Desecrate The Vile. The drum kit is now under the control of Tyson Jupin (Vile), while the bass is manned by Ryan Reidy.

What has this new collective wrought under the banner of Condemned? Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: GALARE — “THY DYING LIGHT”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

Galare come our way from Elizabeth, New Jersey. They’ve been hard at work on their first EP, and I now have a single from this debut release to share with you, because I like it. It’s name is “Thy Dying Light“.

This is a song that I suspect you’ll want to hear more than once, just to understand what you’ve heard, because it’s unpredictable, and more than a little unnerving. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: DEATH OF KINGS — “HELL COMES TO LIFE”

 Album Reviews, Premieres, SHORT BUT SWEET  3 Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

After a series of well-received shorter releases, Atlanta’s Death of Kings will be releasing their debut album Kneel Before None later this year on CD, with a vinyl pressing to follow. But before we get to that point, Boris Records will be bringing us a Death of Kings single on March 31, and we’ve got the premiere of its title track for you today: “Hell Comes To Life“.

Truer words were never spoken, because this song is explosively hellish, in all the best ways. It’s the kind of turbocharged, obliterating thrash ferocity that may make you want to destroy things, while it’s destroying you. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: TRILATERAL — “ELLIPTIC ORBITS”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

(Austin Weber brings us this stream premiere of the new album by Trilateral from Ontario, Canada.)

While there’s plenty of bands on the deathcore and djent side of the spectrum fusing death and groove together, it’s not as big a phenomenon in more technical death metal circles, though that seems to be changing. Granted, you have groups like Soreption already, but overall it’s still fresh territory to explore, as evidenced by last year’s Dischordia release and others.

Though groove is far from all that Trilateral offer, their integration of it within a largely technical death metal (without coming across as tech-death) and prog metal sound is what gives their upcoming album Elliptic Orbits a fresh feeling all its own. Continue reading »

GET TO THE POINT: ALEX BOUKS (IMMOLATION)

 Interviews  7 Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

(KevinP rejoins us with another installment in his short interview series, and his guest this time is guitarist Alex Bouks (ex-Goreaphobia, ex-Incantation), who is now a member of Immolation. Immolation’s superb new album Atonement is out now on Nuclear Blast.)

******

K:  So how does it feel to be the “new guy” even though you’ve been at this death metal thing yourself for almost 30 years?

A:  It feels real natural, like I have always been there. We have been friends for almost 30 years so its already family.  And musically it is a perfect fit.  I feel I have found my home for sure. Continue reading »

JUNIUS: “ETERNAL RITUALS FOR THE ACCRETION OF LIGHT”

 Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule  5 Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

(Andy Synn reviews the new album by Boston’s Junius, followed by a full music stream.)

One thing I’ve observed over the years is how often people conflate the statement “I don’t like this” with the judgement that “this isn’t good”.

Sometimes it means that someone has decided that just because they don’t like something, that means it can’t be good… but it also often means that people get offended when you say you don’t like something, because they immediately think you’re saying it isn’t any good.

Which, obviously, isn’t necessarily the case.

Why am I saying all this? Well, it’s because even though I definitely do like this album (a lot), I don’t quite like it as much as 2011’s Reports from the Threshold of Death.

But… that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as good. Continue reading »

CIRITH GORGOR: “BI DEN DODE HANT”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Mar 082017
 

 

(TheMadIsraeli reviews the new EP by the Dutch black metal band Cirith Gorgor.)

I’m really picky when it comes to black metal as of late. I mean, I’ve always been picky, very specific about what I like to hear in any sub-genre of metal, and I have my own views about what I think works and doesn’t work musically. I’ve been on an avant-garde and progressive kick in regard to the blackened arts lately, but I also immensely enjoy straight melodic black metal that’s just fucking belligerent and relentless. Naglfar, Old Man’s Child, and Nordjevel are common staples in my black metal listening, when it’s not Dark Fortress, Khonsu, or most recently Lorn (whose new album I reviewed here).

Cirith Gorgor, Dutch blackened legionnaires, are damned good at writing scorching melodic black metal that provokes windmills and whiplash while knowing how to incorporate great, technically inclined, layered riffing that evokes that arcane sense of mystique that black metal has really leaned toward in the last few years. Continue reading »

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