AN NCS PREMIERE: DRAGUNOV — “KOSMONAVT”

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Apr 142017
 

 

After a two-year absence on our site, the Parisian Soviet post-metal combine Dragunov return to us with a new release. Two years ago we were lauding their debut EP 637, and this time we have a song from their first full-length record, Korolev, which will be released on April 17th. The name of the track is “Kosmonavt“.

I think most of us can acknowledge the challenges confronting metal bands who choose (as Dragunov have) to do their work without a vocalist, and in this case the band’s line-up is even more spare since it consists of only two men — a guitarist (Seb) and a drummer (Tristan). Yet these two have developed a vision for their music that works extremely well despite their lean and mean configuration, one that combines a dark and distinctive atmosphere with the kind of punch that has a near-physical effect on the head. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: FREIHEIT — “ТЕХНОКРАТИЯ” (TECHNOCRACY)

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Apr 142017
 

 

Although Freiheit have taken the German word for “freedom” as their name (and you can understand why when you hear their music), they come from Arkhangelsk in far northwestern Russia on the shores of the cold White Sea. Their fascinating debut album “Безумие. Ненависть. Смерть” (which means “Madness. Hatred. Death” in English) will be released by GrimmDistribution on May 5th. Two songs have been released for listening so far, and today we bring you a third one: “Технократия” (Technocracy).

Consistent with their name, rather than stick closely to specific genre conventions Freiheit have created a kaleidoscopic sound in this new song, with different stylistic influences in motion, creating vibrant sensations as the pieces change and fall into place. Continue reading »

IDES OF GEMINI: “WOMEN”

 Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule  No Responses »
Apr 142017
 

 

(We present Wil Cifer’s review of the new album by Ides of Gemini.)

The changes on Ides of Gemini’s newest offering Women seem tailored to suit my own personal tastes, as it is a perfect blend of goth rock and metal. By goth rock I mean Siouxsie and the Banshees, 45 Grave, etc., and not the type of Hot Topic cheese that came out of Finland in the early ’00s.

Sera Timms has put down the bass to find her voice. This adds a dimension that is more colorful and energetic. While the Siouxsie influence is there. it is not just limited to that; she has a reasonable sense of who she is. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: NEPHILIM’S HOWL — “HATE REVELATIONS”

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Apr 132017
 

 

A seething, vicious darkness cloaks this song “Hate Revelations” like a poisonous miasma, while the music also spawns imaginings of a brooding, malignant presence looming over you, as if a spectral giant has risen from the bowels of the earth to cast its long shadow once again. But while the atmospheric elements of the song send the imagination spiraling into a dark and demented descent, it’s also massively head-moving, and powerfully addictive.

“Hate Revelations” is the work of a Finnish trio who have taken the name Nephilim’s Howl, and whose music could be characterized as a heavy hybrid of black metal and doom (though in truth, it’s not easy to pick a genre label). It comes from their debut album Through The Marrow Of Human Suffering, which the always interesting I, Voidhanger Records will be releasing on May 19th. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: LO-RUHAMAH, AILS, PLOUGHSHARE, NECROT, ASHES FOR THE MUTE, IGORRR

 Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET  8 Responses »
Apr 132017
 

 

This collection of new music is perhaps more eclectic and quirky than usual. Certainly, some of the tracks collected here are difficult to categorize, and in some cases almost impossible to describe. As a playlist, I found it appealing in part because it threw me off-balance. As usual, I also tried to include under-the-radar names, as well as (somewhat) better known ones, though I doubt any of these names have reached beyond the crevices of the underground.

LO-RUHAMAH

This makes the third time I’ve emblazoned our site with that wonderful piece of artwork by Elijah Gwhedhú Tamu at the top of this post, but the first time I’ve been able to share any music from the album it adorns. I’ve been eager to find out what kind of music would be wrapped within this imagery, and now I know that it’s as interesting and as attention-grabbing as the visual art. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: OPUS DIABOLI — “GLORY IN STEEL”

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Apr 132017
 

 

One thing leads to another. Last month we came across a track named “Luciferian Black Light” from Black Light of Destruction, the new album by a black metal band originally from Uruguay named Opus Diaboli, and praised it in one of our collections of new black metal. And now we bring you another new song, “Glory In Steel“, in advance of the album’s May 10 release by Satanath Records and The Ritual Productions.

We’re told that Opus Diaboli was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2005 as the brainchild of guitarist L.W. Alexander. Although a full band participated in the early recordings, Opus Diaboli has now become LWA’s solo project. The songs on Black Light of Destruction were written across the 12-year history of the project. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: WHITE WARD — “FUTILITY REPORT”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Apr 132017
 

 

At the end of March we premiered a song called “Stillborn Knowledge” by the Ukrainian band White Ward from their debut album Futility Report, a song I called “the most unusual piece of music I’ve heard this year, and one of the most striking”. If I hadn’t written that about “Stillborn Knowledge”, I probably would have written it about the next song from the album that we’re presenting today, which is the title track. I’ll have to come up with new words.

Futility Report will be released by Debemur Morti Productions on May 12th. What I know now, but didn’t know at the time of that earlier premiere, is that the whole album — start to finish — is an eye-opener. One song after another, I’ve caught myself thinking, “How in the world did they think of doing this? And how did they manage to pull it off so damned well???” Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: BRAIN DRILL — “INFINITE OBLIVION”

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Apr 122017
 

 

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of a video by the electrifying Brain Drill from California.)

At this point, most people know Brain Drill and have long since formed an opinion either for or against the band and their frenetic and over-the-top style of technical brutal death metal. As such, I’m not here to preach at length to the unconverted, but I will say this: I think last year’s comeback album from the group, Boundless Obscenity, was by far their strongest effort to date.

In particular, I felt the band really stepped up their game, both rhythm-guitar-wise, with tastier, more complex riffs, and also in the songwriting department. Since it was the band’s first release as an independent band since parting ways with Metal Blade Records, it didn’t get as much press as it should have, though we certainly covered it here at NCS more than once! So we’re here today to premiere a new music video for their song “Infinite Oblivion” to give the band another boost and spread the word about music that deserves more attention. Continue reading »

THE BEST OF BRITISH, 2017 (PART 2): COLTSBLOOD / COLD FELL / THE CRAWLING

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Apr 122017
 


Coltsblood

 

(Andy Synn focuses once again on a trio of recent or forthcoming releases by UK bands, this time selecting material from Coltsblood, Cold Fell, and The Crawling.)

As I’m off on “tour” for four days tomorrow, meaning I’ll probably be a little bit off-the-radar (or off the reservation) where NCS is concerned, I thought I might as well leave you with something relatively substantial to tide you over while I’m gone.

And what better than another edition of “The Best of British”, highlighting three more artists hailing from these green and pleasant lands? Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): NAUDIZ — “WULFASA KUNJA”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  2 Responses »
Apr 122017
 

 

Black metal has morphed into so many different shapes and been subjected to so much cross-breeding with other genres that it has become refreshing to hear a band who hew to old ways, and do it as masterfully as Naudiz. But even that observation begs the question: what old ways? Because second-wave black metal itself expanded and twisted into different thorn-covered branchings.

While I’m usually reluctant to mention the names of other bands in describing a new release, for fear that I’ll either hear an influence no one else hears or imply a lack of originality in the release at hand, I’ll say that while Naudiz‘s new album Wulfasa Kunja pulls from different black well-springs, I thought most often of Darkthrone‘s stylistic shift on The Cult Is Alive, and the venomous, swaggering riffs of Taake.

But you’ll be able to judge for yourselves, because in advance of the album’s release this Friday (April 14th) by Iron Bonehead Productions, we’re presenting a full stream of the album today. Continue reading »

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