AN NCS PREMIERE: THE VATICAN — “THE TRUMP CARD”

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May 302016
 

The Vatican-The Trump Card

 

The Vatican’s new EP, The Trump Card, will be released tomorrow. It hits like the blast front of a pipe bomb packed with nails and ball bearings. It propagates outward with explosive force, leaving rubble and bone splinters in its wake. Less than 10 minutes, and you’re done, trying to clear your head while reaching for the play button again and gurgling, “what the fuck did I just hear?”

The horrors and bizarre ironies of our current age are spread around us in abundance, and The Vatican have selected a choice few of them for their sardonic lyrical commentary. In the band’s words, the EP is: Continue reading »

POWER ELECTRONICS AND NOISE-LIKE OBJECTS (NO. 3)

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May 302016
 

4PAN1T

 

(Todd Manning — formerly known as Allen Griffin — brings us a third installment of his series on power electronics and harsh noise  releases. The first two can be found here and here.)

Another transmission broadcast from the burning skyline at the end of the world, this time the filth bubbling up from the underground and that’s probably how it should be. Some of this filth is pretty thought-provoking, but that’s probably also how it should be. When you stare into that abyss, that abyss might stick a rusty butter knife in your grey matter and start stirring some shit around.

SWOLLEN ORGANS

First up is the new Annihilvs Power Electronix debut of NYC’s Swollen Organs. Noise in general has often delved into all sorts of extreme sexual behaviors for inspiration, and Swollen Organs does so as well, but on a more meta-level. Continue reading »

THE REARVIEW MIRROR (BIOMECHANICAL)

 THE REARVIEW MIRROR  5 Responses »
May 292016
 

Rearview Mirror

 

(DGR presents this Sunday’s Rearview Mirror installment, reflecting upon the metal of yesteryear.)

I have to confess that there was a moment in writing this when it occurred to me that I was going to have to justify enjoying Biomechanical’s last album. It was an oddly sobering thought, especially in the face of discs like Eight Moons and The Empire Of The Worlds, which are albums it feels like history looks upon more kindly.

The last time I sat down and took over the Rearview Mirror column for a bit, I found myself vouching for the idea of an album that is “half-good” — one of those discs that isn’t the strongest, but half of it really seems to be on to something and for that reason always sticks out in your mind. Since then, I’ve played with a couple of other ideas for Rearview Mirror posts in order to alleviate some of the burden on our glorious editor-person, but the half-good album idea has continued to gnaw at me, at least for another edition. Continue reading »

MURDER MADE GOD: “ENSLAVED”

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May 282016
 

Murder Made God-Enslaved

 

(DGR reviews the new album by the Greek band Murder Made God.)

There is a part of me that always becomes excited when I feel I’ve somehow gone on an archeological dig and made an incredible world-shifting discovery. Recently, I feel like I’ve found 2016’s brutal death metal common ancestor, or for lack of a better term, that with Murder Made God’s recent April release Enslaved, I have found brutal death metal’s median — the throughline casting its way through the whole genre.

Enslaved marks the Greek brutal death metal horde’s second release of their career, with its predecessor Irreverance having hit in late June of 2013. Enslaved, which is out via Comatose Music, sounds like it took a look at the brutal death genre, saw the various directions in which it has been splitting off recently — from the hyperblasting sect to the gorier subsections — and decided instead to shoot directly down the center. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: CVINGER — “EMBODIED IN INCENSE”

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May 272016
 

Cvinger-Embodied In Incense

 

More than two and a half years have passed since I last wrote about the Slovenian black metal band Cvinger, in connection with their excellent 2013 EP, Monastery of Fallen — and then failed to pay proper attention to the band’s debut album, 2014’s Enthronement ov Diabolical Souls. But I’m not making that mistake again.

Cvinger’s new album Embodied In Incense will be released by Art Gates Records worldwide on May 30, and it definitely should not be missed. To make sure you don’t miss it, we’re helping to premiere a full album stream in this very post. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SLUDGEHAMMER — “DEMONS FROM THE WOODWORK”

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May 272016
 

Sludgehammer-The Fallen Sun

 

When I first heard the name Sludgehammer, I was guessing slow, crushing, dreary, doomy… sludge. But when I heard the song we’re premiering for you today from their debut album The Fallen Sun, I quickly realized I was largely off-base — but far from disappointed by the surprise.

Sludgehammer make their home in Toronto, Canada. The Fallen Sun is set for release on June 10 and follows their 2014 EP, Organ Harvester. When asked to comment on this new song you’re about to hear, guitarist Jeff Wilson responded as follows: Continue reading »

THE BEST OF BRITISH 2016, PART 2: FROM SORROW TO SERENITY / KING GOAT / LUNA’S CALL

 Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
May 272016
 

From Sorrow To Eternity- Remnant of HumanityKing Goat-ConduitLuna's Call-Divinity

 

(Andy Synn brings us Part 2 of a series spotlighting new recent releases by UK bands.)

Ok, so I may have gotten sidetracked in Germany somewhere along the way, but I promised you a second edition, and here it is.

This time around we’ve got another varied crop, featuring the burgeoning Deathcore delights of From Sorrow to Serenity, the expansive doomery of King Goat, and the indulgent Prog-Death of Luna’s Call.

So, without further ado, let’s get to it! Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: BEHEXEN — “THE POISONOUS PATH”

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May 272016
 

Behexen-The Poisonous Path

 

Today Debemur Morti Productions releases the new fifth album by the infamous Finnish horde Behexen. Its name is The Poisonous Path, and we’re helping deliver the stream to your ears.

The smart move would be to skip down to the bottom of this post and start playing the album, even if you intend to read the following paragraphs. The album is so good that there’s no reason to lose any time before inviting it into your head, where it will trigger the release of adrenaline and then drive all other thoughts away with blades and fire. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: ILL OMEN AND SLAUGHTBBATH — “PESTILENTIAL HIEROPHANIES”

 Album Reviews, Premieres, SHORT BUT SWEET  1 Response »
May 262016
 

Ill Omen Slaughtbbath split art

 

Two striking black metal bands separated by the Pacific have joined forces in a new split release coming out tomorrow on 7″ vinyl from Iron Bonehead Productions. The split’s title, Pestilential Hierophanies, is a conjunction of the two track names on the album, with Australia’s Ill Omen contributing “Whited, Pestilent Sepulchre…” and Chile’s Slaughtbbath providing “Inverted Hierophany”.

You can — and should — listen to both tracks below. I have a brief review first, and in a nutshell, this is one of the best splits I’ve come across this year.

ILL OMEN

The lone artist behind Ill Omen (“IV”) has quite a resume of participation in other groups, including his membership in Temple Nightside and previous work in Austere. Under the Ill Omen banner he has produced many short releases as well as three albums, including this year’s Æ.Thy.Rift. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: GLOOMY GRIM — “A LADY IN WHITE”

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May 262016
 

Gloomy Grim-The Age of Aquarius

 

On June 6, Satanath Records will release a new album named The Age of Aquarius by the Finnish horror-prone black metal band Gloomy Grim. To whet your appetite for the album, today we bring you the stream of one of the new songs, “A Lady In White“.

This premiere marks Gloomy Grim’s first appearance at our putrid site, and so a word of introduction may be in order. The band first took shape in the mid-’90s as the solo project of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Agathon. Since then, Gloomy Grim evolved into a full band and have released six albums (including this new one), along with a few shorter releases. They have consistently been inspired by horror movies and their soundtracks, as well as by the darkness of life in general.

(Fair warning… there’s a band photo after the jump that’s NSFW.) Continue reading »

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