AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): FERAL — “SPIRITUAL VOID”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  1 Response »
Jan 192022
 

(photo by Arbre E. Saldana)

The French crust/hardcore/grind band Feral chose their name for a reason that becomes obvious when you listen to their second album Spiritual Void. They attack almost relentlessly, with raw, no-holds-barred intensity — intensity that comes through in both the emotional fuel of the music and in its mauling and pulverizing sonic power. It is musical catharsis of a very high order.

The album is set for release on January 21st through Source Atone Records and Basement Apes Industries. For very good reason they recommend it for fans of All Pigs Must Die, Cursed, Napalm Death, and Trap Them (and we might add Misery Index and Rotten Sound to that list). You’ll understand the basis for those recommendations when you hear our premiere stream of the entire album… a handful of paragraphs from now. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: FERAL — “DORMANT DISEASE”

 Premieres  2 Responses »
Jul 012019
 

 

There are so many things to fucking love about this video we’re presenting today on behalf of the Swedish death metal band Feral. One of those things, which is memorable though not at the top of the list, is the chance to see a lyric video that begins with the word BLEH.

Another thing, higher up the list, is the evocative nature of the words that follow (actual words rather than phonetics — though a few more phonetic approximations of the vocal ghastliness would have been welcome). They make for a horrifying manifestation of death and disease on an apocalyptic scale.

The fact that you get to see Feral on stage delivering this riotous attack while the words flicker across the screen is another big plus.

But best of all is the sound of the song as a whole, in all its changing permutations. Even if you know the song like the back of your hand by now, it’s one that’s unlikely to ever lose its appeal. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: FERAL — “BLACK COVEN SECRETS”

 Premieres  3 Responses »
Nov 132018
 

 

Once again, like Pavlov’s dog at the sound of the bell, I’ve started slobbering to the massive mauling tones of HM-2-powered Swedish death metal done right. And you can look long and hard among the current purveyors of such old-school slaughtering and find damned few who do it as well as Feral.

These Swedish veterans have already made a deep mark (choked with congealing blood) within the lineage of this undying style of metallic extremity with their first two albums, Dragged To the Altar (2011) and Where Dead Dreams Dwell (2015), as well as a handful of shorter releases, and their third album — Flesh For Funerals Eternal (which again features the instantly memorable eye-gouging cover art of Costin Chioreanu) — shows early signs of at least equalling, if not surmounting, the horrid excellence of their previous work.

The first sign was a track named “Horrendous Sight” that debuted on the first day of this month, and today we have a further sign as we premiere “Black Coven Secrets“. Continue reading »

ESSENTIAL ENTRIES: MAY 2015

 Listmania, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  11 Responses »
Jun 162015
 

 

(In this post Dan Barkasi continues his monthly series recommending music from the previous month.)

Here we go again! With May long behind us, there was a lot of material to sift through, along with a hell of a time at Maryland Deathfest to remember. All good things!

Overall, May wasn’t the best month this year, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some gems to uncover. Quite a good amount, actually, with the selections coming from a broad spectrum. Hey, that’s why I’m here – to give you the goods from all over! I try to deliver. Maybe not as exciting as the pizza delivery guy bringing carb-loaded goodies, but I do what I can!

Onward! Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD (PART 1): FERAL, UNMERCENARIES, GITHYANKI

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  10 Responses »
Apr 232015
 

 

At different points yesterday and early this morning I listened to a lot of randomly chosen new and newly discovered songs, some that I spotted via links by Facebook friends, some that were lurking in the NCS e-mail box, some that were implanted in my head by transmissions from space when I forgot to put on my tin foil hat when I got home from work. I liked enough of what I heard that I’m splitting the collection into three separate posts that will be scattered throughout today.

FERAL

Where Dead Dreams Dwell is the second full-length by this Swedish band. It’s due for release by Cyclone Empire on May 29. I was initially drawn to it by the fantastic cover art, created by one of our site’s favorite artists, Costin Chioreanu (click the image above to enlarge it). And then today the band released a lyric video for a song named “Swallowed By Darkness” that really grabbed me by the throat. Continue reading »