Imperial Triumphant’s Steve Blanco on new live album “An Evening With Imperial Triumphant,” New York City, local venues, jazz, and much more!

opethbodomLeave a comment
Imperial Triumphant

For Imperial Triumphant and extreme metal fans around the globe, Vile Luxury was a statement of avantgarde supremacy of the like none of us have ever seen and follow up Alphaville twisted that blade in even deeper. Their sound is the heartbeat of their home base New York City in the sense of its roots in jazz and the extremities found at every corner and perfectly encapsulates every aspect of day to day life in the city’s grasp. Melodies, or hooks, are sparse and generally non existent but this is just the genius of what they do; every second is a different experience and every second of every song is monumental which is captured to near perfection in their latest live album An Evening With Imperial Triumphant. With that said, jump in for an excellent chat with Steve Blanco via The Nine Circles Audio Thing.

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CANTO: Trivium, Hypocrisy, Bonded, and More

CoreyLeave a comment
Hypocrisy

After having not been in Boston for almost two years, I guess I’ll be there the next two days?

  • Trivium have announced a couple of upcoming livestream shows, which will be performed from their new HQ, “The Hangar”. In Waves is set for December 11th, with Deadmen & Dragons set for the following week. Tickets are available here.
  • As if Worship wasn’t an awesome enough record, the latest effort from Hypocrisy became the first metal album in space. The event took place as part of a special listening experience at the album’s release last Friday. Give it a watch here if you’re curious.
  • Want some more Ghost Bath content? Here’s a drum playthrough for “For It Is a Veil”, which, of course, is a track taken from Self Loather. That album dropped on October 29th through Nuclear Blast.
  • Mass Worship are dropping a new album, Portal Tombs, on February 4th through Century Media, and today they shared a new track from that album. Give “Revel In Fear” a listen (and watch) right here.
  • And we’ll close with some German thrash, in the form of Bonded. They just released a new video for “Watch (While The World Burns”), a track taken from Into Blackness. That album dropped back on November 12th, also through Century Media.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Initial Descent: November 28 – December 4, 2021

JoshLeave a comment
Under the Church
Under The Church

One holiday down and one to go. I’ll assume everyone has arisen from their food comas, are all patched up from the absurdity of retail hell, and are ready for another list of new metal. Even if you’re not completely back to normal, running through this list and doing some copy / pasting takes zero energy. AND, there’s several here worthy of checking out. Kicking things off we’ve got death metal of the Swedish variety, brutal variety, polished variety, and tech variety (in that order) from Under The Church, Cutterred Flesh, Demonstealer, and Dormant Ordeal. Plus, tons more hanging out below so expend zero energy and go grab some new tunes.

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 207 (11.27.2021)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

I have awakened from the deep slumber that can only come from a combination of massive post-Thanksgiving tryptophan dosing and an ill-timed COVID booster to bring you, the discerning public the 207th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist. And it comes on the birthday of the greatest guitarist to ever light his guitar on fire, so of course we have to open with some classic Hendrix.

Once you’ve picked yourself up after that blistering performance of “Killing Floor” we of course have some more the more extreme music for your ripe and eager ears. Prepare to have your mind expanded when you come to the realization that Troy Sanders should sing ALL the songs when Two Minutes to Late Night cover Metallica’s “Blackened.” Then Josh brings the heavy with cuts from Atræ Bilis with whom we just released a killer interview with, Diablation, and Hate. Vincent finally listens to Marriages featuring Emma Ruth Rundle after being reminded of their greatness on our latest AOTM podcast, and sprinkles in some vicious Yellow Eyes and Sun of the Sleepless as well. Anton has gone deep with Transcending Obscurity Records, laying his soul bare to the attack of both The Last of Lucy and Dischordia. Finally I wrap things up with some of the metal I’ve had on repeat lately, including the latest from post-metal crew Daxma, the newest single from supergroup Lock-Up now featuring both Tomas Lindberg and Kevin Sharp on vocals, and the classic trad metal of Tower.

I can’t believe next week is December. End of Year lists edge ever closer. See you next time, hopefully more awake than I am now!

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– Chris

Second Circle: An Evening with Imperial Triumphant and Phanerozoic Live

IanLeave a comment
Second Circle

In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.

I miss live shows.  I have been to exactly one in the last two calendar years, and that is far, far below the quota I normally like to hit.  Granted, there are some very good reasons for not partaking in live shows even when they happen, but I’ve still got an itch that I need to scratch, and while I generally don’t gravitate towards live albums, this is the time when I find them hitting the nicest.  Two bands that I have never had the pleasure of seeing live are Imperial Triumphant and The Ocean, and when I saw that both of them have live albums coming out today (An Evening with Imperial Triumphant: Live at Slipper Room and Phanerozoic Live, respectively), I knew I had to take the opportunity to talk about them both.

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