Nine Circles

Rainbows in the Dark: Fluisteraars – “Manifestaties van de Ontworteling”

May 12, 2024May 10, 2024VincentLeave a comment

If you were surprised to see the name Fluisteraars on this particular not-metal-related column, perhaps you shouldn’t have been. The black metal scene in the Netherlands is defined by a complete shrugging off of the orthodoxy that seems to define the scene worldwide, and Fluisteraars have been one of the flagship names championing this bold experimentation that has captivated audiences near and far, myself included. From 2020’s Bloem, which saw the band really begin to play with the form and function of their brand of romantic black metal, to the free-wheeling chaos of Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking, the trio’s descent into mania has only seen them become more and more artistically unshackled. The culmination of this is Manifestaties van de Ontworteling, a full dark ambient release that seeks to cast off what inhibitions are left in the band and strike out into brave new territory.

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 335 (5.10.2024)

May 11, 2024May 10, 2024ChrisLeave a comment

Let’s face it: Steve Albini was one of the real ones. Beyond the incredible music of Big Black, or Shellac, or so many of his other projects were the incredible records he recorded, produced, or engineered. Never mind all the hype of Nevermind…for me the real Nirvana, the uncaged animal that was that band can be found in the raw power that was Albini’s masterclass that is In Utero. Rest in Peace to one of the mammoths of heavy music; the 335th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist is dedicated to you.

After that there’s new and old delights from the rest of the 9C staff, including Ceremony of Silence, new Sonja, Health, Thot, new Thou, even some hip-hop courtesy the latest Drake/Kendrick beef and some JPEGMAFIA, and because I can’t get enough of his production some Pixies to close us out. Plus more surprises.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

—

– Chris

CANTO: Six Feet Under, Orange Goblin, Secrets, and More

May 10, 2024May 10, 2024CoreyLeave a comment

Let’s see… how many new videos are out there from albums that dropped today? Ideally at least five.

Here’s one! Six Feet Under unveiled a lyric video for “When the Moon Goes Down in Blood”. Killing For Revenge, their 14th studio album, is out through Metal Blade.
And then out of Nuclear Blast, we have Crownshift. A clip for “Rule The Show”, also a lyric video, marked the release of their self-titled debut album.
Secrets shared their first new material since 2022. Listen to the new single “Despair” right here. They also have tour dates the rest of this month if you’re interested.
Italian doom act Di’Aul announced the new Ep II, a two-track release that’s set to emerge on June 7. It was produced and published by MooDDoom Records and precedes EvAAvE, a new album we can expect before the end of the year. Check out the video for “Azazel” here.
Alright, let’s wrap this up and get our weekend started. Orange Goblin dropped a lyric video for “Cemetary Rats”. That’s a track off of Science, Not Fiction, which arrives on July 19 through Peaceville Records.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Album Review: Darkness Everywhere — “To Conquer Eternal Damnation”

May 10, 2024May 10, 2024IanLeave a comment

Melodeath is so back, baby. Say what you want about certain recent releases, and you already know how we each individually feel about them. I think it’s always wonderful when bands form out of a genuine love and appreciation for a style. To Conquer Eternal Damnation, the debut release from the Bay Area’s Darkness Everywhere, is just that: a love letter to the melodic death metal bands that shaped the members in their infancy and allowed them to achieve what they have with their careers thus far. Oh yeah, and it also whips ass too, so there’s that to consider as well. Good music is good music, regardless of if it sounds like something else.

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Album Review: Thot – “Delta”

May 10, 2024May 9, 2024HeraLeave a comment

It’s no secret that I am a Pelagic Records enthusiast; the wide range of artists and bands under their banner is an inherent delight for those who seek to expand their expertise in the wilds of post-metal and its adjacent genres. It’s through its adjacent genres – and my own personal revisiting of music I enjoyed years ago – that Thot came into my view. Curious about what music the band makes in comparison to others on said label, I decided to see what Delta was all about.

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