Nine Circles

Album Review: Ominous Scriptures — “Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition”

January 26, 2023January 26, 2023IanLeave a comment

The early 2000’s was a special time for me. It was the beginning of my transition into the world of extreme metal. At the time, I was into classic metal, your Metallicas, your Black Sabbaths and AC/DCs and what have you, but it was around 2003 or 2004 that my mom accidentally got me MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball, Vol. 2, which was my first taste of the extreme side of heavy metal. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I started seeking out even more extreme and brutal metal, and the rest is history. Ominous Scriptures’ Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition immediately takes me back to that point in my life.

Continue reading →

CANTO: Majesties, Rotten Sound, Deathstars, and More

January 25, 2023January 25, 2023CoreyLeave a comment

Major box checked today on the to-do list, which means it’s time to buy some stuff I don’t need.

Leading off, we have the latest from Majesties. I know we’re all excited for Vast Reaches Unclaimed, which is officially out on March 3rd through 20 Buck Spin, so let’s give “In Yearning, Alive” a listen. Unsurprisingly, it’s awesome. I can’t wait to hear this thing in full.
Connecticut-based melodic death/doom band Fires In The Distance have set April 28th as the release date for Air Not Meant For Us, which will be available through Prosthetic Records. Today they’re streaming a lyric video for the new track “Harbingers” over at Knotfest.
Swedish industrial act Deathstars have announced details surrounding Everything Destroys You. Their first release in over eight years will be out on May 5th through Nuclear Blast, and a video for the new track “This Is” can be seen here.
Doom legends Candlemass offered up a lyric video for “Angel Battle”, a track taken from Sweet Evil Sun. That album is out now through Napalm.
Out of Season of Mist, we have some fresh Finnish grindcore to tie this all up with. Check out the video from Rotten Sound for “Suburban Bliss” below. That one is taken from Apocalypse, their eighth studio album set for a March 31st release. The hits keep on coming already in 2023.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Album Review: Raum Kingdom — “Monarch”

January 25, 2023January 23, 2023HeraLeave a comment

Some years ago, I reviewed Raum Kingdom’s first album, Everything & Nothing, which really impressed and made me want to see what else was out there in terms of sludgy post-metal. As part of my ongoing metal education, I have listened to many bands that would fall under the label of post-metal, even some out there on the far fringes of the genre. Somewhere along the spectrum of accessibility sits Raum Kingdom, a band whose abrasive sound and inherent bleakness makes me want to jump out of my skin, and their second album, Monarch, truly brings that to fruition.

Continue reading →

Memoriam’s Karl Willetts on their new album “Rise To Power” and much more!

January 25, 2023January 23, 2023opethbodom1 Comment

One thing is for sure, Memoriam don‘t need us to rekindle their storied history in this band or their members long and legendary careers. Basically, if you don’t know them by now you are on purpose avoiding it…they are just that much a part of death metal. For their fifth album, Rise To Power, it’s all about diversity and varying up the songs just a bit. And no, that doesn’t mean they’ve done a 180. It simply means, they’re building on what they’ve created over the course of the past four albums. Is it heavy? Yes. Still trademark Memoriam? Yes. Better than their previous outings? Our opinion only, but YES. Their sound is as vital to death metal as air and water is for humans to keep living and it only gets better with time. Buke recently sat down with the genre defining vocalist Karl Willetts to discuss the new album, how it came to be, Memoriam’s and its members histories, and a ton more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat, and enjoy.

Continue reading →

CANTO: Sortilège, Ne Obliviscaris, Treedeon, and More

January 24, 2023January 24, 2023CoreyLeave a comment

Back-to-back gnarly work days. I can’t wait for the next 30 years to go by!…?

Since Season of Mist has officially been announced as the Nine Circles Label of the Year for 2022, we’ll bookend this post with stuff out of that camp. First, we have Sortilège. The French heavy metallers just signed a deal with the label, as they prepare for the release of Apocalypso, which we can expect on March 3rd.
Berlin-based sludge trio Treedeon are releasing their third full-length, New World Hoarder, on March 17th through Exile On Mainstream. Check out this brief teaser to get a taste of what’s to come.
Whoa. Previously unreleased Motörhead? Sign me the Hell up. Here’s a brand new clip for “Greedy Bastards”. Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic is out on February 24th and can be pre-ordered here.
Closing out, we have the latest single from Ne Obliviscaris, titled “Graal”. The video for that is immediately below, and just a reminder that Exul is set for a March 24th release through Season of Mist.