March 17, 2017

Good morning, and a happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all. It’s time to metal. Here’s some news you might have missed from yesterday:

• Ahead of the release of their upcoming album The Assassination of Julius Caesar, Ulver released a new track called “Nemoralia.” It’s wildly fine.

• Morbid Angel frontman Steve Tucker tried waaaaaaay too hard to appease alienated fans, using “death metal” three times in a single sentence to describe what the band’s new material sounds like. When asked for a follow-up comment, guitarist Trey Azagthoth simply kept banging hardcore and radical. (I’m assuming.)

• Remember how lame Danzig‘s covers album, Skeletons, was? Well, good news! The legend’s dropping a new album of original material in May. It will probably suck less?

• Against overwhelming odds, it appears the Nachtmystium train’s building up steam once more. The band’s been booked for the invite-only (WTF??) Carnis Festum Open Air in California. We shall see.

• I’m sure there are some symphonic metal fans among our readers here at Nine Circles, right? Maybe? Well, if so…good news for y’all: Xandria has announced their first-ever North American headlining tour.

• Ivar Bjørnson of Enslaved and his ambient side project, BardSpec, have announced their debut album, Hydrogen, which drops June 23. I’m excited for a couple of reasons: first, the band cites both Tangerine Dream and Godflesh as influences; and second, that cover art kicks an ass.

• And finally, Kvelertak released a video for “Bronsegud,” off last year’s Nattesferd. You can check it out below:

Not sure why a 2:57 song had to turn into a 6:22 video. BOLD STRATEGY, COTTON, LET’S SEE HOW IT WORKS OUT FOR ‘EM. Anyway, that’ll do it for now — check back this time on Monday for our next edition!

Keep it heavy,
Dan