Nine Circles

Well, we’re still here. Everyone survived and chaos / destruction will have to wait until…who knows. Anyway, another huge week here on Initial Descent — I know, I know that has been said a lot but there have been multiple weeks with several really good releases so humor me, or not. Der Weg Einer Freiheit are back with another truly immersive and entrancing album’s worth of forward thinking black metal on Finisterre and I’m of the belief this band can do no wrong. Akercocke return from quite the break and continue to be the masters of molding death and black metal into something out of this world yet at the same time uniquely their own on Renaissance in Extremis — welcome back guys. Moving on, Ruby the Hatchet returns with their classically inclined, riff fueled proto-rock on Planetary Space Child, if you’ve yet to check this band out do it now. Rounding out the top slots is a Split between BLK OPS and Cave Bastard that grinds, pounds and lurches like a pride of lions going in for the kill. And with that it’s another full week but…you guessed it, there is sooooo much more to explore. So, stick around and find a new favorite with us.

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Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Finisterre (Season of Mist) black metal

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Akercocke – Renaissance in Extremis (Peaceville) – death/black metal

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Ruby the Hatchet – Planetary Space Child (Tee Pee Records) – psych rock [feature review]

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BLK OPS//Cave Bastard – Split, LP (Accident Prone Records) – grindcore [feature review]

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Also on tap:

Akercocke – Renaissance in Extremis (Peaceville) – progressive black metal / death metal

An Assfull of Love – Monkey Madness (Independent) – glampunk

ANCST//King Apathy – Split (Alerta Antifascista / Supreme Chaos Records) – death/black metal, crust

Battle Raider – S/T (Fighter Records) – heavy metal

Bloodlust – At the Devil’s Left Hand (Caverna Abismal) – black metal [full review]

Bool – Fly With Me (Soulfood) – alternative rock

Built on Neon – Running Out of Time, EP (Independent) – synthwave

Cognizance – Illusory (Independent) – death metal

Crafteon – Cosmic Reawakening (Independent) – black metal

Crimfall – Amain (Metal Blade) – epic metal

Dimman – Guide My Fury (Inverse Records) – melodic death metal

Fleurety – Inquietum (Aesthetic Death) – noise, avantgarde

Grande Royale – Breaking News (The Sign Records) – rock

Howling Giant – Black Hole Space Wizard Pt. 2 (Independent) – stoner rock

Human After All – Don’t Worry It Only Gets Worse (Independent) – post hardcore

Inanimate Existence – Underneath a Melting Sky (The Artisan Era) – progressive technical death metal

Jack Starr’s Burning Starr – Stand Your Ground (High Roller Records) – heavy metal

Kal-El – Astrodoomeda (Argonauta) – stoner rock

Ledge – Cold Hard Concrete (Translation Loss) – blackened hardcore

Leng Tch’e – Razorgrind (Season of Mist) – grindcore [feature review]

Lisa Cuthbert – Hextapes (Iron Bonehead) – droning death metal

Mekigah – Autexousious (Aesthetic Death) – noise, avantgarde

Morbid Evils – Deceases (Svart Records) – grind/drone

Mordatorium – Obsessed with Death (Independent) – death metal

Neurosis – The Word As Law, Remastered (Neurot) – classic neurosis

Noothgrush/Corrupted – Split (20 Buck Spin) – sludge

Old James – Speak Volumes (Independent) – rock

Old Man Wizard – Innocent Hands (Independent) – progressive heavy rock [feature]

Pagan Altar – The Room of Shadows (Temple of Mystery) – NWOBHM

Portrait – Burn the World (Metal Blade) – heavy metal

Queens of the Stone Age – Villains (Matador) – desert rock

Samsara Circle – The Dark Passenger (Independent) – metalcore

Sannhet – So Numb (Profound Lore) – instrumental prog

Schafott – The Black Flame (High Roller Records) – extreme metal

The Artisan Era – The Euphonic Collection Vol. 1 (The Artisan Era) – label compilation

The Haunted – Strength In Numbers (Century Media) – melodic death metal

The New Roses – One More For The Road (Napalm Records) – hard rock

The Pod – S/T, Vinyl (Accident Prone Records) – experimental, drone

Ursinne – Swim With the Leviathan (Transcending Obscurity) – death metal

Vasilek – The Dark Road (Translation Loss) – ambient

Vatican – Ache of Eternity (Sorrow Carrier Records) – metallic hardcore

Vinsta – Vinsta Wiads (Trollmusic/Prophecy) – folk, melodic death metal

Vulture – The Guillotine (High Roller Records) – thrash metal

Woeful Silence / Euphrasia – Split (Cruel Bones) – black metal

Xanthochroid – Of Erthe and Axen Act. 1 (Triton’s Orbit) – cinematic black metal

– Josh