Nine Circles

Lots of things happening this month: March Madness, warmer weather (sort of) and the time change. So if you’re into any of that, have at it. Around here, new metal is what’s happening and if you came here looking for it you’re definitely in luck. Long list ahead so let’s get to it — first up is the absolutely vicious yet cuttingly personal black/death of Lo and I am Burning from Slaves BC. As you are all aware (or not) Josh Thieler writes for us from time to time and we love him dearly but that has nothing to do with top billing this week, this band has grown exponentially and have put their best foot forward here. Next up is Where Owls Know My Name by Rivers of Nihil and this is another album where a band has put their best foot forward, technical death metal that bleeds forward thinking and rules. Moving along is the extremely soothing dark folk of Ulvesang on The Hunt, this is the one you need while contemplating life or just trying to get through it — perfect soundtrack. Closing out the top slots this week is the EP Question from the Mexican quartet of the same name Question, this thing is ultra-aggressive, extreme and with four tracks it steamrolls the senses in the best way possible. Plenty of fodder already for end of year thoughts but there’s much more to get to. Stick around and bask in the rest…

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Slaves BC – Lo and I Am Burning (The Fear and The Void Recordings) – black / death [full review]

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Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name (Metal Blade) – death metal [full review]

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Ulvesang – The Hunt (Nordvis Produktion) – darkfolk / neofolk

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Question – S/T (Caligari Records) – death metal

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Also on tap:

As Oceans – Still Miles To Go (Primitive Ways Records) – death metal

Balmog – Vacvvm (War Anthem Records) – black metal

Below a Silent Sky – A View From Afar (Independent) – sludge / doom

Black Wizard – Livin’ Oblivion (Listenable Records) – metal / rock

Cist – The Frozen Casket (Camo Pants Records) – death metal

Deconstructing Sequence – Cosmic Progression: An Agonizing Journey Through Oddities of Space (Independent) – extreme prog

Eyes of the Sun – Chapter 1 (Blacklight Media / Metal Blade) – doom / sludge

FerreTT – Snow On FerreTT Mountain, EP (Independent) – glam metal

Goath – II – Opposition (Van Records) – black / death

Godthrymm – A Grand Reclamation (Transcending Records) – doom metal

Gravehill – The Unchaste, The Wicked and The Profane (Dark Descent) – death metal

Green Druid – Ashen Blood (Earache Records) – psych stoner doom

Gygax – Second Edition (Creator-Destructor Records) – rock

Hell To Pay – Bliss (GTR Records) – metallic hardcore

Hell’s Coronation – Unholy Blades of the Devil (Godz Ov War Productions) – black metal

Hiidenhauta – 1695 (Inverse Records) – melodic black metal

High Reeper – S/T (Heavy Psych Sounds) – doom / rock

Hypnotheticall – Synchreality (Revalve Records) – progressive metal

Jirm – Surge Ex Monumentis (Small Stone) – heavy rock

Judaswiege – Ashes of the Heretic (Godz Ov War Productions) – black / speed

Kevin Haskins – Bauhaus – Undead (Cleopatra Records) – book

Kingdom – Putrescent Remains of the Dead Ground (Godz Ov War Productions) – death metal

Little Caesar – Eight (Golden Robot Records) – rock

Malady – Toinen toista (Svart Records) – prog rock

Misanthropic Rage – Igna Natura Renovatur Integra (Godz Ov War Productions) – black metal

Monotheist – Scourge (Prosthetic Records) – progressive death metal

Moonshine Booze – Desert Road (Seahorse Recordings) – rock

Morbosidad – Corona de Epidemia (Nuclear War Now! Productions) – black / death

Mrykraverk – Near Döden (Blut & Eisen Productions) – black metal

NDE – United (Cold Spring) – industrial

North Hammer – Stormcaller (Independent) – folk metal

Oceans – Far From Composure (Independent) – post-hardcore

On Thorns I Lay – Aegean Sorrow (Alone Records / The Vinyl Division) – death / doom

Owl Maker – Paths of the Slain (Independent) – heavy metal

Pestilent Reign – Pyres (Rising Nemesis Records) – death metal

Rancorous – Into the Nuclear Fire (Independent) – death/thrash

Revel In Flesh – Relics of the Deathkult, Comp. (War Anthem Records) – death metal

Rites of Thy Degringolade – The Blade Philosophical (Nuclear War Now! Productions) – extreme metal

Rome In Monochrome – Away From Light (Bad Moon Man Music) – doomgaze

Saber Tiger – Bystander Effect (Sliptrick Records) – heavy metal

Schattenfall – Schatten In Schwarz, Reissue (Redefining Darkness) – atmospheric black metal

She Spread Sorrow – Midori (Cold Spring) – industrial

Sojourner – The Shadowed Road (Folkvangr Records / Avantgarde Music) – folk metal

Stillborn – Crave for Killing (Godz Ov War Productions) – death metal

The Crown – Cobra Speed Venom (Metal Blade) – thrash

Therion – Blood Of the Dragon (Stygian Crypt Productions / Possession Productions) – metal / rock covers

Twingiant – Mass Driver, Reissue (Sludgelord Records) – psych doom

Veiled – Black Celestial Orbs (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

– Josh