Nine Circles

I’ve been experimenting with some bottom shelf bourbons as of late. Most of which should just stay at the bottom but I have found a couple of real gems that will be occupying space in my cabinet until everyone else finds out about them and they quadruple in price. And no, I’ll not tell. Anyway, if experimenting with new things is something you do we have a treasure trove of new metal this week. Kicking this list off is Oregon’s melodic black metallers Uada with their second full length Cult of a Dying Sun and they’re still melodic, still crushing but with an extra pinch of experimentation. Next up is Witch Mountain with their first full length since acquiring a new vocalist and yes, she KILLS IT so check out Witch Mountain and see how good their bluesy doom really is. Moving along is Svalbard with their, vicious hardcore / black metall..ish sound and a very important message in regards to the times we live in, new album It’s Hard To Have Hope — not only is the music a kick to the face but the message is a kick in the pants to dust yourself off and fight the good fight. Last up in the opening slots is New Hampshire’s technical (NOT TECH) death metal band Unflesh with their debut Savior which is not just technical but melodic in all the right places AND it’s a ton of fun so hopefully these guys will get signed soon. There you have it, the opening four. But — you guessed it — we have much more in store so stick around. Cheers!

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Uada – Cult of a Dying Sun (Eisenwald) – black metal

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Witch Mountain – S/T (Svart Records) – doom [full review]

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Svalbard – It’s Hard To Have Hope (Translation Loss Records) – hardcore punk [full review]

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Unflesh – Savior (Independent) – melodic death metal

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Also on tap:

Abhor – Occulta religiO (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

Aboleth – Benthos (WURMgroup) – rock

Alba – The Stolen Night (Folkvangr Records) – dark ambient

Baptists – Beacon of Faith (Southern Lord) – crust / hardcore

Bleeding Through – Love Will Kill All (SharpTone Records) – modern metal

Blood of Christ – Unrelenting Declivity of Anguish (CDN Records) – death metal

Candlemass – House of Doom, EP (Napalm Records) – doom

Carnifex (Finland) – Pathological Rites (Xtreem Music) – death metal

Christ On Parade – A Mind Is a Terrible Thing, Reissue (Neurot Recordings) – punk

DCA – Forge (BDHW) – hardcore

Deathstorm – Reaping What Is Left (High Roller Records) – death / thrash

Djevelkult – Nar Avgrunnen Apnes (Saturnal) – black metal

Dopethrone – Transcanadian Anger (Totem Cat Records) – sludge

Duvel – Attempts at Speech (Fysisk Format) – post punk

Dyecrest – Are You Not Entertained? (Inverse Records) – heavy metal

Dying Awkward Angel – Absence of Light (Rockshots Records) – death metal

End Christian – Bach Part One (Translation Loss) – black / noise / experimental

Evil-Lÿn – Disciple of Steel (No Remorse Records) – traditional heavy metal

Filli Nigrantium Inferalium – Hostia (Osmose Productions) – black metal

Graveborn – The Athenaeum (Independent) – deathcore

Graveyard – Peace (Nuclear Blast) – rock

Gunjack – Totally Insane (Sliptrick) – metal n’ roll

Helgafell – Landvaettir (Folkvangr Records) – atmospheric pagan black metal

H E X – S/T (Hummus Records) – rock

Infrared – Saviours (Independent) – thrash

Light This City – Terminal Bloom (Creator-Destructor Records) – melodic death metal [full review]

Lordi – Sexorcism (AFM) – melodic rock

Majesty of Silence – Zu Dunkel Fur Das Licht (Rockshots) – black metal

Melan Selas – Reon (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

Micawber – Beyond the Reach of the Flame (Prosthetic Records) – death metal

Midnattsol – The Aftermath (Napalm Records) – symphonic metal

nancybreathing – Awake (Boersma Records) – melodic metal

Neurosis – Pain of Mind, Reissue (Neurot Recordings) – Neurosis.

Nibiru – Netrayoni (Argonauta Records) – psychedelic sludge

Ritual Necromancy – Disinterred Horror (Dark Descent Records) – death metal

Sacrocurse – Gnostic Holocaust (Hells Headbangers) – black / death

Sadistik Forest – Morbid Majesties (Transcending Obscurity Records) – death metal

Sharp / Shock – Youth Club (Heart & Skull) – power punk

Shreikback – Why Anything? Why This? (Independent) – alternative rock

Skogen – Skuggorna Kallar (Nordvis) – folk / black

Skullsmasher – Cranial Emulsification (Night Rhythms Recordings) – death metal

Sleepwalker – 一期一会 (Sentient Ruin / Annapurna) – psych black metal

Split Cranium – I’m the Devil and I’m OK (Ipecac) – d-beat

Stortregn – Emptiness Fills the Void (Non Serviam Records) – black / death

Superhero Status – Escape the Herd (WTF Records) – hardcore

Supreme Carnage – Morbid Ways To Die (Raw Skullz Records) – death metal

The Yatin Srivastava Project – Chaos // Despair (Independent) – progressive metal

Thronetorcher – Eden’s Poison (BDHW) – modern metal

Torture Rack – Malefic Humiliation (20 Buck Spin) – death metal

Traitor’s Gate – Fallen (No Remorse Records) – heavy metal

Valgrind – Blackest Horizon (Everlasting Spew) – death metal

Various Artists – Dance For Your Life – Rare Finnish Disco & Funk 1976-1986 (Svart Records) – disco / funk

Wayfarer – World’s Blood (Profound Lore) – black metal

Wombripper – Infected Tomb (Camo Pants) – death metal

Wooden Shjips – V (Thrill Jockey) – psych rock

– Josh