Nine Circles

October, finally. The best month of the year is upon us which is a cause for celebration. ‘But, it’s Monday’ you say – hogwash, it’s the first day of October. Moving on, metal is celebrating another release week and we’ve got your fix for all things shiny and new. What’s in store? Keep reading…

The world is pretty dark and Behemoth loves us as noted from the title of their eleventh full length I Loved You At Your Darkest. What can I say? Behemoth is still Behemoth and even though it’s not a great album it is a good one, if you dug their last handful you’ll dig this one as well. Based on the lead off single, High On Fire is back sounding better than ever with Electric Messiah which should come as no surprise – galloping riff thunder from the riff lord, color me excited. The ever chaotic and apocalyptic brand of black metal that Carpe Noctem debuted back in 2013 is even more upfront on Vitrun but more than that, this thing is an absolute beast that towers over their debut – highly recommended. Last up top is Brazil’s Piah Mater with a truly progressive death / black / rock effort on The Wandering Daughter and when I say this thing impressed the hell out of me I mean it wholeheartedly. They strike an outstanding balance of Opeth and Enslaved but turn it into something wholly their own and show off some outstanding chops in the process. Just go buy it already.

Enough chat, there’s a long list to get to down there so have at it.

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Behemoth – I Loved You At Your Darkest Hour (Metal Blade) – black / death [full review]

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High On Fire – Electric Messiah (eOne) – metal

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Carpe Noctem – Vitrun (code666) – black metal

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Piah Mater – The Wandering Daughter (code666) – death metal [profile, premiere]

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Also on tap:

A Storm of Light – Anthroscene (Translation Loss) – industrial metal

Alkymist – S/T (Indisciplinarian) – progressive doom

Allegiance – Beyond the Black Wave (Independent) – black metal

Author & Punisher – Beastland (Relapse) – industrial metal

Celestial Wolves – Call of the Void (Dunk!records / A Thousand Arms) – rock

Chapter V:F10 – Pathogenesis (Ashen Dominion) – black metal

Deathhammer – Chained To Hell (Hells Headbangers) – black / thrash

Foaming At the Mouth – Writhing (Independent) – brutal death metal

Fvzz Popvli – Magna Fvzz (Heavy Psych Sounds) – psych metal

Gridfailure and Megalophobe – Tasukete (Nefarious Industries) – avantgarde metal

Hammer King – Poseidon Will Carry Us Home (Cruz Del Sur Music) – power metal

Holocausto Em Chamas – לָשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ (Harvest of Death) – black metal

I Am the Law – Hymn of the Vulture, EP (Junecrow Media) – southern metal

Ichor – God of Thunder God of War (Seance Records) – black metal

Infestus – Thrypsis (Debemur Morti Productions) – black metal

Kalmen – Funeral Seas (Ván Records) – black / doom

Lizzies – On Thin Ice (The Sign Records) – heavy metal

Losa – Mastrucatum (Third I Rex) – black metal

Lucifericon – Al-Khem-Me (Invictus) – black / death

Lydia Laska – Ego Death (Edged Circle Productions) – black metal

Minsk / Zatokrev – Bigod (Consouling Sounds) – doom

Mongol – The Return (Sliptrick) – folk metal

Mutilated By Zombies – Scripts of Anguish (Redefining Darkness) – death metal

Mythic Sunship – Another Shape of Psychedelic Music (El Paraiso Records) – doom / jazz

One Tail, One Head – Worlds Open, Worlds Collide (Terratur Possessions) – black metal

Slaegt – The Wheel (Ván Records) – heavy metal

Sweeping Death – In Lucid (Independent) – thrash

The Brew – Art of Persuasion (Napalm Records) – fuzz / stoner

The Exploding Eyes – II (Svart Records) – psych rock

The Hazytones – Monarchs of Oblivion (Ripple Music) – doom

The Necromancers – Of Blood and Wine (Ripple Music) – doom / space rock

Unholy Baptism – Volume I: The Bonds of Servitude (Independent) – black metal

Windhand – Eternal Return (Relapse) – doom

Youth Killed It – What’s So Great, Britain (Rude Records) – punk

Yurt – IV, The Obstacle Is Everything (Independent) – progressive metal

– Josh