Nine Circles

Literally no one said ‘hey, I want to read this lengthy ass intro of blah blah’s and yada yada’s’ when there’s a mountain of metal to get to. So, shall we?! I know, it’s Monday. But still, LET’S DO IT.

When I think of power metal, what I really think of is the thrashy classic metal leaning sort that Atlanta’s Paladin provide on debut full length Ascension. After being head over heels with their previous pair of shweeet demos, this surpasses my expectations and brings a mile wide grin. Weeping Choir, the fourth full length from Full of Hell, touches on nearly every facet of the band’s busy history and is one of their most ferocious outings yet; grind, death, noise, experimental, the list could go on but you get the idea and you know they rule so, do that – choirs will definitely weep. Lo-Pan just continue to be one of the most exciting bands in heavy rock today and on Subtle they put an exclamation mark on that statement and are anything but subtle. Last up top is the legendary Saint Vitus with their first full length in seven years and ninth overall, Saint Vitus, AND with Scott Reagers back behind the mic. Personally, I was stoked for this thing and even though it’s not one of their best it is very good and I’m enjoying it. Your mileage may vary, etc etc.

One thing left to do…go and explore.

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Paladin – Ascension (Prosthetic) – thrashy power metal

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Full of Hell – Weeping Choir (Relapse) – death metal

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Lo-Pan – Subtle (Aqualamb) – heavy rock

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Saint Vitus – S/T (Season of Mist) – doom

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Also on tap:

Age of the Wolf – Ouroboric Trances (Aural Music) – doom

Ares Kingdom – By the Light of their Destruction (Nuclear War Now! Productions) – black metal

Calyx – Vientos Arcaicos (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

Délétère – Theovorator: Babelis Testamentum (Sepulchral Productions) – black metal

Depraved Murder – Manifestation (Comatose Music) – brutal death metal

Doombanomicon – Doombanomicon, Curation (Black Doomba Records) – doom

Duel – Valley of Shadows (Heavy Psych Sounds) – heavy rock

Encoffination – We Proclaim Your Death, O’ Lord (Selfmadegod) – death metal

Entombed – Clandestine Live (Threeman Recordings) – death metal

Eye of the Destroyer – Baptized in Pain (High Potency) – death metal

Glassing – Spotted Horse (Brutal Panda) – blackgaze

Grimgotts – Dragons of the Ages (Independent) – symphonic power metal

Haunt – If Icarus Could Fly (Shadow Kingdom) – heavy metal

Heathe – On the Tombstones, the Symbols Engraved (Wolves and Vibrancy) – doom / noise

Ironguard – Towards Victory (Heathen Tribes) – power metal

K-X-P – IV (Svart) – synth

König Kobra – Level für Level (Boersma) – synth / punk

Mystik – S/T (I Hate) – speed metal

Necrosexual – Gory Hole (Independent) – corpse metal

Order 1968 – Tears In the Snow (AnnapurnA) – ambient

Óreida – S/T (Harvest of Death) – black metal

Prag 83 – Énouement, EP (Nordvis) – folk

Pythia – The Solace of Ancient Earth (Golden Axe) – symphonic metal

Riot City – Burn the Night (No Remorse) – heavy metal

Sadism – Ethereal Dead Cult (Toxic/Mechanix) – death metal

Step In Fluid – Back In Business (Klonosphere / Season of Mist) – experimental metal

Terrible Headache – Der rote Baron (Boersma) – thrash

Uivo Bastardo – Clepsydra (Ethereal Sound Works) – metal

Ungoliantha – The Howl In the Waste (Independent) – black metal

Vale of Pnath – Accursed, EP (Willowtip) – technical death metal

Voëmmr – O ovnh intot adr mordrb (Harvest of Death) – black metal

Worshipper – Light In the Wire (Tee Pee) – metal / stoner

– Josh