One Zero Zero, baby! Episode 100 of The Nine Circles Audio Thing is here, and after a September break the AOTM is back and covering the sophomore album from Quebec’s First Fragment, “Gloire Éternelle.” Buke rallies the troops including Hera, Ian, Angela, Vincent, and a freshly returned from the wastelands Anton (who had the pick this month) as they discuss tech death’s short shrift in the metal conversation, the joys of fretless bass, and a whole lot more concerning one of the best the genre has to offer.
It’s an interesting choice for the team, with staunch tech death advocates on one side of the house and folks that…let’s say lean toward the polar opposite in terms of musical tastes. And yet, there’s something undeniable about the way First Fragment blend so many different styles into their unique brand of music. Of course it helps immensely when you have people like Phil Tougas and Dominic Lapointe bringing the heat in at a nuclear level. Unique Leader is no stranger to putting out great technical death metal, but in First Fragment we have something that colors outsides those lines and yet stands as a champion of what the label and genre have to offer.
All that and – surprising no one – a lengthy segment about some of the other great music that came out in October (though no mention of Mastodon…something we’ll rectify for year, end ;-)) including fellow tech death nerds Archspire who released their mammoth second album Bleed the Future, Monolord’s latest Your Time to Shine, and the death doom glory of Foreverglad by Worm.
Deep waters ahead so dive in and join the crew!
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In the meantime, keep it heavy…keep it safe…and we’ll see you next time!
Gloire Éternelle is available now on Unique Leader Records. For more information on First Fragment, visit their Facebook page.
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