The 428th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist went into the mountains and was trapped inside during a snowstorm all day Friday…nothing but new releases from Belzebong, Exhumed, and more to warm my freezing bones. I’m also not a heathen; of course I spun the latest from Lovebites twice already, and DAMN it is good, maybe my current favorite power metal band right now. But the real arrow to the heart came with the first release from the forthcoming final At The Gates album. Rest In Power, Tompa.

The rest of the 9C staff contributes all sorts of aural mayhem, including buried among a trove of surprises songs from Arch Enemy, Gaerea, another round of Worm because damn it does the thing it’s doing so well; there’s also more amazingness from Converge, Shields doing a brutal assault to your inner ear, as well as more bedroom black metal beauty from Kekht Arakh.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris