Author: ninecirclesadmin

Profile: Mike White of Cranium Crushers Bather

ninecirclesadminLeave a comment

Bather

If you will, think of any moment in metal when every ounce of your being wants to explode and a devilish grin forms – you know what I’m talking about. Right there, at that moment, is where Bather exists and on their self-titled debut, released earlier this year, they plow through six tracks of death, sludge, and caustic grooves that because of their blunt force, some have sidled it with the -coreisms of metal. After experiencing this thing for hours on end, I can see where that correlation comes from, it’s like a wall of napalm that lays waste to everything in its path but just enough melody to keep that head moving. Good. Stuff. Period. Anyway, we recently posed our set of Profile questions to the band and drummer Mike White gave us the rundown. Head inside to check it out and hit those links to snag your own copy. Continue reading →

Profile: GA’s Unapologetic Punk Rockers Hembree & the Satan Sisters

ninecirclesadmin1 Comment

Hembree and the Satan Sisters

Many of you may remember Zack Hembree as vocalist and one of the founding members of TORO or possibly from this Profile we did with him surrounding the release of an EP. Zack has since moved on to form Hembree & the Satan Sisters, a band that gleefully caters to Hembree’s unrepentant punk side. Together with likeminded band members that share his vision, the band’s debut F.Y.F. will see the light of day later this month. It’s unadulterated punk rock that reeks of barroom brawls and ringside seats. We recently reached out with our set of Profile questions and received in-depth and lengthy answers, which is always appreciated. Head below to see how it went down and show them love from the links contained within. Continue reading →

Profile: Romain Daut of Psychsters Bright Curse

ninecirclesadminLeave a comment

Bright Curse

On the heels of an unfortunate label debacle and a lineup change or two, France’s Bright Curse have returned with a stunning second full length of doom laden, hazy psych rock. The addition of exotic instruments and longer jam sequences finds the band separating itself from their more rock heavy debut but also with a more mature ability to just let their dreamy sequences go wherever they may lead. Jazz, in particular, is known for that kind of spontaneity and on Time of the Healer Bright Curse show they have much more to offer than just spaced out riffs. The album came out back in May and between then and now we had a chance to ask Romain Daut (guitar, flute, and vocals) our set of Profile questions to which he was very generous in his responses. Head below to see how it went down and grab yourself a copy from the links contained within. Continue reading →

Profile: Simon Ohlsson of Progress-edelic Metallers Vokonis

ninecirclesadmin1 Comment

Vokonis

Progressive and psychedelic (hence progress-edelic), in metal, can mean varied results that most often lean towards too much effort and not enough payoff, but in the case of Vokonis’ third full length Grasping Time, it means a band that is forward thinking AND top of the class in these particular styles. The album effortlessly meanders between the sensibilities of Ufomammut and the heft of Khemmis without ever being a copy of either on this 45 minutes of sheer bliss – seriously, this album is great and the band finally has a clear and unique identity. On top of that, Grasping Time is their best and tightest effort yet; the songwriting is better and never falls flat, the riffs are huge, the melodies are addictive, and the vocals are pristine with exceptional range. Just ahead of the album’s release we reached out with our set of Profile questions to get the backstory and Simon Ohlsson (guitars, vocals) responded, so head directly below to see how it went down and DO NOT miss this opportunity to grab a copy for yourself – links contained within. Continue reading →

Profile: Naut of Sonic Black Metallers Necronautical

ninecirclesadmin1 Comment
Necronautical
Necronautical – photo courtesy of Ester Segarra

Melodic, symphonic, and atmospheric walk into a bar and proceed to drunken obliteration with their new found friend, ripping black metal – such is the case with the UK’s Necronautical on their upcoming third full length Apotheosis. This smorgasbord is nothing new, of course, but the band’s approach to it is staggering and a damn joy to experience, to say the least. Debut Black Sea Misanthropy was a melodic, aggressive, and catchy first effort but while it was very confident in itself it lacked a stone cold identity. Then on The Endurance At Night the band awakened their symphonic third eye and abruptly fixed the identity crisis while keeping a firm hold on their striking power. Now, the lessons learned result in an epic and majestic 50 minutes of black metal that borrows equally from those barflys we met earlier and as cliche as this may seem, Apotheosis is unique, immersive, and captivating. Ahead of the album’s release, we reached out with our set of Profile questions and Naut (vocals, guitar, keys) answered the call with a fury. Head below to see how it went down and DO NOT miss the preorder on this one, links are contained within. Continue reading →