Too many albums, too few reviewers…that’s the problem with all the metal blogs, not just this one. What do you do? How do you get a sense of what’s out there if you’re only listening to a fraction of what’s getting released? How do you open yourself up to new music? I guess you can stop listening to all your favorite stuff and just consume nothing but new releases, but let’s face it: there’s no way in HELL I’m giving up my 70s rock and prog and jazz and – yes – country favorites (Waylon Jennings is a fuckin’ OUTLAW, y’all…). Alternately, you can jump into all the unpicked promos and each month devote a sentence or two giving a sense of what you gleaned from it.

Think of it as my new monthly (fingers crossed) stab at the periodic “Albums I Only Have Time to Review in One Sentence” series, except it’s just going to cover the month that was. Got it? Then let’s dive into this edition of Nine Circles ov… and see what’s been cooking in January 2024.