In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.
There’s a few things in my life that get me extremely hyped up like a new batch of releases from Psychic Violence Records. The underground metal stalwarts have been churning out heavy music par excellence from some of my favorite acts like Ash Borer, Urzeit, and Ruin Lust (seriously, please listen to their album), for eight years, and the trend in quality is only ever upwards; between the latest Predatory Light full-length, Sanguine Eagle album, and the newest Akatharsia (which I raved about over here), the label’s most recent output has been some of the best they’ve ever released. So when Psychic Violence announced their newest batch of releases, I knew I couldn’t just pick one to review. That’s where our Second Circle format comes in handy. Buckle up for a double dose of destruction by way of A Story of Rats and Vilkacis. Continue reading