2020’s The Divine Apostate is an album that I initially slept on. As in all things, I should have listened to Josh from the start, but I was a little slow on the uptake when it came to Angerot. However, once I tried their branded coffee on a complete whim (and you should too, as noted here), I quickly moved on to their music and was suitably impressed. We’ve made no bones about our fervor for The Profound Recreant, but it should be noted all the same that this has the potential to blow even our high expectations right out of the water.
In the interest of this post’s spirit, this is a week I’ve been looking forward to for some time. To the point, that’s the point of these. If that makes sense. Anyway, we’ve got four titans across two genres in the highlight spots. First up is the long anticipated third album from Angerot who split death metal right down the middle and stomp on its entrails then we’ve got a stunning display of technical death metal precision from Maze of Sothoth. Second, we’ve got a duo of black metal to the tune of two seriously heavy hitters: Xalpen and Mork. Plus, there’s a ton more releases hiding out below so this week will be a fun one for all of us. Happy hunting and see you here throughout the week.
Since we somehow managed to complete another trip around the sun recently, I’ve seen a lot of those anticipatory posts flying around where people share what albums they’re looking forward to in the year ahead. And I get it. Lists are clickbait-y, and there actually is a lot of stuff to look forward to in Metal: 2023. Being one to regularly cave to peer pressure, I figured we could jump on that train as well. And by “we”, I mean your Nine Circles editing staff, also known as the Top Brass, and also known as the Benevolent Overlords to at least one person. See, I personally didn’t want to write up on nine different albums that don’t even exist yet. It’s hard for me to explain why I’m looking forward to something beyond simply saying “I like that band, so I hope the new album doesn’t suck”. But two or three albums? I can bullshit my way through that, no problem. And wouldn’t you know it? Other members of the editing team were willing to drop some words on a couple albums of their choosing, as well. That, my friends, is how we got here. So without further delay, starting with my picks, here are nine albums the Nine Circles Top Brass are looking forward to in the year ahead.
That’s it. So long 2022, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. I just posted my end of year list, and yeah: the #1 pick is a crossover hardcore punk album that incorporates free jazz and noise and everything under the sun…what else did you expect? So let’s kick off the last edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with the mighty OFF! and see what else will help us close out the new year.
To paraphrase The Outer Limits, I will control the horizontal. I will control the vertical. So that means I’m also going to front-load this with the 80s metal I picked up on vinyl and cassette this week. Which means you’re getting dosed with some classic Accept and Satan…you’re welcome. Elsewhere in the Nine Circles universe we’ve got plenty of heavy to ring in 2023, including music from Angerot, Shores of Lunacy and Leper Colony, a blast of bangers from Yob, Mizmor + Thou and Nechochwen, more killer music from Predatory Light (I really need to revisit that) and Moonlight Sorcery, not to mention D. Morris BRINGING IT with some classic Harvey Milk. There’s a ton more, including God Mother, Windhand, Asunojuokei (for once not added by me, so thanks Ian!), and Morrow, among others.
That’s it for 2022. Get listening. Stay safe. See you next year…
Hail and well met! We’re offering something different to the Old Ones this time around, but it’s something that nonetheless excites me and speaks to my soul. Both offerings do, in fact, but each for their own unique reasons. Receiving the Evcharist is our weekly feature where we pair choice albums with our favorite libations. Drink from the cup of heresy. This week’s offering: Cult of Luna’s The Raging River and Grindcore Coffee Company’s The Divine Apostate.
Nine Circles 