atomic fire records – Nine Circles

CANTO: Spectral Voice, Sonata Arctica, Heilung, and More

December 8, 2023December 8, 2023CoreyLeave a comment

I think, maybe, my 2023 list is complete? We’ll see how I feel in an hour.

Sonata Arctica unveiled a new single, accompanied by a lyric video. Check out “A Monster Only You Can’t See” here. Clear Cold Beyond, their new album, will be out on March 8 through Atomic Fire Records.
Heilung premiered a new song at The Game Awards last night in Los Angeles, one written in collaboration with Ninja Theory for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, scheduled for a 2024 release. Check out footage of the performance here.
The debut album from Seltsame Erden, a black metal project out of Germany, is coming early next year. Gedankentempeln officially drops on February 9 through Chaos Records, and it can be streamed in its entirety over on Bandcamp.
Danish progressive metallers Manticora shared a new single and lyric video from Mycelium, titled “Necropolitans”. That album arrives on January 26 through Mighty Music.
I suppose it would be silly to not wrap up with Spectral Voice. At last, a new album is on the horizon. Sparagmos is slated for a February 9 release through Dark Descent Records and a video for “Red Feasts Condensed into One” is available below. Crushing death doom, in all the ways we want it.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

CANTO: Lightlorn, October Tide, Drab Majesty, and More

August 25, 2023August 25, 2023CoreyLeave a comment

Last Friday happenings!

Cosmic black metal? Son of a bitch, I’m in! Lightlorn is releasing their debut full-length, At One with the Night Sky, on September 29 through Black Lion Records. Give “Dimensionless Blackness” a listen here.
October Tide is some solid Swedish death/doom, so let’s go there next. Check out the lyric video for their latest, “Tapestry Of Our End”. Their seventh studio album, The Cancer Pledge, is out on October 6 through Agonia Records.
Holy shit! The Hinderers is coming to vinyl! Out through Metal Blade, and you bet your ass I jumped right on this. Love me some Dååth.
Drab Majesty is next, I guess. They released the new mini album, An Object In Motion, through Dais Records. Here’s “Yield To Force”, should you find yourself interested.
I’m closing with Amorphis because that’s never a bad idea. Check out the performance video for “Amongst Stars”, which features Anneke Van Giersbergen. That’s taken from Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021), which will be available through Atomic Fire. Side note, I still have no idea how this wasn’t the closing track for Queen of Time.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

CANTO: Angra, Tarja, The Circle, and More

July 5, 2023July 5, 2023CoreyLeave a comment

This is going to be the only one of these this week because I just don’t have time for this shit right now.

Brazilian progressive power metallers Angra have signed on with Atomic Fire Records, and are releasing a new album on November 3 titled Cycles Of Pain. Will keep eyes on this as new material emerges.
California’s Dayseeker have an upcoming headlining tour in September, where they’ll be supported by Silent Planet and Moxy the Band. Tickets go on sale Friday, and while you’re at it they also have vinyl reissues of Sleeptalk and Dark Sun available for preorder.
Tarja is releasing Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church on August 11 through earMUSIC, and in the latest sample from that collection we have a cover of In Flames’ “Alias”. The video for that is available here.
Industrial metal veterans Megaherz are releasing In Teufels Namen, also on August 11, through Napalm Records. Give the second new single, “Engelsgesicht”, a listen here.
And to wrap up the day, we have the latest from The Circle. The German art metallers are releasing Of Awakening on August 18 through AOP records, and the video for the title-track can be seen immediately below.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Album Review: Jag Panzer — “The Hallowed”

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023DanLeave a comment

In 2017, Jag Panzer pulled off a pretty neat trick. The Deviant Chord saw the Colorado power metal vets return after a six-year absence and absolutely lay waste to all in their path. From the opening harmonies of “Born of the Flame” through final gallops of “Dare,” the band took singer Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin’s anthemic advice: dare to be bold, dare to lead, dare to venture beyond all belief. The album was a complete stunner — a perfect showcase of a band simultaneously aging gracefully and, critically, still sounding pretty fucking vital within the metal landscape.

Following up an album like that was always going to be a tall order. But after a further six years, album number twelve — The Hallowed — arrives this week to give it a go.

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Initial Descent: June 18 – 24, 2023

June 19, 2023June 18, 2023JoshLeave a comment

Hopefully all the dads out there got the LED out yesterday. But, if not, let us introduce you to this week’s batch of stuff that you can do just that with. Oh, you miss me? Of course you didn’t since Dan took excellent care of all you heathens. NOW, one of my favorite instrumental progdoomers Stinking Lizaveta return, cinema grinders Graf Orlock are calling it quits but not without dropping a nuclear warhead first, Jag Panzer continue to put a capital H in heavy metal, Pylar go all occult drone and doom on us, and there’s a ton more in the list below. Seek these out and play them loud. See you here throughout the week…

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