big|brave

CANTO: Epica, Wode, Big | Brave, and More

CoreyLeave a comment

What’s everyone drinking tonight? I’m curious.

  • The latest installment from Wode, titled Burn In Many Mirrors, drops on April 2nd through 20 Buck Spin, and pre-orders are up for digital and physical formats. More importantly, at least terms of today’s relevance, they dropped a new track called “Fire In The Hills”, and it is expectedly awesome.
  • Big | Brave have a new LP coming soon. Vital will be released on CD and digitally on April 23rd, with a vinyl format following on July 9th, from Southern Lord. For a glimpse into what’s to come, check out the video for “Half Breed”. It’s a Friday, so there are new videos to share all over the place, but make sure this one is on your list.
  • Oceans has a new EP scheduled for an April 30th release through Nuclear Blast, titled We Are Nøt Okay, and today they released a video for the title-track. Andy Dörner of Caliban jumped in to provide some vocals on that one, which is pretty cool.
  • And lastly, this has been coming for awhile, today is the official release date for Ωmega, the latest studio album from symphonic metal legends Epica. To celebrate the album’s arrival, they’ve also released a new music video for “Skeleton Key”, which has been embedded immediately below. Check it out.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Best of 2019: Jon’s List

JonLeave a comment

Best of 2019

This past year for me was spent quietly tending to personal projects and family concerns. Most of the reviews I wrote were in the first half; the second half I mostly concerned myself with releasing another Domestikwom album, starting a movie podcast with Chris, and a YouTube channel with occasional Nine Circles contributor and Qoheleth noise man Jeremy Hunt.

When I finally lifted my head above ground, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had actually done a good enough job of keeping up with the year’s new releases that I could put together a list I could stand behind.   Continue reading →

Nine* Circles ov…What “Didn’t” Make My 2019 End of Year List (But Should Have)

Chris3 Comments

Best of 2019

* Hey it’s Thursday!  And it’s more than 9!  What else is new?  I hereby fully (don’t) apologize for the late entry that clearly doesn’t at all conform to the format.  Suck it….

I tried to keep my 2019 End of Year list(s) brief…I really did.  But like last year simply too much happens in the span of 365 days to limit advocating and championing the things one comes to love.  And I’m not talking about the release of records.  I’m speaking to the way we change and grow and mutate with every experience, the way what we hold dear or take comfort in stands as a totem or ward against the hate and pain of a world gone mad, a world that grinds away at our compassion, our love, and our fortitude to stand against it while maintaining the core of who we are.  Continue reading →

Album Review: Big|Brave – “A Gaze Among Them”

Jon2 Comments

big brave - a gaze among them

It is a fairly common experience for people (read: me) getting into meditation for the first time to experience difficulty in quieting one’s mind. Repeating mantras over and over can sometimes be helpful , because that repetition gives the conscious mind a concrete task to focus on, which frees up the rest of the person. The language used can change based on the tradition it’s found in of course, but the idea of using repetition to lower defenses and experience something wonderful is all I have been able to think about as I continue to sit with Big|Brave‘s new album, A Gaze Among Them.   Continue reading →