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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 384 (04.19.2025)

Chris2 Comments
playlist - mixtape

The 384th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist got home late but refreshed from vacation, and is now on his third cup of glorious coffee (vacation was great but goddamn did I miss making my coffee) before 6am so let’s get right into it. Lik brings the HM-2 filth with their new album Necro, Melvins return in their 1983 incarnation with a new ripper, and the latest from Tribunal is the closest vibe to the weird amount of doom I listened to while sunning myself on the beach.

The rest of the 9C staff hid their own Easter eggs throughout the playlist, including another killer from Jeremiah Kane, new King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (once again operating in 70s boogie mode), wicked death metal from Poland via Dormant Ordeal, sad emo from Greet Death, classic metalcore from Shai Hulud and a lot more. Hell, we even got some new Fozzy in here.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

Rainbows in the Dark: Ian’s Best of 2023

IanLeave a comment
Best of 2023

I’m actually the most excited to write about this list above all the other ones that I’ve written because it contains the least amount of content that has been featured on the site.  We’ve written and talked about a fair share of purely non-metal albums this year, but the ones that I’ve been in touch with the most are the ones that I have kept the closest to my chest.  I enjoy a few surprises at the end of the year, and while you may have heard me gush about a few of these albums more than once, there should be enough curveballs in there to sufficiently throw you off the scent if you think you know what’s coming.  These are the albums that I flew to in the bad times, when I was too down to get into the spirit of metal, even as catharsis, and they’re albums I listened to to celebrate the good that happened this year.  It’s good to get some variety in the mix anyway, and these are some of the best ways I can think of to get that in there.  

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 312 (12.02.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

We’re here, folks. The End Times. The End (of year) Times. And like a soaring eagle, daring us to fly so high is Bruce Dickinson, giving us the first single from his forthcoming solo album The Mandrake Project. Truly we live in wonder. Not only that, but the reigning king of emo black metal (fight me) Këkht Aräkh is back with a new single as well. All that and Cryptosis ripped my head off with a new EP this morning. December looks good, is what I’m sayin’…

Enough of my yuletide joys. The rest of the 9C crew is decking the halls with righteous metal, including more Panopticon from the newly released Rime of Memory (spoiler: it’s the AOTM for November), and tracks from Persefone, In Flames (ignore the haters, because Foregone is FIRE) Celeste, the righteous rock of the ’68, the newly remixed and remastered Sunbather from Deafheaven, a little dash of Decipher and Vomitory, as well as more surprises. Finally we bring it home with a classic track from The Pogues. Rest in Peace, Shane MacGowan. No one did it like you, and you were instrumental to broadening the horizons of a young punk in 1990 when he heard Rum Sodomy & the Lash for the first time (even though the track picked was from If I Should Fall From the Grace of God).

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 310 (11.18.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

It seemed like a no-brainer: Judas Priest just released the second singe from their forthcoming album Invincible Shield. What better way to kick off the 310th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist? But then out of nowhere…holy SHIT that new Ihsahn track! Dude has got some unfinished Emperor business buried in those riffs, so you get two killer cuts to end your week the right way.

The playlist is a little light this week as folks wend their way through Decibel’s annual “leak” of their Best of 2023 list, but we’ve got new tracks from a re-ignited Sadus, noise merchants Ex Everything, and cuts from the likes of Distances, Eternal Storm, Gridlink, the return of Darkest Hour, and more. You want some Mephitic Grave? We got it! Scuzzy death from Enforced? You’re covered! You say you want TWO tracks from Panopticon? Uh, I usually don’t allow it but we’re light this week so…okay! I never heard of Vansind before Angela’s review this week, but here’s some swordplay and metal for you! All that and I’m throwing in some Zulu because seriously…A New Tomorrow is one of the best heavy albums to come out this year.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 306 (10.21.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Like it or not, we’re creeping up on the end of the year, and I’ve been slowly going through my 2023 albums and generating a rough pile of considerations, and an even larger pile of stuff I can delete now knowing I’ll never miss it (sorry, Code Orange. Once was enough). So this was going to kick off with some albums like Insomnium (double dipping with a new EP coming in a few weeks) and Pupil Slicer that reminded me how great some early and mid-year releases were, but then here comes the insane Callous Daoboys EP to remind me it ain’t over yet, baby.

But that’s not all you’ll hear in the in the 306th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist. We’ve got new tracks from Vokonis, Slõdder, Harms Way, and Moonlight Sorcery, new sleaze from Steel Panther, a blazing preview of the new Sepulchral Curse, and then – inexplicably – a bunch of old songs, mainly non-metal. Maybe it’s the weather? Who knows, they’re bunched up at the end but maybe, just maybe, there’s something awaiting you inside…

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 296 (8.13.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape


A day late and a dollar short for the 296th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist. It’s too hot, work sucks, and honestly I spent Friday and Saturday drinking, watching terrible movies and barbecuing with family. Priorities, folks.

So a Sunday list for you, obliviously curated to contain whatever tracks the gang picked – I barely looked because honestly I’m knee deep in the beautiful 50th Anniversary set of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album and concert film. Looks like we have tracks from Celestial Annihilator, Body Void, Mantar, Krieg, Agima Sun, Urne, and other stuff.

Oh, and Cannibal Corpse. In fact let’s kick off with that.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week. Unless I forget.

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– Chris