cavernlight – Nine Circles

Best of 2022: Angela’s Honorable Mentions

December 27, 2022December 26, 2022Angela Block1 Comment

This is my first year writing up an honorable mentions list. I really struggled narrowing things down this year (well, I struggle every year) and thought instead of cutting out albums that deserve praise, I would make an additional list. This list is not ranked and because it contains artists that I admire, I also wrote up many of the full-length reviews for these. I have included albums that may not be 100% metal but contain metal elements and are on the heavier side. I also wanted to bring some attention to albums that my lovely colleagues here may not be writing about so we continue our diverse listings. I love that the 9C fam has varying musical tastes and we respect everyone’s opinions. EOY time is our favorite and the lists keep rolling out. Check them out here. This list is very much an Angela list (spoiler alert – a lot of doom and a lot of femme power) and I hope others also enjoy and check out these wonderful artists.

Let’s crack into it!

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The Nine Circles Audio Thing: Cavernlight was May 2022’s Album of the Month!

June 22, 2022June 20, 2022Chris1 Comment

Angela puts in her first pick for Album of the Month, and joins Ian, Vincent, and Hera while Buke captains the episode. This time the group dissects the roiling turmoil that is As I Cast Ruin Upon the Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw, the second full length from Cavernlight. After that it’s the usual discourse around what else everyone has been listening to since last getting (virtually) together to chat.

Dig in and enjoy this, the 140th episode of The Nine Circles Audio Thing.

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 233 (5.28.2022)

May 28, 2022May 28, 2022CoreyLeave a comment

Greetings, everyone! Corey coming at you with our weekly playlist this time, as Chris is off doing way more fun things than this. Meanwhile, I’m on Cape Cod for a wedding this weekend. A cold… rainy… bleak Cape Cod on Memorial Day weekend. Is that also more fun than this? Maybe. And just to pout a little bit, seeing all my friends MDFing this weekend has also brought some nostalgia feels. Oh well. At least I have a fridge full of Tree House to entertain myself with up to and (if I pace myself) through the Champions League Final. Now that’s a tradition on this holiday weekend that I do still very much enjoy and practice. ANYWAY.

Fortunately, even on these dreariest of Saturdays, we have these handful of songs to entertain ourselves with for a spell. This time around, part of the playlist is directly inspired by a very important album announcement from Blind Guardian, something we should all be celebrating. Beyond that, we covered quite the range this week. On the more gothic side of things we have some stuff from The Sisters of Mercy and Chelsea Wolfe, new material from Cavernlight and Behold! The Monolith to pummel you into the ground, and then a few classics from the likes of Entrails and Nasum, and, of course, so so much more. You know what to do. Hit that Play button below, and sit back and enjoy the grey.

—

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Album Review: Cavernlight — “As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw”

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022Angela Block1 Comment

Wisconsin natives and sludge/doom metal lords Cavernlight have returned after five long years with a stellar sophomore release—As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw. If you are already familiar with this band, you know that they do not skimp on album titles. As this release’s poetic title suggests, the album is full of angsty darkness that is sure to appeal to neurodivergent metal fans such as myself. While the tunes are crushingly heavy, there is a catharsis to it resulting in a beautifully expressive album which will resonate with many listeners. As I Cast Ruin… brings everything Cavernlight offered in their debut while expanding on soundscapes and programming created movements. There are no dull moments and many unique compositions to make this album one-of-a-kind and an excellent continuation of the band’s journey.

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CANTO: Denouncement Pyre, SVNEATR, Spiritus Mortis, and More

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022CoreyLeave a comment

Whole lot of content these days. It’s a good thing, overall.

Let’s start by checking in with Cavernlight. As we all know by now, As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw is out on May 13th through Translation Loss. And today, the band revealed the third and final single off that album, “Gaze Into The Glow And Drift Into Time”, which is available over at Metal Injection.
Canadian black metal project SVNEATR have signed on with Prosthetic Records, where they’ll release their third album in the near future. Additionally, they have a tour run through Canada coming up in June. So make sure to take advantage of that if the opportunity presents itself.
Spiritus Mortis have announced a new album, The Great Seal, which will be released through Svart Records this coming September. Check out the music video for “Death’s Charioteer” right now.
Over at Nuclear Blast, Bleed From Within released their third single, with music video, for “Stand Down”. Their new album, Shrine, is out on June 3rd.
We’ll wrap up the day (and for me, the week), with the latest new material from Denouncement Pyre. Check out the new video for “Hung Like Swine” below. Forever Burning is out on June 17 through Agonia Records.