concrete winds – Nine Circles

Initial Descent: November 21 – 27, 2021

November 22, 2021November 17, 2021JoshLeave a comment

Stateside we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving this week which means…we eat. A lot. And watch football. Then nap on the couch. Some will then commence the absurdity that is Black Friday where normal folks turn into animals and nearly kill each other to save a buck or be first to that precious PS5 while trampling bodies underfoot. Ahhh, good times. For the rest of you, it’ll be Thursday and Friday, yay for you. Anyway, new metal is here for your perusal and kicking things off we’ve got a long awaited return from Hypocrisy, a live album from The Ocean who are unmistakably one of the heaviest hitters in the post-metal scene, a death metal kidney punch from Teeth, speedy blackened death metal from Concrete Winds, and a whole host more that follows. There’s even a couple of Christmas albums down below just in case you haven’t already had enough of that. Whatever you’ll be celebrating or doing this week, there’s plenty here to soundtrack it so get after it.

Continue reading →

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 205 (11.13.2021)

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021ChrisLeave a comment

We’re kicking through November, and I’m here with my usual: a steaming cup of coffee in a cup big enough to swim in, and a playlist of all the metal I’ve listened to in 2021 to start sorting out end of year stuff.

It’s a loooong list.

So to make it easier OF COURSE I’m going to kick it off with some Darkthrone. But the rest of the crew is definitely going to bring you to some uncharted corners for Volume 205 of the Nine Circles Playlist. I don’t know who Thangorodrim are, but they’re bringing the dark vibes on their debut. Jon just has a birthday, so he’s letting loose with some faves like Dethklok and Strapping Young Lad. Josh is over the moon over the news that Death Breath are coming back, and The Halo Effect, aka In Flames 2.0 seem to be moving in a good direction with their debut single. Vincent crosses the border into pop with some good good CHVRCHES but quickly hops back over with the long awaited new song from Nechochwen. And Ian closes us out this week with some Spiritbox, Owen, and Coheed and Cambria. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this week’s list, so settle in and give your ears a workout.

—

– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 204 (11.6.2021)

November 6, 2021November 6, 2021ChrisLeave a comment

The cold weather’s finally kicked in. I’ve got a steaming cup of coffee so big I need two hands to bring its caffeinated goodness to my lips, and I’ve spent the past hour fiddling with parametric EQs to kick my headphones into high gear while listening to newest single by one of my favorite guitarists on this great glob of a world, Wata from Boris. Wherever you are I hope you’re finding some kind of aural and chemical comfort (feel free to pick your own poison; I’ll stick with coffee) right now.

Of course that’s not the only thing we’re blasting in Volume 204 of the Nine Circles Playlist. After thinking they were done Porcupine Tree is back in the saddle and released a new single which feels like Steven Wilson bringing his pop sensibility into the band and the band fighting back, and I love it. Josh brings the filthy death metal with Under the Church and Concrete Winds, while Vincent splits his time between the grace of Alcest and the brutality of Atræ Bilis. Anton revels in the swirling symphonic chaos of Dessiderium, and Buke? Buke is living in the glory his (and my) youth with classics from Twisted Sister, Down, and even some Spinal Tap. Finally, Angela brings it all home with the latest from 9C favorite Emma Ruth Rundle and some new stuff from Monolord. In other words it’s a stacked house, so settle in and enjoy the tunes.