In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.

I’ve had technical death metal on the brain lately.  Mind you: not “tech-death” as in practically everyone on Unique Leader  (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but more in that sweet, sweet Death vein.  I watched the new documentary on Chuck Schuldiner Death By Metal this weekend and it all came back: the intricate riffing, odd time signatures but most importantly the hooks.  Damn but Chuck and co. could craft some major hooks to go along with the incredible chops.  So for this edition of Second Circle I decided to check out two new releases from bands putting their own spin on what Death did so well so many years ago: Horrendous and Revocation.  Both bands have been a bit of a mixed bag for me in the past; let’s dive in and see if that’s still the case.
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