Nine Circles ov… Colin’s 2023 So Far

We’re already coming close to the halfway point for 2023 and since I’ve had too much going on to actively seek out new music recently, I figure it’s time to highlight albums that have made some degree of impact on me over the past few months. Aside from one or two exceptions I don’t expect many of the albums here will join Enslaved and Dødheimsgard on my AOTY list; nevertheless, they deserve a shoutout, even if the wheel isn’t being reinvented.

I’ve made sure to select albums that haven’t been featured on the site yet (aside from popping up in our weekly playlist or mentioned on the AOTM podcast), so let’s dive in with a chronological look at what 2023 has had to offer so far.

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Rainbows in the Dark: Arelseum — “Arelseum III”

Welcome back to a segment that I like to call What Has Colin Marston Been Up To, where we profile the latest and greatest in what Colin Marston has been up to.  Jokes aside, it’s easy to see why he’s the hardest working man in the game right now.  Just buy any album that he’s been a part of on Bandcamp and every first Friday of the month you’ll see just how much music he’s released and continues to release.  One of the projects that had me the most excited when it debuted was Arelseum, and the final piece of their trilogy Arelseum III finishes what they started in a meaningful way while paving the way towards the future.

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Receiving the Evcharist: Kaskaskia and Greenbush Brewing Company’s Star Chicken Shotgun

Receiving the Evcharist 2018

Receiving the Evcharist is our weekly feature where we pair choice albums with our favorite libations.  Drink from the cup of heresy.  This week’s offerings:  Kaskaskia’s Fleecian Winter Majesty and Greenbush Brewing Company’s Star Chicken Shotgun.

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Rainbows in the Dark: Vælastrasz — “Sunstrider”

I guess I’m something of a dungeon synth fan now! Since my last foray into the genre went so well, and since it’s been a little while since we’ve had a Rainbows up in here, I figured I would give it a shot.  There’s something about the gloomy, melancholic vibes and the meditative soundscapes that the genre throws out that mesh very nicely with the changing weather and the dropping temperatures.  Couple that with a healthy dose of inspiration from, what else, World of Warcraft and what do you get?  Vælastrasz and their monumental twenty first full length release, Sunstrider.

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Receiving the Evcharist: Ardormort and Blackrocks Brewing Company

Receiving the Evcharist 2018

Well wouldn’t you know it, it seems I am in need of both a beer and a way to gush about a great album this Friday.  Hmm, how can I satisfy both cravings at once?  I guess it’s time for me to commandeer this column again.  This week’s offering: Ardormort’s The Desolation Letters and Blackrocks Brewing Company’s Grand Rabbits.

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