earthless – Nine Circles

Best of 2022: Chris’s List

December 30, 2022December 30, 2022Chris1 Comment

We’re going to keep the intro brief on this one. Year after year I struggle to find the words to open this post, where I ostensibly count down my favorite 25 metal albums of the year. Typically the first thing I do is check out the previous year’s entry…read and see if the themes are still relevant, if there’s anything I want to refine or emphasize for the current year. And for the first time, I didn’t find anything worth changing. Yes…I may have finally nailed it with my 2021 Best Of introduction.

By now you’ve (hopefully) read my post talking about nine albums that didn’t make my but could have, and my 15 Honorable Mentions and how the very concept of an honorable mention seems to contradict itself when the music is so good. I would usually say that was all prelude to this, but that’s a lie. You know, and now I do as well. In the end, all we can do is recount the things we love, and hope it inspires something in you.

So if you will, a request: go back and read that intro to 2021. And then check out the albums listed below for this year. Don’t worry about rankings, don’t worry about omissions. Just check out the music, and let it hopefully inspire something in you.

All of these albums did that for me.

Continue reading →

Nine (or so Heavily Qualified) Circles ov…2022: A Mid-Year Report

July 12, 2022July 12, 2022Chris3 Comments

Okay, so I may have only formally reviewed 11 albums by the mid point this year, but that’s one more than I was at last year, so victory! However, that doesn’t count the 30 other albums covered in earlier editions of Nine Circles ov (like the Stoner Metal one, or the promo pile one, or the non-promo pile one) or Second Circle. Not to mention my folders telling me I’ve listened to 151 metal albums so far this year. It’s scratching the surface, I know…but at least there are quantifiable metrics for you to assess whether or not I’ve met my acceptance criteria to mark this feature as Done.

And now that my work life has completely blended into this post, let’s talk about how massive 2022 has been so far. We’re once again turning this edition of Nine Circles ov… into a dozen and I’m even going to throw some bonus mentions into the mix. Are these my absolute favorites of the year? Kind of: I wanted to highlight some albums I haven’t seen a lot of coverage on as well as some definite big guns I really dig so far. So what I’m saying is, here’s a big list of stuff I love. Maybe you’ll love it, too.

Continue reading →

Nine Circles ov…Stoner and Psych Metal in 2022

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022Chris2 Comments

Recently I created a new playlist featuring what has fast become my go-to genre when I need to bear down and get some serious groove on: the luscious low-end of stoner rock and metal (Spotify users are welcome to it here; Apple Music users can find it here). Throw some psych elements in and I’m an even happier camper. We don’t feature nearly enough of it her at Nine Circles; all too often the staff are mired in extreme noise and suffocatingly depressive odes to inner turmoil – and that’s perfectly fine…if that’s your thing. Lately it’s not mine; I’d rather get a nasty fuzzed to the heavens riff in my brain accompanied by sweet-ass vocal melodies and anthemic choruses I can shout along to as I air-guitar until my arthritic wrists cry out for reprieve.

So for this edition of Nine Circles ov… let’s highlight some of the boogie down rifftastic stoner and psychedelic rock and metal that’s all the rage in my frontal lobe, shall we?

Continue reading →

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 216 (1.29.2022)

January 29, 2022January 29, 2022ChrisLeave a comment

It’s getting a bit ridiculous, listening to so many great releases so early in the year. I’ve already listened to four albums coming out in the next few weeks that could easily be an AOTY contender…and we haven’t even gotten out of the first month of 2022 yet. And I’m not even talking about the new Earthless record which came just came out – they were my AOTY back in 2018 and damn if Night Parade of One Hundred Demons isn’t currently kicking my ass as I write this, so why not have a preview kick off the 216th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist?

You know who else has a new album album that we never talk about on Nine Circles? Steve Vai. So let’s get one of his new tracks on here, too. And since I don’t want to hog too much of the spotlight (although I threw one of my favorite Opeth tracks in there, too) we’ll start with Anton who is rocking his shiny bald pate to the new Allegaeon as well as Dischordia. Josh has been enraptured with the new Zeal & Ardor (so say we all….jeez it’s phenomenal) but still finds some serious gutter time with Malefic Throne and some classic sludge from Eyehategod. Like me, Vincent is bemoaning the breakup of The Might Mighty Bosstones but manages to find some solace in new music from 40 Watt Sun and Boris, as well as some older music from Elliott and Mitski. Buke gets down in the dirt with Crowbar, Cathedral, and Nile while Ian both confuses and concerns me by injecting some Mac Miller and something called “Getcho Mans” before wrapping up with some Wilderun and Coheed and Cambria bringing Springfield back for “Jessie’s Girl 2”.

Oh, and maybe one more new track for Buke…be seeing you.

—

– Chris

CANTO: Massacre, Earthless, Armored Saint, and More

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021CoreyLeave a comment

In case you didn’t notice, we’re big fans of the new Worm record around these parts.

We’ll kick Friday off with Earthless, who have announced some early 2022 tour dates. Tickets went on sale today for their run of 10 dates that beginning on January 27th in Los Angeles and end February 8th in Phoenix.
Armored Saint released their new CD/DVD Symbol of Salvation Live today, and to mark the occasion they revealed the video for “Spineless”. That one is out through Metal Blade.
Can’t find a way to attend Knotfest Los Angeles? Well, you’re in the luck. The performance will be streamed live, taking place on November 5th, and tickets can be purchased here. As far as Slipknot goes, this is their first ever live stream, and the footage will be available for an additional 72 hours after the show.
Crippled Black Phoenix are live streaming their Leipzig concert next Friday, October 29th. They’ll be joined by Jonathan Hultén for the event, which is awesome. Tickets for the event can be picked up here.
Massacre is always the right way to close a week. Side note: I’m only just now appreciating how incredible their logo is. Anyway, check out the gnarly new clip for “Return of the Corpse Grinder” below. The uncensored version was understandably banned from YouTube, but you can peep that here if you feel up to it. Resurgence is out now on Nuclear Blast.