electronic

Album Review: SHRVL — “Limbus”

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I am no stranger to depression and what it can do. It has affected me to a certain degree, where I am always on constant alert about changes in moods and thoughts. While I present myself as functional, there are days where all I want to do is block out the world and lie down on my bed. Listening to SHRVL’s Limbus feels like waking up after a particularly bad depressive episode, where any wrong thought or action during the day leads to doubt and to spiraling about things outside of your control. It’s oppressive, cacophonous, and eerie, and you can’t help but stare at the looming, gray walls these songs seem to conjure.

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Album Review:  Holy Fawn — “Dimensional Bleed”

Angela Block1 Comment

Blooming into something strong and dynamic, combining elements of shoegaze, rock, metal, electronic, and more, Holy Fawn are back with their sophomore full-length album Dimensional Bleed.  Getting into their stride, this release brings something a little new and a little more experimental while still showcasing the sounds and vibe fans fell for in the band’s debut.  Dimensional Bleed offers electronic and ambient passages that feel cosmic and otherworldly, while at the same time grounding listeners with lyrical themes around death, nature, and the cosmos.  The dynamic between the music and the lyrics make for an immersive and enlightening experience making this album something special and Holy Fawn a creative force to indulge in.

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Album Premiere: Schatten Muse — “Vergänglichkeit”

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On March 28th, just a few short days away, the mysterious project known as Schatten Muse will be fully unveiled to the world through their debut album, Vergänglichkeit. The German-Greek duo of Shelmerdine and Sylvia Fürst have crafted a truly dark form of gothic electronic that is unlike anything I have absorbed in some time, if ever. That said, don’t take our word for it. The entire album is available for streaming in advance of the release date immediately after the jump.

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Thy Catafalque’s Tamás on “Vadak,” creating music on a Commodore Amiga, the art of blending multiple styles and genres, and much more!

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Photo by Orsolya Karancz

Thy Catafalque hold the great distinction of simply sounding like no other band out there.  Hot off the heels of their stunning 2020 release Naiv comes Vadak, and it’s no secret to say the entire 9C crew is in the bag for more twisting songs that break genre convention yet maintain a level of heaviness that will induce even the most discerning of metalheads to thrash with abandon.

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The Nine Circles Audio Thing: Chris and Dan count down their Non-Metal Favorites of 2020!

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With #BestOf2020 coverage having been fully underway here at Nine Circles for a couple of weeks, it’s time for a bit of a breather. Time to crank down the volume, switch off the HM-2 pedal, and talk some non-metal for a change. If you read Ian’s end-of-year Rainbows in the Dark post and thought to yourself, “boy, I sure would like a two-and-a-half-hour audio version of THAT,” well, reader, have I got the post for you!

A little while back — okay, basically a month back now, because I work in a hospital and doing anything productive when I’m not at work has been a tall order this year — fellow non-metal aficionado Chris Voss and I sat down to talk about our favorite stuff from all the other genres that dropped this year. There’s some shoegaze and some folk, some powerful hip-hop and some super-catchy synth pop. We covered as many bases as we could, for a near Buke-sized amount of time.

So if you, too, need a break from all the heavy stuff, jump on in and check it out. If anything strikes your interest, our full lists are included below the episode audio. Maybe some of the stuff that floated our boats will float yours too!

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