killing joke

Donuts & CANTO: Mélancolia, Dawn of Ouroboros, Messa, and More

CoreyLeave a comment


Once again, beer got in the way of clearing the inbox on a Friday night. So Saturday morning it is!

  • Let’s start off with some blackened deathcore. Mélancolia announced their debut album, HissThroughRottenTeeth, which is scheduled for an April 21 release through Greyscale Records and Nuclear Blast Records. Give “[Inure]” a listen here.
  • Next, we’ll jump over to Killing Joke. They released a brand new single, “Full Spectrum Dominance”, which comes in celebration of their sold out headlining show at Royal Albert Hall on March 12. That’s available through Spinefarm, and can be heard here.
  • Italian doom metal collective Messa are releasing their 2022 Roadburn performance, Messa – Live at Roadburn, on April 28 through Svart Records. Pre-order that on your preferred format here.
  • Holy shit, it’s Winger! To celebrate 35 years, they’re releasing Seven on May 5. Their first new release since 2014 can be pre-ordered here, and be sure to check out “Proud Desperado” while you’re at it.
  • We’ll wrap up with the latest from Dawn of Ouroboros, “Velvet Moon”, the video of which can be found below. That’s taken from Velvet Incandescence, out on April 21 through Prosthetic Records.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 247 (9.3.2022)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Big week for big releases. I must have listened to that Megadeth album five more times after writing up my maiden voyage with the album for the site. Now it’s been a steady diet of Blind Guardian, King Buffalo and the Motörhead tribute Whitespade from the guy behind Midnight. The heavy is strong this week, indeed.

But it’s not all about me. The team has some massive tracks to share as well, from bands like Goatwhore, Armed for Apocalypse, some true insanity from Fluids, as well as the latest from Devin Townsend, Wolfbrigade, Escarnium, Crippled Black Phoenix and Cloakroom. Throw in the latest single from All Them Witches, a classic track from Siouxsie and the Banshees as well as Pantera, Moonspell and Killswitch Engage and, well…you got yourself this week’s playlist.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

Throwback Thursday: Amebix – “Arise!”

Manny-O-WarLeave a comment

amebix arise

With Tau Cross’ self-titled album (which picks up where Amebix’s 2011 release left off) gracing so many “Best of 2015” lists and Killing Joke (to whom so many compare Amebix) releasing their fifteenth studio album Pylon on October 23, 2015 there’s never been a better time to discuss Amebix’s debut LP, Arise! Released in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles, Arise! forever changed the heavy music scene by blending the burgeoning, aggressive sound of crust punk with elements of metal and gothic metal to make a crossover album for generations to come. Amebix would go on to release only three albums in their entire career although, those three albums would be landmark releases. Those other releases are: Monolith, in 1987 and then Sonic Mass another twenty-four years later in 2011.

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Retrospective: Killing Joke – “Killing Joke”

OldThunderKY1 Comment

Killing Joke (1980)This week’s selection for our Retrospective column may come as a surprise since we are a primarily metal-focused blog. There are albums, though, to which many bands bow and pay homage. Killing Joke‘s self-titled debut is one such album. Outside of it being one of the most important genre-bending records of the 80s, it has inspired masses of metal, punk, and hardcore bands with its trade-offs between ominous gloom, politically-bent fervor, and nigh-danceable rhythms. Recently, Manny-O-War and I had a conversation about how this album helped shape crust punk early on, namely Amebix. While its musical influence is undeniable, another fascinating aspect of Killing Joke is how frighteningly relevant its lyrics are over 30 years later. Continue reading →

Initial Descent: October 23’s New Releases in Brief

Dan1 Comment

vhol band

Hey, a wild Friday appeared! Some good stuff dropping this week — and I wonder how many more Fridays we’ll be able to say that about in 2015. (Bear in mind, there are only nine more!) But let’s not waste any more time here. VHÖL leads us off this week, but here’s what else we’ve got on tap:
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