king woman – Nine Circles

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 261 (12.10.2022)

December 10, 2022December 10, 2022ChrisLeave a comment

End of year is almost here. I’ve been spending the day clearing out all the albums from 2022 I know I’m not going to listen to again. It’s hard: some of those albums were pretty damn good, but I know my mind by now, and it’s the rare record that sticks around long enough to make a permanent addition to my collection. And while I was doing that I was finding some weird and fun music I’d collected over the years I hadn’t heard in a long, long while, so let’s make some room on this the 261st edition of the Nine Circles Playlist for some weird and loud noises thanks to bands like Ex Eye, Grip Inc., and New Keepers of the Water Towers.

You won’t need to bear my indulgence for long. The 9C crew brought the heavy down for you, including Jesus Piece, Conjureth, Hour of Penance, and Moonlight Sorcery. There’s some slightly older fare with the likes of Obsequiae, King Woman, and some crushing Godspeed You! Black Emperor. We go off the beaten path with Emma Ruth Rundle, Chapterhouse and New Order, but come back with some new Zeal & Ardor and much more.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 256 (11.5.2022)

November 5, 2022November 5, 2022ChrisLeave a comment

It haunts me. Teases me with brief glimpses and subtle hints of the delight to come. My every waking minute tears my attention in two directions: what is the present will become the past. But for how long? The clock only moves one hour, but what time will this all too-solid flesh remember?

(Yeah…I really am looking forward getting that extra hour of sleep)

Anyway, let’s get going with the 256th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist. I’m not going to burden you with more Darkthrone even though all I’ve been playing is Astral Fortress since it arrived on vinyl here at the compound. Instead we’re going to kick off with some new older school metal, starting with a 1-2 kick to the balls courtesy of Skull Fist and Riot City. Elsewhere we’re rocking with the tangy taste of Dead and Dreaming, …And Oceans, Devil’s Witches, Type O Negative, Mord ‘A’ Stigmata, a massive dose of death courtesy of a 3-way split between Lipoma, Trocar, and Fluids, some Trash Panda, Eyes of Eden, Lacuna Coil, and a host of music at the close to get to know our new writer Dan M. who just joined the 9C ranks.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

Missed Connections: Looking Back on 2021

January 14, 2022January 10, 2022IanLeave a comment

Oh hey, you thought lists were all done? Nope, I’ve got one more in the tank and some more albums to talk about. I wrote one of these lists last year, amid a flurry of excitement and trepidation that I had missed something truly great, which is kind of a silly thing to worry about now that I think about it. Of course I did then, and of course I do now. There just isn’t enough time in the world for me to take every great album in, even in the span of a whole year. And, not least of all, new bands and new albums are always being thrown my way thanks to the good folks we have on staff. So, here I sit with some leftovers of 2021, albums that for whatever reason didn’t jump out at me right away but have since found their way into my heart. Don’t consider these throwaways; they stack up to anything on anyone else’s list, and in fact, many of them WERE on other peoples’ list and that’s what brought them to my attention. Just consider it a nice bonus present, post-holidays.

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Best of 2021: Angela’s List

January 14, 2022January 10, 2022Angela BlockLeave a comment

2021 was…. a bit much. We will take each day at a time cautiously in 2022 and try not to spook it. While 2021 brought a hefty amount of unpredictability and chaos, some wonderful things were forged in the turmoil. This was a really great year for music, and I have many albums that I want to shout about from the rooftop, but I am keeping it concise and calling out my Nine Circles nine (we love a good theme). Once again, I am one of the last of the bunch of wonderful writers here to post my year end list as my indecisiveness and overthinking ruined the party again. However, I did participate in the group list (though my albums have shifted a bit…) and also the Best of 2021 Audio Thing (which was a blast).

Here are my top nine personal favorites as well as a list of honorable mentions and non-metal albums that brought me some joy this past year.

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 212 (1.1.2022)

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022ChrisLeave a comment

Welcome to the future, everyone. I spent the last day of 2021 applying beauty masks and drinking champagne with my wife and son because you know what? That shit felt NICE. Even the boy admitted it it was cool, although I suspect his favorite part was the horror of peeling the mask off like dead skin. Yes, we had Slayer playing in the background…couldn’t resist.

To kick off 2022 and the 212th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist I put on my metal playlist and hit random to see what came out, so you’re getting the year off to a brutal start with some Unanimated and Chapel of Disease, as well as some classic Katatonia. Josh comes into the year guns blazing with some Wommbath, Barghest, and Everclear before finishing up with the ripping live Corrosion of Conformity. Vincent changes the mood a bit with The Hotelier, Alcest, and King Woman before Jon comes out of the snow to go full tech death, blasting some new Allegaeon, Spawn of Possession, and Archspire. Anton continues to play the left field choices, bringing in some choice cuts from his AOTY band Code as well as tracks from Eschatos and Fleshvessel. Bringing up the rearguard this time is Buke, and as awakes he’s ready with the classic of the genre, from Ahab, Death, Manowar, Saviours, and even a little Trivium.