mercyful fate

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 311 (11.25.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Still stuffed from Thanksgiving, I’m gonna keep the 311th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist light on commentary. I’m also going to refrain from adding 311 to the playlist, so now you have something to be thankful for, too.

I am however going to invoke the rights as the writer for the playlist to front-load some of the music I’ve been focusing on as I slowly work up to what will be my 8th round up of my favorite metal of the year, so we’re kicking off with some thick and heavy death metal courtesy of Cruciamentum, some mournful black metal from Blaze of Sorrow, and some hive-fiving hard rock fire from the new High Spirits. From there we have more Panopticon filling the metal hole in your heart, as well as tracks from Neck of the Woods, Angerot, Mære, Valdrin, some classic cuts from Slayer and Mercyful Fate, and a lot more.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

CANTO: Horrendous, Mercyful Fate, Autopsy, and More

CoreyLeave a comment


This might have been the most Monday Monday ever.

  • This news came Friday, but I’m still sharing it now. Horrendous have announced a small handful of album release shows around Ontological Mysterium between December 27 and January 14. That album, by the way, is incredible. And it’s out now through Season of Mist.
  • In honor of the album’s 40th anniversary, Mercyful Fate released a 2005 remastered version of Melissa digitally for the first time, available through Metal Blade. There’s also some sweet new themed merch if you’re interested.
  • Siiickbrain dropped a new single and video at the end of last week, titled “Psychopath”. That track is taken from the upcoming new album My Masochistic Mind, which is out on December 1 through Lowly Records.
  • Alice Cooper shared a new video from Road, for “Dead Don’t Dance”. That album was an August release through earMusic. Shit, I haven’t listened to that one yet…
  • Anyway, gonna close out with more gory spooky season content. Check out the video from Autopsy for “Rabid Funeral” below. Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts dropped last Friday through Peaceville Records. Pick it up here.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 307 (10.28.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Prog nerds the world over are still reeling from the news that Mike Portnoy has rejoined Dream Theater. Don’t tell me you’re not; I can hear your minds scramble in 7/8 time with keyboards arpeggiating like mad. So let’s pour one out for Mike Mangini by putting the first single for his forthcoming solo album up front for the 307th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist, along with a few other progressive rock projects like Southern Empire and – slightly heavier – Immortal Guardian that have kept my senses properly scrambled this past week.

Now that the noodling is out of the way, the rest of the staff has you covered with the heavy. We’ve got Fathomless Ritual, a new cover from Imperial Triumphant, new cuts from Body Void, Sepulchral Curse, Vastum, and a lot more surprises. And since we’re in the crosshairs of the wicked holiday, we’re wrapping up with a TON of Halloween tracks from your favorite spooky bands, concluding with a killer live cut of Helloween’s united lineup covering their classic for the masses.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 290 (7.1.2023)

ChrisLeave a comment

playlist - mixtape

Yesterday I looked at my phone and the news notifications piled up, one nightmare after another. As we head into an extended weekend for the holiday all I could think of was we are creeping closer and closer to true independence from compassion, from reason, from any kind of rational thought. I need music more than ever now – maybe you do, too. So here’s hoping the 290th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist gets you through your own crisis this week.

It kicks off a trio of things that have stuck with me, whether it’s the closing chapter of grindcore heavyweights Graf Orlock or the progressive instrumental intricacies of RLYR and Stinking Lizaveta. From there the staff contributes mightily with cuts from Atoll, Oxbow, Urne, Royal Thunder, NOFX, Peter Gabriel, Mercyful Fate, live Emperor, some Usnea, Lacuna Coil and a lot more.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week…

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– Chris

CANTO: Mercyful Fate, Machine Head, Wolves in the Throne Room, and More

CoreyLeave a comment
Wolves In the Throne Room

And now the countdown to Berlin is really on.

  • How do we not start with the Mercyful Fate tour? Their first North American headlining tour in over two decades kicks off on October 25th, running through November 16th. Support will be in the form of Kreator and Midnight. General tickets go sale this coming Friday, so don’t screw this up (he says mostly to himself).
  • The second notable tour to emerge today comes from Machine Head. Those dates cover most of November and December, and those tickets also go on sale Friday. There are some pretty cool VIP ticket options, if that’s your thing.
  • Switching to something a little more symphonic, we have the latest from Hexed. The Swedish metallers unveiled a new video for “Stigma Diaboli”, a fresh track taken from Pagans Rising. That album drops on September 30th through ViciSolum Productions.
  • Footage from the Wolves in the Throne Room set at Fire In The Mountains 2022 emerged, and it is incredible. Behold “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rock and Roots” in all its glory immediately below.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb