The Nine Circles Audio Thing: Chris and Dan K. Recap 2022 in NOT-Metal!

It’s that time of year once again! We don’t have a Rainbows in the Dark post this week, but we do have a Chris and a Dan (Dan K, that is — we’ve got more than one of ’em now!) back for another lengthy conversation about their favorite non-metal releases of 2022. Click on through and check it out!

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The Nine Circles Audio Thing: Chris and Dan count down their non-metal favorites of 2021!

Best of 2021

Yes, we’re a wee bit late, but who’s really keeping track here? Chris and Dan are back for their annual recap of the best in NOT-metal. And as you’re all well aware, “NOT-metal” can cast a pretty wide net. We’ve got entries from the worlds of R&B, jazz, country-pop and even prog here for you to sink your teeth into. (And others! Lots of others!)

So grab a few beverages and jump on in — you’ll need a few, ’cause this is a long one!

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

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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Nine Circles ov…2018 in NOT-Metal (so far…)

9CovNotMetal

Around this time last week, our good buddy Chris shared his thoughts on 2018’s best metal to date. And now — surprise! — I’m here to do the same for the NOT-metal side of things.

In my book — with some notable exceptions like Judicator, Amorphis and Wallachia — the metal’s kind been lagging behind all the other stuff so far this year. That’s not to say I’ve heard anything bad from the heavier realm this year; just that I haven’t heard as much that’s really stuck with me as in years past. That, of course, will have cleared up by the end of the year; it always does.

But for now, you’re getting a NOT-metal list and, dammit, you’re gonna like it! Continue reading