paganizer

Initial Descent: June 19-25, 2022

DanLeave a comment
Andy Marshall of SAOR

Man, it’s been a while since I did one of these. I think I pulled a muscle just typing that last sentence. But, our fearless leader Josh is taking a very, VERY well-deserved vacation, so you’ve got me for this edition. I’ll try not to disappoint too much. Lucky for you, (maybe?) there are some bands I know releasing stuff this week! We start with Saor, who returns with full-length No. 5, Origins. I still fondly remember the early days of this blog, when Corey and I didn’t know about folky black metal and thus promptly had our minds blown by the band’s then-new album, Aura. Good to see ’em back. Let’s see, who else… oh! Khold! Pretty sure I know them! The Norwegians return with their first full-length slab of black metal in almost eight years. Not into black metal? How about some good, old-fashioned Swedish death? Well, good news: Paganizer is also back this week! We also have a highlight that… isn’t really metal, per se, but still kinda exciting: the first reunion album from Canadian post-hardcore legends Alexisonfire. That’s just four highlights, so you know what to do from here: hit the link below and peep the full list!

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 228 (4.23.2022)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

As I write this it’s a few short hours until the next Record Store Day. I’m not normally the type to burst to my LRS in the dawn light just to snag an overpriced variant, but when you have sweet reissues from Opeth and Voivod, plus the debut of The Lord from Greg Anderson, well…you know I have to set the alarm for that, right?

So yeah…we’re gonna kick off the 228th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with what you can expect from those heavyweights, but we got more of the concrete coming straight for your head. Anton welcomes new music from Exocrine, Misanthropic Rage, and Ufomammut to the playlist while Josh doubles down on the brutality with Black Braid, Crypticus, Paganizer, Butchers Burial and a killer new track from site favorite Spirit Adrift. Vincent is knee-deep in his Pyrithe review, so he’s serving up some of their music along with Ultha, Orville Peck, and some classic New Order. Ian returns to the playlist with some Kardashev and Gojira, along with a healthy dose of the Pixies and some Planning for Burial. Angela is digging the latest from Tribulation and…wouldn’t you know it? For the first time, so am I! And she also has Mountaineer and Telekinetic Yeti bringing up the rear for this week.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 209 (12.11.2021)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Friday night. I have the usual going on: new music in the cans and some nice whiskey (currently the Redbreast 12, a recent turn-on after being largely ignorant of Irish whiskeys)within easy reach. I need it because next week I start the three-week odyssey that is my annual End of Year round up but…great stuff just won’t stop coming out (seriously: wait until you all hear the new Ustalost). And 2022 is already off to an INSANE start. I’m listening to our early pick for January’s AOTM and…well, you’ll just have to wait to and see what it is. It’s damn good though – I can tell you that much.

But seeing as there’s a few weeks left in 2021, let’s kick off the 209th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with some killer tracks. The stoner gods have been shining their bloodshot eyes down on me, so my contribution this month kicks off with some classic High on Fire and a killer live track from Crown Lands, a band that has me scrambling to find opportunities to tell everyone how good the peculiar mix of Rush and stoner prog they’re putting out in the universe is. Josh picks up the baton for both the old and the new, mixing up some vicious death metal out of the Transcending Obscurity bullpen with Paganizer and Hellfrost and Fire but also some razor sharp Christmas hair metal courtesy of Dokken. Anton shows just how strong the early part of 2022 is shaping up to be with new tracks from Hath and Celeste, while Vincent strikes my heart with the wonderful toe and keeps it crazy heavy with the latest from Succumb. Hera raises her head from the abyss to provide some evil delights in the form of Eisbrecher, Khôra, and…and…(checks to be sure) yup, something called Infected Mushroom.

All that and Buke bringing us home with some classics from Rainbow, Savatage, Nevermore, and the newest single from Voivod. So what are you waiting for?

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– Chris

Initial Descent: October 27 – November 2, 2019

JoshLeave a comment

Nile
Nile

Alright folks, THIS IS IT: Halloween week. Do all the things associated and do them with vigor, we’ve been discussing this for weeks now so if you’re behind, GET CAUGHT UP. Moving on, bands are fighting for your attention this week — it’s the devil’s week so why not? — seeing as we’ve got the longest list in recent memory so let’s get to it.

Nile has always understood how to make some of the best death metal around and this week’s new album is no exception, expect more Egyptian tales and more vitriol. Score. November’s Doom officially usher in the gloominess of winter on their eleventh powerhouse, Paganizer keep Swedeath punchy and neck-breaking on their eleventh full length, and Wilderun make a strong case for uniquely different progressive metal that’s truly one for the ages AND it’s not another Opeth clone, finally. So much music to get to and so many Halloween things to do, it’ll be a busy week on so many levels. Go forth and destroy… Continue reading →

Initial Descent: July 30 – August 5, 2017

JoshLeave a comment

Bonehunter
Bonehunter

By the time this goes to print I’ll be on the way to a city I’ve never visited before to meet a good friend of mine to see a show full of bands that have been on my bucket list for years (more details on this to follow). Needless to say, I’m excited for all of it and in a great, party-time kind of mood. So, what better way to kick off Initial Descent than with the ass kicking metal/punk/thrash/crust offering, Sexual Panic Human Machine, from Finland’s Bonehunter — will be in my ears for the next several hours for sure. Next up is the deadly serious avantgarde black metal from MRTVI on Negative Atonal Dissonance (aptly titled). Third to bat is Gravesite with their second full length of old school and horror inspired death metal, Neverending Trail of Skulls. Last of the top spots but certainly not least is Paganizer with their tenth full length, Land of Weeping Souls — ten albums is a long time but these guys are more ferocious than they’ve ever been. As always though, this is just a taste of what lies ahead so cuddle up to your keyboard, duct tape those headphones to your ears and stay with us for a while.

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