prophecy productions

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 →

CANTO: Fen, Immortal Bird, Cloak, and More

CoreyLeave a comment

lordi 2019

I need to go for a run. Also, some of this news is from yesterday. Deal with it.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

The Nine Circles Audio Thing: A Forest of Stars was September 2018’s Album of the Month!

DanLeave a comment

Nine Circles Audio Thing

Hey, we’re late again! A little less late than last time, but…still late! Huzzah! Anyway, we’re back with another edition of our Album of the Month series. In this edition, we’ll be chatting about A Forest of Stars and their latest effort, Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes — our album of the month pick for September! Continue reading →

CANTO: RIP Mark Shelton, Crowhurst, Pestilence and more!

DanLeave a comment

mark-shelton-manilla-road

Weekend time. Let’s do this.

  • Leading off with some sad news from Manilla Road: founder Mark “The Shark” Shelton passed away unexpectedly at age 60. No further details are available, but…this really sucks. A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover the associated expenses, and we encourage you to donate if you can.

  • Next up, Crowhurst has signed with Prophecy Productions. They (he?) will also be playing Prophecy Fest in Brooklyn this November. So, good stuff if you’re into Crowhurst.

  • Not sure if y’all heard, but Pestilence — or more to the point, mastermind Patrick Mameli — has had himself a bad coupl’a days on the internets. As a result of his, erm…activities…the band’s North American tour has been cancelled. It’s unclear whether this will affect their participation at next year’s assorted Deathfests, but at least he has those Dexter Holland-Offspring dreads going for him? (/kills self)

  • This one’s from Sunday, but seeing as this is the first Canto post of the week…Bloodbath has apparently finished recording their next album. Want more information? Well, you’re S.O.L. That’s literally all they’ve told us.

  • Interesting little Metallica tidbit here: in Spotify’s latest earnings call, CEO Daniel Ek revealed that the band uses listener data to tailor its live setlists on a city-by-city basis. That’s…honestly, just a really neat and forward-thinking thing! Good on ’em. Unfortunately, there’s probably about a thousand basement chuds who are gonna protest it BECAUSE VIOLATION OF ARR FREEDOMS or something.

  • And finally, let’s close it out with a couple of cool humans doing a cool thing. Psalm Zero‘s Charlie Looker arranged a cover of Pyrrhon‘s “Empty Tenement Spirit” for a 17-piece orchestra, and then Pyrrhon frontman Doug Moore sang along during the live performance.  Check it out:

Goddamn, that was one of the neatest things I’ve seen in quite a while. Anyway, that’ll do it for now. Have a good weekend — especially if you’re at Migration Fest — and check back soon for more updates!

Keep it heavy,
Dan

Album Review: Khôrada – “Salt”

Chris3 Comments

Khôrada - Salt

The impressionistic artwork that adorns the cover says it all: a being, stitched together from the bones, blood and sinew of many things.  The semblance of something recognizable, but also out of joint.  Dark and disturbing, but backed by a pastoral beauty.  Art is subjective, and whether I’m looking at the image painted by Cedric Wentworth or listening to Salt, the debut from Khôrada, I’m left with the same impression, of recognizing frameworks and influences even as the whole defies easy categorization.  In other words, the best kind of music to my ears. Continue reading →