Profile: Jono Garrett of Turbid North

The Turbid North camp has been relatively quiet for some seven years and change now, but next month will see their fourth effort The Decline set free for all to experience. And what an experience it is! The RIYL list on this thing contains some of extreme metal’s heaviest hitters as well as various psychedelic rock legends, plainly put: Turbid North severs arteries with vicious deathgrind in one second and gazes into the great beyond the next. The storyline here is as deep as the album’s many riffs and serpentine twists which just goes to show that the last handful of years were not wasted when it comes to the band outdoing themselves, which they have. We expect this album to be an early contender for the best 2023 has to offer so be sure to check it out from the links contained within. We recently posed our set of Profile questions to the band and drummer Jono Garrett was kind enough to respond. And, since we’re in Best of 2022 season, he also offered his top five. PLUS, you get their latest video. So, head directly below to get the scoop behind this killer band that you need more of in your life.

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Album Review: Elder — “Innate Passage”

Elder - Innate Passage

To steal a quote about another band from the late great DJ John Peel, listening to a new Elder album is always different and always the same. It may be familiar but there’s always something different to be found. Every album is its own unique journey. It may be easy to go “Ho hum, Innate Passage is yet another excellent Elder album,” but doing so ignores this is a phenomenal album.

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Album Review:  GAUPA — “Myriad”

Psychedelic riffs, rock goddess powerful vocals, soulful melodies, and exuberant drumming are just a few of the awe-inspiring elements Swedish progressive stoner rock band GAUPA brings to the table with their sophomore full length release Myriad.  This enchanting band kicked off their discography in 2018 with an EP that quickly grew a fanbase.  Their debut full length brought in even more fanfare in 2020, and here just in time to make some year end lists, GAUPA brings all the heat with Myriad.  This album contains the same doom/folk/psychedelic influences from earlier releases but with sonic amplification and no holding back.  Here, the band unlocks their full potential and hits their stride in these eight mind blowing tracks.  

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Nine Circles ov…Stoner and Psych Metal in 2022

Recently I created a new playlist featuring what has fast become my go-to genre when I need to bear down and get some serious groove on: the luscious low-end of stoner rock and metal (Spotify users are welcome to it here; Apple Music users can find it here). Throw some psych elements in and I’m an even happier camper. We don’t feature nearly enough of it her at Nine Circles; all too often the staff are mired in extreme noise and suffocatingly depressive odes to inner turmoil – and that’s perfectly fine…if that’s your thing. Lately it’s not mine; I’d rather get a nasty fuzzed to the heavens riff in my brain accompanied by sweet-ass vocal melodies and anthemic choruses I can shout along to as I air-guitar until my arthritic wrists cry out for reprieve.

So for this edition of Nine Circles ov… let’s highlight some of the boogie down rifftastic stoner and psychedelic rock and metal that’s all the rage in my frontal lobe, shall we?

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Album Review:  Monolord — “Your Time to Shine”

Monolord - Your Time To Shine

Masters of riffs and doomy goodness, Monolord have emerged from the smoke after two years with their latest full-length release Your Time to Shine.  This is most certainly a Monolord album, however, there is some fine-tuning and added finesse making it a unique addition to the band’s discography.  It may even be the best album by the Swedish trio to date.  This dynamic album has everything fans love about Monolord—amazing riffs, sludge distortion, hypnotic doom metal vocals—with added dramatics and wrapped in a crisp production.  Your Time to Shine was created with “liters of coffee, cinnamon buns, and good bad jokes” which can be felt in these five tracks.  Who knew that was the perfect formula for creating stellar doom metal?

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