shellac

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 342 (6.29.2024)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Gonna keep the 342nd edition of the Nine Circles Playlist brief this week, as I have two other reviews to write, a trip upstate to pack for, and and least one more listen of the new Zappa live set from 1968 before I turn in. So my only contribution this week to the playlist is the new single from Tribulation, who are opening for Opeth on their fall tour, and the latest from the forthcoming Zeal & Ardor album, which I refuse to watch because I’m hyped enough and can’t wait to hear the whole thing.

The rest of the staff has a lot on offer. I’m not going to give the details away due to time constraints, but assume heavy, very heavy, some emo, and uh…yeah. We got Paul Cauthen back on deck because hell yeah, amirite?

Anyway, have a great weekend and let’s keep heads clear and cool.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

Nine Circles ov… The Month That Was: May 2024

ChrisLeave a comment
Abrams - Blue City
gatecreeper - dark superstition
Shellac - To All Trains
ufomammut - hidden
uncle acid and the deadbeats - nell' ora blu

Too many albums, too few reviewers…that’s the problem with all the metal blogs, not just this one. What do you do? How do you get a sense of what’s out there if you’re only listening to a fraction of what’s getting released? How do you open yourself up to new music? I’ll tell you how: you jump into all the unpicked promos each month and devote a sentence or two giving a sense of what you gleaned from it.

That’s right: we’re back for another round of “The Month That Was…” so enough preambling…let’s dive into this edition of Nine Circles ov… and see what’s been festering in May 2024.

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 336 (5.18.2024)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Last week we mourned the death of Steve Albini; this week we feel weird as we celebrate the release of the new Shellac record. The world’s a crazy place, kids…best not to make too much of it. In the meantime I’ve been drowning myself in 70s German prog but somehow, someway little bits of metal find there way to my stereo. Like the new Bossk, or the knock down head smashing hardcore of Knocked Loose. It’s all food for the neurons, you know?

The 9C crew their own baggage to the 336th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist, including new music from My Diligence, Ulcerate, Oh Hiroshima, and Void Blight. Not to mention new music from Liminal Shroud, which I’ve been waiting for since whenever I got hooked on their last album. There are more surprises within, including the by-now requisite pocket of sad non-metal if you need a breather from your workout, I guess. I don’t know, I think the last time I formally worked out was in the 90s.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

Initial Descent; May 12 – 18, 2024

JoshLeave a comment
The Red Chord 2024
Image courtesy of Karen Jerzyk

This is one of those weeks I’m jumping right to the point because a lot of stuff comes out that I’ve been highly anticipating. Soooo, first up is a first ever vinyl issue of one of the most important debuts ever from The Red Chord—seriously, this thing is a benchmark for extreme metal so yea it gets preferential treatment here, then we’ve got Gatecreeper who continue to level everything and everyone in their way to pave that road atop death metal mountain, next up is Pallbearer who give us quite a somber outing but manage to come away with a beautiful and beautifully haunting heavy album, and last in the top slots this week is Shellac for obvious reasons; they’re the best and RIP to Steve Albini…this is not new news but hit hard nonetheless, dude was an absolute legend. Alright then, you know what to do and you know where to find us throughout the week. GO…

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 335 (5.10.2024)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Let’s face it: Steve Albini was one of the real ones. Beyond the incredible music of Big Black, or Shellac, or so many of his other projects were the incredible records he recorded, produced, or engineered. Never mind all the hype of Nevermind…for me the real Nirvana, the uncaged animal that was that band can be found in the raw power that was Albini’s masterclass that is In Utero. Rest in Peace to one of the mammoths of heavy music; the 335th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist is dedicated to you.

After that there’s new and old delights from the rest of the 9C staff, including Ceremony of Silence, new Sonja, Health, Thot, new Thou, even some hip-hop courtesy the latest Drake/Kendrick beef and some JPEGMAFIA, and because I can’t get enough of his production some Pixies to close us out. Plus more surprises.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris