steve albini

Rainbows in the Dark: Mono – “Oath”

IanLeave a comment

“What are we doing here?”  It’s a simple question in terms of the number of words involved, but anyone who has asked this before knows the answer is usually complicated, if there even is one at all. Considering how the last few years have gone, that question has been on everyone’s mind at least a few times, especially Mono.  Even without the use of words, on Oath, the twelfth full-length release of their illustrious career, the Japanese titans examine themes of existence, purpose, time and memory in an attempt to arrive at an answer.

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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

Album Review: MONO — “Pilgrimage of the Soul”

Ian2 Comments

Well, this was *supposed* to be a Rainbows that went up two days ago, but, you know, life and stuff.  Still, I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t move things around to make time to talk about another notch in the belt of 2021 being one of the best years for post-rock in recent memory.  But then again, you probably already had an idea that a new MONO album was going to be good.  Anybody who wasn’t expecting that has probably never listened to MONO, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere and Pilgrimage of the Soul is as good as anything they have ever done, which is to say it is utterly astonishing.

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CANTO: Maryland Deathfest 2019, Behemoth, Steve Albini and more!

DanLeave a comment

MDF-2019

It’s gross outside. Let’s talk metal for a bit and forget about the moistness of this Monday afternoon. Here’s some news you might have missed from today:

  • Leading off, Maryland Deathfest announced the first wave of bands playing its 17th edition next Memorial Day. The highlights from this crop? Immolation, Pestilence, Mortician, Vomitory, Tomb Mold, Full of Hell and a bunch more. Peep the full list here — and maybe think about starting your anti-cancellation prayers ahead of time. Like, today.

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Album Review: Stinking Lizaveta – “Journey to the Underworld”

Chris2 Comments

GDOB-30H3-007 3.5mm spine

Instrumental bands never really had a fair shake in metal. We’ve moved from the guitar histrionics of the 80s and 90s (Satriani and Vai maintaining a steady popularity, though your own mileage may vary) to ultra-technical progression with the likes of Animals as Leaders and Scale the Summit. But the majority of press, accolades, and recognition always seem to heavily favor bands with vocals, which is more than a little ironic considering so much of vocals in extreme metal is often unintelligible without a lyrics sheet.

I’ve always been partial to instrumental bands who skirt the mainstream trends of the genre, focusing on melding genres and structures in an effort to put the emphasis on composition over technicality. Stinking Lizaveta have been leading the charge when it comes to this brand of music for over 20 years, and new record Journey to the Underworld continues charting new ground for striking, adventurous music.   Continue reading →