the mountain goats

Rainbows in the Dark: Ian’s Best of 2022

IanLeave a comment
Best of 2022

Wow, it really has been a while since I’ve visited this column, huh?  Things got really busy really fast over here, and it’s kinda hard to sit and write two articles a week when life is finally starting to pick up.  However, the tunes did not stop this year, and some of my favorite and most anticipated releases this year were from more than just the metal world.  It’s my pleasure to bring you another year of the best of all things metal-adjacent and non-metal.  Any of these albums can stand up to the world of buzzsaw guitars, blast beats and screamed vocals.  Maybe not in terms of sheer force, but in terms of emotional depth and good times, absolutely.  Without further ado, here we go:

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 257 (11.12.2022)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

We’re coming into the end times…the end of the year times where most of the year’s albums have either been released (or we’re at least gotten the promos to digest), so here at 9C headquarters we’ve been sifting through what we loved, what we didn’t, and what we missed and need to consider before building our respective lists. For me that was Haunter, so we’re kicking off the 257th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with a 13-minute track because hey…maybe you missed it, too.

After that it’s a blackened ol’ time with the likes of Stormruler and Morbikon before heading off into the cobwebbed corners of the metalverse with new -(16)-, The Death Wheelers, Ashen Horde, Liturgy, KEN mode, Dream Unending, the mighty return of Ahab, something called Bizarrerkult (thanks Anton), Die Sünde and Castle Rat, as well as some ripping Tomb Mold demos and a stone cold classic from Judas Priest to close things out. Plus some more surprises I was too lazy to write out in this post.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 243 (8.6.2022)

ChrisLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Thanks Fearless Editor Josh™ for covering the last two weeks of the playlist while I was away. I survived on a steady diet of alcohol and 80s thrash, and I *think* I got most of it out of my system by now.

Anyway, we’re gonna streamline this thing moving forward. You got tracks from the likes of Warforged, City of Caterpillar, Krisiun, and Amon Amarth, not to mention a whole lot of other stuff that may or may not be heavy. I mean, it’s the 243rd edition of the Nine Circles playlist, after all. What else did you expect? Well, since I’m back maybe you expected some classic rock or maybe some 80s thrash. We’ll see. There will definitely be some Boris, that’s for damn sure…maybe some Incantation, Night Eternal, you know – stuff like that.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 242 (7.30.2022)

JoshLeave a comment
playlist - mixtape

Yep, you get me again for this, the 242nd edition of The Nine Circles Playlist. And we’ve got a good one for you this week as Vince drops a new one from A Pregnant Light and a little something from Enslaved, Ian drops a track from Imperial Triumphant and channels Vince with a The Mountain Goats pick, Chris gives us the new one from Ghost and an Asunojokei pick as well as another excellent Bill McClintock mash up “Holy Mary Jane,” Angela reminds us just how good the latest from Zeal & Ardor is, and I dig deep into the new Goatwhore and Lorna Shore. All that, and tons more in store right behind that play button below. So, did you piss off the neighbors last week? NO!? Well, you get another chance to do it right now…crank it.

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– Josh

Best of 2021: Rainbows in the Dark Edition

IanLeave a comment
Best of 2021

You know I had to do it, so here it is.  As I’ve already said, this year was a year that was cram-packed with excellent releases, and the world of non-metal and metal adjacent was no exception, so much so that I almost considered doing another, separate honorable mentions list just for non-metal.  The only reason I didn’t is because free time and sanity are at something of an all-time-low, so you’ll forgive me if anything feels like it got left off, because, well, it did.  Still, there are plenty of worthy releases here, and if that stirs up your appetite for more, there is plenty else to be found out there.  Now, without further ado, here are my favorites, in almost no particular order.

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