this is oblivion

Hello you filthy bastards. I’m listening to metal again. Mainly metal that gatekeepers and other nitwits like to complain about, like the new Ibaraki project from Matt Heafy. So here’s a hearty middle finger to them, and to naysayers that have written off Cradle of Filth who (though sadly losing guitarist Richard Shaw) are 3-for-3 with killer records since signing to Nuclear Blast. And to the folks who continue to bitch about the second phase of Opeth: they’re going to HATE Mikeal Akerfeldt‘s soundtrack to the Swedish crime series Clark. I love it, so let’s kick off the 30th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with some.

Elsewhere in the 9C realm Anton kicks us off with a triptych of lengthy killer tracks, including In Twilight’s Embrace, the newest tracks from Bedsore off their split with Mortal Incarnation, and Haunter. Josh has been raving about Scars of the Flesh, so we have some for you in here along with a bevy of new music including Vølus, This Is Oblivion, Candy, and Morbid Cross. Vincent provides a brief respite with his beloved Mountain Goats, but quickly pulls you back under the waves with some righteous Wolfbrigade, Au-Dessus, and the first single from the upcoming Wake album. Ian reaches into the past with tracks by In Flames, Dawes, and The Bouncing Souls while Angela somehow channels my inner spirit (must have been in the cards) with some Black Sabbath, followed up by Electric Wizard, some BongBongBeerWizards, and Citizen which, as far as I can tell, is bereft of wizards, electric or otherwise. Finally Buke wraps us up nicely with a host of classic metal cuts, including King Diamond, Whiplash, Forbidden, Sodom, and Sabbat.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

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– Chris

Image courtesy of Sarah Adler

This Is Oblivion are on the eve of releasing their self-titled debut and if dark, moody, captivating, and heavy as lead (not talking pig squeals and pinch harmonics here) are considered a good time, run and don’t walk to get your copy now. The duo of Michael Kadnar and Lulu Black have on their hands a debut release that winds effortlessly through doomy dirges, dark folk, industrial tinges, and whip smart lyrics with extremely engrossing and catchy song craft. No doubt comparisons have, and will, be made to Chelsea Wolfe but that’s only a small piece of the pie. The album is “an exploration of the cyclical nature of connection” which is heard throughout as the songs play out like draining seasons or the feeling of meeting new friends or the nature of losing someone close. I said before this album is engrossing and that’s putting it lightly, it tugs at the deep recesses of the brain and soul and not only creates a connection but begs for further exploration. Just ahead of the album’s release we posed our set of Profile questions to pull back the curtain a little and gain more knowledge of this project so read on to see how it went down and be sure to grab a copy via the links contained within.

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