Writing this list in particular is always one of my favorite points in the year. It’s the time where I get to look at everyone else’s list and go “hey, I should have included that too!”, and it gives me a chance to go back and look at all the stuff that I have missed out on listening to in favor of obligations, lack of time, lack of brainpower, or simply not being able to turn off Origins like I know I need to. It’s always good to take one last look back on everything before we properly usher in the new year and new releases with it, so let’s jump into some of the things that I am currently kicking myself for not giving more attention to.
That’s it. So long 2022, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. I just posted my end of year list, and yeah: the #1 pick is a crossover hardcore punk album that incorporates free jazz and noise and everything under the sun…what else did you expect? So let’s kick off the last edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with the mighty OFF! and see what else will help us close out the new year.
To paraphrase The Outer Limits, I will control the horizontal. I will control the vertical. So that means I’m also going to front-load this with the 80s metal I picked up on vinyl and cassette this week. Which means you’re getting dosed with some classic Accept and Satan…you’re welcome. Elsewhere in the Nine Circles universe we’ve got plenty of heavy to ring in 2023, including music from Angerot, Shores of Lunacy and Leper Colony, a blast of bangers from Yob, Mizmor + Thou and Nechochwen, more killer music from Predatory Light (I really need to revisit that) and Moonlight Sorcery, not to mention D. Morris BRINGING IT with some classic Harvey Milk. There’s a ton more, including God Mother, Windhand, Asunojuokei (for once not added by me, so thanks Ian!), and Morrow, among others.
That’s it for 2022. Get listening. Stay safe. See you next year…
Happy Walpurgisnacht. That’s a thing with the metal community, right? I can’t keep up with your predilections. I think I hit the wall a few days ago listening to new music, stuff bouncing off me with little to no connection. Does everyone go through this? I’m sure it will come back, but for now I think I’m going to leave the 229th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist to the staff who have been going slow, hard, and deep into the metals for your weekly listening pleasure.
Vincent takes the lead this morning with some new Terzij de Horde and a little nugget from the last Deafheaven album. Then a surprise appearance from our Literati Overlord who has been over the moon with the new single from Saor. He also throws in some Nite, Dark Funeral, and a cut from site fave King Dude. Have you ever known Josh not to bring the ridiculously heavy? This week he comes in hot with Scepticflesh, Black Void, Unholy Pestilence, and Kanine. Anton can always be relied on to present new music, and he doesn’t disappoint with tracks from Spook the Horses, Final Light and Path of Might. Angela looks to challenge Josh for heaviest music with something from the new Mizmor/Thou collaboration, some Primitive Man (making its second appearance in two weeks), and a buzzing dose of punk and hardcore from the great Fucked Up before wrapping with some Astronoid. Finally Buke takes us home with a bevy of songs, including Iron Maiden, Pharmacist, Power Trip, Tom Waits, UFO, and some new Rammstein to close it up.
Alright, one more post this week. And then it’s time to party. And by party, I probably mean nap.
Venom Inc. have announced details surrounding the sophomore album under that moniker. There’s Only Black will be out on September 23rd through Nuclear Blast, and a lyric video for “How Many Can Die” can be viewed here.
And then the biggest news of the day emerged out of Gilead Media. Mizmor and Thou teamed up on a collaborative double album, Myopia. Pre-orders for physical copies of that records are up, but it’s also available digitally now.
White Ward, despite everything going on in Ukraine, are releasing their third album on June 17th, titled False Light. It will be out through Debemur Morti Productions, who teamed up with Metal Injection for the premiere of “Leviathan”.
Swiss industrial metallers Samael released a new music video for “Dictate of Transparency”. They limited 7″ is available through Napalm Records, and can be purchased here. And that’s how we will end the week.
Seven days have come and gone, and I am still buried in the swirling green haze of classic psychedelic rock. I can’t escape…and frankly I don’t want to escape. But I also don’t want to burden you with more fuzz and scuzz from the late 60s and early 70s, so I’m kindly bowing out of this, the 227th edition of the Nine Circles Playlist and will let my fellow partners in crime hit you with the heavy stuff.
Anton brings us in with some Cosmic Putrefaction, followed by Tomarum and Syberia. Josh hits us with all kinds of rot, starting with Wormrot and quickly chasing it with some new Jungle Rot. After that it’s a swig of Denouncement Pyre, Kreator, Moon Tooth, and some classic Burst. Vincent has been all over the debut from the Linda Lindas, so you get some that plus tracks from Amulets and Superstition. Ian graces us again with his picks, hitting up The Weakerthans, Gregory Alan Isakov, After the Burial, and the long awaited return of Ignite. From there Angela brings it home with Darkher, Primitive Man, Horn, and a collaboration between Thou, Emma Ruth Rundle, and Mizmor.
Nine Circles 