The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 312 (12.02.2023)

playlist - mixtape

We’re here, folks. The End Times. The End (of year) Times. And like a soaring eagle, daring us to fly so high is Bruce Dickinson, giving us the first single from his forthcoming solo album The Mandrake Project. Truly we live in wonder. Not only that, but the reigning king of emo black metal (fight me) Këkht Aräkh is back with a new single as well. All that and Cryptosis ripped my head off with a new EP this morning. December looks good, is what I’m sayin’…

Enough of my yuletide joys. The rest of the 9C crew is decking the halls with righteous metal, including more Panopticon from the newly released Rime of Memory (spoiler: it’s the AOTM for November), and tracks from Persefone, In Flames (ignore the haters, because Foregone is FIRE) Celeste, the righteous rock of the ’68, the newly remixed and remastered Sunbather from Deafheaven, a little dash of Decipher and Vomitory, as well as more surprises. Finally we bring it home with a classic track from The Pogues. Rest in Peace, Shane MacGowan. No one did it like you, and you were instrumental to broadening the horizons of a young punk in 1990 when he heard Rum Sodomy & the Lash for the first time (even though the track picked was from If I Should Fall From the Grace of God).

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week.

Chris

Initial Descent: May 21 – 27, 2023

Olkoth

I am getting so close to vacation I can smell the sand and surf. But, for now, we’ve got another long list of new metal releases to push out that kicks off with my favorite local band Olkoth who kick out the jams death metal style, then we’ve got black / death metal debauchery from Hate Manifesto, more death metal from Vomitory, another somewhat local band that’s risen in the black metal ranks: Cloak, and a shit ton more hanging out just below these four. Happy hunting and we’ll see you here throughout the week…

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The Nine Circles Playlist Vol. 282 (5.6.2023)

There are albums you immediately love, and albums you immediately don’t. Sometimes you come around, sometimes you don’t and sometimes you don’t even try. Last night after listening to the newly released remix of Heartless, one of my favorite albums of the last decade I decided to give Forgotten Days, my White Whale of *shrug* from Pallbearer one more try. Something clicked, and I found myself drawn into a record in ways I haven’t in a long time. Might have been the cold medicine, but suddenly there was a richness and depth I could never hear before, and now I happily can’t un-hear it. So you’ll excuse me if I click off the 282nd edition of the Nine Circles Playlist with the opening track of my new favorite record.

From there we move onto the sea with live music from The Ocean, and then the rest of the staff brings the noise with new tracks from Bear, Grant the Sun, Aridus, Erdve, and the might return of Corrosion of Conformity and Khemmis. Elsewhere we have tracks from Atriarch, Godflesh, and Wolves in the Throne Room. Still here? There’s also music from Death Goals, Trespasser, Thyrfing, a blast of Greek power metal from Sacred Outcry and to round things out we’re tacking on the complete new left turn space odyssey album from Krallice.

Get listening. Stay safe. See you next week…

Chris

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

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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