SEEN AND HEARD ON A FRIDAY: DOWNFALL OF NUR, NON EST DEUS, STARER

 Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET  No Responses »
Apr 032026
 

(written by Islander)

This past week has provided yet another flood of new metal, maybe even more than usual. I’m staring at dozens of new open tabs on my beleaguered computer, stacked on top of dozens more from the previous couple of weeks, and getting that anxious feeling that comes from the certain knowledge that I’ll barely make a dent in what’s there.

But I did have time to make a small dent today, thanks to waking up even earlier than usual and with a relatively clear head. No matter the clarity, I don’t have a very well-understood reason for why I picked the following three selections. They just kind of jumped out at me, I guess because they’re all very recent and from bands who’ve got a very appealing track record, at least for me.

With any luck, I’ll make some bigger dents in this weekend’s NCS roundups. For now, get your heads dented with these: Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: NUCLEAR TOMB — “FALLING OUT THE WORLD OF LIES”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 032026
 

(written by Islander)

“WE’RE LIVING IN A WORLD OF LIES!” That’s part of what Nuclear Tomb vocalist/guitarist Michael Brown yells at the top of his lungs in the song we’re about to premiere, and no one with a thimbleful of brain could argue with him.

To underline the point, the song’s accompanying video flashes images of many liars in positions of government authority, along with clips of rioting, police brutality, and soldiers sent off by the liars to be maimed and die (those clips are old but of course that’s happening again right now in the Middle East).

It’s a pissed-off song, and not just because of the words. It’s also a head-spinning song — and at times a very bleak one as well. Its name is “Falling Out of World of Lies“, and it’s from this Baltimore band’s new album Epoch Inhumane, which will be released in June by Rotted Life. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: VOMITO MORTUORIO — “DENTRO DEL SARCÓFAGO”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 032026
 

(written by Islander)

In April of this year a quintet of international labels will release Dentro del Sarcófago, the debut album of Vomito Mortuorio. That band is the project of veteran Salvadorean metalhead Céfiro de Muerte, who has also been involved in Conceived By Hate, Conflagración, Witchgöat, Disorder, Morbid Stench, and Invocation of Death. For this new album, drums were recorded in France by session drummer J.H.

The labels describe the music as “uncompromising death/black rhythms with lyrics in Spanish and totally dedicated to cemeteries, rusted mausoleums and old human bones.” We have some descriptions of our own as a prelude to premiering a ghastly video for the album’s title song, “Dentro del Sarcófago“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: MARIA OF COPPER MOUNTAINS — “КОЛЫБЕЛЬНАЯ (LULLABY)”

 Exceptions to the Rule, Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 032026
 

(written by Islander)

We have made a startling new discovery through the song we’re about to premiere, a discovery of the Russian atmospheric black metal band Maria Of Copper Mountains. Now we know that the band was founded in the Southern Urals in 2022 by the extraordinary vocalist Maria Azanova, who is accompanied on the band’s debut album by instrumentalist Nikita Sapogov.

The song we’re about to present is one of seven on the duo’s debut album В чёрны омуты (Into The Black Whirlpools), which will be co-released on April 16th by Satanath Records and Afterlight Records. The song’s name is “Колыбельная (Lullaby)“. Continue reading »

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Apr 022026
 

(Andy Synn presents another round-up of cool stuff you may have missed last month)

A couple of days ago I promised you a second one of these “Things You May Have Missed” articles… and here it is.

Of course, even with double the usual number of bands to cover I’ve still barely scratched the surface of what March had to offer, so if you have any extra time on your hands I’d recommend also checking out the new releases from Alkhemia, Cult of Occult, Defacing God, Dionysiaque, Dollhaver, Gorenado, The Oldest House, Qwälen, and Rivers Ablaze.

Before then, however, here’s four artists/albums – including two debuts – that I’ve personally selected as being particularly worthy of your attention.

Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: PLAGUEWIELDER — “SON OF THE SERPENT, SON OF THE WHORE”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 022026
 

(written by Islander)

As long-time visitors here well know, we’ve been following the continually evolving music of Ohio’s Plaguewielder for many years. Most recently (late last summer), we premiered an eye-catching video for an excellent new Plaguewielder song, “Blood of the Astral Gate,” the first single from a forthcoming release entitled Year of the Plague.

Plaguewielder’s current plan is to continue disclosing singles this year leading up to the release of Year of the Plague as an album near the end of the year, which will be distributed through the band’s independent new label Mourning Shroud.

What we’re bringing you today is the second single from the album, “Son of the Serpent, Son of the Whore“, and it arrives just in time to scorn the coming Easter Sunday. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: BLACK CILICE — “INTO THE INNER TEMPLE”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 022026
 

(written by Islander)

In contemplating the discography of the Portuguese black metal band Black Cilice, the word “prolific” leaps to mind. Beginning with their first five(!) demos released in 2009, they’ve released something almost ever year — more demos, many splits, a trio of EPs, and six albums. Now there’s a seventh album on the horizon, slated for release by Iron Bonehead Productions on May 1st.

The album’s name is Votive Fire. It includes only four songs, but they are long ones, none shorter than seven minutes and the opener almost reaching 10 1/2. What we have for you today is the third of these tracks in the running order, “Into the Inner Temple“. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: ENTERRÉ VIVANT

 Interviews  No Responses »
Apr 022026
 

(Today we present Comrade Aleks’ interview of the two members of the atmospheric black metal band Enterré Vivant, with a focus on their very interesting latest album released by the Antiq label.)

Akuzaï, the third album of Enterré Vivant, a duo of Erroaik and Sakrifiss, was released almost one year ago, and it’s still the most up-to-date album of this project which I didn’t totally skip yet failed to investigate properly during 2025. Being influenced by Summoning, Woods of Infinity, and Mystic Forest, this duo works remotely, as Erroaik locates in France, and Sakrifiss relocated to Japan over 25 years ago.

Enterré Vivant progresses coherently if we speak about the music, and Akuzaï delivers both depressive and atmospheric black metal with an authentic touch for sure, yet this time the projects also hooks with the plot behind ten new tracks. The album’s concept is centered around a Buddhist idea of ten sins and World War II, and one can barely connect one to another, so it was one of many points to organize in this interview. Continue reading »

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 193): DOODSESKADER

 THE SYNN REPORT  No Responses »
Apr 012026
 

Recommended for fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Death Grips, Godflesh, clipping.

The thing about blending genres is – just like mixing together too many shades of paint – what you often end up with is just… beige.

But when you get it right, not just sloppily blending together all the most generic and familiar aspects of different styles but relying on the clashing, kaleidoscopic contrasts between them to create something weird and provocative that smashes through all the established boundaries… that’s when you get Doodseskader.

And with their third album set for release on Friday, now seemed like the perfect time to shine some light on the duo’s unique amalgam of Electro-Industrial-Hip-Hop and Nu-Punk-Sludge-Metal.

Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): VANIR — “WYRD”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 012026
 

(written by Islander)

For people of a certain age and living in a certain time, melodic death metal opened a magical musical portal. Principally originating in Sweden, it eventually led enormous numbers of listeners around the globe (including this writer) into new worlds. Other portals forged of metal were opening at the same time, and many others have opened since then, but thanks to bands like the Danish group Vanir, this one has remained open.

Vanir have been musically exploring other worlds (often mythic ones) since 2010, with a discography that has come to include seven albums, and their eighth one — Wyrd — will be released in just a couple of days by Mighty Music. As the label describes, “The record revolves around the timeless theme of fate – spun from war, from the choices of humankind, and from the consequences that have shaped our world”, and it “invites the listener into stories of downfall and triumph, of lives lost and victories won.”

What we bring you today is the chance to hear Wyrd in its entirety. Continue reading »

 Older Entries