NO CLEAN SINGING

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): VISCERA/// — “4. ASSETS FOR PSYCHEDELIC WARFARE”

Jul 212026

(written by Islander)

We have been fascinated by the unpredictable evolutions of the Italian band Viscera///, evolutions so adventurous that it’s not an exaggeration to now call their music experimental.

That’s not to say that they throw things against the wall to see what sticks, or drip ingredients into test tubes to see whether the fluids change colors or explode. They are instead quite obviously very demanding of themselves and very meticulous in their planning and execution, it’s just that they march to the beat of their own drummer; their musical interests are wide-ranging and they’ve never been satisfied by remaining in the same musical space for very long.

Because of that it’s probably not hugely helpful in our introduction of their new album to provide a history of the band’s releases (and the changing musical forays they have represented) across their 26 years of activity. It’s maybe more helpful to just focus on the new music and leave the past behind.

And yes, nine years after their last album, Viscera/// have a new full-length titled 4. Assets for Psychedelic Warfare that’s now set for release on July 24th by Time To Kill Records. And yes, we’re premiering it in full today. Continue reading »

PROTEST THE HERO – WITHIN

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jul 212026

(Andy Synn has been a fan of this band for a long, long time… but is he a fan of their new album?)

There’s a commonly quoted, but often misinterpreted, maxim which states that as you grow older there comes a time when you must “put away childish things.”

What it actually means is that the process of becoming an adult means growing beyond selfishness and short-sighted, self-serving impulsivity to consider the people and the world around you… but it’s often taken as a claim that one should give up the things you enjoy, your passions, your hobbies, your interests, in order to display some sort of boring, performative “maturity”.

It’s a sentiment that afflicts a lot of bands too, especially when they suddenly decide to throw in an unnecessary ballad or some generically pretentious prog-parts as a signal to their audience that they’ve finally “grown up”.

Luckily for all of us, however, as much as Canadian genre-splicing jesters Protest the Hero have grown and developed over the years I’m happy to report that they still possess that same shamelessly nerdy, Theatre-Kid Pop-Punk meets Dream Theatre-loving, DnD-playing, Power-Prog energy now as they did way back before they could even grow some proper beards.

AN NCS PREMIERE: ARGUL — “KAMOG”

Exceptions to the Rule, Premieres 1 Response »

Jul 202026

(written by Islander)

Surprises are often the spice of life, other than when the surprises involve things like getting T-boned at an intersection or having that mole turn out to be melanoma. But the song we’re about to premiere (and the whole album it comes from) has turned out to be a very happy surprise for this writer.

It’s a surprise because I wasn’t previously familiar with the band, and because their style of music is outside the kind of gnashing, gnarly, macabre, and malignant brands of extremity to which I usually subject my crippled ears. And it’s a spice-of-life surprise, because it turns out to be some of the most completely captivating music I’ve heard all year.

The band is Argul, a quartet from Lima, Peru, consisting of guitarist/vocalist Mauricio Guerrero, guitarist/vocalist Jose María Venturi, bassist Jian Holmes, and drummer Alonso Guerrero. They independently released a four-song demo in 2023, and now their debut album Soledad & Orgullo is set for release on August 21st by Personal Records. That album is the home of the remarkable song we’re now premiering, an enthralling track named “Kamog“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: HANGING GARDEN — “TEARS OF LUSTFUL, SECRET DESIRE”

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Jul 202026

(written by Islander)

As you can see, we’re about to premiere a song by Hanging Garden. This is not the Finnish collective that has been releasing music for the last 20 years under that name but is instead a vehicle for the solo work of Dylan Cruz from Yonkers, New York, whose resume includes current or former membership in Noxis, Scumbag, and Dissonance.

Though the name may cause some confusion, no one would confuse the music of the two Hanging Gardens. The one whose song we’re premiering today traffics in a form of technically impressive and richly nuanced progressive death metal.

This Hanging Garden released a debut album (The God That Made Them Bow) in 2024, and on September 18th Transcending Obscurity Records will release the project’s second full-length — Dream Death. The song we’re now premiering is “Tears of Lustful, Secret Desire“. Continue reading »

SALLOW MOTH – HYDROPHILOUS BROOD

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jul 202026

(Andy Synn has more words to share about long-time NCS favourites Sallow Moth)

It should be no suprise to learn that we love music here at NCS.

After all, none of us makes any money from this site, or takes any kick-backs – even if bands will sometimes, very kindly, offer to send us music or merch as thanks for a review – meaning we do this purely for the love of it.

And as part of that we also love to support bands who love making music for the sheer joy of it, with little to no regard for current trends or commercial concerns.

Which is one reason – but not, I must stress, the only reason – why we’ve been so supportive of the works of Sallow Moth over the years.

THERE WERE WIRES: “VESSEL”

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Jul 202026

(This is NCS writer Gonzo’s review of a comeback album from Boston-based There Were Wires that was released in late June by Iodine Recordings.)

When you think “heavy music,” the small slab of New England known as Martha’s Vineyard almost certainly won’t be what comes to mind first. And if it is, I want to know where the hell you’ve been hanging out lately. But never mind that.

Way back in 1999, the band There Were Wires formed in that quiet suburb, and they proceeded to play every sweaty New England club and basement venue they could crawl into. At the time, their sound was rooted in hardcore punk’s raw aggression, and they quickly found a home on Deathwish Records soon after. But after the release of their 2004 album Somnambulists, the band played what they presumed to be their final show, and the members went on to form other acts such as Doomriders, among others.

Now, over 25 years later, There Were Wires have made a return that’s just as ambitious as it is unlikely. Vessel is probably a record that nobody saw coming, but despite that, it deserves your full attention. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK: CALLOUS MASTER, VAITARANA , SKJOLDEN, DEATHISTHEMASTEROFTHEWORLD

Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK No Responses »

Jul 192026

(written by Islander)

I had to hurry to finish yesterday’s roundup due to excessive partying the night before and excessive sleeping through the next morning. Not having learned anything, I repeated myself last night and this morning, and am paying for it by having to truncate this Sunday roundup.

I mean, it wasn’t wild partying. There was no rowdiness, no fights. No one went to jail. It was just me and my wife and a bunch of other gray-hairs enjoying each other’s company over a grilled salmon dinner and maybe a few more drinks than was strictly advisable.

In figuring out what to include today, and what to leave behind for now, I decided to give you a charred-black roller-coaster ride. It’s only three songs and an EP, but none of them sound anything alike. I also decided to root this collection deep in the underground — these aren’t “big name” bands, but their music makes big impressions, at least on me and I hope on you too. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: BEYOND GRACE, ENTHEOS, HÄMND, SEV LEZU, BOÖTES VOID, HAIL CONJURER

Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC No Responses »

Jul 182026

(written by Islander)

I did enough listening over the last couple of days to make the usual difficult choices for this Saturday roundup, but other activities prevented me from getting a head-start on the writing. Those same activities last night caused me to oversleep this morning, so this is arriving much later in the day than is ideal. And because I’m late, that’s the end of this introduction. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: FEARTHROPOD — “LESSER CARNIVORA”

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Jul 172026

(written by Islander)

Today we’re announcing that on November 11th Satanath Records (Georgia) and Bajo Tierra Records (Mexico) will co-release the third album from the Mexican death metal band Feathropod, which is a solo project founded in Querétaro by Armando Ríos. The name of the new album is Oathkeeper.

For those who might be unfamiliar with Feathropod, its music has evolved in a steady stream of releases that have elaborately embellished a death metal framework with ingredients of black metal, doom, and especially orchestral music.

Yet while “symphonic death metal” might be a decent genre label for Feathropod’s music, it might be a bit misleading for some listeners, because it might not adequately prepare them for the spectacles of sheer madness that Fearthropod is capable of creating. We have one such spectacle to share today in our premiere of a lyric video for the first single off the new album — “Lesser Carnivora“. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: ETHEREAL ROT — “FESTUM TERRAE”

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Jul 172026

(written by Islander)

Today is the day when the New England blackened technical death metal band Ethereal Rot will release their self-titled debut album, and to help spread the word we’re premiering a video for a song off the new album called “Festum Terrae“.

The album narrates an elaborate cosmic horror story conceived by the band, which we’ll soon attempt to summarize. As for the band itself, it’s a quintet from Maine and New Hampshire that includes members of such groups as The Last King, Sonic Pulse, and Sawtopsy, and they recommend their music for fans of Cattle Decapitation, Suffocation, and The Zenith Passage.

Those are appealing references, but they’re still probably not adequate preparation for the mind-bending spectacle of madness and devastation that you’ll experience in the song we’re about to premiere. Continue reading »

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