Every year when we approach the middle of November I always seem to have the same thought: “Man, this year really flew by!” Of course at other times of the year I think, “Man time is really crawling like an old crippled man who lost his crutches, can’t this fresh hell go away faster?”
Well, the blurred-time feeling always comes this time of year because I’m staring at the calendar and realizing how much is about to happen this month at our putrid site. We have lots to do, and people seem to look forward to it. But this month we also ask readers to do a lot, to help us out. It’s the beginning of probably the most “interactive” time of year at NCS.
And so I thought now might be a good time to provide reminders for those of you who inexplicably don’t organize your own calendars around happenings at NCS. Here are some key dates coming up:
NOVEMBER 18: We will post our annual invitation to readers to nominate candidates for our list of the year’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs.
NOVEMBER 18 – 21: If history repeats itself, somewhere in there DECIBEL mag will launch their year-end list, which will signal the start of our effort to share lists from selected magazines and “big platform” sites.
NOVEMBER 21: We will celebrate the arrival of our glorious 13th birthday.
NOVEMBER 22: I have a dental appointment. (Just seeing if you’re paying attention.)
DECEMBER 1: We will post our request for readers to share with us their year-end lists of best releases.
DECEMBER 12 (roughly): We’ll begin posting year-end lists from our writers and assorted guests.
JANUARY 2 (roughly): I’ll begin rolling out my list of 2022’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs.
You’ll notice, and maybe even remember, that on some of those dates we’ll be trying to enlist your aid, not only because we could use the help but also because in years past the readers’ lists of songs and releases have become the subject of intense interest and participation, and have created valuable archives for people to use in exploring what they missed — archives that will last, if not forever, for as long as we keep paying our web hosting bills. And hey, we’ve done that for almost 13 years!
So, there’s a preview of a busy time approaching, and one we hope you’ll be excited to share with us.
P.S. I think I should close with some music, in adherence to one of my personal commandments (thou shalt write nothing without music). To make a selection I looked back at my ever-growing list of candidates for that Most Infectious Song compendium, to see which song was the first one I put on this year’s candidate list.
Well, it turns out that it was a single by the Latvian band Eschatos released (here) on December 25, 2021, so I guess it’s not really a legitimate candidate. But listening to the song again, and viewing the extraordinary video, reminded me what a remarkable experience it is (and explains why I was tempted to sneak it in). I’ll include the lyrics below the video, because they’re well worth reading.
There I see before me
The great Death
Bowing its head
Holding the chalice of sleep eternal
Bowing his head
I absorb the light
And eat what falls upon the ground
Both shores meet
Under his downcast sight
He’ll sets seas on fire
And the veins of the Earth
Then the time will run out
Under the white cow horns
For he is the truth
Untouched by the sun
He’ll set seas on fire
And the veins of the earth
And we will all become vessels
And we will all become one