Islander

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: MEFITIS, CLOUDS, SIKARIO, LABYRINTHUS STELLARUM

 Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Dec 282024
 

(written by Islander)

This is a good time to take stock of where we are (“we” being NCS, not the squirming hive of humanity that continues spinning helplessly through the void). I thought we would have the final installment of our year-end lists from writers and other friends on Monday, but a late-breaking e-mail creates the possibility there will be one more after that. Whether we finish Monday or a bit later, there’s one more segment of LISTMANIA still to come, i.e., my own list of 2024’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs. More on that in a minute.

Next week we’ll also have Andy‘s monthly Synn Report and five song premieres (at last count), plus at least a couple of interviews that have been patiently (or impatiently) waiting for an opening. After next week, most of which will still be a holiday for most people, things in metaldom will ramp back up into the usual churn of news announcements and new releases, and we’ll again have the usual weekly volume of premieres, reviews, and interviews from then until 2025 starts winding down. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: MONASTERY DEAD — “REVELATION”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Dec 272024
 

(Written by Islander)

In March of this nearly-ended year we premiered a full stream of Ego Sum Dolor, the fourth album to emerge, after four years of work, from the Saint Petersburg death metal band Monastery Dead. It was co-released by Satanath Records (Georgia) and Australis Records (Chile). And today we have a couple of reminders of what a strong album it was (and is), including our premiere of a thrilling full-band playthrough video of Monastery Dead performing the album track “Revelation.”

But the first reminder, if you’ll indulge me, is to repeat a few things we wrote in a review accompanying that album stream last March:

If your Latin is rusty, the album’s title translate to “I am pain”, or perhaps “I am in pain”. Consistent with that title, the concept of the album is described as follows:

This is a story about a man doomed to experience all the suffering and torment destined for him in his life, here and now. He bears the burden of merciless retribution, which, like stigmata, he acquired by birthright, experiences pain and inflicts pain, is obsessed with destruction and destroys himself. His own wounds and those of his victims will never heal and will bleed forever.

Or to put it more succinctly: “The basis of the concept of the release is the idea that the real hell is our current existence on Earth.” Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: NIHIL KAOS — “ETERNAL GENESIS”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Dec 272024
 

(written by Islander)
Nihil Kaos is a Turkish band whose members have been scattered among three countries — Finland and the Netherlands in addition to Türkiye. But despite their geographic dispersal they have maintained a musical vision that’s startling to witness. Whatever they may do in their personal lives in such different places, when they join together as artists they have devoted themselves to a vision of black metal that is jaw-dropping in its explosive depictions of chaos and terror, but also reaches heights of magnificence and depths of haunting tragedy.

More than 9 years have passed since their last album Noxkult. In that time they’ve participated in a 2018 split with Djevelkult and Kyy, and in 2021 they released a stunning long single named “Triumphant Silence of Void” (reviewed here) in tribute to the band’s former vocalist Iconoclast, who died earlier that year.

At last, Nihil Kaos have finished a new album named Mystagogue, which includes the performances of new vocalist Tleps (Acherad, Kyy) in addition to those of its other steadfast members. It will be released in the first quarter of 2025 by Mara Productions. It is described as “a harrowing journey into the chaos where the band was born and where we all shall return”: “The power of that chaos, the tragedy of it, the beauty and even the terror of it. From omega and back to omega.”

What we have for you today is the premiere of “Eternal Genesis,” the album’s closing track and the first song publicly revealed from Mystagogue. Continue reading »

LISTMANIA 2024: “25 FOR 24!” BY DANIEL BARKASI

 LISTMANIA 2024  8 Responses »
Dec 272024
 

(We present NCS writer Daniel Barkasi‘s year-end list of his favorite albums released in 2024 — a ranked list of 25.)

We’re at the end of another romp around the calendar. Yes, we survived! If not, how would you be reading this slop? Mind melding, perhaps? I probably didn’t listen to enough math/prog for Mr. Spock’s logical, technical tastes. Or maybe he does enjoy a dose of pure, unfettered violence once in a while?

We’re definitely not in the age of Starfleet, especially considering the state of this planet. I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time complaining about how it’s been a long year – we indulge plenty in my Obscurities column – so let’s keep that to a minimum here. We moved, went through a pair of catastrophic hurricanes (fuck Florida, seriously), the US proved that it’s collectively braindead, are we’re planning another move for next year. But, in positive news, we rescued another kitten! Her name’s Mabel, and we’re so glad to have her amongst our horde of nine other cats, three dogs, two horses, a bunch of snakes and spiders, and a partridge in a palm tree.

The end of another year is typically a time for reflection, spending time with those you care about, doing fun stuff. We’ve gone to Disney World a lot recently. For many, though, it’s a difficult and lonely time. I’m sure we all know somebody struggling, going through difficult times, fighting health issues. A very good friend right now is going through quite an ordeal, so if you’re reading – you probably will at some point – all the love to you, Darren. Try to lend a friendly ear to folks if you can, and be there for those who need it most. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: CROWN OF MADNESS — “ASHES OF MINE”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Dec 262024
 

(written by Islander)

In our previous writings about the first two recordings from British Columbia’s Crown of Madness (both of them EPs), we’ve highlighted the band’s talent for crafting death metal that’s both dissonant and melodic, both technically impressive and intriguing in its prog-minded permutations, both intensely harrowing and atmospherically chilling, yet cohesive despite how many different influences and inspirations they weave together.

In light of how eye-opening and often jaw-dropping those EPs were, it’s not a great surprise that this husband-and-wife duo of Sunshine Schneider (Guitar, Bass, Vocals) and Connor Gordon (drums) caught the attention of a label such as Transcending Obscurity Records, which will release their debut album Memories Fragmented on February 28th.

And it’s not a great surprise that in light of our previous enthusiastic experiences with the music of this band, we jumped at the chance to host the premiere of an emotionally mutilating song from the new album, and its name is “Ashes of Mine.” Continue reading »

MÖRK GRYNING: “FASORNAS TID”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Dec 262024
 

(Below you’ll find a review by our Oslo-based contributor Chile of the new album by the Swedish black metal band Mörk Gryning, which was released earlier this month by Season of Mist.)

The times of horrors are truly upon us. With the approach of everything everywhere gnawing all at once, there is something comforting in the knowledge that we as a civilization are still capable of putting out almost nine thousand metal albums each year. Listening to all of them, well, that’s a different story, maybe it will go down as a New Year’s resolution for the coming turn of the calendar. Until then, you are welcome to all the great writing on this very site.

Among those thousands, we are first and foremost focused on the quality in our selection, a logical statement if there ever was one. Enter Swedish band Mörk Gryning which has been around for some time now, and saying that would be an understatement, at the very least. Three decades deep into their career (although with a decade lost in a hiatus from activities), they have released some bona fide classics in albums like Tusen år har gått… or Maelstrom Chaos cementing their place in the pantheon of Swedish metal and surely black metal in general. 

The well-received comeback album Hinsides vrede released in 2020 has put the band back into the spotlight and with it also hopefully brought a new generation of fans. Since fans only want one thing, Mörk Gryning are returning after four years with their new album titled Fasornas tid out now on Season of Mist. The album, more or less, keeps the format of the previous one with twelve tracks in total, although with fewer interludes and a bit longer running time of 44 minutes. Continue reading »

LISTMANIA 2024: A YEAR-END LIST FROM TODD MANNING

 LISTMANIA 2024  1 Response »
Dec 262024
 

(This is NCS writer Todd Manning‘s list of the year’s best metal albums (an un-ranked Top 15), plus a handful of favorite EPs.)

Brutal music for another brutal year. As always, I’m partial to quite a bit of weird mixed in with my metal, but its all dark. You can feel the darkness just beyond the light of our tiny candles. It’s pressing in from all sides. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK (CHRISTMAS DAY EDITION): SKAGOS, WĘDROWCY~TUŁACZE~ZBIEGI, ZÉRO ABSOLU, THE MAN AND THE ABYSS, ISTAPP

 Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK  6 Responses »
Dec 252024
 

(written by Islander; photo by Islander)

I hope you got a holiday today. If you did, I hope you’ll be able to spend the time happily, however you choose to spend it and whatever it may mean to you. If you didn’t, from all of us at NCS the same wishes still apply.

I wasn’t able to compile a SHADES OF BLACK column last Sunday. I didn’t think about trying to cure the omission during this week, but then DGR said I should run it today “for kvltness so cheesy it would qualify as proper parmigiano.” It’s nice that he picked “the king of cheeses”, and also fitting that it’s often served shaved or grated, since that’s what some of the following selections might do to your brain.

As an aside, did anyone notice that we served up lists from a Grover and a Gonzo yesterday? I wish I was clever enough to have done that on purpose, but I was just following my habit of posting lists from our writers and other friends in the order received. Sometimes the stars align. (And thanks to Dan Barkasi for pointing out the Muppets connection to this dummy.)

And now, onward with some gifts we were all given as the year’s nights turned longest, and which will keep things dark even with the solstice now behind us. (My family’s all old enough that we don’t give gifts any more, so I had some money to spend on this music, and hope you’re not too broke to do that yourselves.) Continue reading »

LISTMANIA 2024: GONZO’S TOP 25 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

 LISTMANIA 2024  8 Responses »
Dec 242024
 

(This is Denver-based NCS writer Gonzo‘s list of 2024’s Top 25 albums.)

It’s probably a grim sign of the times when, upon assembling this list, my first thought is “which albums helped me endure the horrors?”

That’s really why we listen to music in the first place, though. In that sense, this year was no different than any other. And I’d defy anyone to name a better form of self-guided therapy than blasting a metal record at god’s volume to help them navigate said horrors of existence.

Holy shit, that all sounded a lot bleaker than I’d intended. Whatever, though. We’re going with it. Continue reading »

LISTMANIA 2024: A YEAR-END LIST BY PROFESSOR D. GROVER THE XIIITH

 LISTMANIA 2024  1 Response »
Dec 242024
 

(Our friend Professor D. Grover the XIIIth (ex-The Number of the Blog) has been joining us this time of year for many years to share his diverse year-end lists, and does so again now. There’s a lot here, and, once more, it truly is diverse.)

Greetings and salutations, friends. Here we are again, poring over a year’s worth of music and taking stock of our thoughts about it. I always enjoy the opportunity to reflect on what I’ve heard throughout the year, to see how my music taste has evolved from years past. It’s been a busy year for me, working while trying to adapt my schedule to the sports activities of three kids, but I’ve still found plenty of time to check out a solid number of albums.

As always, I’ll start with some honorable mentions. This is not an exhaustive list of everything that I’ve heard through the year, of course, but it is most of the albums that caught enough of my attention to warrant at least some attention. Many of these could have made my final list, but then said list would have been absurdly long, and I just don’t have the time for that. Unlike last year I’m not dividing them into categories, either, but rest assured, I enjoyed all of these albums a great deal. Continue reading »

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