SEEN AND HEARD: TRONDHEIM METAL FEST, THE EUPHONY FUSION VI, AND CORPUS MORTALE

 Free Shit, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Jan 072013
 

Here are just a few items I spotted over the last 24 hours that interested me. Mayhaps they will interest you, too. I may have more later.

TRONDHEIM METAL FEST

I do a pretty half-assed job reporting about European festivals and tours. Actually, it’s more like quarter-assed. Or maybe eighth-assed. I do a somewhat better job when it comes to North American tours and fests — at least those that interest me — because I’m a resident of the continent and so are a bare majority of NCS readers. But the forthcoming Trondheim Metal Fest did catch my eye, because . . . look at that line-up!

Of course, there’s no chance I will be in Trondheim, Norway, on March 14-16, 2012, unless Seattle’s tech geeks finally perfect teleporter technology in time. Also, I think I’d rather see them experiment first with melons instead of me. Melons to Trondheim!!

Where was I?  Oh yeah, Gojira, Napalm Death, and Anaal Nathrakh on the same bill is pretty fuckin’ strong. And there will be approximately 17 other bands performing as well, including those other three headliners whose names you see on the above flyer. You can get more details via the following links: Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: LAGO, FREYA, SATYROS, AND NYLITHIA

 Free Shit, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  8 Responses »
Jan 042013
 

Herein: an assortment of new music and one new video I discovered over the last 24 hours from a couple of bands previously featured at NCS and a couple of newcomers.  Varied and interesting stuff all the way around.

LAGO

This band from Phoenix is one of the newcomers. According to Metal Archives, they released a five-song EP (Marianas) via Pale Horse Recordings in 2010, which I haven’t heard yet, and then last month they released a new two-song demo entitled Tyranny. Last night I saw a recommendation of Tyranny from one of my Facebook friends and decided to give it a spin. Sure glad I did.

On Tyranny, Lago deliver something that sounds like a cross between old-school Morbid Angel and late-stage Behemoth, plus interesting elements that you won’t find in the music of either of those bands, such as the noodling bass notes and incredible guitar solo in “The Tyranny of Men”.  Both songs are rhythmically dynamic (and rhythmically compulsive) and expertly played. And the vocals are also deep as ocean trenches and monstrous, in the vein of something like Disma’s Craig Pillard (though some banshee shrieking also makes a brief appearance in the second song).

This is really fuckin’ impressive stuff! Continue reading »

STUFF I HAD TO FIND ON MY OWN IN 2012 ‘CAUSE ISLANDER & HIS CRONIES MISSED IT

 Free Shit, Listmania, LISTMANIA 2012  19 Responses »
Jan 042013
 

(Um, I guess it’s obvious that neither I nor my NCS cronies wrote this.  Guest contributor KevinP did.)

MYRAETH — In Glorious Death

Kudos to the “Facebook Stalker box” on this one.  Saw a friend comment on a band status,  so I took a look.  Death/doom from Sydney, Australia.  Picture My Dying Bride, with all-male harsh vocals, clean female vocals, less wrist-slashing depression, and a tad more upbeat.  Mighty good stuff indeed (I blame the salted yeast laced with B vitamins).

http://www.facebook.com/Myraeth

http://myraeth.bandcamp.com/   (digitial & CD available here)

http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Myraeth/3540306195

Continue reading »

UNDERGROUND METAL FOR THE TRVE CURMUDGEON: SURGICALBRUTE’S FAVORITE DEMO’S OF 2012

 Free Shit, Listmania, LISTMANIA 2012  3 Responses »
Dec 262012
 

(Earlier this month we published the personal best-album list of long-time NCS patron SurgicalBrute, and it attracted quite a lot of attention (and still does, based on our web traffic stats). Today we’re publishing another of his year-end lists. This one may come from even deeper underground than the last one — and almost all the music is free.)

As I said in my last article, there was just an insane level of new music being put out this year. Despite having a rather slow start, it was almost like someone flicked a switch about halfway through the year. Because of that I ended up limiting my already substantial year-end list to just full-length albums. So Im back this time to shed some light on the Top 10 demos I heard this year.

Those of you who read my “best of” list have an idea what kind of music I like, so no long descriptions on this one.

 

1)    Occultist – Hell by Our Hands

Female-fronted crusty blackened death/thrash from Richmond, Va. Straighforward and thrashy, they do a great job mixing metal with punk. While they do have a Bandcamp, once again it’s streaming-only. Fortunately there’s an official mediafire download at their label’s home page (Primitive Ways). Continue reading »

BYRD’S 10 FAVORITE FREEBIES OF 2012

 Free Shit, Listmania, LISTMANIA 2012  32 Responses »
Dec 252012
 

(byrd36 has been hanging around the site since at least September 14, 2010, which is when he taught me the origin of the name Naglfar in his first comment at NCS. In addition to being a long-time supporter of what we do here, dude also knows his metal, as he showed us while writing for Death Metal Baboon, and as you’re about to see again.)

Hello, NCS readers! Friends, brothers and sisters in Metal, I come in peace and offer gifts! I left my list of my favorite twenty metal albums in the NCS Readers’ Lists if anyone cares to get a glimpse of my overall tastes this year. Part of my reason for doing that was my intention to do this list, and with no DMB, I knew I’d probably be pushing my luck trying to sneak just one on here. You know, quality control and such.

Anyway, the idea for this came to me last year at list season and I enjoyed putting one together at DMB then, and figured it may be a good tradition to start. Sorry in advance if I come across a little short on words. Any of you who may be familiar with my previous “writings” will know I’m not a writer, just a fan saying “check this shit out!”.  So, please bear with me as I present you with my ten favorite free and name-your-price releases of 2012.

Just to fuck with y’all, I’m going to put the top three in alphabetical order and then restart the bottom seven in alphabetical order. I refuse to order the list and separated the top three only because they are in my overall top twenty.

Abyssal – Denouement

This one is loaded with plenty of brutal, lots of blackness, and an atmosphere that will most likely smother you where you sit. All of this with a damn fine production, if I may say so. This came out on the second day of this year and I acquired it very shortly afterward. It’s been in heavy rotation ever since.

http://abyssal-home.bandcamp.com/ Continue reading »

GIFTS

 Free Shit  9 Responses »
Dec 132012
 

It’s the time of year when record labels and even bands give away their music. And unlike some shitty piece of clothing one of your relatives might give you, you don’t have to accept the gift if you don’t want to. But here are some gifts I think you’ll want to check out.

CENTURY MEDIA’S CARNIVAL OF SOUNDS II

Century Media is offering a free 16-track download that includes songs from the likes of In Flames, Devin Townsend, Jeff Loomis, Napalm Death, Nachtmystium, Paradise Lost, Iced Earth, Borknagar, Vildhjarta, Stealing Axion, and 7 Horns 7 Eyes. It also includes a track from Geoff Tate, but you could give that one to that cousin you can’t stand. Go HERE to see the full line-up and download the sampler.

PROSTHETIC RECORDS WINTER SAMPLER 2012

Prosthetic Records is also offering a free winter sampler. Their collection consists of 14 songs, including tracks from Skeletonwitch, Hour of Penance, Dew-Scented, Ancient VVisdom, Holy Grail, and Castle. There is also a live recording from a 14-string Venezuelan guitarist named Felix Martin. To see everything in this sampler and get it for free, visit this location. Continue reading »

BANDCAMP UPDATE: EARACHE AND DEBEMOR MORTI

 Free Shit, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  11 Responses »
Dec 072012
 

Not long ago we reported the awesome news that pioneering metal label Earache Records had established a Bandcamp site, launching it with an interesting mix of both new and older releases from their formidable catalogue. Just days after that, they increased the awesomeness by adding Bolt Thrower’s legendary 1991 album War Master to the site.

That was one of 8 albums we suggested that Earache add to Bandcamp, and guess what? Yesterday they added another album from our list:

Entombed: Left Hand Path (1990)

We pushed for the addition of that album because . . . well hell, if you don’t know why, I don’t know how to begin to explain. It is one of your humble editor’s favorite metal albums of all time, world without end, amen.

And holy shit, that’s not all. When I wasn’t paying attention Earache also added two more albums from the NCS list: Altars of Madness (1989) and Blessed Are the Sick (1991) by Morbid Angel!!!

And that’s STILL not all . . . Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: THE RESISTANCE, ENDEZZMA, RAINBOWDRAGONEYES, AND MEDICATED

 Free Shit, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Dec 022012
 

Here’s a daily round-up of new metal I discovered today that I decided was worth your time. And, of course, who better than I to determine what is and isn’t worth your time? Such important decisions can’t be left up to you, because you would fritter away the hours doing ridiculous things like eating, sleeping, playing with your nether bits, and bathing your hedgehog.

What I have for you in this post: The Resistance (Sweden), Endezzma (Norway), Rainbowdragoneyes (U.S.), and Medicated (Finland).

THE RESISTANCE

If you wondered what had become of founding In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad after he left that band in 2010, The Resistance is what happened to him. Along with Jesper, the band also includes guitarist Glenn Ljungström (another In Flames alum), vocalist Marco Aro (ex-The Haunted, Facedown), and drummer Chris Barkensjö (ex-Kaamos, ex-Grave). [At one time, the band also included bass-player Alex Losbäck Holstad (ex-Despite), but he was ejected a few months ago.]

So yes, you could call this a super-group, but The Resistance insist that they are an on-going band and not a one-off project. Their debut EP, Rise From Treason, is now scheduled for release by EarMusic on January 25, with a full-length album projected for next April. Continue reading »

MISCELLANY NO. 51: AMONG GODS, DEAD WARRIOR, BURY THE CROWN

 Album Reviews, Free Shit, MISCELLANY, SHORT BUT SWEET  2 Responses »
Dec 022012
 

From the inception of NCS, one of our goals has been to put the spotlight not only on bands whose names are well known but also on lesser known creators of extreme music. This MISCELLANY series has always been one way of doing that, but over the last year I’ve let lots of time go by in between MISCELLANY installments.

So I’m making a new resolution: I’ll start running a new MISCELLANY post once a week going forward. I hope that one works out better than the one I made about not spitting in other people’s beer.

Remember the MISCELLANY rules: I pick bands whose names are unknown to me, using a very impulsive and usually random selection process; I listen to one or two songs (though sometimes I cheat on the number); I write my impressions of the music; and I stream what I heard so you can judge for yourselves. These posts are obviously less than full reviews, but they’re better than no reviews at all — and unfortunately we just don’t have time to review everything that comes our way.

And also remember this: Though I’ve had uncannily good luck with most of the MISCELLANY selections, I don’t know in advance what the music is going to sound like or whether it’s something I’d normally recommend. By definition, this series is all about surprises.

So, here we go: Today’s picks are Among Gods (Norway), Dead Warrior (Argentina), and Bury the Crown (U.S. – Houston). Continue reading »

SATURDAY WITH SONNE ADAM, PTAHIL, AND ALPTHRAUM

 Free Shit, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Nov 242012
 

As I write this, it’s a Saturday morning in the vicinity of Seattle, where the rain gods are taking a breath before going to work again. Actual rays of sunshine are illuminating the water drops that hang from every living thing in the forest around where I live, and the earth looks like a saturated sponge that can’t hold any more. I might take a walk later, before the sky starts peeing again. But for now, I’m just listening . . .

. . . and what I’ve been hearing are new tunes from Sonne Adam (Israel), Ptahil (U.S.), and Alpthraum (Canada).

SONNE ADAM

Israel’s Sonne Adam have recently loosed two bestial releases. The first is a vinyl EP entitled Doctrines of Dark Devotion, the magnificent cover of which is staring you in the face at the top of this post. That one was released by Imperium Productions.

The second release is Messengers Of Desolate Ways, a CD compilation from Century Media containing all the tracks on that new EP plus all the music from two previous vinyl-only EPs, Armed With Hammers and The Sun Is Dead, and three previously unreleased songs.

Recently, Sonne Adam began streaming “The Day I Chose to Rot”, which appears on both of the new releases. The song is fucking immense, a shattering mid-paced crusher of blackened death metal might. It brings down a dank, heavy shroud of doom, shot through with indigo melody and made all the more disturbing by truly horrific vocals. It sucks souls into the abyss and consumes them with grisly relish. Continue reading »

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