Austin Weber Archives - Page 9 of 19

AN NCS PREMIERE: FORMLESS — “PRISM”

Apr 202016

(Austin Weber brings us the premiere of a new song by Formless, with this introduction:)

It seems like just yesterday that I first became familiar with Connecticut-based technical death metal unit Formless when they dropped their sick three-song demo EP back in 2010. Over the years, their name continued to spread and be mentioned among the tech-death faithful, all the while we waited for the band to release something new. Well, the long wait is finally over, as the band’s debut full-length, Eon, is finally dropping on Tuesday, May 10th! And we’ve got the exclusive premiere of a brand new song off it called “Prism”.

Much like the band’s music in the past, “Prism” culls influences and ideas from all over the larger tech-death and death metal styles around to form a multi-faceted synthesis all their own. So it shreds, it stomps, it soars, and even offers up sparse moments of beautiful clean singing from guitarist Annie Grunwald amidst the myriad of ideas that “Prism” is composed of. As a song title, “Prism” perfectly describes this kind of layered technical death metal composition, full of many shades and colors. Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT — “INCESTE”

Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET 3 Responses »

Apr 072016

(Austin Weber reviews the new EP by NY’s Imperial Triumphant — who just released another new song from the EP.)

Watching Imperial Triumphant grow and morph in so many odd directions over the years has been pretty interesting. I first started covering these guys back in 2012 when Abominamentvm dropped, and even then I correctly foresaw them as being a group focused on deconstructing black metal into an otherworldly force of disturbing imagination and horror. True to form, they’ve really been giving it their all ever since then. First there was the two-song crushing blow of Goliath in 2013. Then came another phenomenal full-length just last year called Abyssal Gods. I’m still reeling from the experience that record delivered, yet the band is already back with a four-song EP named Inceste that comes out pretty soon — on April 15th.

After a release as batshit crazy and eclectic as Abyssal Gods, I was excited to hear what new realms of misery they cooked up this time. And damn, Inceste does not disappoint at all. It traps and delivers all their many forms of sonic tinkering and dissonant filth, with a healthy round of guests aiding in their eerie quest to musically hit rock bottom and become purely chaotic noise. At least this time they were kind enough to brace us for the coming storm with “Libertine” as a subdued opener. But as soon as track two, “Kaleidescopic Orgies”, unfurls its queasy, almost Gorguts-like off-kilter opening rhythm, and then seesaws between dark swirling chaos and surreal sensory overload, you know this ride will be just as wild as any the band have given us before. If there is one sensation that comes to mind when I sit through this, nausea would be it. Imperial Triumphant continue to deliver frantic odes to death that never rest and endlessly rage into fits of madness. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: DEVIANT PROCESS — “UNCONSCIOUS”

Premieres 2 Responses »

Mar 292016

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of a lyric video for song from the new album by Deviant Process from Quebec, Canada.)

I’ve been meaning to cover the new Deviant Process here at NCS for a while since I’ve previously only covered them at Metal-Injection. Luckily, I know Islander mentioned them recently in an article, but I’ll take any chance I can to cover these Canadian tech-death freaks again and their new album, Paroxysm.

In my initial assessment of it, I recommended it for fans of Quo Vadis and Augury, and while this is often more aggressive than both of those bands, it shares a certain element with both of them as far as the dense prog-oriented songwriting and technical, melodic-infused take on tech-death goes. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: IN MOURNING, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, SINISTROUS DIABOLUS

RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 8 Responses »

Mar 232016

Here are a trio of selected songs that caught our eyes and ears over the last 24 hours.

IN MOURNING

As previously reported, Sweden’s In Mourning have a new album on the way named Afterglow, which features wonderful cover art by Kristian “Necrolord” Wåhlin and also marks the first appearance of the band’s new drummer, Daniel Liljekvist (ex-Katatonia). This morning the band debuted a lyric video for the first advance track from the album, a song named “Below Rise To the Above”. Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: PYRRHON — “RUNNING OUT OF SKIN”

Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET 2 Responses »

Mar 152016

(Austin Weber reviews the surprising new EP by Pyrrhon.)

Since their inception, NYC-based death metal weirdos Pyrrhon have developed a reputation as an experimental force to be reckoned with. And with each new release the band venture further into new territory and new forms of chaotic, genre-bending insanity. Last year they dropped an EP called Growth Without End that got a lot of critical praise and really seemed to be a breakthrough moment for the group in terms of their growing name recognition. If you remember, that release was itself a quick turn-around, with the band having previously released a phenomenal full-length just two years ago called The Mother Of Virtues.

Now, seemingly out nowhere and with no advance hype, the band quietly dropped a new EP today called Running Out Of Skin. With the only Pyrrhon constant seeming to be a penchant to change and shift their sound, it should come as no surprise that Running Out Of Skin is both familiar and different from their prior works. It consists of three original tracks, two of which were improvised in the studio, and a damn heavy cover of Death’s ”Crystal Mountain” to end the EP. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: PITTS MINNEMANN PROJECT — “THE PSYCHIC PLANETARIUM”

Premieres 7 Responses »

Mar 012016

(Austin Weber presents our full streaming premiere of the new album by Pitts Minnemann Project.)

For those unfamiliar, the Pitts Minnemann Project has been kicking around with various line-ups for a while now. It’s safe to assume that even for people new to the group, they know the key players involved. It all starts with keyboardist/pianist extraordinaire Jimmy Pitts (Spastic Ink and countless others) joining forces with world-renowned drummer Marco Minnemann (formerly live for Necrophagist, The Aristocrats, and many others) to create experimental prog fusion music. Over time they’ve added more players with each subsequent release, leading to their latest full-length, The Psychic Planetarium. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: EQUIPOISE — “A SUIT OF MY FLESH”

Premieres 8 Responses »

Mar 012016

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of a new song by Equipoise.)

One of our favorite things to do here at NCS is to show you new groups you might not find out about otherwise. In keeping with that ethos, we’ve got an exclusive premiere to show you today for a new technical death metal band called Equipoise.

While the band’s architect and composer, Pittsburgh-based guitarist Nick Padovani, is a new name in tech-death circles, he made sure to assemble a jaw-dropping lineup to help him achieve his vision, making for a mix of session players on the record consisting of several of today’s best musicians within the technical death metal scene — along with a ton of equally impressive guest spots on various songs by other well-respected people! Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: INVIDIOSUS — “NEUROTIC MISERY”

Premieres 2 Responses »

Feb 172016

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of a new song by Minneapolis-based Invidiosus.)

For regular NCS readers, Minneapolis tech-death mongrels Invidiosus should be a familiar name by now. To date, I’ve helped premiere two songs by them so far at NCS. The first was “Exacerbated Psychosis” off their 2014 full-length, Malignant Universe. The second was for a stand-alone single at the very end of 2014 called “Overlords Of The Apocalypse”. While the projections for release of an upcoming EP or new album are unknown to me, we do have another stand-alone Invidiosus song to share with you today. It’s called “Neurotic Misery”, and damn is it a lot of fun to hear in spite of its grim and bleak title!

Much like their last single we premiered, “Overlords Of The Apocalypse”, the music on “Neurotic Misery” is a bit different and evolved compared to how Invidiosus sounded on Malignant Universe. As I mentioned before, they’ve always had a hodge-podge sort of a sound, which I think works in their favor. Yet with “Overlords…”, and now “Neurotic Misery”, it seems the band is figuring out how to form a sound all their own out of their myriad of influences. Continue reading »

SHOW REVIEW: DEFEATED SANITY, INIQUITOUS SAVAGERY, INIQUITOUS DEED (AT THE NEW VINTAGE, LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY, FEB. 1, 2016)

Concert Reviews 2 Responses »

Feb 032016

(Austin Weber provides this review of performances by Defeated Sanity, Iniquitous Savagery, and Iniquitous Deeds in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 1.)

Seeing as this was the first metal show I was able to attend in 2016, I figured I should cover it. While I didn’t have my usual NCS photographer pal Nik Vechery with me, or a borrowed camera as I’ve used before, the photos my friend and I got of a few bands at least gives you something to look at. I mainly just wanted to discuss my impressions and thoughts about my two favorite bands of the night.

I had to pick up a friend on the way, so we ended up missing Abominant and most of Cryptic Hymn. I know NCS contributor Grant Skelton is really into Cryptic Hymn, and I thought they sounded pretty good live! But I didn’t get a picture of them either. So the review will sort of start with the third band to go on, Iniquitous Deeds. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: WITCH OF THE WASTE — “I BET YOU’RE WONDERING WHAT I’M DOING WITH THIS HERE GAS CAN”

Premieres 1 Response »

Feb 012016

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of a video from Vancouver, BC’s Witch of the Waste.)

After covering the latest Witch Of The Waste here at NCS last year, and then also placing it on my year-end list, I’d hope most of our audience is already aware of these brilliant Canadian noisemongerers by now. But if you aren’t, we are exclusively premiering a video for the closing song off last year’s fantastic EP, Made Of Teeth. So if you missed both of my prior posts about these guys, now is the time to tune in and turn it up loud.

To briefly summarize my initial assessment of Made Of Teeth, I’ll quote from my 2015 write-up on it here at NCS: “Like a modern spin on the chaotic metallic hardcore wave of old, Witch Of The Waste come across similar to phenomenal acts such as Burnt By The Sun, Dillinger, As The Sun Sets, and Ed Gein. Neither completely a metal or hardcore record, Made of Teeth straddles the line in a spazzy way that’s always interesting and unique. In addition Made Out Of Teeth also injects some grim and smashing black metal elements into their brand of sonic life-ending napalm.” Continue reading »

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