The Nine Circles Audio Thing

Once again it's Album of the Month time and for September it was pretty much unanimous that Survival Of The Sickest ( Napalm Records ) from Sweden's death metal masters Bloodbath got the pick. The usual gang of suspects are present for the discussion as well as MC Supreme Buke leading the charge. Much is made of just how good Bloodbath are this far along in their career and how they still reign su...

North Dakota's Phobophilic may be a new name to some but they've been mining the death metal underground since 2016 in the form of demos, EP's, and fast moving recommendations from those 'in the know.' But now, they have a vicious debut full length, Enveloping Absurdity ( Prosthetic Records ), and are set to turn heads all over the death metal sphere. Buke recently spoke with guitarist Josh Poer a...

It’s been awhile since last hearing from Daeva . Five years to be exact. And since that time they’ve taken their brand of sweaty, priest burning black / thrash metal to a whole new level. Their EP, Pulsing Dark Absorptions , was a lightning rod, but debut full length Through Sheer Will And Black Magic… ( 20 Buck Spin ) will turn heads far below the southern end of the cross. To put it in quick lay...

Goatwhore started out, at least for me, as the band you wanted to hear but couldn't get your hands on any material. That was then. And now with their eighth full length Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven ( Metal Blade Records ) these dudes are a household name in any house that lifts up damn good metal. Call it blackened thrash or thrash and death with a splash of black metal or whatever you wa...

Four albums in with From the Fathomless Deep ( Ripple Music ) and Behold! The Monolith are heavier than ever. Call it sludge with black metal and progressive tendencies, call it metal with a nasty attitude, or call it whatever you want; these guys hit and hit hard. There's no denying that fact. Buke sat down with guitarist Matt Price for a wide ranging discussion surrounding their new album, some...

It's been five years since Acephalix last graced the death metal scene and a lot has happened in that stretch of time. But, the band's upcoming fourth full length, Theothanatology ( 20 Buck Spin ), is the kind of barbaric brutality we've come to think of from the now quintet, yet better, more furious, and nastier than ever. While it's true we'll have to wait just a bit longer to hear it in full, B...

Once again it's Album of the Month time and for August it was a little crazy. We had a pick, or not, and then had another, or not, then we put it to a vote to decide once and for all. In the end Gnosis from Russian Circles ( Sargent House ) ended up getting the most votes, and for good reason. The usual gang of suspects are present for the discussion as well as MC Supreme Buke. Much is made of jus...

Since forming in 2006 and presenting their debut in 2011, Finland's Brymir has captured lightning in a bottle with their symphonic laced and hard hitting melodic death metal. And now with their fourth full length Voices In The Sky ( Napalm Records ) the band is in juggernaut mode with their best songwriting and heaviest yet most epic songs to date. Buke sat down with frontman Viktor "Storm" Gullic...

Since 2006, Boston's Revocation have churned out some of the most progressive and highly technical death metal. Now, with Netherheaven ( Metal Blade Records ), the band's eight full length, they still walk that line but have one of their most 'straight forward death metal' albums they've ever done. And it is GLORIOUS. Buke recently sat down with guitarist and vocalist David Davidson for a wide ran...

The UK's Conan are the heaviest doom metal band on the planet right now. Full stop and let that sink in. If their previous four albums haven't convinced, turn your attention to their fifth and newest offering Evidence of Immortality ( Napalm Records ). Their brand of doom is the embodiment of Mad Max level of destruction set low and slow and tuned down to the gates of Hell and this album just puts...

Once again it's Album of the Month time and for July it was a pretty unanimous pick with Spirit of Ecstasy from Imperial Triumphant ( Century Media Records ).  The usual gang of suspects are present for the discussion as well as MC Supreme Buke. Much is made of just how insanely good this album is and the band's penchant for being over the top in the best way possible. Elsewhere the gang spends a...

If psychedelic doom and blankets of weed haze surrounding a stack of Orange amps brings a tear of joy, Telekinetic Yeti is the band for you. Their debut Abominable was an absolute monster of doom and fuzz sonic impalement that was, and still is, the sweet nectar of the down tuned gods. And then we find out that all that sound is coming from a duo…mind blown. Now, here we are with their second full...

We've featured a few best of 2022 midyear written pieces but this is the first audio version we've had as Buke and Hera go head to head on what's grabbing their attention. And, what may or may not reappear for their end of year festivities. All that and a whole lot more, of course. Oh...no spoilers here so you'll have to listen to see what made the cut. We now bring you this conversation in full s...

If you're thinking Psycroptic are yet another tech death band in a sea of them, you'd be dead wrong and you obviously haven't been paying attention since 1999. They've always known that to be a tech death band that matters, the songs actually have to be good and catchy and deeper than just what's on the surface. Never has this been more the case than on their eighth full length Divine Council ( Pr...

Autarkh III is a mind blowing collective of musicians that are pushing metal far beyond its boundaries. This week, July 23 to be exact, the band will be performing at Complexity Fest 2022 located at Patronaat in Haarlem, Netherlands. And on this same date will be offering a special vinyl version of Roadburn Redux 2021 , which we covered as our Album of the Month when it was digitally released back...

What is there to say about Canada's WAKE that hasn't already been said? Since forming in 2009 they've positioned themselves as a frontrunner in the grind game and now with their sixth full length, Thought Form Descent ( Metal Blade Records ), they're shedding skin and growing new. Simply meaning, grindcore isn't the only tool in their box anymore. It's a cavalcade of extreme with lighter shades of...

When talking about Kardashev , the tag du jour is deathgaze which pretty much hits the nail on the head. However, it, in a small way, minimizes the death metal side to their attack. Debut Peripety was both heavy in a musical sense but also an emotional sense, but new album Liminal Rite ( Metal Blade Records ) smacks the gas pedal on the death metal side and then slowly pulls you down the emotional...

New York's Artificial Brain are somewhat of an anomaly in the death metal world. Sure they're rooted in death metal but in the blink of an eye can cover tech-death, progressive death, jazz, and noise like world class pros. Their debut Labyrinth Constellation was like stepping on a landmine of infinite sounds and follow up Infrared Horizon saw them branch out a bit and experiment with obtuse and ja...

Once again it's Album of the Month time and Angela gets the pick (her first for 9C) for May and she went with the second full length from Cavernlight , As I Cast Ruin Upon the Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw ( Translation Loss ).  She's joined by the usual gang of Ian, Vincent, and Hera as well as MC Supreme Buke.  Much is made of the lyrical content and its association with or against DSBM and yo...

Nameless Grave Records has become a synonymous name when it comes to all things death and heavy metal and label masthead Brandon Corsair doesn't just run the label, he's also a big name in the metal world with bands such as Drawn and Quartered, Azath, Draghkar, and others. Buke sat down with Brandon to discuss all things label related as well as how Brandon's dad got him into metal and how he forg...

Somewhere around the intersection of Behemoth, Amorphis, and Amon Amarth you'll find the bombastic mix of black and death metal that Unbowed have perfected over the course of their last two full lengths. And now with their third effort, Colour the Soul , out on the airwaves it's clear to hear these influences as well as a larger sense of self than ever before. Buke recently sat down with members o...

When it comes to folk inspired black metal, there’s not many bands better than West Virginia’s Nechochwen . And, on their fourth full length, Kanawha Black ( Bindrune Recordings ), they’ve managed to pull themselves to the front of the pack and widely eclipse their past work. This album has become a fast staff favorite here at Nine Circles for a myriad of reasons, but plainly put, no one out there...

They say "third time's the charm" but we here at Nine Circles believe for Temple of Void , the fourth time's the charm on Summoning the Slayer ( Relapse Records ). The band is death doom at its core and has been extremely good at it since forming in 2013, but for Summoning... they bring out the ghosts of heavy metal, worship at the altar of the almighty riff, and truly find their calling in the wo...

It has been said that Gridfailure is for those that love a challenging listen. And, we are not ones to argue that point . However, Gridfailure is a band that must be experienced as the way they mold noise, drone, ambient, jazz, and dark sounds of all natures together into a cohesive mass of thought provoking music is a thing of beauty. Their most recent album, Dismemberment Cabaret ( Nefarious Ind...

The Spirit just released their third full length of cosmic black and death metal, Of Clarity and Galactic Structures ( AOP Records ), and as expected, it rules. The edges are sharper, the riffs are more violent, and the cosmic aspect is more up front and center. Plus, it helps that they really paid attention to how memorable the songs are this time out as well as the pacing of the album. All in al...