Remember back in December, on the heels of their tour with Meshuggah, when I asked for a headlining run from In Flames in the aftermath of Foregone? Well, shit, here we are! Less than half a year later they’re back in North America, supported by Creeping Death and Gatecreeper, and once again I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for one of the stops, camera in hand. Exactly a week ago today I made the trip down to Hampton Beach to document what was only the second stop on this current run. Unsurprisingly, this was an absolute blast of a night, start to finish. So let’s talk about it! As ..read more

I’ve been a Pokémon fan for more than 25 years. I’ve followed the main game series across six different platforms, watching as its original Red and Blue versions gave way to Gold and Silver and eventually, uh… Sword and Shield… as the monster roster ballooned to more than 1,000 unique creatures. (Catch ‘em all, I regrettably never have.) The games have all started to feel a bit samey, but there’s just something there that keeps me coming back. This, I realize, is a bit of a strange way to intro a piece that is, ostensibly, about Six Feet Under and their new album, Killing for Revenge, but… it ..read more

My friends, it’s finally here. After 13 long years, progressive death metal collective Dååth are back. The Deceivers is officially out through Metal Blade, continuing the title theme of 2007’s The Hinderers and 2009’s The Concealers, as well as their brutal critique of the constructs around us. I adored the Atlanta-based outfit’s technicality and ferocity within all of that back then, and have been ready for the next chapter since it was first teased with the release of “No Rest No End” early last year. The only question at hand today was what, exactly, do I pair this album with? Beer felt r ..read more

Combining powerful harmonies of Eastern European polyphonic folk vocals with sludge, doom, and death metal, Zelenaya brings a unique and compelling debut album, Folk Songs. Songs are derived from Ukrainian village polyphony, southern Poland, the general Pale of Settlement, further east in the Balkans like Serbia, and even the Caucasus region. Not only are the songs diverse and impressive, but so are the musicians in the band. The bio of each person is inspiring and it is no surprise that this collection of individuals have found their way to each other and joined forces to create this magica ..read more

I still remember the first time I heard Apexapian, Atræ Bilis‘ debut full-length album. I was messing around on YouTube when I saw the track premiere for “Lore Beyond Bone”; the album’s description didn’t sound like my usual thing, but the cover art was really cool, and it was a 20 Buck Spin release, so at the very least it felt worth giving an absent-minded listen. Little did I realize at the time the way that album would hook itself into me and rewire the chemistry of my brain. It wasn’t just an album I thought was good, it was an album I had to tell everyone about. I raved about it to the ..read more

I just love it when a plan comes together and exceeds the expectations created by the potential displayed on previous albums. This time, I am thoroughly impressed by New Jersey’s death metal unit Replicant and their third album Infinite Mortality, to the extent that my initial nods of approval have turned into reckless headbanging as the only appropriate response and proper way to communicate its crushing excellence. The brilliance of Infinite Mortality lies in Replicant’s uncanny ability to combine and mutate seemingly every strain and era of death metal into a concoction that should impress ..read more

We’ve talked before about albums that just weren’t meant to happen and yet, thankfully, they do.  Lifeless Birth is one of those albums.  The sheer amount of willpower and grit it took to get this album into your hands is astounding, and lesser bands would have crumbled under the weight of the task. Necrot, however, are no lesser band, and while it seems ironic that just as they approached the zenith of their career, they become hit with blow after blow from the gods above, they have definitely come back stronger and more brazen than ever. I had the great fortune of seeing Necrot op ..read more

Creating what is perhaps their most dynamic and interesting release to date, wizards of ferocity Witch Vomit have returned after five years with their third album, Funeral Sanctum.  Having already mastered their craft of blackened death metal, this album adds extra spice by way of catchy melodies, an instrumental intro and interlude, some doom influenced riffs, and other treats making this album memorable and creating a more expansive sound.  All of this is packaged in striking album art by Matt Stikker, immediately giving a sense of the music and capturing as much detail visually a ..read more

Off all the death metal currently burbling in the cauldrons of 20 Buck Spin, SLIMELORD might be one of the most peculiar…and that’s saying a lot! Mixing vicious cavernous death metal with forward thinking technicality and hints of psychedelia in their brutal attack, the band released their debut full length Chytridiomycosis Relinquished in March.  Guitarist Alexander Bradley sat down with Nine Circles to talk about the new album, the shift in direction from the technical thrash of Bradley’s other band Cryptic Shift to the more filthy strains of SlimeLord, his love of ..read more

Los Angeles’ metal scene has its share of gems, but is largely remembered for the heyday of the Sunset Strip and the Aquanet-doused denizens that made a mess of West Hollywood in the 80’s. Yet since moving here, I can’t seem to stop accidentally finding interesting acts everywhere I turn, whether it’s the industrial pop leanings of Wreck and Reference or the long-form neck-snapping aggression of my friends in Skyeater. Civerous were one such chance encounter, a band I saw open a show I had decided to go to that blew me away so completely I started going to shows just to see them. It’s been a ..read more