Woohoo, it's new segment time! Technically Inclined will be a new jam here on the Audio Thing, devoted primarily to appreciating the oft-overlooked -- at least on this blog -- genre of technical death metal.

Tech death: Buke's known and loved it for years; Dan's neutral and limited in his knowledge of it. And so, Technically Inclined will celebrate the genre by having Sensei Buke educate Padawan Dan on its many intricacies -- one album (or in this case, one band) at a time. (Plus, with these goons, you know there'll be jokes and banter involved. It's basically written into our contracts at this point.)

So! For our first (and hopefully not only) venture into this world, jump on in and join us for our thoughts on dormant German tech legends NECROPHAGIST!

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

Episode 64 of The Nine Circles Audio Thing kicks off 2021 with a bang, as the gang waxes poetic about the latest from Swedish prog/goth/death rock/kitchen sink outfit Tribulation, whose new album Where the Gloom Becomes Sound out on Century Media and Metal Blade has folks in a tizzy.  Buke again assumes the captains chair and leads the chase with the usual suspects, and introduces newest member of the 9C gang Didrik to the insanity!

You know how this works...team members take turns picking the AOTM, and this month has the combined love of Ian and Angela, who also co-wrote the review.  However, all is not in balance in the House of 9C, as Didrik and Hera have a very different take on the band and album.  Will the team survive this controversy?  What side of the coin will Vince land on?  How many tangents does Buke bring the crew to over the course of 90 minutes that was originally over 2 hours?  

All this and more as we dive heard first into our first AOTM for 20201!  So jump in and get an earful!

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

At this point, Tribulation need zero introduction since they have been a powerhouse of both death metal and gothic metal over the course of four full lengths. And, with Where the Gloom Becomes Sound the band fully cement their gothic meets death metal stance. It's January but already we're feeling vibes of "best of 2021" with this album since it truly is their best yet and fully fleshed out album to date. And, that's saying a lot since any fan of the band would already say they've climbed that hill. Such is the power of Tribulation. 

Just ahead of the album's release, guitarist Adam Zaars took the time to chat with Buke about Where the Gloom Becomes Sound and how it was to craft an album in the midst of a pandemic, Jonathan Hultén's exit and Joseph Tholl's entry and how he fits in, how genre labels don't always do justice, influences for donning the makeup, a brief history of the band and a timeline discussion, Adam's "nerding out" with heavy metal in his younger days and changes in listening habits over the years, Adam's favorite track off the new album and why. All that and discussions on their collective kids, gaming, Tribulation's live presence and what 2021 may hold for the band.

Where the Gloom Becomes Sound will be available January 29 on Metal Blade Records and Century Media Records. To Keep up with all things Tribulation, visit their official website, Facebook page, and Instagram page.

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

With #BestOf2020 coverage having been fully underway here at Nine Circles for a couple of weeks, it’s time for a bit of a breather. Time to crank down the volume, switch off the HM-2 pedal, and talk some non-metal for a change. If you read Ian’s end-of-year Rainbows in the Dark blog post and thought to yourself, “boy, I sure would like a two-and-a-half-hour audio version of THAT,” well, reader, have we got the episode for you!

A little while back — okay, almost a month back now, because Dan works in a hospital and doing anything productive when he's not at work has been a tall order this year — he and fellow non-metal aficionado Chris Voss sat down to talk about their favorite stuff from all the other genres that dropped this year. There’s some shoegaze and some folk, some powerful hip-hop and some super-catchy synth pop. They covered as many bases as they could, for a near Buke-sized amount of time.

So if you, too, need a break from all the heavy stuff, jump on in and check it out. Maybe some of the stuff that floated their boats will float yours too!

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9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

For this episode we go all in with most of the staff for our best of 2020 picks. We hit the high notes of what tickled our fancies for the year that was a shitstorm and even welcomed in a new member to the family. So, buckle up for an epic episode that has a wealth of stuff you may have missed and be sure to take notes, artists we mention need your support so open up those wallets and purses.

Needless to say, 2020 was a wasteland of a year but it drove metal to be an epic beast throughout its twelve months of existence. As always, Buke pilots this episode with Charles, Angela, Ian, Vincent, Heracat, and new member Didrik who all cover some of their favorites from the year. Discussions range from the best metal had to offer as well as Christmas traditions on the US side as well as the Canadian side, a brief primer on Didrik's metal background, pandemic woes, and the Slay At Home series and many other avenues our staff sought live entertainment in 2020. Settle in and enjoy some fireside conversation on what 2020 had to offer and we'll be seeing you in 2021.

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

Tombs are on the eve of releasing their fifth full length Under Sullen Skies which is much like biting the head off a rocket and reveling in the burn of the explosion. No surprise really, the band have been incendiary since their debut Winter Hours and just get better and better with each release. This album however finds them better and more vicious than ever. It's not a stretch at all that they've already been placed high on one specific best of 2020 list and we are certain they'll be on many more to come.

Just ahead of the album's release, mainman Mike Hill took the time to chat with Buke about Under Sullen Skies and how Savage Gold was somewhat an impetus for it. They also spend some time talking about Mike's deep love of the extreme side of music and how it's shaped him over the years as well as some of Mike's early favorites and how Venom, Celtic Frost, and Norwegian Black Metal shaped Tombs' sound. Mike also reveals the album that made him pick up a guitar and how Tombs got its start as a band that he would love to hear as a fan. The two chat about the experience of working with Season of Mist and some old Relapse tie ins as well as the Anthrax Club and the Maryland Deathfest experience. All that and an extended discussion on mixed martial arts and combat sports in general. 

Under Sullen Skies will be available November 20 on Season of Mist. To keep up with all things Tombs, visit their official website, Facebook page, Instagram page, and their YouTube channel. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

Sweden's Wolverine have just released their seventh full length, A Darkened Sun, and continue to be on the forefront of the progressive rock/metal landscape with lush melodies, heavy lyrical content, powerful performances, and music that is truly timeless. Along with that list of accomplishments they can now add an audio/visual release that is stunning, to say the least.

Just on the heels of this release, Thomas Jansson and Marcus Losbjer took some time to chat with Josh about the album and its accompanying film. They also spend some time on how this type of release came to be and the inner workings of it, maturity and ever evolving as we get older and how this translates to their catalog, how identity and societal theories play into this release, how Thoreau's Walden played into it, making music for the right reasons, being poetic while still leaving plenty of room for interpretation, and of course pandemic effects and the unintended topical nature of this release.

A Darkened Sun is available now on the band's official website. To keep up with all things Wolverine, visit their website, Facebook page, Instagram page, and YouTube page. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

Someday, we'll be able to do these horror excursions in a more timely manner. But until then, here's the good news: we're sorry!

By way of an apology for our first episode in... almost two months... we jump back in the saddle with a conversation about TWO horror films for your listening, er... pleasure? And guess what? Our resident horror noob, Buke, picked both of them!

First up, we dig into Host: a nifty, resourceful little Shudder exclusive from earlier this year involving a seance gone wrong - all performed and produced over a Zoom call! (+ 19 current event points). After that, we take a look back at last year's The Platform - a psychological mind-bender with a metric fuckton to say about the world we're living in. SPOILER ALERT: we (mostly) liked 'em both!

All that as well as a bunch of the usual stuff -- Buke's video games, Dan's NOT-metal-listening, etc. -- you'd expect from Blood Red's audio edition. So jump on in and give it a listen!

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MOVIE LINKS:
Host (2020) -- available via Shudder
The Platform (2019) -- available via Netflix

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram

Portland Maine's Forêt Endormie recently released their second full length Une voile déchirée which sees the band further their vision of apocalyptic chamber folk with the theme of place and how it relates to each individual that experiences it for themselves. Since 2016, their music has been unique in not only sound but in the effect it has when enjoyed in the right setting.

Just behind Une voile déchirée's release, Jordan Guerette took some time to chat with Buke and Corey about the new album and the why's and intent for using French as a lyrical basis. They also spend some time on how the pandemic has affected the band, how Jordan handles creative overlap between Forêt Endormie and Falls of Rauros, using the theme of place to talk about internal journeys, how nature and the outdoors--specifically the ocean--inform the band's sound, the Fire In the Mountains experience both for Jordan and Corey, and the practice of appreciating the world around you. All that and talk surrounding local breweries, video games, and even nu-metal. This is truly an amazing discussion that covers a lot of ground so jump in and enjoy!

Une voile déchirée is available now on Red Nebula Records and Folkvangr Records. To keep up with all things Foret Endormie, visit their Facebook page.

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram