The Nine Circles Audio Thing

On July 5, Slayer's fourth album, South of Heaven turned 30 years old. And today -- juuuuust a bit late, because that's how we roll here at the Audio Thing -- we're here to celebrate it.

Widely acknowledged as a landmark in the band's catalogue and thrash in general -- if not quite as big of one as Reign in Blood -- the album was also an enormous influence on two of Nine Circles' elder statesmen -- Chris and Josh -- in their rampant, blood-spilling youths.

So in honor of that influence, they got together for an audio retrospective on South of Heaven. The two break things down track by track and try to get to the bottom of why exactly this thing scratched the itch for 'em back then -- and how it continues to do so now. Jump on in and take a listen!

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

It's going to be a busy couple of months for Brooklyn rockers, Netherlands. On August 24, they'll be releasing their new album, Black Gaia via frontman Timo Ellis's Records and Tapes Records imprint. A week or so later, they'll head out on the road with none other than Mastodon and Dinosaur Jr. for a quick trek across the U.S. and Canada. So, yeah...if you like Netherlands, it's time to get excited.

Ahead of all that, Ellis took some time to chat with our own Josh Stewart about the making of Black Gaia, some of the influences that crept into the album, and just how that mega tour came about. (Hint: it involves Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier!) They covered all that and tons more in a terrific conversation, which we're thrilled to bring to you here on The Nine Circles Audio Thing. Jump on in and check it out!

NETHERLANDS LINKS: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram (website linked above)

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Time for another audio thing! In this edition, the group gets together to discuss some of their favorite albums from the first half of the year. (Yes, we're aware it's halfway through July. Promptness, thy name is NOT Nine Circles.)

In any case...Dan, Corey, Chris, Hera and Vince got together for a Google Hangout a little while back to run through these. In some cases, you'll hear about stuff we've already covered on the blog (Ulvesang, Judas Priest, etc.) but most of these haven't been touched on in writing yet. It's well past time we gave them their due. Plus, Chris and Corey dropped, like, 25 different sarcastic references to In Flames' Battles, because reasons. It was...well, it was definitely words, I can tell you that much.

Anyway, there's loads more here to unpack, so jump on in and take a listen!

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

Welcome back! In this month's edition of our Album of the Month chat, we discuss Vince's pick for June, Gaerea's Unsettling Whispers. The Portuguese black metal troop dropped their debut full-length on June 22 via Transcending Obscurity.

Your pod team this time out includes Dan, Corey, Chris, Vince and Hera, who got together for a Google Hangout this past weekend to talk about the album. And unlike previous editions of this segment, there were...some differing opinions to be had this time out?! (Shock. Horror. I know.) Anyway, we all had a good time with the conversation, and we hope you will, too. Jump on in and take a listen!

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

It's a new month, so we're back with another chat about our favorite album from the old month! For this May-2018-edition of old-month, that album is Amorphis' spellbinding new set, Queen of Time. It's the Finnish legends' thirteenth album to date, and we here at the blog were all pretty taken with it.

This time out, "we here at the blog" translates to: Dan, Corey, Chris, Vince, Hera and Mark. Josh S. wanted to be here, too, but Google Hangouts had other ideas and wouldn't let him in. SO MUCH FOR NOT BEING EVIL, AMIRITE? Anyway, we all got together this past Sunday to discuss the album and are thrilled to be bringing that conversation to you now. Jump on in and take a listen!

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

After a tumultuous year-and-a-half-plus that, including a near-fatal case of diverticulitis for frontman Mike Scheidt, YOB is set to release its new album, Our Raw Heart, in a little over a week. It's one of the most anticipated albums of the year, both here at Nine Circles and in the metal world at large -- not just for the saga that led to its creation, but also...because YOB is kinda the best?

Ahead of the album's release, bassist Aaron Rieseberg took some time to chat with Josh about the album's development and how the band overcame the circumstances that spawned it. They also touched on touring, Aaron's side project, Norska, and a whole mess of other topics. This is their conversation -- jump in and take a listen!

Our Raw Heart will be out June 8 via Relapse Records. You can pre-order it via the label's online store or via Bandcamp.

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

The Nine Circles Audio Thing is back again! This time out, it's our album of the month for April 2018, which you'll already be able to identify if you read the title of the post. If you didn't, um...if at first you don't succeed, try, try again?

At any rate, April's album of the month was Panopticon's The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, I & II. (Henceforth referred to as "The Scars of Man" because dear lord, what a mouthful.) Dan, Corey, Chris, Vince and Hera got together on Mother's Day night ("Mother's Night"?) to discuss Austin Lunn's latest opus -- a two-hour journey through both black metal and, separately, folk and dark Americana.

But what'd we think of it? You'll have to listen to find out! This is the first in what we hope will be many of these going forward, so dive on in, soak it up, and let us know what you think! And don't forget to like, rate and review once we get things up and running on iTunes!

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

Originally published 4/11/2018

That's right, folks -- four years ago(!), Dan and Corey registered the first email address for Nine Circles (then known as Horns Up…oof…) and started us off on this crazy adventure through which we’ve come to become, erm…somewhat positive contributors to the metal blogosphere? I guess?

SO, to celebrate, the two founders — plus current editors / writers / life-signer-awayers extraordinaire Josh Stewart and Chris Voss — got together and recorded a special birthday audio thing. We took a look back at the blog’s origins, assessed where we are now, and put forth some ideas for the future that we’re all pretty excited about. That’s all after the jump, so click on through and give it a listen!

(Excuse the somewhat muted audio from Chris’s feed throughout the chat. We blame Google for that. We don’t know how, exactly, but…somehow, it’s their fault.)

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

Originally published 7/26/2017

As y’all know, we here at Nine Circles were pretty big fans of Couch Slut's first album, My Life as a Woman. (Or maybe you didn’t know that, I dunno.) Either way, that album — released just under three years ago on the now-defunct Handshake Inc. label — established the band, and vocalist Megan Osztrosits in particular, as a filthy, aggressive force in the New York scene and beyond. (Certainly in our Bandcamp collections, that’s for sure.)

Three years removed, the band’s gearing up to release album number two, Contempt, on July 28 via Gilead Media. What better way to celebrate than by getting a group to review the album? Five of us — Josh S., Chris, Zyklonius, Vincent and Dan — got together over the weekend to put our thoughts together.

In short: we like the thing. In long: well, you’ll have to listen to find out!

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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