The Nine Circles Audio Thing

It's that time of year once again! Chris and Dan (K, that is -- we've got more than one Dan now!) are back for another lengthy conversation about their favorite non-metal releases of 2022. 

With no shortage of terrific records to choose from, the guys highlight everything from Australian pub punk, to Australian dream pop, to Australian prog/jazz/uh... kind of everything? (Australia, as you'll see, had itself yet another tremendous year for music.)

But! There was plenty of stuff not from Australia, too. What kinds? You'll have to check it out! So grab your tasty armchair of choice, sit down in a comfy beverage, and strap on in for our Best of Non-Metal 2022!

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List season has been in full swing on our site, as well as across the metal writing sphere, and we still have more fun to be had there. And yes, we love list season in case you were wondering. For this episode our maestro of the mic, Buke, pulls together Hera, Ian, Vincent, Angela, and two new members who have jumped in with both feet: Colin and Dan M., to discuss some of their favorites from 2022 and of course a lot of catching up was had since the last time these folks chatted together. The format “loosely” follows a round robin style of five picks with some honorable mentions thrown in for good measure. From there the conversation is all over the place as we do on these episodes of The Nine Circles Audio Thing. Be sure to pull up a chair and your favorite drink(s), this one is a bit longer than our norm.

Big thank you's are in order to our excellent staff, PR folk, bands, labels, and our dear listeners and readers for a HUGE 2022! Keep an eye out for a few more Best of 2022 lists to come, I assure you there are several you'll want to take note of. See you here, and on the site, throughout 2023, cheers.

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Album of the Month time again and for November the winner was Dream Unending’s second full length Song of Salvation (20 Buck Spin). The usual gang of suspects, along with some new blood, join in along with our main man on the mic Buke leading the charge. The gang spends time covering how this album compares to their last and why this one somersaults over their last effort. Elsewhere, the gang spends a good portion of the runtime gushing over everything else they listened to since they last spoke. That and the usual banter back and forth on literally anything and everything.

In other words, just another episode of the Nine Circles Audio Thing.

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Supergroups in extreme metal take on a whole other meaning when it's comprised of Dave Witte, Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns, and Phil Hall. Those names are synonymous with some of the best offerings extreme metal has to offer. And now with Morbikon, this supergroup crosses the threshold of 90s era Scandinavian black metal and melodic death metal on their debut Ov Mournful Twilight (Tankcrimes). To say this album rips would be a gross understatement, but with its membership this should surprise no one. Buke recently spoke to Phil "Landphil" Hall, who handles guitar and bass here, for a wide ranging chat about the band, the album, how it all came to be, and so much more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice and enjoy. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. 

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Norway’s In The Woods… have had a much storied trajectory over the spectrum of time since forming in the early 90s. Early on they were black metal to the bone but as many bands have done, they morphed into a progressive rock band with a black metal heart. And it has paid off in spades. One listen to Diversum (Soulseller Records) and it’s clear they have a hard grasp on what it means to age with grace and distinction. It’s an epic journey that begs repeat listens and now that the weather here in the States has turned colder, it’s like a warm blanket and a spiked cup of coffee. Buke recently sat down with guitarist and keyboardist Kåre André Sletteberg to find out more about the band and the album, and as always, a whole lot more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice and enjoy. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. 

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Death, gore, zombies, chainsaws, horrors of all sorts; these are all topics Exhumed have covered over their  thirty plus years of existence and across a multitude of releases. The latest of which, To The Dead (Relapse Records), finds these deathgrind masters as blood soaked as ever. You'd think that in that many years there might be misstep or something just out of place, but this isn't the case as every single album is better, and more destructive, than the last. Buke recently sat down with split guitarist and vocalist, and founding member Matt Harvey as they cover the new album and how it came to be as well as some band history, juggling tons of projects, and so much more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat or a coffin lid, and enjoy. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. 

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Album of the Month time again and for October the winner was Goatwhore’s eighth album Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven (Metal Blade Records). The usual gang of suspects join in along with our main man on the mic Buke leading the charge. The gang spends time covering how bad ass this album is as well as the band’s past and their road to the present. Elsewhere, the gang spends a good portion of the runtime gushing over everything else they listened to since they last spoke. That and the usual banter back and forth on literally anything and everything.

In other words, just another episode of the Nine Circles Audio Thing.

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

Denmark's Orm have been active since 2015 and with their last two albums the band have shown a deep understanding of epic and melodic black metal that at times veers close to atmospheric and at other times close to the vicious and raw side. It's a beautiful amalgamation and even more so on their latest, Intet • Altet (Indisciplinarian), where they opt for longer compositions and more time to explore their multi-faceted approach. Buke recently spoke with drummer Adam Bjørn Schønemann-Warming to discuss the new album and how it came to be, the choice for longer songs, and so much more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat, and enjoy. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Some 40 years and change has seen a lot in the Voivod camp. A handful of genres crossed, a deep discography, and tons of rabid fans that soak up anything and everything they can get their hands on. The Voivod of today makes some of the best sci-fi metal you’re likely to ever hear and on their newest EP, Ultraman (Century Media Records), they offer a stunning tribute to the TV series theme of the same name. As if that’s not enough, the EP also offers some bonus live tracks. Buke recently sat down with vocalist Denis “Snake” Bélanger to discuss the new EP, the band’s deep history, and so much more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat, and enjoy. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Texas is known for a lot of things, and metal is one of those things. San Antonio in particular is home to none other than melodic black / death metallers Scars Of The Flesh who are about to release their third full length In Darkness Alone (pick it up here). Debut Harvest Of Souls was a barnburner and follow up Reaching Into The Void was a projectile of incendiary violence that far eclipsed the debut in many ways. In Darkness Alone stands to be the album that truly puts this band on the map with five brand spanking new tracks alongside four amazing cover songs that the band truly makes their own. Buke sat down with lead guitarist Bryan Eckermann, rhythm guitarist Derek Russell, and vocalist Kobey Lange to discuss the new album, how it came to be, and so much more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat, and enjoy. 

9C LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

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