NO CLEAN SINGING

(written by Islander) We’re about to take you off of most (but not all) of our well-beaten musical paths through a track that deploys sonic ingredients we don’t often display but which shares a certain evil kinship with some of the more deranged expressio…

(written by Islander) It’s highly likely that scrolling metal lovers will freeze in place when they see the painting up above.

(Andy Synn, ahem, extols the virtues of the band’s new album, out next week) Let’s address the elephant in the room immediately, shall we?

(written by Islander) Deciduous Forest is the solo project of Brisbane-based Snjór, guitarist with Graveir and live guitarist for Hebephrenique, Brimstone, and Bruxa.

(written by Islander) SSMMÜTT (please pay careful attention to the umlaut as you sound out the name) is the experimental musical project of Irish producer and illustrator Robert Mirolo, accompanied by a changing cast of supporting characters.

(Andy Synn doesn’t do many interviews any more, but made an exception for this one) The main reason I don’t do many interviews any more is due to the fact that I feel like a good interview – not just one that regurgitates the same old boring, boilerplate…

(written by Islander) In last Sunday’s edition of this column I only wrote about one album (by Glorior Belli).

(Andy Synn stands up to be counted alongside Washington D.C.

(On October 30th Ardua Music will release Heirloom, the third album by the Florida melodic doom/death metal band Somnent.

(Andy Synn presents his thoughts on one of the best debut albums of 2026) A couple of months back I took a quick jaunt back up to my old stomping grounds to catch Metallic Hardcore legends Merauder play a killer show at The Bread Shed in Manchester.

(written by Islander) Last year Transcending Obscurity Records released the second album created by the Floridian death metal band Haxprocess, Beyond What Eyes Can See.

(On the 16th of this month our friend Ben Manzella attended a show by Neurosis and Terry Gross at The Fillmore in San Francisco, and we’re grateful for his evocative review of the performances that you’ll find below, and for his wonderful photos of the ev…

(written by Islander) Life events external to NCS have forced me to again truncate my plans for this usual Sunday column devoted to variants of black metal.

(written by Islander) I made life difficult for myself this week.

(written by Islander) What are the odds?

(We present here Daniel Barkasi’s preview of the next Heart of Winter festival, a three-night event scheduled to take place in Richmond, Virginia on January 14-16, 2027.)

(written by Islander) As you gaze upon the torrents of blood cascading down through a cold and desolate landscape on the cover of the record we’re about to premiere, you can begin to get a sense of the musical experience it offers.

(written by Islander) Today we gladly reunite with the music of the Polish “Subcarpathian Black Metal” band Kalt Vindur.

(At the beginning of this week we hosted the exclusive premiere of one of the year’s best albums, Indecent Idols, by the German epic doom band Fvneral Fvkk.

(written by Islander) The Norwegian band Beaten To Death don’t play by anyone else’s rules.

(written by Islander) The Milwaukee-based multi-instrumental musician Jerry Hauppa is known for his work with Northless, Ara, Acanthrophis, and Deorbit.

(Andy Synn tries to separate the certain from the uncertain once and for all with the new Dream Unending album) It’s well-documented by this point that I’m not a big fan of the often unnecessary and frequently misleading excesses of the online hype machin…

(written by Islander) (If you think the artwork is bizarre, wait until you hear the music.)

(written by Islander) We are very happy to welcome the return of Saccage from Québec City, a band whose last album Khaos Mortem (their third full-length) woke us up to their talents like the experience of an explosive detonation next door.

(Our writer DGR is still playing catch-up in reviewing albums released earlier this year, but now taking them one at a time instead of presenting collections.

(written by Islander) We have been avidly following the towering epic doom progressions of Fvneral Fvkk since their first release in 2017 (the Lecherous Liturgies EP).