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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of December 17th, 2021 through to the end of the year (31st, December).  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. This will be the staff’s last report on upcoming releases for the year. Fear not! We’ll be back early 2022.

athena

Age Of Athena: Gate to Oblivion

Genre: Symphonic Metal
Label: Self-released

agnes vein

Agnes Vein: Deathcall

Genre: Black Metal / Doom / Post Metal
Label: Venerate Industries

behemoth

Behemoth: In Absentia Dei (LIVE)

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast

sun

Charnel Altar: Abatement of the Sun

Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Label: Blood Harvest Records

che noir

Che Noir: Food For Thought

Genre: Hip Hop
Label: TRUST

follow the scras

Decerebration: Follow the Scars

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Independent

candles

Diablery: Candles

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Saturnal Records

fireflies

Evadne: The Pale Light of Fireflies

Genre: Doom Metal / Death Metal

Label: Solitude Productions

memento mori

Feuerschwanz: Memento Mori

Genre: Folk Metal
Label: Napalm Records

fokis

Fokis: Seasons Change, People Too: The Experiment

Genre: Hip Hop
Label: Loyalty Digital Corp.

funeral mist

Funeral


Hiya. johnnyoftheWell here. A couple of weeks ago I found myself hospitalised, in severe pain and a 50/50 mix of unable and unwilling to listen to music. It sucked.

Here’s a Digbox about how I got out of that.

So, uh, welcome to a special edition of the Digbox. This is a little unorthodox and perhaps closer to straightforward diarism than anything I’d usually allow to be published about music under my name, but there are circumstances and pressures and maybe even a story behind it. So there: get your shovel.

Around mid-November I picked up inflammation under my wisdom tooth, which proceeded to turn into an abscess. I struggled through work and visited my dentist on the regular, but he didn’t pick up that my increasingly debilitated state pointed to an abscess until it was too late. Next thing I knew, the right side of my face was swollen to three times its usual size, my jaw was locked shut, and I was in a hospital bed with little to do but knuckle down and count the minutes between continuous rounds of painkillers and antibiotics. Up until the start date of this piece, I was only able to listen to music as a frayed-nerve distraction, which I stopped entirely once in hospital because I felt too washed out to process anything and the inflammation had spread to one of my ears anyway. So much for that end-of-year cram.

Fortunately, and I guess inevitably,


Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current (and past) Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant missed the Pokemon hype train, but is more than happy to help, guide or just speak to anyone that wants to do so… oh and has also found the time to write 594 reviews (So Far). Please welcome Sputnik Music’s nicest moderator, SowingSeason — in we go!

SowingSeason

SowingSeason: Ready to Bare his Soul

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Good day, Mr. Sowing. How is your day?

It’s good! I’m settled in with a coffee and ready to bare my soul to sputnikmusic.com.

Nice, nice. What Pokemon would you be if you were a…Pokemon?

This may be heresy to some people, but I totally missed the Pokemon hype train. I remember it being huge when I was a kid – my friends all had Pokemon cards – but for whatever reason I simply didn’t care. Pikachu, I guess? That response is sort of “by default” because it’s the only one I know off the top of my head (thanks Mario Smash Bros.!)

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[response lol!] And yet, you are not a Pokemon, you are a Moderator! Disregarding the vast amount of largely unseen administrative work that this role entails for one moment, could you comment on the following community


eclipse orbs

An interview with Joseph Rabjohns & Lachlan R. Dale…

Hey guys and thanks for taking time out of your day to have a little chat. Although given the weather currently hitting Australia’s East Coast there’s a chance I’m just saving you from a family Monopoly game or that novel you keep putting off?

Lachlan: Man… we only just got out of a COVID lockdown of almost 4 months, so I’ve already taken the opportunity to finally read both Tolstoy’s War & Peace, and Dostoyevski’s Crime & Punishment (which was the last of his great novels I had left). I guess now I’m just practicing for my solo album launch, and for Hashshashin’s recording session just before Christmas.

Joe: We’ve been lucky here with minimal lockdowns and not many cases. I’m not much of a reader, I’m still going on the Hobbit from year 10 on high school. I’ve just finished teaching guitar at school for the year and am now practicing and transcribing string arrangements for my solo album launch, and writing with my other musical projects.

Tell us a bit about the collaborative album. How and why did you guys decide to do a split like this? I understand you guys were doing some shows for Kodiak Empire and Hashshashin around 2016?

Lachlan: Split releases were a big part of me growing up in the extreme metal and hardcore punk scenes. I hadn’t realised that outside of those genres a split record is an anomaly.

Truthfully, I didn’t…


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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of December 10th, 2021.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: December 10, 2021 –

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Aeon Station: Observatory

Genre: Alt Rock / Indie Rock
Label: Sub Pop

keys

Alicia Keys: Keys

Genre: Soul
Label: RCA

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Atlas: Ukko

Genre: Metalcore
Label: Long Branch Records

bPJv5HSnc4TxTcjkB9Si4gYMI06Ykyo64AuadXPzQrM

Canibus: Kaiju

Genre: Hip Hop
Label: Afimi Music

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Dziarma: Dziarma

Genre: Hip Hop
Label: 2020

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Ethereal Shroud: Trisagion

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Northern Silence Records / Throne Records

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Funeral: Praesentialis in Aeternum

Genre: Death Metal / Doom
Label: Season of Mist

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Jeff Parker: Forfolks

Genre: Jazz / Soul / Ambient / Experimental
Label: International Anthem

FFi-4N0VkAENiul

Kitten: Personal Hotspots

Genre: Indie Rock
Label: ???

Persona-Non-Grata

Lacrim: Persona Non Grata

Genre: Rap
Label: Plata O Plomo Records

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Maladie: The Sick Is Dead – Long Live The Sick

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Apostasy Records

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Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current (and past) Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant hates writing reviews but has written 256 of them. Please welcome Sputnik Music’s three-time Emeritus-awarded writer, Xenophanes — in we go!

Xenophanes3—————————————————————————————-

Good day, Xenophanes. Who are you and what is your story?

Hello! I’m a 32 year old guy living in the Midwest. I’m a mid-level corporate hack by day and artist by night.

I started lurking around Sputnik around 2008. A girl I was interested in had a Dir En Grey tattoo (red flag emoji) so through research I found my way here.

Flash forward to now and I have a husband and hate Dir En Grey.

You share your username with an ancient Greek philosopher – what about the original Xenophanes inspired you so?

I was sitting in a classics class circa 2009 and whatever my original original name was wasn’t jiving with me any longer. I think I remember digging his views on religion which seems so cring-y and basic to me now but oh well.

I read your username as xe-no-thanes as in Skyrim and the OG as xe-no-phan-ees as in ancient Greek. Is this okay?

No, but…


Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q4 Playlist 2021

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our 2021 quarterly playlist! It’s been another quarter of quality music, and we look forward to sharing some of our personal favorites with you. Please play or shuffle the Spotify list at your leisure. Our staff writers have also taken a few minutes to jot down some thoughts on each track. We hope you enjoy it, and feel free to share additional music worth checking out in the comments!

To view the historical content of these playlists, visit the bottom of this page.


Tracklist:

FN .380 ACP#19074 [Explicit]
1914 – “FN .380 ACP#19074”
1914 is not your average blackened death metal band; these guys have done an amazing job in researching their material, and that shows in their lyrics. “FN .380 ACP#19074” is a song about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, and the symphonic elements, that may bring to your mind Septicflesh, fit the atmosphere of the song perfectly. — manosg

 

That is Not a Wizard [Explicit]
Aesop Rock x Blockhead – “That is Not a Wizard”

“Could you please share some more Aesop Rock quotes with us all?” asked nobody.

‘That is Not a


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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of December 3rd, 2021.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: December 3rd, 2021 –

aquilus-bellum-i-1

Aquilus: Bellum I

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Blood Music

atonement
ATONEMENT (swe): Merciless Blasphemy

Genre: Black metal / Death metal
Label: Helter Skelter / Regain Records

bog
Bog Wizard: Miasmic Purple Smoke

Genre:  Doom Metal / Dungeons and Dragons / Fantasy  / Sludge
Label: Dregs Records
cuttered flesh
CUTTERRED FLESH: Sharing is Caring

Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records

dead space
Dead Space Chamber Music: The Black Hours

Genre: Ritual / Ambient / Doom
Label: Independent

Doodswens-1-500x445
Doodswens: Lichtvrees

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Svart Records

genocide pact
Genocide Pact: Genocide Pact

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Relapse Records
king buff
King Buffalo: Acheron

Genre: Desert Rock / Stoner
Label: Self-Released

Manimal_Armageddon-01-500x500
Manimal: Armageddon

Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: AFM

ofermod
OFERMOD (swe): Mysterium Iniquitatis

Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Shadow Records / Regain Records

panthiest
Pantheïst: Closer To God

Genre: Symphonic Metal / Doom
Label: Melancholic Realm Productions

raibard
Raibard: Dark Realm of the Daylight

Genre: Folk Rock
Label: Self Released
redempt
Redemptor: Agonia

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Selfmadegod

rift
Rift: To Quench The Thirst Of Wolves

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Seance Records

sell yourself short
Sell Yourself Short: The Lowest Standard

Genre: Punk
Label: Self-Released

pure heart

So Hideous: None But A Pure Heart Can Sing

Genre: Post Rock / Emo/ Black Metal
Label: Silent Pendulum Records

VOLBEAT-WEB-SLEEVE-2021
Volbeat: Servant Of The Mind

Genre: Hard Rock / Blues
Label: EMI

weedpecker
Weedpecker: IV: The Stream Of Forgotten Thoughts

Genre: Stoner Rock / Psychedelic
Label: Stickman Records

winterstorm
WINTERSTORM (Ecuador): Vinterstormener

Genre: Folk / Power Metal
Label: Signal Rex

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Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant is our reformed meanie-head and connoisseur of podcasts, Trebor. Please give him a hero’s welcome; in we go!

69mozsbv4xm41

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Good afternoon, Trebor. How is your day?

Every day I have to find the motivation to keep going and that usually takes about an hour or so, so I’ll let you know in an hour.

Literally everyone knows who you are, but you’re gonna have to reintroduce yourself to save me writing a bad mini-bio.

I’ve only been banned once, I’ve almost always had a Redlettermedia avatar, I used to be a meaniehead to a lot of newer users, and 90% of my friends no longer use the site.

bda68a3a33098fc2301161f77bc28907

Red Letter Media. Click the photo for videos.

What kind of role does music play in your life compared to when you first started on Sputnik?

When I first started posting I had a broken knee and foot and couldn’t walk or do much of anything for a month, so I mostly just listened to new albums I found on Sputnik all day and posted about them. Now I can walk and go on hikes so I don’t need…


After taking a year off thanks to some asshole bats, the SMA’s have returned to provide you with coverage of 2021 in the world of music. It is here – not Pitchfork or some other cheap imitation – that you will learn what the best and worst albums of the year were. Honestly, I’m not even sure what you all did in 2020…did you trust Spotify’s most-streamed or something? I feel terrible that I left such a large void in your collective understanding of music last year, not to mention your 2020 holiday dinner table talks, so I’m going to attempt to make up for it by making this the best SMA’s ever!!! With a record TEN award categories, this just might be the most memorable online, music-related, year-end, blog-formatted, categorized, award-ceremony-styled thing that you read this November/December!

Binge Worthy: The Office Review — Kelly O'Hara

Alright, alright. I know this is a very exciting development for everyone, so let’s pause and take a moment to rein in your excitement, collect yourself, and continue reading. I completely understand if this might take a while, so to help you catch your breath let’s review all previous SMA Album of the Year winners:

2014 - Low Roar: 0
2015 - Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell
2016 - Yellowcard: Yellowcard 
*2017 - Manchester Orchestra: A Black Mile to the Surface
2018 - mewithoutYou: [Untitled]
2019 - Lana Del Rey: Norman Fucking Rockwell!
*2020 - Honey Harper: Starmaker 

*Denotes


 

Photo by Andy Ford: http://andyfordphotography.co.uk/

Author’s note: This interview was conducted in April; however, due to personal reasons, it fell by the wayside until now. Because of this, a few questions and answers may be slightly outdated.

Please enjoy the interview.

 

UK upstarts Pupil Slicer are one of the most promising acts in modern mathcore. They may have only released one studio album so far, but that record has already received a great deal of critical praise and a rapidly growing fanbase. In this interview, I sat down with vocalist/guitarist Katie Davies and bassist/backing vocalist Luke Fabian to discuss everything from the creation of their debut album Mirrors, to how they signed with Prosthetic Records, to their future touring and recording plans, and much more.

 

 

Regarding the reception of Mirrors: this thing has been blowing up! How’s it felt for you? I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming that would be.

Katie: Yeah, definitely! We never could have expected this. We’ve even had people saying “I don’t really like metal but I really like this album”!

Luke: To give you an example: literally about five minutes ago, I just looked on the Bandcamp page to see the sales of the second pressing of the album, of which we had 100 copies. And we had ten left… and we put those up yesterday! In Gojira numbers it’s not that much, but it’s still pretty mindblowing.

 

How did you come in


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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 26th, 2021.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: November 26, 2021 –

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Archgoat: Worship The Eternal Darkness

Genre: War Metal / Black Metal / Death Metal
Label: Debemur Morti

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Black Crucifixion: Triginta [Compilation]

Genre: Black Metal / DSBM
Label: Seance Records

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Black Label Society: Doom Crew Inc.

Genre: Groove Metal / Sludge
Label: MNRK Heavy

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Cynic: Ascension Codes

Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Season of Mist

David_Bowie_-_Toy

David Bowie: Toy

Genre: Art Rock
Label: Warner

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Deep Purple: Turning To Crime

Genre: Hard Rock / Covers
Label: earMUSIC

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Fawns of Love: Innocence of Protection

Genre: Dream Pop
Label: Sunday Records

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Goatcraft: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

Genre: Black Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger Records

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Hypocrisy: Worship

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast

Imminence-1

Imminence: Heaven in Hiding

Genre: Post Hardcore / Metalcore
Label: Arising Empire

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Imperialist: Zenith

Genre: Sci-fi Black Metal
Label:


Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant is our dusky-winged angel of dark feels and industrial bops, DrGonzo1937. Please give him a hero’s welcome; in we go!

Hi Sir Gonz! Who are you? 

A 34-year-old Brit that still loves The Backstreet Boys. 

Name three things that spark joy in you.

Cats, music, and reading books.

New music vs. old music: discuss. Which occupies more of your time, and why?

I’d say it’s a healthy 50% 50% split. I feel like new music doesn’t get the credit it deserves; there’s plenty of derivative stuff out there (metal is the worst for that these days), but there’s still a lot of really innovative music out there that needs support, so I’m constantly on the lookout for that new music and talent, and I try my best to support it in any way I can.

Conversely, there’s still a lot of old music out there that I haven’t listened to yet, things which could shape my tastes for the better, so I keep my eye out for it and look to recommendations from users on Sputnikmusic.

Black Sheep Wall - Songs For The Enamel Queen | Discogs

What review are you most and least proud of from within the last year?

I’m terribly self-deprecating about my own work, so it’s hard


Hello and welcome to our brand new hyperexciting interview series examining the nectarine banter and uncontrollable good looks of the Sputnik Staff roster.

For too long, you have watched from a distance as these Apolline sex paladins slave away on review quotas for okay-ish albums that none of you remember within a week. No more! It’s time to show Sputnik Staff at their true potential!  Let your mind blow as impossible questions are posed and Staffers you were too intimidated to remember the existence of surpass your wildest expectations.

Our first entrant is a lazy place to start because he’s the One that all of you, tyrannous majority, have already acknowledged! Give it up for Staff writer and March Madness ChampionDewinged!

spider jerusalem – smoking |

Hi Dewi. Introduce yourself!

Hi, I’m Dewi.

Why are you always so nice about music?

Well, I’m nice about everything else too, haha! (laughs alone, in the middle of the office) Aaaahhh…. I don’t know, really, it’s in my character I guess. I’ve been exposed to music since a very early age, my father was a complete maniac, he had thousands of LPs at home. Then later I started playing drums at 13, and being in bands since then, recording music yourself, it all gives you a slightly different perspective about what you’re hearing. I enjoy a lot of different genres, and I feel blessed about it.

You seem to spend roughly equal time keeping up with new music and combing through older material – an altogether too


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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 19th, 2021.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: November 19, 2021 –

rot of ages

Abscession: Rot Of Ages 

Genre: Death Metal

Label: Transcending Obscurity

adele 300

Adele: 30

Genre: Singer Songwriter / Pop / Hello?-core

Label: Columbia Records / Melted Stone

dream of wilderness

Aephanemer: A Dream Of Wilderness

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Label: Napalm Records

beach fossils

Beach Fossils: The Other Side of Life: Piano Ballads

Genre: Jazz

Label: Bayonet Records

cantique

Cantique Lépreux: Sectes

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Eisenwald

redemption

Cień: Redemption

Genre: Black / Death Metal

Label: Godz Of War Productions

converge

Converge and Chelsea Wolfe: Blood Moon I 

Genre: Metal / Hardcore

Label: Deathwish

nokyuen

Der Weg Einer Freiheit: Noktvrn 

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Season Of Mist

dream unending

Dream Unending: Tide Turns Eternal

Genre: Death Metal / Doom

Label: 20 Buck Spin 

elbow

Elbow: Flying Dream I

Genre: Alternative Rock

Label: Polydor Records

eos

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