April 2014 – Page 5 – Wonderbox Metal

Aires – Aires (Review)

Aires are from Portugal and present us with Ambient Drone.

I find that I have to be in a certain mood for this kind of music, but sometimes, usually later at night, it’s nice to kind of switch off and relax to something like this.

The good thing about Aires is that there is almost a hint of underlying melody. The music slowly and very precisely changes, almost imperceptibly at first.

The first track Orgânico I – Vozes Sem Corpo, and also the longest, does a good job of relaxing and soothing the listener, whilst at the same time adding a subtle tense undercurrent that implies a hidden, lurking sense of danger without actually following through all the way to fully disturb the reverie.

Second track Orgânico II – Monolítico continues this vague sense of unease but this time as the central underlying theme, with moments of texture and electronic pseudo-language swimming in and out of the turbulent waters.

The third, Isósceles, is a mere interlude, a clash of piano and noise; between beautiful hope and harsh honest truth.

And then finally we get to the last track – Contraplacado. This is my favourite of the songs, and is best described as a kind of Ambient Post-Metal track. By this I mean that it has the same kind of ebb and flow, build and release quality that’s a staple of Post-Metal, but obviously all achieved through Ambient noise-work and soundscapes. It ends the release with a sweeping flourish and a more hopeful tone.

Sit back, relax and let the sounds of Aires wash over you.

Electric Hellride – Come Darkness, Come Light (Review)

This is the latest EP from Danish Metallers Electric Hellride.

The EP boasts a strong, crisp sound that gives the band the space and presence to make their mark.

Electric Hellride play a combination of older Thrash and Modern Metal; sort of a modern Thrash Metal but without being infected with the American template of Metalcore/breakdowns/At The Gates-isms/etc.

Instead this treads its own path; paying fealty to the Thrash Metal pantheon with some catchy choruses, (no clean vocals), while stamping their own identity on the more modern aspects of their sound.

The vocals are very interesting. Initally seemingly buried under the Thrash onslaught of the first song Master Inferno, it’s on second track Higher Profanity that they come into their own. They’re almost a kind of Stoner/Thrash hybrid, almost as if someone has appropriated the singer of a more contemporary band, (Clutch?/Godhunter?), and forced him to front Kreator. This is merely an extension of the music however, where you have elements of older and newer bands rubbing shoulders, without any form of detriment to either.

This melding of styles into a seamless whole lends a timeless element to the whole thing. I could imagine listening to this if it had come out in the 90s or the 00’s, never mind 2014.

Come Darkness, Come Light is an exceptional EP from a very talented and relatively individualistic band. I suggest listening to this and giving them your wholehearted support.

Sabbatory – Endless Asphyxiating Gloom (Review)

Sabbatory are from Canada and play Death Metal. This is their début album.

Sabbatory have an Old-School sound that recalls Celtic Frost if they were a Death Metal band.

The production has that classic timeless feeling and the songs maximise this, playing their morbid Metal with enthusiasm and intensity.

The vocals are deep and disturbed, but remain legible for the most part. They have character and are instantly differentiated from most modern Death Metal vocals by this and by borrowing some Old-School quirkiness from the likes of Celtic Frost and Venom.

Each song has its own identity. There are only 7 of them but they each have a role to play in making up the 33 minutes playing time. There is not a filler in sight.

Like the best of the classic Death Metal bands Sabbatory are interested in songs and know how to write a good tune. They play the riffs well and even push out the odd solo. I hear a healthy Death influence here and there.

Recommended listening. After all, this is Death Metal through and through, what’s not to like?

Cage Grind Noir – Pilots (Review)

Nicolas Cage themed Grindcore? Sure, I can get on board with that.

The vocals are hysterical raging, an insanity that seems to have infected the singer and left him with nothing to do but scream and vomit his love for all things Cage.

Samples infect the tracks like a disease, making sure you’re never too far removed from the subject matter. Each song is named after a film.

Grind of this ilk based on a theme/novelty-factor wouldn’t normally interest me that much if it wasn’t for the fact that the band are good at what they do. They know how to Grind. Puig Destroyer are another such band, and like Puig Destroyer the concept doesn’t get in the way of the Grindcore.

As far as the music goes the band actually peddle somewhat sophisticated, modern Grind, rather than the ultra-primitive variety I was initially expecting, (no idea why. Baseless assumptions and all that). It’s quality stuff. It’s only 13 minutes long but the band still have time for a bit of almost Post-Metal in the middle of the album, (Knowing/8MM), and some mid-paced atmospherics at the end, (Fire Birds).

I see no reason for you to not pick this up and enjoy a little bit of what they’ve got goin’ on!

Infestus – The Reflecting Void (Review)

Coming from Germany, Infestus play sophisticated Black Metal.

This is complex and multi-faceted music that explores a multitude of feelings and emotional states throughout the 54 minutes playing time. It’s state-of-the-art Black Metal with a top quality sound and a will to succeed.

The songs are reflective of this nature and excel at delivering emotive, dynamic, Blackened compositions that show off the talent of the powerful mind behind the band.

Dark melodies and riffs that bleed strength and emotion crackle and cascade across your consciousness as your intellect feebly struggles to comprehend the vastness of the infinite mysteries of the hidden night.

The impressive soundscapes that make up these 8 tracks are writ large against this darkened canvas and are brought to full technicolour life in brazen shades of mortality and buried life.

Each song brings a new experience to the fold and wields forbidden knowledge like one who was born to an esoteric existence, dedicated to withholding such dark arts from the unworthy masses.

This is elite music in all senses of the word. This is Infestus’ magnum opus. This is essential.

Interview with Invertia

In my recent review of Invertia’s second album Another Scheme for the Wicked, I wrote that it was intriguing, harsh and exciting; my viewpoint hasn’t changed. This is an interesting and novel band and they have released an album worthy of taking the time to get to know it. Questions were asked, and answers were given…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

We are an industrial metal band from the Northeast USA who write progressive oppressive music that you should be paying attention to because your rights are being deprived from you and will soon be taken away by those who oppress you.

Give us a bit of background to Invertia

When we met we knew it was something different from the metal crowd or other genres or if it would even work…that was the second week. And here we are in week…604…

What are your influences?

Its funny you ask. You can not put us into a box full of hashtags but we are entirely influenced by Sabbat, Hank III, Celtic Frost, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Bathory, and The Misfits.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

We don’t listen to music because we have been rehearsing for months. You tell us, has anything good come out?

What did you want to achieve with your new album?

We wrote and wrote and wrote and scratched and wrote more and scratched more and rewrote and ripped apart and scratched it all before we wrote this because we wanted to.

What can you tell us about the lyrics?

We write about the exposure of the daily rhetoric of our culture to provoke thought and action. So long as it is not at any of our shows. We are trying to concentrate.

Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.

Actually we have been writing this way for years but now we have added Kurt Gluck from Submerged & Ohm Resistance our record label to help us write which will change things up in who knows what way.

Tell us about the remixes – how do you think they relate to the originals?

That’s a good question. The artists chosen are some of the best in their genres and you get to see how another artist interprets the song & how their creativity comes out of them through the music that we wrote.

Are you happy with how it all turned out?

It is a fresh take. It’s exciting.

How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?

We want to grow and expand our sound/style and expertise as much with our next album as we did with our first and second album.

What’s next for Invertia?

Maybe a mini-tour? Thanks, we appreciate it. Now, we need to sleep. Buy the album here: https://ohmresistance.bandcamp.com/album/another-scheme-of-the-wicked

Thanks!

Human Infection – Curvatures In Time (Review)

Human Infection are from the US and play Death Metal.

And what an album cover! Now that’s what a Death Metal cover should look like…

The music doesn’t disappoint. After a perfunctory intro it’s straight into the USDM-style blasting with the nicely named Celestial.

The vocals instantly jump out at you with their character and are more Malevolent Creation than the cookie monster-standard.

This harks back to earlier times circa the 90’s, with short, brutal songs that could have come out of the Cannibal Corpse stable or the Floridian swamps; the band have the USDM blasting down to a nostalgic art, and the mid-paced assaults are authentic and rousing. There is even a subtle Thrash element to some of the riffs. It’s not a huge influence, but it’s there, adding its bite to the attack.

Human Infection also drag the songwriting skills of the bands from this earlier era into their work. These tracks are not merely a collection of riffs; thought has gone into the ebb and flow of the songs, as well as to making them catchy and loading them with hooks.

Like Morbid Angel and Suffocation conspired to produce a bastard offspring; Curvatures In Time is a worthy heir to the throne.

Ferium – Reflections (Review)

This is the début album from Ferium who come from Israel and play Death/Groove Metal with a slight Metalcore-style influence.

This is rabble-rousing groove Metal with a firm Death Metal basis and only a little bit of -core influence added in. A case could be made for calling them Deathcore I suppose, but they don’t share a lot of common ground with most Deathcore bands, (more emphasis on melody and less on breakdowns, etc.), and thus I feel this would be doing them somewhat of a disservice. Genre label quibbles aside, the emphasis is on the Metal, as it should be.

I suppose if you take a cross of, say Lamb of God and Arch Enemy and add more of classic Death Metal influence you’d be in the right area. Or conversely if you take some older bands such as Lipid and Konkhra and add a modern influence you’d end up in similar territory.

The songs are growers; they have an initial impact certainly, but require time to fully appreciate as they are the kind of songs that are unhurried, secure in the knowledge that they’re capable and worthy of repeat visitations.

This is at least partly to do with the fact that a lot of the riffs used here are midway between melodic and brutal, making them stand out and peak the curiosity. The band flirt with Melodic Death Metal but always pull back to heavier climes before fully embracing this destination. It’s an interesting listen.

The vocalist has quite the range, whether it’s deep growls or terror-inducing screams. He has the rhythmic patterns of a modern Metal shouter and the lungs of a Behemoth.

Ferium have produced a quality listen with enough longevity to keep things lively. Let’s see where this band end up as they have a lot to offer the discerning metal fan.

Dead in the Manger – Transience (Review)

Screaming out of the US, Dead in the Manger are an unholy fusion of Black Metal and Grind.

This release is 18 minutes of pure depression and hatred in equal measure.

Unusually the band juxtapose Funeral/Depressive Black Metal against furious Blackened Grindcore. It works due to a skilful weaving together of the two usually disparate genres.

The slow misery of the haunting opening track gives way to the savage, focused Grind of the second. The third and fourth combine aspects of both styles in a way that’s a welcome breath of stinking air; savage Blackened Grind colliding with dirge-like riffs and miserably anger. The fifth is a haunting interlude of samples and dark atmosphere, while the final, (and longest), track is blistering and solemn; blastbeats rage over sorrowful chords.

And what of the vocals? Black Metal to the core. Like static being vomited up by a diseased corpse. Perfect.

Dead in the Manger are hopefully not transient, hopefully they will be with us for some time yet.

North – Metanoia (Review)

North are from the US and play Post-Metal.

Whether it’s build and release or tense and relax; having light and dark or beauty and brutality; these are some of the staples of Post-Metal, that most varied of beasts, and North provide an exemplar of how to do this while layering the entire thing in raw, Sludgy vocals.

Picture a band playing their favourite parts of Isis and Year Of No Light and condensing these resulting compositions into shorter songs than typically either of those bands; this will give you a good idea of the ground that North tread.

The vocals are rough semi-cleans that provide an interesting counterpoint to the clear music. They are expressive and emotive in all of the right ways. The same can be said of the songs themselves. Taken together these tracks explore the emotional depths and heights of whatever the subject matter is. As someone once said of Radiohead – I don’t know what he’s singing about but I can tell he means it, (or something along those lines).

Each of these four tracks is a mastercrafted example of Post-Metal at its best, especially as it doesn’t aim to simply mimic Neurosis/Cult of Luna as a lot of Post-Metal ends up doing to some extent. Here we have a band travelling their own path to the beat of their heroes but with a singular intent all of their own.

I had never heard North before this EP, and I quickly come to the conclusion that this is a crying shame as the quality and effect of these songs is undeniable.

Expand your horizons, and make sure you travel North.