July 2016 – Page 5 – Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Aktaion

The second Aktaion album has arrived. After being very impressed by their first album Throne, The Parade of Nature is even better. Following up their debut with more experience and even better tunes, Aktaion continue to be one of my favourite modern metal bands out there. Head honcho Francis Larsson gave me an update on all things Aktaion…

Tell us a bit about the background of Aktaion

Well the roots of Aktaion go back to 2010 as most of the members worked together on another project which would turn into a studio project where most of the songs on our first album Throne would take form. With the release of Throne we decided on starting Aktaion as a new name for the band and we took the project to being a “traditional” band. We released Throne and quite soon after that toured Sweden and Finland. After that we joined the Blood Mantra Balkan Tour behind Decapitated, Hate, Thy Disease and Krysthla and visited most of the Balkans!

What are your influences?

Influences range from metal to singer/songwriting to very much everything else in life. And a great guitar tone is essential to spark some most of the ideas we morph into songs. Continue reading “Interview with Aktaion”

Ashcloud – Children of the Chainsaw (Review)

This is the second album from Ashcloud, a death metal band.

If you’re a death metal band and you release an album named Children of the Chainsaw, you’d better be playing old-school Swedish death metal, or it’s just a wasted opportunity. Ashcloud do exactly that, but with a few twists to the formula. This is 45 minutes of disgustingly old-school crusty death metal that will clear the cobwebs away with huge gusts of molten fumes.

In true genre-style; as well as the sickening rhythms we get plenty of Continue reading “Ashcloud – Children of the Chainsaw (Review)”

Outright Resistance – Me Vs I (Review)

Outright Resistance are a UK metal band and this is their latest EP.

After a rather embarrassing intro track, the rest of the EP is, thankfully, better. This is Pantera/Lamb of God/Chimaira inspired metal that’s all youthful enthusiasm and energy.

The band have the right approach for this kind of music, starting with some decent riffs and Continue reading “Outright Resistance – Me Vs I (Review)”

Necroptic Engorgement – Realms of Incessant Bloodshed (Review)

Necroptic Engorgement are a death metal band from the US. This is their latest EP.

This is brutal death metal with a touch of deathgrind added for extra flavour.

Vocals are either high pitched screeches or deep, guttural growl-barks that sometimes sound unusually legible, but always sound unusually evil. Continue reading “Necroptic Engorgement – Realms of Incessant Bloodshed (Review)”

Nekhen – Entering the Gate of the Western Horizon (Review)

This is the debut release of Nekhen, a blackened doom solo project from Italy.

Even though this is the project’s first journey out into the world, the brains behind the outfit is obviously not lacking in ambition. According to the press blurb – ‘The album is intended as Continue reading “Nekhen – Entering the Gate of the Western Horizon (Review)”

Interview with Monolithe

French doom band Monolithe continue to impress with every new release, and latest album Zeta Reticuli is no exception. Guitarist Rémi Brochard explains a bit more about the concept behind the release, and how it fits in with Epsilon Aurigae…

Introduce us to Monolithe!

MONOLITHE is a dark/doom metal band. The band was created in 2001 by guitarist/songwriter Sylvain Bégot and has released 6 albums, one compilation and 2 EP.

What are your influences?

In the beginnings, that might be British early doom/death bands, some death metal bands and a lot of everything else, really.

Name five things you’ve listened to recently that you’d recommend

Actually, speaking for myself, I listen to prog metal a lot, with greats bands such as Circus Maximus. I also listened to the last Moonsorrow; not their best but still a great album that I highly recommend. I discovered the new Winterhorde album, Maestro, a prog black metal band which kicks ass. Also King, the last Fleshgod Apocalypse album, and a nice discovery: Carpenter Brut, a French electro project, which reminds me the movie Drive’s OST! Continue reading “Interview with Monolithe”

Aktaion – The Parade of Nature (Review)

This is the second album from Aktaion, a Swedish Metal band.

I thought that Aktaion’s debut album Throne was a great combination of aggressive melodic death metal and sing-along catchiness. It showed a band that was not willing to compromise on either, striking the right balance of both.

So how have they done on this latest release? Well, essentially they have Continue reading “Aktaion – The Parade of Nature (Review)”

Dawn of Disease – Worship the Grave (Review)

This is the third album from Dawn of Disease, a German death metal band.

Dawn of Disease seem to have honed their songwriting skills and are now channelling the spirit of 90s song-based death metal. It’s catchy, memorable and there’s more than a few twisting melodies and riffs that will stick in your head long after it’s stopped playing. Continue reading “Dawn of Disease – Worship the Grave (Review)”

Cairiss – Fall (Review)

Cairiss are an atmospheric/post-black metal band from the UK. This is their debut EP.

Now, here we have something very impressive.

Cairiss’ music is atmospheric metal that takes a good amount of black metal influence but builds on it with post-metal knowledge and application.

The singer has a voice that does the music justice. Her harsh screams are savagery Continue reading “Cairiss – Fall (Review)”

Interview with Revocation

Revocation’s sixth album Great Is Our Sin is soon to be unleashed on the world and will be sure to reinforce the band’s already top-notch reputation for quality metal. As such, it seems an appropriate time to delve a little bit more into the world of Revocation. So, put on Great Is Our Sin, turn the volume up and listen to what David Davidson has to say…

Introduce us to Revocation!

Hello! Dave here, we’ve been a band since 2006 and we’re released 5 albums and 1 E.P. in our 10 year history through a couple of different labels. Currently we’re signed to Metal Blade Records and we’re about to release our 6th full length record “Great is Our Sin” on July 22nd.

What are your influences?

We’re influenced by a lot of different death and thrash metal bands primarily, but we also draw inspiration from black metal and prog bands. Some specific groups that have influenced us over the years include Martyr, Gorguts, Cannibal Corpse, Dark Angel, Megadeth and Exhorder just to name a few. Personally speaking I also listen to a lot of jazz and classical music so that definitely has an effect on my writing style as well. Continue reading “Interview with Revocation”