wonderboxmetal

Whitechapel – Mark of the Blade (Review)

Whitechapel are from the US and play deathcore/metal. This is their sixth album.

2014’s Our Endless War saw Whitechapel effectively combining their death metal/deathcore roots with their more further-developed modern metal approach from their previous release into an album that made the most out of both of these influences.

Mark of the Blade continues where Our Endless War left off, providing a large chunk of heavy, aggressive music with modern, groove and djent parts welded onto their thoroughly metal core. However, the band have also progressed and expanded Continue reading “Whitechapel – Mark of the Blade (Review)”

Stheno – Liberty Crawls in Waste (Review)

Stheno are a blackened grindcore band from Greece. This is their début album.

I like Stheno. Their split with Grassroll introduced me to their blackened grinding ultra-violence, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

So, joy of joys, we now have a full 20 minutes of their nasty savagery to enjoy, and enjoy it we do. Continue reading “Stheno – Liberty Crawls in Waste (Review)”

Interview with Raging Speedhorn

After being away for far too long, the UK’s mighty Raging Speedhorn are finally back in action with the equally mighty Lost Ritual. John Loughlin, (one half of the ban’s vocal duo), brought me up to speed with everything going on in the Speedhorn camp…

Introduce us to Raging Speedhorn!

Raging Speedhorn are 6 guys playing music they love and having fun doing it. We sometimes enjoy a beer or 2 while doing this, we played shows and released albums between 1998 and 2008, had a 6 year break then started to play shows again in 2014, we’ve now recorded a new album and are ready get back out there and do it all again.

What are your influences?

We all listen to a lot of different music so it’s kinda hard to pin point influences but you can hear a lot of them in our music if you listen for it. Continue reading “Interview with Raging Speedhorn”

Sheidim – Shrines of the Void (Review)

Sheidim are a Spanish black metal band and this is their début album.

This is orthodox black metal with a modern coating and a matching cover. It’s extreme, passionate, vicious and venomous.

Sheidim’s music is heavy and full of darkness, injecting streaks of colour through the blackened melodies that burn with intensity and passion, as does the band’s music as a whole.

Shrines of the Void is powerfully Continue reading “Sheidim – Shrines of the Void (Review)”

Black Fucking Cancer – Black Fucking Cancer (Review)

This is the début album from Black Fucking Cancer, a US black metal band.

Due to the name of this band I was expecting short, punky, excrement-filled black metal lasting probably no longer than about 20 minutes. What we actually get is a full 60 minutes of hate-powered misanthropy and perversion, courtesy of these blackened maniacs.

This is ugly music that the band manage to stretch out Continue reading “Black Fucking Cancer – Black Fucking Cancer (Review)”

Straight Hate – Every Scum Is a Straight Arrow (Review)

Straight Hate are a Polish grindcore band and this is their début album.

Well, isn’t this a delectably savage little slice of nastiness?

Straight Hate have a nicely gritty sound that sees them rip faces off with ease over these 26 minutes. The music is fast, brutal and designed to go right for the kill. Continue reading “Straight Hate – Every Scum Is a Straight Arrow (Review)”

Macabra – …to the Bone (Review)

This is the second album from this death metal band, a collaboration between American and Belgian members.

Macabra specialise in old-school death metal that has a 90s Scandinavian flavour. Theirs is a paean to the atmospheric death metal of the 90s, as espoused by bands such as Amorphis and the like.

Quality riffs, the likes of which Continue reading “Macabra – …to the Bone (Review)”

Centinex – Doomsday Rituals (Review)

This is the tenth album from this Swedish death metal institution.

After thoroughly enjoying the catchy brutality of their last album, Redeeming Filth, this latest release is eagerly awaited and gratefully received.

Followers of this site will know that I have somewhat of a soft spot for Continue reading “Centinex – Doomsday Rituals (Review)”

Interview with Mortillery

Canadian thrashers Mortillery have unleashed a storming new album in Shapeshifter, providing the listener with 43 minutes of authentic thrash with real aggression. Guitarist Alex Gutierrez touched base with me to give a quick update on the their new album…

Introduce us to Mortillery!

Hey we are a Thrash Metal band from Edmonton Alberta Canada! We like heavy metal and beer!

What are your influences?

They differ per member but mostly: Toxic Holocaust, Détente, Judas Priest, and Broken Bones. Continue reading “Interview with Mortillery”

3rd Machine – Quantified Self (Review)

This is the début album from 3rd Machine, a modern/groove metal band from the Netherlands.

This is rhythmic groove metal with keyboard enhancements that takes influence from the cyber metal scene.

Despite the modern production though, it has somewhat of a 90s metal feel to it to me. This is not meant in any detrimental way. 3rd Machine seem Continue reading “3rd Machine – Quantified Self (Review)”