Death Metal – Page 132 – Wonderbox Metal

Casket Robbery – Evolution of Evil (Review)

This is the début album by US Death Metallers Casket Robbery.

Casket Robbery play rhythmic Death Metal with a modern/groove Metal influence. They successfully incorporate into their assault elements of Lamb of God and Pantera along with those of Aborted and Kataklysm , as well as mixing in some European Metal influences that allow the band to inject some extra melodic streaks into the tracks that actually remind me of Septic Flesh in places.

Although there’s a lot of mid-paced grooving there’s also enough speed used to keep things varied. The melodic aspect, although not a huge part of their sound, furnishes the songs with enough leads and solos to add another tasty flavour to the tracks.

This is a release that’s heavy and full of riffs. It’s so easy to get carried along with the beat that before you know it your body starts with the twitching and spasming and there’s nowt to be done about it. Hmm, not the best way to describe toe-tappingly-good is it, but you get the idea…

Vocally the singer has an unfriendly snarl that pitches him between a growl and a scream. It matches the rhythmic muscularity of the music and cuts nicely deep into the meat of the matter.

After 37 minutes, some catchy songwriting and some memorable brutality later, Evolution of Evil has left a good impression. The band have produced a very enjoyable album that stands up to repeated listens well and positively encourages them.

Recommended.

Stillborn – Testimonio de Bautismo (Review)

This is the fifth album from Polish Blackened Death Metallers Stillborn.

Stillborn play abrasive, rough Death Metal with a Black Metal edge. It’s gritty, jagged and quite enjoyable. A Thrash Metal influence raises its head on some of the riffs too, lending the band an extra energy on occasion.

Their sound is one of a Black Metal band playing Death Metal, with the recording following this accordingly.

This is malevolent, Satanic music that has a decent blackened side to the deathly brutality. The songs have an earthy authenticity to them that’s made all the more enjoyable simply due to the good riffs and barbarous blackened sheen that everything has.

Ugly growls and dirty shrieks form the bedrock of the vocals as the music blasts and slashes its way through the 34 minute playing time. The songs are well-written and it’s clear that the band have learned a thing or two during their near two-decade existence.

Decent riffs, decent songs, murderous atmosphere; Stillborn have a new fan here.

Recommended for all fans of underground brutality.

Insision – Terminal Reckoning (Review)

Insision are a Swedish Death Metal band and this is their fourth album.

You know what they say – a day listening to Insision is a good day. Well, I say that, at least. Ever since I got their début album way back in 2002 Insision have been one of my favourite exports from Sweden. This is their first album in 9 years and it’s good to have them back.

So here we have 36 minutes of new material and I’m pleased to say that it’s as muscular, brutal and relentlessly satisfying as we’ve come to expect from the band.

Insision specialise in Death Metal that’s heavy, direct and has a good ratio of brutality to technicality. The songs pound and groove their way through the playing time and feature good songwriting and memorable ugliness. The band’s riffs are still a grade above a lot of similar bands and this is at least partly down to their sense of confidence and having an ear for good pacing.

Even though I love their speedy stuff, I also love how they know the virtue of not going fast all of the time. There’s more than enough mid-paced and slower parts here to give the album enough variety, all the time crushing you with their merciless assault.

Showing that they also have a more refined side, the band insert a few nice touches here and there, showing there’s more to them than just mindless violence. One of the latter sections in Infected is a good example, but there are numerous others, (such as the start of Old Ways).

The guttural growls of the singer are so deep that it seems you might fall into them. He barks with authority and his presence acts cohesively to add a focal point to the already focused music.

Insision’s first album in almost a decade is definitely a success in my eyes. They’ve done themselves and their legacy proud. Here’s to many years of Swedish brutality yet to come!

Cult of Lilith – Arkanum (Review)

Cult of Lilith are a Death Metal band from Iceland. This is their début EP.

Cult of Lilith play their Death Metal with muscularity, power and no little technical flair. Their style combines influences from both classic Death Metal and the more modern variants; this has equal respect for Death as it does The Faceless.

Melodic influences raise their heads in places, done in a thoroughly modern style, (not a million miles away from that of The Faceless). There’s even a touch of a Black Metal influence here and there, as well as a decent amount of technicality that both Gorguts and Death fans would be pleased with.

Deep growling shouts are the singer’s weapon of choice, although these are backed up with some quite savage screams where necessary.

These are quite involved songs that have a fair bit going on, but the band still know when to ease off the complexity and just go straight for the throat with a blasting assault when they need to. There’s a lot of good ideas and interesting added extras on these tracks and it’s clear that Cult of Lilith have high ambition for themselves.

A very promising start for this new band. I look forward to what they do next.

Necrosavant – Aniara MMXIV (Review)

Necrosavant is a one-man project from Sweden. This is his début album.

In an unusual move for a début album, this is one single track that lasts 45 minutes. Also unusually, this is Blackened Death Metal with a style that kind of falls between that of Behemoth and (old) Opeth.

Not content with doing vocals and playing everything on this release, the brains behind Necrosavant has also drafted in some other guests to add to the mix.

The music has the muscularity and occult auras of Behemoth and the progressive and melodic know-how of Opeth. The track ebbs and flows, picking up themes previously discarded, only to breathe new life into them again as the listener becomes re-familiarised with different parts of this immense song.

The guitars are nice and thick and there are a lot of tasty riffs on here. Plenty of solos and leads add colour, but it’s frequently the well-written rhythm guitars themselves that elevate this to a top-notch position.

The music has the feel of a dark epic in more than just length and the brutal atmospheres that are created reverberate with meaningful impact and emotive delivery.

If you think that a 45 minute Blackened Death Metal song would get old very quickly, you’re dead wrong. There’s so much on offer here and so much talented Metal being delivered that it’s hard to imagine that this is essentially the product of just one guy.

This is hugely impressive and enjoyable. This one is a must.

Illusions Dead – Celestial Decadence (Review)

Illusions Dead are from Finland and play Blackened Death Metal. This is their début album.

The style here is based on Death Metal with a Black Metal influence to the guitars, allowing the band access to a wider array of melodics and auras than a pure Death Metal band.

High screams form the bulk of the vocals, although deep growling vocals do appear as the main form of attack on some tracks. The singer’s growls are very well performed and he has the kind of voice that’s easy to enjoy. The high screams are equally competent though, and very enjoyable to listen to, although it would probably be even better if a few more of the growls were used here and there, but that’s just me.

The songs are well-written and there’s a lot to enjoy across these 42 minutes. The band seem to understand pacing and texture, with the songs having a lot more depth than is the norm for the style. I especially like songs such as Revolution (Celestial Spheres) where the band extend the music into almost progressive spheres to add further substance and meat to the music.

Leads and melodies are used well and not overly relied upon at the expense of brutality; there’s a nice balance of the two. When combined with the emotive qualities of the rhythm guitars it makes for a compelling collection of tracks.

The album has a good sound that’s rough around the edges in the right ways. Combined with the strength of the music it makes for a very satisfying package, all-in-all.

This is a really strong release. It offers something more than just straight-ahead Death Metal and is an extremely meaty feast of Metal delights.

Very impressive.

Primitiv – Immortal & Vile (Review)

Primitiv are an Indian Death Metal band. This is their début album.

As the name might suggest, Primitiv play old-school Death Metal that’s on the, (ahem), primitive side.

It’s also on the riffy side, and who doesn’t love a good riff? Actually, the word primitive is misleading, because although it’s true in a way, this is also not your typical old-school Death Metal release either, sounding fresher and more modern than a lot of similar bands. Modern old-school Death Metal? Now there’s a thing…

So what’s different about Primitiv? Well, for one thing, the songs have an energy to them as they stomp all over the place. There’s also a fair amount of variety on these tracks, with different sub-styles and types of riff being showcased.

Some of the riffs have a Sludge/Stoner Metal feel in places, which is quite unexpected, although it should be noted this is not a huge part of their sound. At other times we get a more Bolt Thrower-type delivery, cementing the old-school feel even more. Sometimes a hint of the Swedish style appears…it’s a compelling mix across these 31 minutes and Primitiv show that they can turn their hands to many an influence with the aim of creating their crushing Death Metal out of the most effective weapons available.

Melodies, leads and solos all appear where they’re needed and the songs pound along at a decent pace. It’s all added to by a strong, clear and clean production that allows them to sound absolutely immense. As the focus is very much on the guitar riffs, these have a heavy, precise tone that devastates all around them. It must be noted that the drums and bass sound equally impressive though.

The singer has a formidable roar that still manages to sound legible on occasion and carries character deep within its depths.

The combination of the older style with a newer production and a Sludge/Stoner tinge to some of the riffs allows Immortal & Vile to avoid the accusations of staleness and rehashing of past glories that inevitably accompany most old-school Death Metal releases. This album sounds fresh and infectious, even if the core style is as old as it gets.

Unless your tastes run strictly to the ultra-technical, fast or modern, Immortal & Vile is a must listen.

Atrocious Abnormality – Formed in Disgust (Review)

This is the second album from US Brutal Death Metallers Atrocious Abnormality.

If you like the classic sound of Death Metal à la Cannibal Corpse, Defeated Sanity, Severe Torture and the like, then you’ll love this latest release from Atrocious Abnormality. This is ripping Death Metal with lashings of brutality and bloodshed, all delivered in 31 minutes of riff-hungry carnage.

Atrocious Abnormality really have got their songwriting abilities dialled in. As paragons of brutality these songs also have a whole slew of memorable riffs and just enough melody to cause the guitars to stick out without sacrificing any of the ugliness. Top work.

Each of these tracks do exactly what you’d want this type of Death Metal song to do. Here we have complexity and technicality without going too far down the rabbit hole; simple, heavy riffs without becoming too basic; catchiness without over-familiarity; speed and groove intertwined…Formed in Disgust really has a lot to offer the discerning Metal fan.

I’m very happy with this release. I love a good slab of timeless Death Metal, and Atrocious Abnormality have delivered. It’s especially pleasing as it’s quite easy for a release of this nature to come across as stale and boring – just a repeat of what’s come before. What’s nice about Formed in Disgust though is that the band somehow manage to breathe fresh life into the style they play through sheer force of will and decent songwriting skills.

I heartily recommend this one – get your fill and do it now.

Temisto – Temisto (Review)

Temisto are from Sweden and this is their début album. They play Death Metal.

This is unusual Death Metal that falls somewhere between the primitive, atavistic side of the spectrum and the more exploratory, mystical side.

The band have some interesting riffs, as they are not afraid to let a bit of complexity and technicality sneak into the guitars. They also allow a bit of melody to appear here and there, resulting in songs that have a lot of different facets to them. It’s a welcome change of pace for something of this ilk, and the songs have a kind of morbid sophistication to them because of it.

The tracks are a beguiling combination of speed, atmosphere and darkly occult feelings. The atypical melodies and dynamic leads and solos really add spice to the songs and the band have a real talent for taking the foundations of the genre and warping them with foul black magics.

The singer’s feral howlings further cement the feeling of listening to something a bit special, as they too are just that little bit different to the norm for Death Metal, enough to add another dimension to the band and to give the songs a rather old-school feel.

This album is all about the guitars for me though, although clearly everything else plays a major role in helping this album to ascend to the higher, more rarefied Death Metal peaks; the riffs, melodies and interesting ideas just don’t stop, and I’ve really, really enjoyed this release.

It’s also quite rare for a Death Metal band to have a more considered and reflective side, so this is a nice touch on the album too.

Top marks. Looking for something a little different with your Death Metal? Check out Temisto.

Deformatory – Malediction (Review)

This is the second album from Canadian Death Metallers Deformatory.

Deformatory’s début In the Wake of Pestilence has been one of my more-played releases from 2013. Combining a smart sound with lashings of Technical Death Metal goodness, it remains a very enjoyable listen that I return to quite regularly.

So here we are a couple of years later, and it’s time for their second release. Have they lived up to their own high standards? Let’s find out.

Blasting out with a strong, clear and professional sound, it’s clear that Deformatory have upped their game in the sonic department even more. They sound huge!

Musically they remain a savage Technical Death Metal beast, with a great combination of brutality and complexity being showcased on these tracks.

The songs showcase interesting riffs and ideas, as well as boasting leads and solos that hint at their darker core while slamming into you with such barbed force as to rip you apart.

The vocals seem more prominent this time, and if anything they’re deeper than ever too. I’m not a huge fan of albums that have their vocals too high in the mix, especially Death Metal ones. As always this is a very subjective thing, but this is my chief concern with a lot of Behemoth’s later work and the same is true of Malediction, albeit to a slightly lesser extent. As with Behemoth though, it doesn’t stop Deformatory being a great band; it’s just a personal preference thing, as I’d rather the vocals were maybe a shade lower in the mix.

Minor quibbles aside, Deformatory have produced another top quality album of Technical Death Metal. I do still prefer their début, but this is largely down to the fact that I know it a lot better. After a few spins Malediction is already climbing and closing the gap between the two, so given a few more months and I’m confident I’ll judge it in the same league as their first.

So, to sum up – if you like powerful Death Metal, here’s one you should definitely pick up.