Death Metal – Page 142 – Wonderbox Metal

The Big Jazz Duo – Enemy (Review)

The Big Jazz Duo arre from Italy and this is their début album.

Looking at the album cover and knowing the band’s name, you’d probably never guess that they play Death Metal. But they do; Experimental/Atmospheric Death Metal/Deathcore.

This is sickeningly heavy with grooves and breakdowns aplenty. Speed and brutality are also present, as are pignoise vocals and scathing screams.

There’s a Djent aspect to their sound too, which seems to go hand-in-hand with a lot of Deathcore.

The band also include orchestral interludes, atmospheric sections and the like in their sound, which immediately makes them more interesting and raises their game.

Deathcore and Djent are two sub-genres that can get very stale, very quickly, if not handled well. The Big Jazz Duo avoid this trap by mixing these up with more traditional Death Metal and a melodic edge, as well as the more experimental aspects of their sound.

The songs are well written and the band understand the need for dynamics and pacing. A very polished and strong production rounds off the package and ensures that the songs have the best chance to shine.

These songs may be largely quite short but they’re packed to the rafters with goodies. Heavy groove, blasting carnage and atmosphere all merge together to create a listening experience that, in all honestly, makes me really fucking happy. I can always tell when I’m getting into an album when I start spontaneously bouncing along to it without realising. As you do.

If you imagine a cross between The Black Dahlia Murder, All Shall Perish and Xehanort then you’ll be on the right lines.

So, Brutal Death Metal, Djent, Deathcore, melody, atmosphere, orchestration…all in 31 minutes and all very well-written? I’m sold!

An extremely impressive album, especially considering the oft-dreaded Deathcore/Djent aspects of their sound.

Very highly recommended.

The Vintage Warlords – The Invisible Foe (Review)

The Vintage Warlords are a Doom/Death Metal band from the US and this is their début EP.

The Vintage Warlords play old, ancient Death Metal that’s slowly consuming the rotten husk of Doom.

The band’s sound is cavernous and heavy, yet a lot cleaner than I was expecting for this style. It’s Old-School and Doom-laden but a lot more polished than is usually the way for some similar bands.

The professional veneer of the music carries over to the vocals too; the singer has a tight, focused growl that is more like a surgical slaughter than a shotgun message. It’s a really satisfying voice and he uses it well.

The songs merge the best parts of Death Metal’s songmanship and Doom’s cranky demeanour. As such, slower parts vie for place with groovier sections and there’s enough rhythmic mayhem here to get the listener bouncing around quite nicely.

The Vintage Warlords are adept songwriters and there are plenty of good ideas on these three tracks. Each song has its own identity and the band capitalise on this well.

I’ve really enjoyed this release. If they can translate this success into a full-length then it’ll be a real treat.

Mercy Brown – Mercy Brown (Review)

This is the début album from US band Mercy Brown. They play Metal.

This is a band that takes Heavy Metal and Death Metal, stitches them together and then sits back with satisfaction as its creation takes on a life of its own.

The music is on the harsher, heavier end of the spectrum and this is frequently augmented by more melodic moments and other Metal accoutrements.

The singer has a diverse voice, varying between deep growls, high screams and cleans. She has a powerful and charismatic voice no matter the style she sings in, and her different vocals work well with the more Death Metal-oriented music.

The band have a heavy sound that makes the most of their crushing delivery. This is Metal through and through. The sometimes-angelic female vocals shouldn’t make you think of bands like Lacuna Coil and Nightwish; this is more akin to Whitechapel mixed with Arch Enemy, only with clean vocals added in.

There’s a decent amount of stuff going on here. Apart from the straight-ahead Death Metal and Heavy Metal there’s plenty of other things happening to add depth and atmosphere. The band take the time to slow down and relax a bit on occasion, increasing the effectiveness of the heavier parts as well as these more reflective sections working well in their own right too.

I like this a lot as it’s a little different from the norm and well-delivered. Check them out.

Fragile Existence – Cataclysms and Beginnings (Review)

This is the second album by Canadian Death Metal band Fragile Existence.

Featuring the extremity of Hate Eternal, the groove of 90s Death Metal and the Progressive tendencies of Death, Fragile Existence’s second album is 48 minutes of timeless Death Metal that pays homage to multiple Death Metal styles yet remains its own beast.

The songs are interesting and varied enough to hold attention while retaining the core heaviness of Death Metal’s angry bite.

Although they can pile on the blast beats when they need to, the songs are more about creating moods and telling musical stories than anything else. Cataclysms and Beginnings is full of mature songwriting in this sense, as these songs are very accomplished.

The vocals are mainly fleshy and deep; growls that are somewhere between a roar and a rasping shout. Staying at the deeper end of the grunting spectrum, the singer has a fluid aspect to his voice that stops him sounding completely guttural.

The guitars on this album are very enjoyable. Tasty riffs and licks abound, and the amount and length of some of the solos make me a happy camper too.

The Progressive elements in the songs work seamlessly with the more brutal aspects to create songs that are satisfying on both levels. The band have taken the time to craft songs that have a purpose and meaning, rather than just stringing riffs together for the sake of it. The rhythm guitars, drums and bass work together to further the needs of the songs and all instruments have their chance to shine, but only when necessary.

This is a very complete album and by that I suppose I mean that it has a lot of different facets to it and enough depth of composition and delivery to make a lasting impression. It reminds me, in some ways, of Helping the World to See by Vehemence. The albums are similar in many ways, and both take the listener on a journey through interesting and thoughtful Death Metal.

Cataclysms and Beginnings is a very thorough, engaging and impressive slab of mature Death Metal. Definitely one for you to investigate further.

The Juliet Massacre – Human Abuse (Review)

This is the second album by Italian Death Metal band The Juliet Massacre.

This is modern Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore

The vocals consist of pig squeals, deathgrunts, screaming and even the odd semi-clean.

The songs blend blasting brutality with breakdowns and the odd melodic passage. While it’s modern and energetic, unlike a lot of Deathcore bands The Juliet Massacre remember the Death Metal side of the Deathcore equation.

This will probably be a bit too “-core” for a lot of pure Death Metal fans, which is a shame as there’s a decent amount of brutality to be had here. The songs don’t let up and the album supplies the requisite hit of aggression.

I enjoyed this. With a slightly stronger sound and a little tightening up in the songwriting department The Juliet Massacre could easily ascend to the big leagues. Until then, I’ll still be listening to this again in the future.

For fans of Despised Icon, All Shall Perish, The Black Dahlia Murder and Job for a Cowboy.

Abyssal Ascendant – Chronicles of the Doomed Worlds – Part. I Enlightenment from Beyond (Review)

Abyssal Ascendant are from France and play Death Metal. This is their début album.

This is Lovecraft-inspired Death Metal that starts with ominous noises and otherworldly chants, designed to create an unsettling atmosphere before the Death Metal itself begins.

The band’s music is heavy and brutal, but not without atmosphere or nuance. This is Death Metal that has picked up a few creative flourishes along the way.

Elements of Cannibal Corpse, Nile and Morbid Angel conspire together, resulting in an album that has a lot to offer. Fast and brutal meets atmospheric and evil. The band do both very well. I like a band that can play ferocious brutality on one hand and then create dark, sinister moods with the other.

The singer has a terrifically deep growl that sounds absolutely abyssal. His voice fits the music perfectly and really drives the songs forward with a deathly charisma.

Tight, focused playing is apparent from the off and the drums keep everything in check. The production is very nice on this release; everything coalesces together in an unholy mass and all of the instruments are well-balanced against each other. Everything sounds great, with the drums sounding particularly satisfying and well-rounded.

This is a very impressive album, especially for a début release.

Deviance – A New Planetary Perspective (Review)

This is the début album from US one-man Death Metal project Deviance.

This is Technical/Progressive Death Metal that’s not shy of flexing its musical muscles and showing off what it can do.

Frequent leads and solos are built around a sturdy rhythm section and scathing vocals. The songs tread that fine line between ostentation and brutality without sacrificing too much of one for the other.

Decent grooves and riffs work with the overt technicality. Winding melodics make brief appearances and the songs seem to pulsate and mutate with careful yet unexpected life.

The tracks are intricate beasts that sometimes keep a central theme to them so that a song is still identifiable amidst the complex barbarity; other times though they allow themselves to journey where they see fit, snaking and sliding their way through involved guitar sections and convoluted drumming. Either way, it’s an enjoyable listen.

This album has an interesting feel to it. The music is less-song oriented than Progressive Death Metal can sometimes be and instead veers towards outright Technical Death Metal territory where the songs are a lot more frequently sacrificed for the sake of complexity. Having said that though, this is notable in that it’s not overly-frenzied or chaotic as a lot of Technical Death Metal can be. This is a more restrained and thoughtful complexity; the brain behind Deviance knows exactly where he wants to take the music and the journey is what matters, rather than the structure itself.

Cello, violin and keyboards all make appearances, widening the musical vistas available to the listener. It all adds value and makes a good impression.

The vocals sound like scraping sheets of steel grinding against each other. That’s the deep growls. The higher screams just sound like reality is tearing.

This is a quality album of Technical Death Metal that’s notable for its lack of chaotic frenzy and for its more restrained approach to complexity and nuance. Throw in a bit of atmospheric enhancement and the end result is a most enjoyable 50 minutes.

Highly recommended.

Chaos Plague – Existence Through Annihilation (Review)

Chaos Plague are from Italy and this is their début album. They play Progressive Death Metal.

I enjoyed their first EP, and two of the three songs on this appear on the album too.

The vocals are mainly growling shouts that are halfway between legible and guttural. Added to these are clean vocals that have improved since their first outing on their EP.

The music is Progressive Death Metal that is influenced by the likes of Death, Atheist, Cynic and the like.

There are enough solos and technical flourishes to keep the listener happy and these songs all pack a good deal of content into their running time. At 60 minutes in length this is not for the faint-hearted, but there’s enough variation and good songwriting to keep things flowing nicely.

A good production makes the most of what they can do and I especially like music that you can hear the bass on; Chaos Plague make good use of this often neglected instrument and Existence Through Annihilation is enriched by its prominence.

There’s a lot to take in here but perseverance pays off and Chaos Plague have a lot of talent for this kind of thing.

A quality listen.

Wrvth – Wrvth (Review)

Wrvth, (otherwise known as Wrath of Vesuvius), are from the US and play Death Metal. This is their third album.

Well this is a little different. Progressive/Technical Death Metal is always a pleasure to hear when it’s done well and Wrvth pull all of the right moves on this release.

Although it has its fair share of fretboard wizardry and crazy, complicated playing, there’s a lot more here than is the norm for Technical Death Metal. This release also features a melodic edge and a good groove when it wants to. Add to this a keen Progressive edge that borders on the Post-Metal, (Post-Death Metal?), in places and this album is a stormer. Oh, a saxophone also makes an appearance too.

Mixed in with the chaos and carnage are some introspective moments of calm that largely seem to be there just to make everything else sound heavier and crazier. It works, of course, and the songs on this release are a complicated melange of Progressive restraint and chaotic mayhem.

The musicianship is first-rate and these songs expertly combine Progressive elements into a Technical Death Metal framework that allows the band to steal the best from both worlds. Technicality is apparent but the Progressive elements keep the songs focused and allow for emotive passages rather than just a procession of impressive riffs and time changes.

It’s like a strange cross between Protest the Hero, Pyrrhon, Gorguts and The Faceless. The reality is that Wrvth sound every bit as good as that mash up sounds. The only thing missing is the clean vocals.

Speaking of vocals, the singer does his best impression of someone attempting to destroy their throat. He screams himself almost hoarse and when that’s been accomplished he switches to hostile growls and roars.

This is an innovative and impressive release from a band who are clearly not content to be average. I love releases like this. Here we find a winning combination of aggression, restraint, feeling, depth, chaos and outright passion.

Wrvth have just become one of my new favourite bands.

Skinless – Only the Ruthless Remain (Review)

Skinless are from the US and play Brutal Death Metal. This is their fifth album.

Skinless have returned! Anticipation is high with this release.

Immediately the band make a strong entrance with a massive sound, evil guttural vocals and those ultra-sexy Skinless riffs that only they do so well.

It’s a pleasure to hear the guttural stylings of the original vocalist once more. He personifies the stereotypically rough, ultra-low Death Metal growl and as such is absolutely one of the best at performing them.

Skinless have always had a certain special knack for combining aggressive carnage with brutal grooves. The slower, groovier riffs are a particular favourite of mine. Slow or fast though, there’s always an infectious energy about them.

The songs are all winners and each one earns its place in the Death Metal premier league. Although the band are Hellishly brutal, there’s more than that going on here as the riffs tell a bloody story and the drums thump out their malevolent beat. Memorable, impressive songs are the meaty main course in this sumptuous feast of rotten flesh.

Skinless are heavy and they’ve always been exceptionally heavy. Death Metal by its very nature is a heavy form of music, but there’s heavy and then there’s HEAVY. Skinless own the latter.

The music on this album should be a wakeup call for any band playing this style. Daddy is home. While Skinless have been away the Brutal Death Metal scene has multiplied and mutated, as these things always do, but who cares? Skinless are back and ready to show everyone how it’s done.

I’m incredibly pleased with this return to the fray by one of the best Death Metal bands out there.

Skinless, you have been missed.