Death Metal – Page 148 – Wonderbox Metal

Archgoat – The Apocalyptic Triumphator (Review)

This is the third album from Finnish Blackened Death Metallers Archgoat.

This is raw, underground music filled with a horrific vibe and lashings of brutality. Blackened Death Metal, for the most part, usually means a Death Metal band with some Blackened influences. Archgoat have found that rare middle ground though that straddles both genres equally.

The Black Metal influence lends the songs a grim atmosphere and the Death Metal influence provides the aggression and ugliness.

Archgoat have created a very good listen with this album. Each song blurs the line between the two parent genres and we’re left with something that most people would just abort, but not Archgoat; they love, nurture and sculpt this malignant offspring into something worthy and deadly.

The deep growls seem to belch out malevolent black smoke and they seem to erupt out of the guitars like cancerous evil.

The riffs are captivating as they combine that Black Metal groove with Death Metal attack. It’s a winning combination.

Overall verdict? A great listen.

Triumvir Foul – An Oath of Blood and Fire (Review)

Triumvir Foul are a Death Metal band from the US, and this is their début demo.

At just under 16 minutes in length this is a decent taster for the band that comprises 3 original songs and an Autopsy cover.

This is blistering Old-School Death Metal with a filthy disposition and vocals that sound like Satan gargling acid.

The putrid riffs and disgusting vocals combine to ensure that these tracks deliver the goods and at the end of the playing time you’re left wondering what just happened and why you feel soiled and sullied.

Grime-ridden guitar leads and solos are included for that extra bit of rotten flavour and the band successfully create a miasma of pestilence and sickness wherever they go.

It’s only a demo, and even though the sound could do with a few sonic tweaks here and there it’s still a great representation of a band who clearly know their style and intend to dominate it.

One to check out for sure.

Masochist – Condemned to Grovel (Review)

This is the latest EP from Masochist, who are a Brutal Death Metal band from the UK.

The intro track Prologue to Prolapse is nicely heavy and really clears the cobwebs away. Phew. It’s enough to crush a rhino. Not that you’d want to, but if you did this would do it.

From here the rest of the EP picks up the pace but is no less heavy, with thick guitars raging and blaring out.

This is Brutal Death Metal with the modern, heavy sound of Deathcore. To be clear, I’m talking the aural feeling and production of a modern Deathcore band, not the style; Masochist are firmly in the Brutal Death Metal camp. Yes there’s a lot of crossover of course but Masochist’s Death Metal comes from an older lineage than Deathcore’s relatively young one.

The vocals are deeply satisfying. Or satisfyingly deep. Both actually. They’re added to with high screams that aren’t too far away from static.

The music pounds, batters, rips, tears and destroys; these and other similar words. It all adds up to the fact that these songs are not only Hellishly brutal but Hellishly brutal in a way that says “Masochist know how to knock you down whilst writing top songs that hold attention and reach down deep into your stomach into your happy place and grab hold hard”. It’s a bit of a mouthful but that’s what they certainly do say, yes sir.

Oh but this is too good. Masochist are spoiling us. If they can keep their songwriting skills up and replicate this crushing, heavy sound on their début full length then the UK will have a real player on its hands.

I can’t recommend this highly enough. Top work. Now if I could only find a rhino…

Extinctionist – Portals of Extraterrestrial Invasions (Review)

This is the second album from German Brutal Death Metallers Extinctionist.

Ugly, brutal and devastating Death Metal; this is for fans of Deeds of Flesh, Defeated Sanity, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, etc.

Extinctionist have a good line in groove, chug, technical flourishes and pure demolition-style blast beats. It’s enough to keep any Death Metal fan sated and full.

The recording is clear and strong, with everything sounding crisp and tight. The sci-fi theme does them no harm either, and interludes like Selection sound genuinely malevolent.

Deep, guttural vocals ride alongside the heavy music. The growls are just a shade or two above pignoise, (mainly), and the singer sounds totally committed to the cause.

The songs are largely short and to the point; this is about battering down all defences and causing as much destruction as possible in as short a timescale a possible. The band make good on this threat too.

This is enjoyable Brutal Death Metal that will groove, chug and blast its way into your collection.

Close off the portals and prepare for extinction.

Desolate Shrine – The Heart of the Netherworld (Review)

Desolate Shrine are a Death Metal band from Finland. This is their third album.

This is not your standard Death Metal. Oh, all of the features and identifying marks of the genre are present and correct, but this is a more mature, expanded beast than the average.

Desolate Shrine specialise in dark, malevolent Death Metal that’s epic in scope. This is over an hour in length, with some tracks having well over ten minutes duration.

The band complement their Death Metal core with a few Black/Doom influences and overall The Heart of the Netherworld boasts evil atmospheres and gloomy auras.

The songs have a lot of meat to them and there is plenty of variety and interest to be had here. Slower, atmospheric parts, brutal riffs, lighter mood-building sections, rhythmic destruction; Desolate Shrine have it all.

Deep growls are accentuated with the occasional scream. The singer has a powerful voice that lends the songs an inhuman component and brings out their otherworldly side even more than the music already does.

The sound of the album matches the content; it’s strong and clear enough to do the band justice but murky and grim enough to bring out the sense of ritualistic nightmare that the band create.

Three albums into their career and Desolate Shrine have clearly mastered the art of writing involved songs that are wrapped in darkness. Think of a band like Ævangelist only with less of a pure-horror Black Metal viewpoint and more of a powerful Death Metal one.

This is a top quality album of horror Metal if ever there was one. Check out Desolate Shrine today and try not to soil yourself.

In Torment – Sphere of Metaphysical Incarnations (Review)

This is the third album from Brazilian band In Torment. They play Technical/Brutal Death Metal.

In Torment don’t take any prisoners. Indeed, they probably haven’t even heard of the concept of mercy if this album is anything to go by. It’s a relentless beating and an unrepentant assault all delivered in just under 34 minutes of compact and deadly music.

A professional recording yields a powerful sound that gives the band a strong foundation for their attack.

The vocals are deep growls accentuated with higher screams. The singer has a good voice and there’s no sign of weakness or faltering anywhere in the performance. The vocals have that very satisfying roughness to them that just seems to hit the spot deep inside.

The songs are bloodthirsty expositions on everything brutal. Technical riffs and chunky rhythms collide as the songs tear out of the speakers. There are a lot of good moments in these songs and overall the songwriting is of a good standard.

These are very strong tracks; a lot of thought seems to have gone into their composition. I like the way that the underlying rhythms are really good and they appear to have built the more technical aspects of the songs around this firm base. There are some really good solos on here too.

Sphere of Metaphysical Incarnations has enough brutality to gain your interest and enough technicality to keep it.

This is a solid Death Metal album from a professional band. Recommended for all Death Metal fans.

Putrid Evocation – Echoes of Death (Review)

Putrid Evocation are from Chile and this is their Death Metal début album.

Putrid Evocation play Old-School Death Metal with a strong reek of the grave and a palpable miasma of rotten flesh.

The band write ancient, primordial Death Metal tracks that are ultra-primitive in their assault. The songs may be simple but they’re also effective and Echoes of Death should satisfy any cravings you have for Old-School Death Metal.

A raw, murky production seals in the feeling of decay and Putrid Evocation are clearly not interested in any aspect of modernity. It’s an acquired taste of course, but if you’re not a fan of clinical, high-gloss recordings then you should feel right at home here.

Featuring a few Doom and even proto-Black Metal elements in their sound, the band successfully create their crypt-like tales with the love and care of a recently risen ghoul.

Early Incantation, Death, Autopsy, Dismember, etc. are your guides to the sound of Putrid Evocation.

Be sure to give them a listen.

Destroying Divinity – Hollow Dominion (Review)

This is the fourth album from Destroying Divinity, who are a Death Metal band from the Czech Republic.

Destroying Divinity play Death Metal without compromise and with plenty of brutality and aggressiveness.

Featuring influences from bands like Hate Eternal, Immolation and Morbid Angel in their sound, what we get here is straight-ahead Death Metal with no fancy bits, no ostentation and lots of killing capacity.

The band blast their way through the demolished landscape with ease, whilst twisting, churning riffs drill deeper into the earth in search of sustenance. Hollow Dominion is a ravenously hungry beast and only total destruction will sate its hunger.

The vocals are deep growls that relentlessly chew up and spit out the brutal anthems.

Hyperspeed riffs and malevolent rhythms blare out and a strong recording holds everything together. These songs are more than capable of holding their own in the war-torn Death Metal landscape.

Hollow Dominion is the sound of a band entirely comfortable with their style and ready to cause havoc wherever they go.

A recommended listen for any Death Metal fan.

Soulskinner – Crypts of Ancient Wisdom (Review)

This is the third album from Greek Death Metal band Soulskinner.

Soulskinner play Old-School Death Metal with plenty of heaviness and atmosphere.

Very early on the band establish that they are extremely proficient at recreating that raw, elemental feeling that you used to get when you were first getting into Death Metal and you were discovering new things all of the time; Soulskinner delve back into that bygone era when Death Metal was young and vibrant and it’s a joy to hear it.

The album is aptly named as it seems as if the band have discovered a crypt of ancient Death Metal know-how and the songs here strike an immediate chord with the listener. This is primal, atavistic Death Metal at its best, recalling the very early days of bands like Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Gorefest, Grave, Hypocrisy, Septic Flesh, Asphyx, etc.

The songs are full of graveyard atmosphere, rotting brutality and ancient intelligence. Quality riffs are thrown around like they’re going out of fashion and the level of songwriting skill is through the roof.

I love the small, but important, little details they add in. Whether this is a riff here, a drum fill there, a small piano part here, a malevolent melody there…it all adds up and these songs are just great.

This is a exceptional collection of songs. Fantastic riffs and occult melodies combine to create atmospherically brutal tracks of classic Death Metal.

As is fitting for a band like this, the vocals are flawless; deep, guttural, cavernous growls that sound inhuman and timeless.

It’s very easy to get bored of Old-School bands who just want to relive the past but add nothing to it. Soulskinner are different though, as they seem more like forgotten relics from a time gone past that have recently been unearthed to spread their plague anew. It may be old and rotten but it’s still as fresh as the dawn of the scene.

A very highly recommended listen. Soulskinner will rekindle your love of probably the first Extreme Metal genre you ever got into.

Obscure Infinity – Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness (Review)

Obscure Infinity are from Germany and play Old-School Death Metal. This is their third album.

I was excited to hear this after the excellent but oh-so-small taster that was their split with Funeral Whore.

After an epic-sounding intro we’re into the thick of the action with Obscure Infinity’s blend of Swedish-style Death Metal, atmospheric leads, and Death/Iron Maiden-guitar influences.

The band have tight control over their songwriting with all of the hallmarks of a band who are able to craft classic songs.

Whether sped up or slowed down, the band pace themselves well and the dynamic guitarwork is impressive. This is a band who are confident enough to simplify things when necessary but also talented enough to throw in some technicality on occasion.

The leads and solos are all blinders and the riffs in general are hugely impressive. The guitars make the songs and give them a vitality that’s rare in Old-School Death Metal. There are plenty of atmospheric moments and even the odd feeling of Old-School Black Metal in places; it’s not a huge influence but it’s noticeable.

The bass and drums underpin everything, providing a firm base for the songs to launch their attacks from. Blast beats are an important staple of the band but they also excel in the more rhythmic moments.

The vocalist is very accomplished, with a lovely deep growl and occasional screams to keep things interesting. Some unexpected cleans even appear on A Forlorn Wanderer, and it’s a testament to the band that they don’t seem out of place at all. It comes across as a mix of Emperor and Celtic Frost and is a great thing to hear.

The recording is first-rate, with plenty of heaviness. The songs sound alive and ready to crush!

Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness is just as strong an album as I was hoping it would be. Occult-sounding, malevolent Death Metal with plenty of texture and colour; Obscure Infinity are making sure that 2015 is starting off with a bang.