Black metal – Page 155 – Wonderbox Metal

Perdition Winds – Aura of Suffering (Review)

This is the début album from Finnish Black Metallers Perdition Winds.

Perdition Winds play Underground Black Metal with a harsh sound and a strong feeling of desolation and unholiness.

The band’s songs are on the longer side and they use this time to rip through aggressive Black Metal that is steeped in Blackened melodies and malevolent moods.

The vocals are throaty rasps halfway between a scream and a growl. The singer shrieks and roars through the tracks like something possessed and his daemonic voice offers no letup throughout.

The tracks alternate between blasting chaos and groovier sections that harken back to the days of Darkthrone’s best. Mid-90’s Black Metal is still a firm favourite amongst Black Metallers and Perdition Winds will find many willing worshippers here.

Blackly melodic guitars seem to occasionally swim out of the aggressive songs and rise above in showers of grim colour. I particularly enjoy these parts as it really captures the imagination like only Black Metal can sometimes.

Because sometimes, when you’re in a particular mood, only Black Metal will do. Perdition Winds cater to this craving perfectly.

Tongues – Thelésis Ignis (Review)

This is the début EP of Tongues, who are from Denmark and play Black Metal.

This is the kind of evil, otherworldly Black Metal that immediately makes you sit up and take notice. As you listen to Thelésis Ignis there’s an almost tangible feeling of something inhuman watching you just out of sight; something lurking behind the thin veil of reality; something hungry and ancient. It’s as if by playing Thelésis Ignis you are playing a small part in a wider plan to summon whatever it is into this world.

These are the initial feelings evoked by this album; Thelésis Ignis contains power, promise and potential.

Thelésis Ignis may be classed as an EP but at 36 minutes in length it’s as long as some albums.

The music is intense, frightening and shares a lurking malice with the very best of involving and engaging Black Metal. The riffs are inventive and bold without dominating proceedings. Everything works together with everything else to complete the ritual.

Tongues have an underground sound that’s perfect for their style of music, allowing their Black Metal to shine darkly whilst not sounding polished or new in any way.

The evil atmospheres created by the band are all-encompassing while the music is playing and even when it stops it seems to linger, unwilling to let go of life. Some of the added sounds and effects that the band employ subtly in the background of the tracks are eerie and unnerving, like the very best occult Black Metal should be.

On the last song, Bloodline of the Blind, Tongues seem to drop all pretension of being a band in the regular sense. Here they fully embrace their ritualistic side and focus on the act of summoning the indescribable horror from another world.

Thelésis Ignis has elements of Death and Doom Metal in its sound which only goes to enhance the rich, dark palette that the band work from. The vocals in particular have a firm Death Metal basis as they are largely deep growls that seem to come from the bottom of the abyss.

This is a jaw-dropping début from Tongues. All fans of soul-eating Black Metal need to listen to this.

Maahlas – Nightmare Years (Review)

Maahlas are from Norway and this is their début album. They play Melodic Black Metal with a progressive edge.

Well, this wastes no time in making an immediate impact on the listener with its blasting melodies and sharp vocals. It’s dynamic and bright, with lots of colourful leads and atmospheric flourishes.

This is quite a varied mix within its sub-genre as it contains elements of Atmospheric, Melodic and Progressive Black Metal all rolled into a very well produced album.

Maahlas manage to show very early on that they can play in a very aggressive manner as well is also being able to demonstrate subtlety and nuance. This largely manifests itself through the inclusion of lighter and more sensitive moments that are littered around the album’s blistering Black Metal. This is further enhanced by more Progressive and Atmospheric Black Metal elements.

Nightmare Years boasts a heady combination of the above and results in an album that sounds very accomplished. The musicianship is tight and the riffs are inventive and interesting. There are lots of great additional enhancements and ideas dotted throughout these 11 tracks and it’s an easy album to digest and enjoy without it becoming too staid or formulaic. It’s not an easy line to walk but the band do it naturally and with ease.

Each song is well-written and delicately masters the trade-off between aggressive tendencies and more restrained, considered influences. Clearly the band have a natural talent for this and their passion and personality shines through.

The vocals are very well delivered, with the singer alternating Blackened shrieks with deeper growls and everything in between. It’s a strong performance and crowns the music like a dark jewel. Unexpected clean vocals also appear on the fourth track and add yet another string to their bow.

Nightmare Years is a stunning victory of a début album. I look forward to getting to know this album even better over the coming months and years; it’s already made a big impression on me and I think this one is very firmly a keeper.

Laster – De Verste Verte Is Hier (Review)

Laster are from the Netherlands and this is their début album.

I’m a fan of Laster’s first release Wijsgeer & Narreman so was looking forward to hearing this. The quality album cover was the first thing I liked, and the music soon followed.

Laster play raw, underground, atmospheric Black Metal that’s epic in length and epic in scope.

The band seem to play from beneath a shroud of distortion and hazy guitar fog. The drums and vocals swim just beneath the surface, prowling like unnatural predators seeking the souls of the weary and weak.

De Verste Verte Is Hier is less about individual riffs and more about dark feelings evoked by the instruments that howl and gust like the wind. Laster create dark sonicscapes of reverberating nightmares and ever-present darkness.

Atmosphere is a big part of Laster’s identity and they wield it like a weapon. Desolation, despair and negativity are commonplace, but less common are the little rays of hope that occasionally pierce the gloom, such as on the main starting riff of Tot de Tocht ons Verlicht.

These are not songs to idly listen to, these are songs to experience.

For fans of bands like Vinterriket, Fell Voices, Ash Borer and the like.

Mare Cognitum – Phobos Monolith (Review)

This is the third album by US one-man project Mare Cognitum. He plays Atmospheric Black Metal.

This is Black Metal of the most expressive and epic variety. Inspired by the mysteries of the cosmos and powered by Blackened harmonies and thick atmospheres, Phobos Monolith takes the listener on a journey through the unexplored natures of the universe.

The songs on this album are exploratory and impressively composed and performed. It’s almost a full 6 minutes before any vocals first appear, so confident is the music in its ability to capture and hold the attention alone. With good reason; the music is an impressive blend of Atmospheric, Post- and raging underground Black Metal.

This is an album that, for all its grand designs and lofty concepts, actually manages to forge an emotional connection with the listener and the result is a very personal-feeling experience. These songs are simply that good.

There are so many bands/albums/etc. these days that simply sound as if they are going through the motions. For Mare Cognitum, however, this is clearly not the case at all. This is an album that has the true mark of a labour of love, and it’s this, combined with the impressive sonicscapes that have been created, that resonate so strongly with the listener.

Find somewhere open to the sky, play this album loudly, stare up at the stars and get absorbed in the endless possibilities that there are out there.

This is an album that has surpassed all of my feeble expectations.

Misericordia – Throne of Existence (Review)

Misericordia are from Sweden and this is their second album of Black Metal.

This is, unsurprisingly, in the Swedish style and aimed squarely at fans of Marduk, 1349, Immortal and Dark Funeral – high speed blasting and frosted melodies.

The sharp riffs come thick and fast as the drums blast and the Blackened melodies seep into your every pore. The guitars embrace their atavistic, icy Black Metal legacy and they ooze windswept hatred.

Some of the vocals are deeper than normal for this style of Black Metal, although they alternate with more traditional higher screams in addition to these growls.

Solos and leads are played well and the band are very focused on what they want to achieve. The drumming is tight and precise and the songs as a whole are quite satisfying.

If you’re a fan of unholy hyperblast then this is the Black Metal for you.

Singularity – Singularity (Review)

This is the debut album from US Black Metal band Singularity.

Technical Black Metal is not the most common of sub-genres, especially Symphonic Technical Black Metal, which is what this essentially is.

The synths are heavy and thick and give the band a colourful sheen under which to ply their trade. Said trade consists of sharp, crazy guitar work, widdly bass and precision-point drums. It’s as if a band like Dimmu Borgir had overdosed on Technical Death Metal and angular riffs in the style of some of Mayhem’s work. It also puts me in mind of the first Ephel Duath album.

The songs are still here though. This is an enjoyable riff-fest with inhuman drumming and layers of atmosphere and jagged darkness.

The technicality and Blackened atmospheres combine in a way that most bands never attempt and the resulting mix of styles works primarily because they never sacrifice the songs for the riffs. The playing is very impressive but the Black Metal framework always reins them in before they become overbearing or surplus to the needs of the song.

That being said, there is certainly a lot of flash playing on this album, but as I say – it works.

The tracks are quite varied as the guitars never stop and are always interesting and entertaining. The singer gives his all to the screams; they’re high pitched and very pointed. The cleans that appear are professionally delivered also; another string to Singularity’s impressive bow.

The production is top quality and everything sounds crisp and clear. You can really hear every note.

Singularity is extremely impressive in many ways. I always like a band that puts a different spin on things and the rampant technicality on this album really gives them a flavour all of their own. The fact that they mix this with a Symphonic base and have managed to produce an enjoyable set of songs without everything sounding messy or forced speaks volumes about their talent.

Take a chance on this and listen to it now.

Varathron – Untrodden Corridors of Hades (Review)

Varathron are a Black Metal band from Greece. This is their fifth album.

Untrodden Corridors of Hades is a nuanced Black Metal album that contains many different interpretations of the style all bound up in the band’s vision and flawless delivery.

The songs here have good variety within their chosen genre and Varathron work with rich textures to create their dark art.

Interesting riffs, Blackened melodies, subtle keyboard highlights, solid drums, expressive vocalisations; these are the ingredients that make this album what it is.

Whether playing winding Septic Flesh-esque riffs or revelling in the slower, slithering nature of Black Metal’s dark underbelly; Varathron ply their trade with skill and ease.

These songs are intricate beasts that rely on feeling and intensity of passion rather than stand-out catchy riffs. This is music that may be overt in delivery but it has a very subtle subtext that means it works its magic best gradually over time.

If you’re after one-dimensional blasting Black Metal then you’ve come to the wrong place. Listening to Varathron is more like listening to an involved ritual of summoning. This is Black Metal perfectly at ease with itself.

Varathron have released a complex listen that’s no less satisfying because of it.

Let the band take you on a tour and tread these corridors with them, you won’t regret it.

Isenblast – Unleashing the Demon Scourge (Review)

Isenblast are from the US and this is their début EP. They play Black Metal.

This is raw, underground Black Metal with a sound like infernal nail scraping and bountiful Blackened energy.

Unleashing the Demon Scourge sounds exactly like it does just that. This is blistering Black Metal that isn’t a 100% blastfest but still never lets up with the intensity regardless.

The band play like the infernal fires are after them and even inject lightning solos into their heady Black Metal mix. I particularly enjoy these parts as the band seem to have an innate ear for a quality solo and the rhythm guitar usually settles into a good Blackened groove while this is going on.

The vocals are another highlight as they’re just so throat-scrapingly raw. High pitched screaming may be the usual Black Metal style but this singer does it as well as any and it sounds just great.

Each of these four songs is well-written and shows a band that are hungry to prove themselves, and with this EP they certainly have.

It’s always a pleasure to hear unadorned Black Metal played with passion, energy and integrity. Isenblast have crafted a great collection of songs here and I greatly look forward to their first full length.

Highly recommended for all lovers of the dark arts.

Saille – Eldritch (Review)

Saille are from Belgium and this is their third album. They play Symphonic Black Metal.

Eldritch boasts a strong, sharp, clear sound that the band put to good use showcasing their aggressive brand of Symphonic Black Metal.

A punchy drum sound underpins Blackened melodies and serrated vocals whilst haunting, malevolent keyboards play over the top.

I particularly like the vocalist’s screams as they seem quite passionate and unhinged. His is not a performance that’s merely by the numbers; it’s a forceful and powerful delivery. Understated cleans also make appearances adding another element to the band’s sound.

The band make good use of Dimmu Borgir-style keyboards and sound effects without them ever becoming overbearing or ostentatious. Saille are comparable to an older Dimmu Borgir in other ways too; this is Symphonic Black Metal with real bite and an underground feeling to it despite the shine and polish the album has.

The songs are fast, churning affairs that are enhanced by the Classical influences. They’re enjoyable and it’s nice to hear the atmosphere mixed with real aggression and hatred.

Eldritch is a quality listen; a heady combination of dark atmosphere and blasting fury.

A recommended listen.