Black metal – Page 160 – Wonderbox Metal

Toxoid – Aurora Satanae (Review)

Toxoid are from India and this is their début album. They play Black Metal.

The frigid Black Metal winds are strong with this one. Upon pressing play you’re almost immediately hit with a wall of ice at hurricane strength. Toxoid have arrived.

This is a band who have nailed their Blackened sound down completely and have tailored their recording to suit. This screams out from the classic Black Metal template and has the warped, spiky riffs to prove it.

Over six songs lasting just under half an hour, Toxoid demonstrate their infernal art and it’s a grim pleasure to let it wash over you and seep into your pores. This kind of Black Metal will never go out of style and Toxoid worship the dark gods as well as any devotee.

The shrieking vocals are delivered at perfect temperature and the riffs are sharp enough to draw blood. I love their Blackened melodies; they’re like colossal sheets of ice infused with iron scraping across each other in the night.

This is true Norwegian darkness in everything other than geography. These are anthems to hate and malice writ black.

This is not innovative or new; there’s no experimentation or fanciness here. This is Raw Black Metal and it does its job perfectly.

Unfathomed of Abyss – Arisen Upon Oblivion (Review)

Unfathomed of Abyss is a one-man project from the US. This is his début album of Symphonic Black Metal.

It’s clear from the start that the brains behind this album is a very talented individual as the musicianship and songwriting is at an advanced level.

The drums are the only instrument he doesn’t perform. Rather than going the easy route and opting for a drum machine however, instead he has enlisted the considerable talents of Kevin Talley, (Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Chimaira, Misery Index, Six Feet Under, etc.), which lends the album much more presence than a mere drum machine ever could.

Symphonic Black Metal can sometimes lack bite and attack, but this is not the case here. Unfathomed of Abyss boasts an aggressive demeanour which is only enhanced by the keyboards, effects and piano additions.

Powered by the relentless drumming, the songs are lengthy and layered in thick atmospheres. Care and attention has been spent on these creations that much is clear. Strong soundscapes and expansive Blackened auras permeate everything.

There’s more to these songs than just Black metal though, as influences from Death Metal and even wider genres, (elements of Doom and Djent, for example), can be heard in some of the riffs.

The vocals run the spectrum from deep growls to the very high pitched screaming that forms the bulk of the performance.

Taking off where early Emperor left off; Arisen Upon Oblivion manages to capture a similar feeling to those early classic Black Metal albums. Mix this with a bit of Ihsahn’s solo work and Peccatum and you have an album that manages the admirable achievement of being strongly influenced by a notable Metal legend without sounding like a pale imitation.

This is an enjoyable album that won’t please everyone, but then again that was never the aim of Black Metal was it?

Lord of Pagathorn – Nekros Philia (Review)

Lord of Pagathorn are from Finland. This is their début album of Black Metal.

Now this is the stuff! Underground Black Metal that’s both scorching and frozen to the touch. The fires of fury and the frost of winter combine in Nekros Philia.

Lord of Pagathon have got Black Metal’s aura of frosted damnation and Hellish torment down to a fine art. The vocals scythe and scathingly burn whilst the guitars ply their dark melodics and groovy Blackness like they were born to it.

The blistering speed is offset by mid-paced malevolence and small interludes. The band successfully set the stage for their icy Black Metal and then populate it with Blackened fire and storms of razor sharp ice.

This is passionately played and delivered with real bile and venom. There’s a palpable aura of darkness and hatred emanating from these songs and you can feel the weight of Black Metal history pressing down as you listen.

Lord of Pagathorn have produced an album that documents an aural descent into the maelstrom and straight into the heart of the abyss.

Check them out.

Mangel – Mangel (Review)

Mangel are from Germany and play Melodic Black Metal.

After a nice piano intro the blasting starts and we’re into wind-swept, frosty Black Metal territory. Dark melodies and Blackened riffs abound.

The band create their grim atmospheres well and some of the riffs and moods are inspired.

This may be Melodic Black Metal but don’t make the mistake of thinking this is the overly-polished commercial variety. This is underground Black Metal with quality guitar playing and lots of lead work.

The vocals are sharp and sound as if they’re forged from pure evil. They work in conjunction with the music to spawn fertile breeding grounds for hordes of Black Metal Hellspawn to fester and lurk.

These are quality songs that have good structure, pacing and dynamics. They do the job they set out to do and this is a remarkably enjoyable listen.

At only 16 minutes in length this is a relatively brief introduction to the band, but to my ears Mangel could become a force to be reckoned with in this particular sub-genre.

Have a listen and decide for yourself. Me? I’ll be listening to this again quite a bit, as well as eagerly awaiting a début album from them.

Imperial Conquest – Hammerûn: Monarch of Serpents (Review)

Imperial Conquest are from the US and play Black Metal. This is their début album.

This is upbeat and grim Black Metal with fantastic symphonic accompaniment. The Metal is hot out of the furnace and is likely to melt flesh upon contact.

The symphonic elements are very well-performed and are a highlight for me. They’re subtle enough most of the time that they become fully enmeshed with the music so that it sounds like a natural part of the band’s repertoire, yet when needed it comes out to the fore and really adds its weight to proceedings.

The symphonic effects really are a master-stroke for this band as they’re not overwrought, perfectly fit with the music and are very well delivered. Considering this part of the style usually just sounds tacked on for most bands of this ilk, having it completely engrained with the rest of the music is no mean feat. Impressive.

The songs as a whole are full of dynamics and have an epic streak to them that never becomes overblown. The music is dark and suitably Blackened, but the relentless riffs and the symphonic keyboards allow the band to work with a rich palette and each track is extremely enjoyable because of this.

The vocals are scything high-pitched screams and the album features guests from Promethean Horde. Nothing not to like here!

I’ve really enjoyed this album. It has almost the perfect ratio of beauty to ugliness, with the symphonic elements being particularly stunning, especially as they sound so damn good set against the rest of the pitch black music.

Very highly recommended. In fact, go and get this right now.

Karne – Faith in Flesh (Review)

Karne are a Black Metal band from France. This is their début album.

Karne play the kind of Black Metal that’s fast and aggressive. Blackened riffs and dark melodies tear out whilst scythe-like vocals scream from the dead of night. The singer has a voice like ragged silk and her performance is worthy of dark praises.

The songs rage along effortlessly, propelled by melodic bile and vociferous emanations. It’s the kind of Black Metal that’s easy to like.

The melodies and riffs seem to coast along as the band channel all of their collective hatred and grim determination into these dark musical expositions.

This is Black Metal for fans of Marduk, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Naglfar, Dark Funeral and the like. It’s well-written and very enjoyable. Faith in Flesh is mainly a high-speed affair, but they also know how to lock into a good groove when they need to.

Karne also manage to foster the true Melodic Black Metal atmosphere and mood that the best of these kinds of bands manage. There is just the right combination in their sound of polish and evil, cult malevolence. For me, it works just right.

Check them out.

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.