Black metal – Page 163 – Wonderbox Metal

Autumn’s Dawn – Gone (Review)

Autumn’s Dawn are an Australian Post-Black Metal band and this is their début album.

The band play an interesting style of music that has its origins in Depressive Black Metal but has developed into more of a Shoegaze, Post-Rock entity which has plenty of melody and even an Indie feel in places.

This may be an album rooted in the darkness of Black metal but it has long transcended those beginnings and now travels waters brighter but no less melancholic.

The songs are relatively upbeat and feature very atypical clean vocals; atypical in that they sound more akin to the type of voices used in commercial stadium faux-Metal than this kind of music. Harsher screams are also used and these are more in keeping with the style. The clean vocals really do add a differentiating point to the tracks however, although I imagine they’ll be quite contentious for some purists.

This is Post-Black Metal and Shoegaze but without the deep-seated misery that those kind of bands usually revel in. The darkness is there, certainly, but the driving Rock influence to their sound buries it under hopeful harmonies and Post-Rock melodics. The album has more in common with Katatonia and Paradise Lost than it does with bands like Forgotten Tomb.

This is somewhat of an eclectic album as it’s rare to hear Rock, Shoegaze Black Metal and Indie all in one place. Not only do we have that here but the band do an exceedingly good job of keeping it from sounding disjointed or messy.

Autumn’s Dawn are somewhat of a unique band in many ways. Although this will inevitably mean that a lot of people won’t take to this and it will slip through the musical cracks, it also means that for those who are willing to give it a chance this is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

In a way it’s a real shame as with the right backing and exposure there is a lot of potential for a much wider audience for Gone, and all without compromising the artistic integrity of the music.

Time to try something a bit different and give Autumn’s Dawn a listen.

Exordium Mors – The Apotheosis of Death (Review)

This is the début album from Exordium Mors who are a Black Metal band from New Zealand.

This is Black Metal with a Thrash influence and songs that are interesting and well developed. The riffs are powerful and propel the songs onwards and upwards in a blaze of raw melody and colourful leads.

The band have a strong grasp of dynamics and have lots of ideas that they pour into The Apotheosis of Death. This makes for a fascinating and satisfying listen as Exordium Mors provide an important lesson in Extreme Metal in 54 minutes.

It’s a chaotic frenzy of Blackened Thrash and bloody sacrifice. It’s frenetic, impassioned and coursing with vitality. It’s imbued with a terrible majesty and undeniable presence.

Exordium Mors have built up their own kingdom of Extreme Metal and lord it over their subjects with the confidence of those who know they are untouchable in their own lands.

The Apotheosis of Death is varied and interesting and you’re never sure what dark labyrinth the band are going to explore next. The savage Blackened brutality of the songs is a multidimensional, expertly realised and fully textured Extreme Metal reality that the band have carved out for themselves.

This is an advanced album that’s probably not for the casual listener. For hardened Black/Extreme Metal fans though this is what you’ve been waiting for.

Australasia – Vertebra (Review)

Australasia are from Italy and play Post-Black Metal Shoegaze.

Well, I love the album cover, so that’s a good start.

These are largely short compositions although they have all of the time they need to make themselves felt.

These are songs that are as emotive and translucent as any in the style. They take the listener through the usual gamut of emotions typical of Shoegaze releases of this nature.

Post-Black Metal comes about when Black Metal and Post-Metal meet, as can be expected from the name. The addition of the Shoegaze tag usually specifies something similar, only in my experience tends to mean that the band have a fragile, brittle sense about them; not in any negative way but rather in the sense of everything being pushed and focused into making the songs as expressive and emotive as possible.

In Australasia’s case the emphasis is on the Post-Metal side of the equation rather than the Black Metal side, (although this aspect of their sound is still present). In addition to this the band also employ some Electronica influences and use this as a further aspect to their sound.

All of this describes Australasia perfectly as they have the hauntingly fragile delivery and highly evocative emotional appeal that typifies this kind of music. And they do all of it very, very well.

There are largely no vocals, so the instruments take centre stage. The only exception to this is some female vocals which are strong and assured; they appear very briefly as a small but important enhancement to a few tracks.

A recommended listen for seekers of sensation everywhere.

Uburen – Withered Roots (Review)

Uburen are from Norway and this is their début album. They play Black Metal.

This is Viking-themed Black Metal with hints of Death Metal thrown into the mix here and there. Heavier than the norm for this style, Uburen play to the more extreme side of the Viking sub-genre.

The vocals alternate between Black Metal screams, rasps and deeper growls, with some spoken word and other styles making the odd appearance. The singer puts in a great performance and his vocals are quite varied compared to most monotonous vocalists who have maybe one or two sounds at most that they make.

The guitars are rhythmically melodic, stirring up the appropriate emotions and have a good double bass foundation that they build their songs on top of. This is not pseudo-commercial fodder, this is the real deal. Rather than the heroic songs and style-over-substance façade of most Viking/Pagan bands, Uburen have got to the blood and guts of the matter and their interpretation of the genre is altogether dirtier and heavier.

There are some really enjoyable, powerful scything Black Metal moments on this release and the combination of the higher/deeper vocals merely enhances this.

Imagine Enslaved if they were less Progressive and more aggressive, or maybe Amon Amarth if they used Black Metal as the basis for their sound rather than Death Metal.

Uburen deserve a wider audience than they’re probably going to get. You can help remedy this however – check out Withered Roots today and feel the blood run hot through your veins once more.

Favourite Track: Asmegin. Fast and furious.

Stormnatt – Omega Therion (Review)

This is the third album from Austrian Black Metallers Stormnatt.

Stormnatt immediately score points by not messing around with pointless intros; first song Ascension of the Scarlet Angel gets straight down to business and introduces the band with their fast and atmospheric style of Black Metal.

Influenced by the second wave of Black Metal, we have plenty of darkly melodic riffs and more evocative guitar parts than you can shake a stick at. The guitars are the foremost feature of Omega Therion for me as they carry the songs along on waves of darkness and have a warmer than average sound for Black Metal. Like liquefied crushed velvet.

The riffs are even quite varied on occasion; everything from the standard Darkthrone-template-riffs, to a touch of Blackened Thrash to Blackened Trad Metal to Blackened Doom Metal…it’s all here. The key word is Blackened, of course, as everything sounds as Black as night and twice as evil. This works wonders for the songs as it keeps things interesting. The band know their chosen style and know it well, but these added variations on the theme help keep things fresh and the listener engaged.

Works for me. This is an album I’ve really enjoyed.

This is not experimental, or avant garde, or pushing new boundaries, or whatever; this is Black Metal done with purity and strength of purpose. Backing this up you have songs that are comprised of emotive riffing and a singer who knows how to rasp a good performance. This is Black Metal done well and done right.

At just under 40 minutes in length this is a storm of night and blackness that it’s easy to find yourself lost in.

Listen to Stormnatt.

Kafirun – Death Worship (Review)

Kafirun are from Canada and play Black Metal. This is their début demo.

This is True Black Metal. It’s aggressive and grim and takes its cues from the likes of Mayhem.

With riffs sharp enough to do yourself an injury on, the darkly melodic guitars churn and rage their way through the playing time of the songs as the drums pound or blast appropriately.

The vocals have a a touch of Mayhem about them as well and the singer seems quite at home whether he’s performing semi-clean chanting or high pitched screams.

For a demo release there’s nothing wrong with the production at all. It’s got a good Black Metal tone that allows the guitars to sound as if they’re sliding over each other and everything else to sound like it’s filling in the spaces.

There’s only three songs here but they’re good ones and the band ably show what they can do.

If you’re not sated on Mayhem-influenced Black Metal then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy what Kafirun do. Check them out.

Natanas – All Is Permitted (Review)

Natanas is a one man Black Metal project from the US. This is Natanas’ second album.

This is atonal, obscure, underground Black Metal that’s more focused on creating particular moods and feelings rather than songs in the traditional sense.

The vocals are deep gargles and spewings; barely-human sounds and daemonic mutterings are the stock in trade of this warped intellect.

The drums are off-kilter and sometimes seem quite out of place with the more organic guitars and bestial vocalisations. I get the impression that this is done intentionally however, thus fostering the strange atmosphere that All Is Permitted shows off.

This is not a release for everyone, not even necessarily the hardened Black Metal fan. This is for people who enjoy bands that put uncomfortable feelings and sounds before everything else, even production values and traditional Black Metal.

Think bands like Xasthur, Portal, Mitochondrion, Enbilulugugal, Ævangelist and the like, and although I don’t think the guy behind Natanas is currently playing at their level just yet, given enough time and development he could be.

If this is the kind of Black Metal that does it for you then check out Natanas and see what you think.

Apnea – Silent Cities (Review)

Apnea are from New Zealand and this is their début EP. They play Post-Black Metal.

This combines Black Metal with Post-Metal and Shoegaze to create an evocative EP of fragile beauty and delicate power.

The songs build, crest and blast their way to moments of melancholy and bitter negativity. Apnea’s sound is the sound of a mellow summer’s day being clobbered to death by an unruly dusk. It’s this mix of beauty and harshness that gives this kind of Shoegaze Post-Black Metal such a haunting sound and such a lasting appeal.

Apnea have a good production that bucks the trend that these kinds of bands usually follow of having a paper-thin sound. The drum presence in particular is immense and it is refreshing to hear a band like this with a rather crushing sound in many respects.

Apnea also stand out from the crowd in having some real moments of Black Metal fury in their sound. This ferocious attack combined with the softer moments and Post-Metal explorations make for a highly enjoyable listening experience.

Overall this is a hugely impressive EP, especially for a first release.

As this EP is a couple of year old now, let’s hope that they will have a début album ready soon. If they can replicate what they’ve achieved with Silent Cities then it’ll be something I’m quite excited to hear.

Achren – The White Death (Review)

Achren are from Scotland and play Black Metal. This is their latest EP.

This is Black Metal with a healthy melodic side and a hard, Thrash edge to some of the riffs.

The vocals are mainly high pitched screeches designed to strip paint and puncture ear drums. These are joined by the occasional deeper growl that sounds quite fearsome. The vocal rhythms used are in sync with the music and are much more catchy than a lot bands playing this style. This is especially noticeable in The Eschatologist.

The White Death has a good recording and everything sounds in-your-face, much like the band themselves.

The melodic Black Metal romps along at a fair pace with the Thrashier riffs adding some groove. The songs are well-written and the band clearly know what they’re doing. The melodies are memorable and there are some very good tunes here.

The more you listen to this the more you realise that these songs are very, very good indeed and this is a very, very talented band. There’s nothing especially new or original here, (the same can be said of almost every band), but their talent and skill shows in the songs themselves – these are just incredibly strong songs.

At only 3 tracks in 15 minutes this EP provides a decent intro to the band whilst also leaving you hungry for more.

Catchy, memorable and with a good degree of bite; this is a great EP.

Favourite Track: The Eschatologist. What a brilliant song. Can’t say better than that.

Skiddaw – Skiddaw (Review)

Skiddaw are from the UK and play Black Metal.

Skiddaw offer us 4 tracks across 13 minutes of Black Metal.

The first track Skiddaw Forest is a short opener that’s Blackly melodic and suitably raw and frostbitten. It does its job amiably and whets the appetite for the show to begin proper. Nice use of bass, also.

Skiddaw Towers follows this with a scream. Skiddaw have a classic Black Metal sound that’s somewhere between Darkthrone and Mayhem and this song does both of these spiritual parents proud. The track rumbles along with menace and a solid double bass foundation.

The third track is named Gates of Beleth and is faster then the previous tracks with a winding riff leading the way before descending into murkier climes. There’s a sense of urgency and escape, as if being pursued by something unnameable and indescribable. Enjoyably raw, with the vocals in particular sounding especially savage on this song.

Finally we have Even Titans Fall which is even faster, more melodic and has a touch of Satyricon about it. It’s a good closer and leaves you wanting more.

Skiddaw have an energetic and enticing sound that’s bleak, windswept and icy; just how Black Metal should be.

Check them out.