Black metal – Page 163 – Wonderbox Metal

Tarnkappe – Tussen Hun En De Zon (Review)

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

As soon as it starts it makes an impression. The band have the classic-era Darkthrone/Burzum feel in spades and I can’t help but get a bit excited. It may be an old style but it’s a very welcome and enjoyable one.

Their cold-hearted Black Metal has a great sound that’s raw and organic whilst retaining a clarity and strength about it. Quite simply they sound fantastic.

The vocals are evil croaks that are genre-perfect and adequately portray the evil and disgust that’s spewed out. They also sound suitably demoniacally demented on occasion. It’s a flawless Old-School delivery that fits the music perfectly and the entire package is authentic and historically accurate.

Tarnkappe are their own masters though and are not simply Darkthrone clones. This is an album which has a darkness all of its own and the songs fill me with a deeply personal satisfaction in that special grim way that only Black Metal can.

Listening to this album is a real joy. The Blackened melodies and mid-paced icy rhythms have infected the pleasure centres of my brain and won’t stop.

It’s not new, it’s not perfect but it’s Old-School Black Metal through and through. If you still enjoy this style then you’ll enjoy Tarnkappe.

The Stone – Nekroza (Review)

The Stone are a Serbian Black Metal band and this is their seventh album.

These veterans have been around for almost 20 years so they have their quality levels tweaked to go as high as they can.

Nekroza consists of 56 minutes of scything Black Metal that the band have crafted from midnight and misanthropy. Each song seems chiselled from solidified hatred and finished with a glossy coating of sleekness.

The album boasts a strong sound and all instruments are played clearly with even the bass having a presence. The band sound sharp and ready to kill.

The Stone attack the songs with the fervour of the devout and each hymn represents the band in good form.

The tracks are fast and furious but never stagnant or stale sounding. They have a Swedish influence to their Black Metal but this is offset by everything else the bring to the table.

Colourful melodies prevent the album from becoming one dimensional but never blunt the band’s bite or dull the attack. The band understand the art of songwriting and use their skilled use of dynamics to craft Melodic Black Metal songs that fill me with both nostalgia for what was, pride in what is and hope for what might once be again.

The Stone are a talented band and should be sought out by all Black Metal devotees.

Ancst – In Turmoil (Review)

Ancst are from Germany and this is a compilation of their earlier work between 2012 and 2014.

The band play a combination of Black Metal and Crust that’s endearing and violent without sacrificing emotional depth.

As a collection of tracks In Turmoil is remarkably consistent with sound and style, although the first two songs are easily the longest and after this their output becomes shorter in length and more condensed.

The music is emotive and heavy, with moments of bleak beauty and violent Hardcore clashing in ways reminiscent of bands such as Hexis, Fleshborn and Protestant who share a similar stylistic space of Blackened Hardcore/Crust.

Intense shouting and blasting drums are the order of the day. Blackened riffs and menacing guitars lay a foundation of darkened melodies over which the drums blaze and the singer roars his diatribes.

It’s not all blasting and hyper-violence however, as not only do the band understand dynamics and the importance of taking the foot off the accelerator now and again, but they even have a few forays into softer territory in between the blast beats.

This is a worthy addition to the ever expanding sub-genre of Blackened Hardcore/Crust. Colour me impressed.

Wömit Angel – Holy Goatse (Review)

Wömit Angel are from Finland and this is their second album of Black Metal.

This is dirty Black Metal fuelled by Punk and raped by Thrash.

The band boast a raw but strong sound and their filthy rage-filled attack comes off loud and clear.

Vocally we get stinging, lacerated shrieks with the occasional deeper, daemonic grunt. They sound authentic and intense.

The songs are short bouts of violence that may be underground blasts of hatred but manage to be remarkably catchy. Some nice hooks are included in the tracks and odd flares of melody are thrown in with the general chaos of the guitars.

It’s as if Impaled Nazarene, Motörhead and Venom have been crushed up, eaten and regurgitated as gooey Black Metal projectile vomit. Eat it. Eat it all back up.

Wömit Angel have produced an enjoyably venomous assault on the ears. Check them out.

Onheil – Storm is Coming (Review)

Onheil are from the Netherlands and this is their second album.

Storm is Coming has a strong production with everything sounding crushing and the band easily wreak devastation like a natural disaster, which is partially what the concept of the album is based upon.

Onheil play Black Metal that’s fast and sharp but also surprisingly heavy as they have a bit of a Blackened Thrash/Heavy Metal influence to their sound.

The band I’m reminded of most is Hypocrisy as Onheil have a similar feel to both their style and sound – if you take Hypocrisy circa Into the Abyss and give it a bit more of a Black Metal sheen then you’ll have the right idea.

They’re certainly not Hypocrisy rip-off’s though, as I’m also reminded of bands like Amon Amarth and, (to a lesser extent), Dimmu Borgir, Kreator and Iron Maiden in places.

The vocalist is very accomplished and sounds great whether he’s screaming or growling. Powerful cleans are also used sparingly to add effect and provide good back up to the main shrieks.

The Blackened melodies are played fast and hard, with riffs and leads being in no short supply. Storm is Coming also features an enjoyably Heavy Metal aspect to their sound, mainly in the guitar department. Duelling guitars are prominent and many leads could be straight out of the Classic Heavy Metal rulebook.

This is a band who can play Melodic Black Metal without it sounding jolly or hopeful; this is dark music with an evil tinge to it that all centres around the band’s direct and cutting method of assault.

Overall this is an enjoyable and absorbing listen with good songs and melodies that capture the attention. Check them out and see what you think.

Falls of Rauros – Believe in No Coming Shore (Review)

Falls of Rauros are from the US and play Black Metal with strong Folk elements. This is their third album.

This band specialise in Black/Folk Metal that takes its time to build a slowly developing picture that the band loving craft from the instruments to give the listener a true feeling of the beauty of nature.

Falls of Rauros have a vibrant sound that recalls elements of Shoegaze and Post-Black Metal mixed with more traditional Black Metal and Folk Metal influences to create a collection of songs that have depth and interest.

Somewhat fragile, gentle riffing accompanies faster drumming and passionately harsh screaming. Their expansive sound shows off the full capabilities of all of the instruments and it’s good to hear the oft-neglected bass being quite audible.

The songs twist and curl their way around the central exploratory Black Metal sound and the tracks boast a longevity about them that’s refreshing to hear.

This is a heavily atmospheric album that evokes its feelings from the core instruments rather than from ostentatious keyboards or orchestras. The band keep it simple yet have everything they need to produce involving and engaging music.

This is a quality album. Have a listen and let the music enter your internal landscape.

Myrkur – Myrkur (Review)

Myrkur is a one woman Black Metal project from Denmark. This is her début EP.

Myrkur combines the rawness and bleakness of second-wave Black Metal with ambient and atmospheric sounds to create frostbitten and ice-filled sonicscapes that scar the imagination and enchant the brain.

Ethereal clean female vocals and raw Black Metal mix in such a way that helps the music to transcend the usual genre constraints and become something greater than the sum of its parts.

There are medieval influences to some of the guitar sounds, (when they’re not wrapped in grim darkness of course), and even a touch of the Post-Metal/Post-Black Metal on occasion.

Think a pared down Wolves in the Throne Room, or a more atmospheric Darkthrone, or a less synth-powered Vinterriket; add angelic female vocals and this is the space Myrkur inhabit. It’s not all beauty however as she can also scream and shriek with the best of them when needed.

It’s rare that you find harsh Black Metal skilfully interweaved with music that’s atmospheric and epic in scope. Here the two are thoughtfully and flawlessly intertwined. Usually this is only accomplished by the elite and cream-of-the-crop bands like Agalloch.

Add to this a softer feminine touch that usually, if incorporated into Metal at all, just sounds tacked on; here it’s an integral, fully embedded and realised part of the Myrkur experience.

And to think, this is only a début EP. Imagine what she can do with a full album of material? The mind boggles. The mind can’t wait.

Nidsang – Into the Womb of Dissolving Flames (Review)

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

This is Swedish Black Metal that’s violent and possessed with the rage of the storm. Nidsang want to kill and want to do so at great speed whilst seemingly paradoxically taking their time to do so as well.

This translates to songs that are filled with fast riffing and blasting drums but rather than wear themselves out early and peter off into the blackness Nidsang’s songs are longer than you might expect for anthems this deadly and hate-fuelled.

They love to play fast, of course, but when they slow down to a mid-paced groove they also show they can throw out some tasty riffs. I also like the inclusion of guitar solos, which although not as rare as they used to be, certainly aren’t Black Metal staples.

The singer barks out his disdain for all things holy with rather a growl-tinged scream that doesn’t sound completely human any more.

Nidsang offer us 8 hymns to the darkness spread out over just under 43 minutes. For a rough idea of the area that Nidsang operate in, think Marduk, Watain, Setherial, etc. – fast and vicious Black Metal that is sharp enough to cut someone into ribbons.

It may be nothing new but that’s not the point. There’s something elemental and primal about this kind of Black Metal, and Nidsang play it well.

Check out Into the Womb of Dissolving Flames and see what dark imagery they can conjure up for you.

TKNKNTJ – 2008-2009 – Takaisinvaellus/Täällä Helvetissä Olen Aina Valaistunut (Review)

Here we have two demo recordings from Finnish Black Metal band TKNKNTJ – Takaisinvaellus originally released in 2008 and Täällä Helvetissä Olen Aina Valaistunut originally released in 2009.

Takaisinvaellus is the longer of the two releases at just under 28 minutes, with Täällä Helvetissä Olen Aina Valaistunut clocking in at just under 16 minutes.

This is Underground Black Metal with a surprisingly satisfying sound that hits all of the rights spots for people who have a lust for all that is Blackened.

The vocals are scathing and full of razorblades. The rhythms and patterns of the vocalist are pleasingly interesting and although he pretty much has a standard Black Metal croak, it’s nonetheless a great voice delivered with passion. Not content with this, however, we’re also treated to a cleaner approach on occasion and the singer pulls this off admirably. He’s sometimes backed up by the odd deeper growl as well.

The band primarily play upbeat and fast but they also have enough slower, sinister passages to keep things varied and interesting. Blackened melodies seep out of the speakers like insidious rotting worms ready to corrupt the unwary and eat away at the unworthy.

This is evil music created for the love of darkness and sin. There is a malevolent aura to the grimness of the tracks on this release.

The fact that these were originally demo recordings is hard to believe in some ways as the quality of both the music and the recordings are better than some albums from similar bands.

Check them out.

Sangus – Saevitia (Review)

Sangus are a Black Metal band from the US.

The band play raw, ugly Black Metal that is capable of boiling blood at a hundred paces. This is infernal stuff that channels the underworld into 5 tracks of scorching, noisy Black Metal that recalls bands like Black Witchery and Watchmaker.

The songs are full of Crust and bile as they tear through the short playing time on this release, (a scant 15 minutes that goes by in a blur of whiplash and black tar), and afterwards you’re left wondering what the Hell just happened.

Although primarily concerned with making a horrendous mess of your insides with their focused, direct assault; the band do know how to insert a few Blackened melodies into the short songs and even have time for the odd guitar solo/lead now and again.

There is an impressive amount of rumbling threat to these songs. The violence is out in the open for everyone to see yet there’s always the hint of worse things to come just beneath the surface.

The final track Ossos: SSS is the longest one at almost 6 minutes in length and is a bit different from the ones that precede it. This track is all about the experimental noise and dark sounds. It’s an interesting choice for a closer, although personally I would have preferred another Black Metal track similar to the ones before as these were all so good.

This is a great little release filled with bark, bile, anger and nails. Highly recommended.