Black metal – Page 165 – Wonderbox Metal

Barbelith – Untitled (Review)

This is the latest from US Depressive Black/Post-Metal band Barbelith.

Their first EP was a corker, so I was looking forward to what this 2 track release would bring.

As with their previous release the band enshroud themselves in bleakness and woe, with anguished, tortured vocals lashing out at an uncaring world and a fate undeserved.

Barbelith manage to combine a mournful atmosphere with a style of Blackened Hardcore for the first track Caverns of the Mind. It’s interesting as the song seems to gain and lose momentum multiple times during its 6 minute length, switching between Depressive Black Metal and Blackened Hardcore as if it’s never sure whether it wants to end it all now or persevere for one final, desperate lunge at life.

The second song Rebirth takes less of its cues from Hardcore and more from Post-Metal, while retaining the aura of misery and lost hope. It has somewhat of a Deinonychus feel to it and as such is swamped in negative feelings and emotions; unlike the pure-strain misery of Deinonychus however, the net result here is strangely uplifting. The addition of angelic clean vocals as a background juxtaposition is an inspired choice.

2 tracks, 12 minutes. Utterly worth it.

Cultfinder – Hell’s Teeth (Review)

This is UK band Cultfinder and they play Black Metal with a hefty Thrash influence.

A relatively short release of 24 minutes; after a perfunctory intro, (and one interlude), we get 5 tracks of blazing, bestial Blackened Thrash full of Satanic energy coursing through its corrupted veins.

The songs are primitive and atavistic, harking back to simpler times of a purified Metal lineage without outside influences or detractions. The band are fully aware of the path they tread and do so with pride.

The vocals bark their way from the gutter and scrape like nails down a blackboard. Even so, they manage to effectively deliver a wealth of hooks.

The wills of the various musicians are nefariously bent towards the creation and propagation of primeval Metal, and they do this admirably and to full effect. The songs and the riffs stick in the brain even after the final song The Scourging Angel ends in a squeal of feedback.

Apart from a previously released demo this is the band’s first release, and thus is laid a foundation for the future. A terrifying future where Cultfinder’s Blackened vision has come to pass. Get in on the action early and have a listen to Hell’s Teeth.

Eissturm – The Purpose (Review)

This is US band Eissturm and they play Black Metal with Ambient and Folk touches.

This is Black Metal in the style of Vinterrikket with Metal tracks interspersed with more Ambient, Folky numbers.

In the Metal parts the guitars are fuzzy, atmospheric and concentrate on building mood with layers of ice cold depth. It’s heavily distorted and laden with reverberation.

The guitars aim to create maximum emotion and the extra effects create a veneer of feeling that radiates outwards from the songs like a cyclone.

The vocals are either emitted like static; scratching and screeching their way through the storms, or howling and tortured; crying out in anguish against the wind.

The ambient tracks reinforce the fact that this is Black Metal born of a frigid, desolate environment where survival is hard and night is perpetual. Each one adds to the mystique and flavour of the album and draws you into their world even more.

Like walking through a snowstorm in a barren landscape with no food or shelter for days. Icy and atmospheric Ambient Black Metal done well.

Sammath – Godless Arrogance (Review)

This is Sammath’s fifth album of Black Metal misanthropy from the Netherlands.

Oh but this takes me back! This is for the people who couldn’t get enough of Panzer Division Marduk – this has the same intensity and visceral assault.

Straight away the band are a whirlwind of razorblade riffs and frenzied drumming. As brutal as a stabbing and as clinical as a missile; these songs are not interested in who gets hurt but only in the wanton amount of collateral damage they can cause.

Accompanied by savage vocals sharp enough to tear reality the music is ferocious and vicious as only scathing Black Metal can be.

Dark melodies cloaked under waves of rhythmic misanthropy truly manifest themselves over time in the 8 hymns to warfare and death that the band deliver.

This is cold and violent. This is murderous and intense. This is Godless Arrogance.

Thy Flesh – Thymiama Mannan (Review)

Thy Flesh are a Black Metal band from Greece who play a particularly Daemonic brand of Blackened darkness.

The songs have a ritualistic quality to them in addition to the usual razor sharp guitar lines that pepper a release like this.

The vocals are savage and vomit their word-made-shadow out into reality from places unknown.

Frozen and obscure melodies strike from these barren hymns of ice and lash out at the listener from behind barricades of pounding war drums. They speak of eerie atmospheres and unearthly longings, voiced in the language of Black Metal and oncoming apocalypse. Perhaps Thy Flesh herald something long forgotten, something returning to exact payment for a disturbed slumber that should have gone undisrupted.

Mixing elements of Dissection and Ondskapt, Thy Flesh have crafted an expertly delivered offering of occult Black Metal that more than hits the spot. The band have enough instant appeal to satisfy but have sufficient depth to their compositions to allow digestion over time to improve satiety even more.

Well played and decently written; this is a worthy addition to the genre and a quality début for the band. You can feel the darkness approaching, heralded by a storm of knives.

Kaoskult – Secret Serpent (Review)

This is the first album by Polish Black Metallers Kaoskult.

The band play occult-influenced Black Metal steeped in the raw stuff of other worlds.

The vocals are primal and operate almost as a form of chanting over the slashing guitars. Utterly evil and devoted to darkness, they’re mainly deeper than a lot of Black Metal bands get away with. They also experiment with some subtle clean vocals that seem to swim under the knife-like guitars and these work well.

The guitars rip and slice their way through the 39 minutes of offerings and know when to slow down as the ritual demands rather than being full-on all of the time.

Certain tracks lock nicely into a satisfying mid-paced groove for parts of the song. When the faster sections arrive they are no less gratifying however. We also get treated to some chuggy, almost-Thrashy riffs on occassion. Eternal Threat, for example, has all of these within its 6:10 playing time.

The black melodies infect the brain and there are some choice riffs on these songs.

A quality album full of spite and bile.

Enthroned – Sovereigns (Review)

Enthroned are a veteran Belgian Black Metal band that need little introduction; this is their 10th album.

It opens with a massive ominous intro. Normally I’m against pointless intros as they usually serve little purpose, but this one is compelling and the horns sound immense; it sets the scene well for the approaching carnage.

It takes time to build up to a fast tempo; instead it starts slowly and ritualistically, taking advantage of mood and atmosphere. Once sated however, Hell is then unleashed and the band rip forth with scorching Satanic Black Metal.

For a band who are so well established and have so many releases there is still a hunger at work here and it comes across in the songs.

Some of the riffs and melodies they use are extremely tasty and designed to evoke feelings of almost tense uneasiness. Extra effects, horns, etc. further add to the mood and Enthroned show themselves to be on the top of their game. Just listen to the start of Lamp of Invisible Lights for example. I mean come on! Other bands just aren’t trying by comparison. The album is full of moments like these.

The band have an evolved sense of dynamics and the songwriting on this release is very enjoyable. They appear to have developed an aura of corruption and awe-filled terror for this album. It reminds me of the recent masterpiece by Corpsessed, only filtered through a razor-sharp Black Metal lens.

The band explore a variety of interesting ideas and songs structures within the confines of their chosen genre. This is not an album that sounds repetitive, and even features that rarest of things – the, (whisper it!), Black Metal guitar solo.

Enthroned appear to just be improving with age. This is a brilliant album and a must for all fans of Extreme Metal. I really can’t say enough good things about Sovereigns; this is exactly what I want from Black Metal in 2014.

Neglektum – Blasphemer (Review)

Neglektum are from Sweden and play Satanic Black Metal. This is their début album.

This is dark and evil Black Metal with an icy sound and Devilish intentions. Their sound is distinctly raw and underground, but it’s a strong one nonetheless. For me the weakest link of a lot of bands who play this style of Black Metal is the drum sound as it usually comes across as really feeble. Pleasingly Neglektum have avoided this and the drums have a clear, forceful presence.

The vocals are mainly high and raspy, with the singer howling out litanies to dark powers and praises to evil in the way that Black Metal bands frequently do. It’s done well and no-one can doubt the obvious enthusiasm and passion that is emitted. He also tries his hand at some cleaner vocals occasionally and these aren’t half bad either.

The songs are quality songs that vary in speed and tempo depending on the mood. When playing faster they have an aggressive presence that is propelled by the drums and harsh screaming. The slower sections have lurking feelings of doom and dismay that seem to be bubbling just beneath the frozen layers of guitars attempting to break through.

The guitars are adept at radiating cold; they are suitably varied and hold attention throughout. The bass is even audible and makes a worthwhile contribution to the cause. Sinister melodies and infernal harmonies infect the guitar playing and really do a lot to add depth to the compositions.

Neglektum have successfully taken the standard Black Metal template and used it to create a monster of an album. Anyone who thinks that Black Metal has grown stale and needs frills, experimentation or dilution with other genres to be relevant or sound good needs to hear Neglektum.

Are you a Black Metal fan? Then get Blasphemer.

Akrotheism – Behold the Son of Plagues (Review)

This is the début album by Greek Black Metallers Akrotheism.

For their introductory track Sepsis Ex Nihilo Akrotheism show that they have the standard slithering, creepy guitar tone down to rights, but add to this with all manner of Hellish noises and effects. After this we have hyperblast Black Metal with maniacal vocals that sound straight out of a nightmare.

The singer alternates between ultra-high pitch screeches and deeper Blackened bellowing. The juxtaposition works wonders and the aggression is ramped up to 11.

The music is largely presented at breakneck speeds and is surprisingly atmospheric in places, aided as it is by a healthy dark melodicism and subtler highlights in their arsenal of grim delights.

Taking the most aggressive parts of the razor sharp delivery of the best of the mid-90’s Black Metal elite, Akrotheism combine elements of Emperor, Gehenna and Cradle of Filth to produce Behold the Son of Plagues. Second wave bands such as these have a special place in my heart and Akrotheism have produced an album that works wonders with these base influences.

Black Metal these days seems to mostly consist of the ultra-cold and minimal variety, or highly symphonic, or off exploring pastures new and only use Black Metal as their starting point; bands that combine aggression with atmosphere in a non-symphonic way appear to be quite few and far between, which is another reason that Akrotheism are so damn good.

An exceptional album, especially for a début. Akrotheism play a form of Black Metal that makes me recall past glories with a nostalgic fondness, but that also allows me to look forward to the future with a content heart as I know that the style is in good hands. Top work.

Primalfrost – Prosperous Visions (Review)

Primalfrost are from Canada and play Melodic Black Metal with influences from Power Metal.

An extravagant intro heralds in the very textured and multi-layered Metallic sound that the band have. Razor sharp Melodic Black Metal sounds combine with larger-than life orchestration and enough solos to make any Power Metal band blush.

The musicianship in general is flawless, whether it’s the opulent leads, the spiky riffs, the solid drums or the symphonic keyboards.

The vocals for the most part are high pitched rasps straight out of the Black Metal handbook. These are occasionally offset by deeper grunts and heroic cleans that add further flavour to an already tasty meal.

The songs are highly accomplished and there are plenty of ideas at hand to stop things becoming dull. The songs each offer something slightly different, but all built around the central core of the band. We even get an epic 14:00 track that serves as the album’s centrepiece and is an expertly executed slab of Metal.

Prosperous Visions is 55 minutes of prime-time Melodic Black Metal. If you want the epic, fantastical grandeur of Power Metal with the rougher, more aggressive delivery of Black Metal then this is for you. An ambitious album and well worth adding to your collection. May they prosper for many years to come.

Get it here: http://primalfrost1.bandcamp.com/releases