Death Metal – Page 149 – Wonderbox Metal

Destroying Divinity – Hollow Dominion (Review)

This is the fourth album from Destroying Divinity, who are a Death Metal band from the Czech Republic.

Destroying Divinity play Death Metal without compromise and with plenty of brutality and aggressiveness.

Featuring influences from bands like Hate Eternal, Immolation and Morbid Angel in their sound, what we get here is straight-ahead Death Metal with no fancy bits, no ostentation and lots of killing capacity.

The band blast their way through the demolished landscape with ease, whilst twisting, churning riffs drill deeper into the earth in search of sustenance. Hollow Dominion is a ravenously hungry beast and only total destruction will sate its hunger.

The vocals are deep growls that relentlessly chew up and spit out the brutal anthems.

Hyperspeed riffs and malevolent rhythms blare out and a strong recording holds everything together. These songs are more than capable of holding their own in the war-torn Death Metal landscape.

Hollow Dominion is the sound of a band entirely comfortable with their style and ready to cause havoc wherever they go.

A recommended listen for any Death Metal fan.

Soulskinner – Crypts of Ancient Wisdom (Review)

This is the third album from Greek Death Metal band Soulskinner.

Soulskinner play Old-School Death Metal with plenty of heaviness and atmosphere.

Very early on the band establish that they are extremely proficient at recreating that raw, elemental feeling that you used to get when you were first getting into Death Metal and you were discovering new things all of the time; Soulskinner delve back into that bygone era when Death Metal was young and vibrant and it’s a joy to hear it.

The album is aptly named as it seems as if the band have discovered a crypt of ancient Death Metal know-how and the songs here strike an immediate chord with the listener. This is primal, atavistic Death Metal at its best, recalling the very early days of bands like Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Gorefest, Grave, Hypocrisy, Septic Flesh, Asphyx, etc.

The songs are full of graveyard atmosphere, rotting brutality and ancient intelligence. Quality riffs are thrown around like they’re going out of fashion and the level of songwriting skill is through the roof.

I love the small, but important, little details they add in. Whether this is a riff here, a drum fill there, a small piano part here, a malevolent melody there…it all adds up and these songs are just great.

This is a exceptional collection of songs. Fantastic riffs and occult melodies combine to create atmospherically brutal tracks of classic Death Metal.

As is fitting for a band like this, the vocals are flawless; deep, guttural, cavernous growls that sound inhuman and timeless.

It’s very easy to get bored of Old-School bands who just want to relive the past but add nothing to it. Soulskinner are different though, as they seem more like forgotten relics from a time gone past that have recently been unearthed to spread their plague anew. It may be old and rotten but it’s still as fresh as the dawn of the scene.

A very highly recommended listen. Soulskinner will rekindle your love of probably the first Extreme Metal genre you ever got into.

Obscure Infinity – Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness (Review)

Obscure Infinity are from Germany and play Old-School Death Metal. This is their third album.

I was excited to hear this after the excellent but oh-so-small taster that was their split with Funeral Whore.

After an epic-sounding intro we’re into the thick of the action with Obscure Infinity’s blend of Swedish-style Death Metal, atmospheric leads, and Death/Iron Maiden-guitar influences.

The band have tight control over their songwriting with all of the hallmarks of a band who are able to craft classic songs.

Whether sped up or slowed down, the band pace themselves well and the dynamic guitarwork is impressive. This is a band who are confident enough to simplify things when necessary but also talented enough to throw in some technicality on occasion.

The leads and solos are all blinders and the riffs in general are hugely impressive. The guitars make the songs and give them a vitality that’s rare in Old-School Death Metal. There are plenty of atmospheric moments and even the odd feeling of Old-School Black Metal in places; it’s not a huge influence but it’s noticeable.

The bass and drums underpin everything, providing a firm base for the songs to launch their attacks from. Blast beats are an important staple of the band but they also excel in the more rhythmic moments.

The vocalist is very accomplished, with a lovely deep growl and occasional screams to keep things interesting. Some unexpected cleans even appear on A Forlorn Wanderer, and it’s a testament to the band that they don’t seem out of place at all. It comes across as a mix of Emperor and Celtic Frost and is a great thing to hear.

The recording is first-rate, with plenty of heaviness. The songs sound alive and ready to crush!

Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness is just as strong an album as I was hoping it would be. Occult-sounding, malevolent Death Metal with plenty of texture and colour; Obscure Infinity are making sure that 2015 is starting off with a bang.

Hybrid Sheep – Free From the Clutches of Gods (Review)

Hybrid Sheep are from France and this is their début album. They play Deathcore.

This is state-of-the-art Deathcore with a massive sound and a crisp method of attack.

Hybrid Sheep play their style in the vein of bands like All Shall Perish and Acrania. A few Metalcore influences from the likes of Lamb of God and As I Lay Dying are thrown in also, as well as some Modern Death Metal similar to bands like Revocation and The Black Dahlia Murder.

If you’re not a fan of this modern style of Extreme Metal then Hybrid Sheep are unlikely to convince you, but if you are then Free From the Clutches of Gods has enough meat to satisfy that’s for sure.

This is a well played and produced album with lots of heaviness, melodies, aggressive riffs, blasting and breakdowns. I find this style very easy listening in the sense that if you’re in the mood you can just stick a band like this on and start bouncing around like a maniac. As you do.

Just listening to this now I can’t help but have a little wobble around in my seat. Always the sign of a good listen.

The songs are enjoyable and satisfyingly aggressive. The standard alternation between deep growls and high screams is done well and there’s plenty of guitar widdling included with the heavy riffs.

Hybrid Sheep have produced an enjoyable album of Deathcore. Check them out.

Eternal Storm – Elemental Nightmares V – Split with Kaos Vortex, Will of the Ancients and Stortregn (Review)

Eternal Storm are from Spain and this is their latest release. They play Melodic Death Metal.

I enjoyed their début EP, so was looking forward to hearing this new track.

The song starts out fast with a slight Blackened feel to the riffs. Melodic leads soon break out before the track has a mellow moment. I’m reminded of bands like Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium, In Flames, At the Gates, Opeth, etc.

The song is well recorded and the band can clearly play well. The main solo is played like liquid and the musicianship in general is of a high standard.

Vocally we get a mix of deep growls and higher screams, sometimes at the same time. There’s also a guest spot from the singer of Valtari to spice things up.

The song has a good feel to it and does pretty much everything you would want a Melodic Death Metal song to do. The band mix aggression and lighter parts well, and I particularly enjoy the slower end section after the guitar solo, where it initially relaxes before building up in intensity with a mournful lead just under the surface.

This bodes well for a future début album. Bring it on!

Infested Entrails – Defiling a Piece of the Deceased (Review)

Infested Entrails are from Australia and this is their début album.

Ahh this is just the thing for a lazy, wet, Sunday morning. Brutal, heavy Death Metal with plenty of blasting, rhythm and aggression.

Taking their cues from Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Severe Torture, Suffocation and Deeds of Flesh; the band rip, tear and carve their way through 33 minutes of grade A Death Metal.

Defiling a Piece of the Deceased features a sound that’s strong enough to bruise. The band have a great production that does their crushing music justice.

Chunky rhythms and bouncing riffs explode out of the speakers as Infested Entrails do their best to flatten everything around them.

This is Death Metal with a lot of energy and boundless passion for the cause.

A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying blend of brutality and murderous intent. Infested Entrails have created an album that is very good indeed.

A recommended listen. Play loud.

Chapel of Disease – The Mysterious Ways Of Repetitive Art (Review)

Chapel of Disease are from Germany and play Death Metal. This is their second album.

The album art alone made me expect something a bit special from this band; I just couldn’t imagine a “normal” Death Metal band having a cover like this.

As soon as I pressed play it seemed I was right. The Mysterious Ways starts out with a Doom-heavy riff that’s slow, tortured and enhanced with subtle keyboards. Top stuff. After this short intro of sorts the band ramps up the tempo but still manages to foster the air of occult mystery and ancient lore that the cover implies.

Overall I’m very impressed with this release. There are some Hellishly good riffs and melodies on here. The songs are exquisitely written and the moods and atmospheres that they cover are impressively realised.

This is clearly a band who are comfortable with their brand of horror and not afraid to be themselves. All credit to them for this, as The Mysterious Ways Of Repetitive Art is a Death Metal treasure of dark riffs and haunting melodics.

Imagine the best parts of bands like Hypocrisy, Usurper, Celtic Frost, Immolation, Incantation – essentially any band who have a penchant for atmospheric Metal that has a broad palette and creative soundscapes.

Chapel of Disease know how to be grimly brutal when they need to, but the main thing about a band like this is their recognition of the importance of dynamics and grand riffing. Their skilled songcrafting has resulted in Death Metal songs that perfectly capture the appeal of the underworld and the dark gifts and treasures that can be bestowed on those true believers that persevere in their art.

There’s a lot to absorb here. This is a compelling album of high Metal art. Get this.

Carnality – Dystopia (Review)

Carnality are a Technical Death Metal band from Italy. This is their second album.

The singer has the kind of infectious growl I love. It’s deep and rough but focused and compact as well. It’s more like precision strikes with a blunt weight than wildly flailing something around and hoping for the best. There’s enough variation in tone and delivery to show real character too.

This is ferocious, Modern Death Metal with barbed riffs and a murderous attitude. The songs are manufactured with nothing but destruction in mind.

Dystopia boasts a strong and clear production which allows the musicianship of the band to shine. They shred, peel, batter and tear their way through the songs with Hellish abandon.

The band are adept at fusing technicality with songwriting ability so that the tracks are both complex and involving. It’s great to hear when a band embraces the importance of a coherent and flowing song structure in addition to ensuring the requisite levels of brutality and technicality.

Carnality have put out a hugely impressive second album. If you like your Death Metal crisp, heavy and brutal then you must check out Dystopia.

Warcode – Vortex of Chaos (Review)

This is the début album from Greece’s Warcode, who are a Death Metal band with a Thrash influence.

This is well-recorded Death Metal with a good ear for catchy riffs and songs that probably go down a storm live.

Warcode have a nice Thrash Metal influence to their riffs which means that the songs have high energy levels and plenty of hooks.

Rather than generic riffs simply strung together, thought has gone into progression, pacing and the general dynamics of the tracks; this shines through repeatedly.

These songs feature some good playing and some really nice solos. It always comes back to the rhythm guitars though for me as there are some really choice riffs going on here. Pick pretty much any song and almost straight away you’ll encounter some quality riffing and catchy tunes.

The drums are solid and it’s always good to be able to hear some bass as well. The vocals are deep, dark and sound like the singer is gargling gravel. Nice.

Warcode have put together a good collection of tracks that should hopefully see them increasing their profile.

Check them out and show your support.

Born Undead – Violator of Humanity (Review)

Born Undead feature members from both the UK and France. They play Death Metal and this is their début EP.

Taking influences from bands like Autopsy, Born Undead play their particular brand of Death Metal with bloody abandon and gore-stained clothes.

The music is primitive and reeks of corpses, but the simplicity of their attack is no less lethal for it. This is ugly music for ugly people.

They have a non-standard sound which differentiates them a bit from so many other Death Metal bands. They’re riff-oriented but not in a flashy way and the deep growling vocals appear to have been dredged up from the remains of a huge daemon, at least that’s what it sounds like to me…

The first song Violator of Humanity has a good energy to it, with a mechanistic-marching quality to the main riff that unexpectedly erupts near the end into grand melodics. Nice.

Second track Revenge of the Necrovore starts faster and features riffs plucked from the bowels of Hell. Once again the band show that they have the ability to write guitar parts that are full of energy and feel like they’re going places rather than just filling time until the next riff comes along.

After this we have Splatter Fuck, which is the longest track at just over 4 minutes. This slows the pace again, mostly, and Born Undead get to show off their grasp of dynamics and pacing. A tasty main riff once again powers everything whilst the vocals chew and belch their way through the carnage. Some dark melodic guitar work also rears its ugly head here.

The EP closes with Undead Torment which rounds up everything in a suitably brutal fashion. It has a merry old time of it, chugging and thrashing around all over the shop, beheading with glee. Most enjoyable.

A very promising release from a very promising band.

More please.