Death Metal – Page 160 – Wonderbox Metal

Monumentomb – Ritual Exhumation (Review)

This is the début EP from UK Death Metallers Monumentomb.

After the usual perfunctory intro we’re into the title track and straight into some glorious Old-School Death Metal with a sound to kill for.

What’s so special about it? It just sounds fat, tight and recalls Dismember without overtly ripping off that chainsaw sound.

As you’ve probably gathered there is a Swedish Death Metal influence at play here, but that’s not all Monumentomb get up to. The Swedish greats might be well represented, but UK bands like Bolt Thrower and Carcass get a look in also.

The riffs are strong and the solos shred. The drum sound is especially satisfying and the growls of the singer make me warm in my secret happy place.

The vocals are deep growls that work perfectly. Also, the few seconds of clean vocals in Perpetual Execution Torment are unexpected and brilliant.

You can really feel the weight of Death Metal history while listening to Ritual Exhumation, but Monumentomb bear this responsibility with ease and perform admirably.

Amazingly this band have only been around since 2013; how they’ve managed to cobble together such a strong package so quickly is beyond me, but I’m glad they have.

Looking for some Old-School Death Metal that doesn’t sound stale? Look no further.

Warlord UK – We Die As One (Review)

As you can probably guess, Warlord UK are from the UK…this is their third album of Death Metal.

After a perfunctory intro we get a surprisingly Doomy start to Human Inner Core that slowly builds itself up into a nice groove.

The sound is crisp and the drums have weight to them. The bass is audible and is actually used for things worthwhile.

The vocals are savage in a mechanistic way, as if they’re being uttered by some kind of undead cyborg, or maybe even by the chap on the cover? Who knows. I’m not sure I’d like to meet him in a dark alley though, (or a frost-swept plain of skulls for that matter).

A hint of Thrash sensibilities adds an edge to the spiky songs and riffs are thrown around with complete abandon, as if the band have an inexhaustible supply of them.

There’s a lot of mid-paced chuggery going on here; it sounds good and is the perfect backdrop to the gritty future cyber-war that I imagine is going on behind the scenes.

The band are capable of more than just heaviness and brutality though, as they show a pleasantly surprising penchant for added melody and grandeur during some of the tracks; this gives the album more depth and longevity than it might otherwise have.

Imagine, if you will, if Bolt Thrower and Amon Amarth combined forces to crush their assorted enemies…Warlord UK sound like that amalgamated War Metal strike force.

The songs are good, the Metal is good and the severed heads are banging. Warlord UK have more to offer than you might think at first glance.

Ending Quest – The Summoning (Review)

This is Old-School Swedish Death Metal from Ending Quest.

Swedish Death Metal played by actual Swedes? Yes please!

Instantly That Sound assaults your ears and we’re off into the realm of chainsaws and bright red arterial blood.

The brutal guitars and the ferocious melodics conspire to activate all of the pleasure centres in my head at once…I think I need to have a sit down now.

Yes, yes; I have a soft spot for this type of Death Metal. Over the years it’s just kind of crept up on me. I just really, really like this style of music. It may not be anything new but who cares? It hits the spot right where I need it to.

Ending Quest sound absolutely huge and have a big sound in every sense. Awesome melodies and crushing guitars are powered by a percussive backbone and deep, coarse vocals.

Ah yes, the vocals; like a rabid dog barking. Guttural, unhinged and rough like something inhuman. They’re the icing on this very delectable cake.

The songcrafting is top of the range and the band seem to be having a whale of a time throwing out huge riffs and spookily heavy atmospheres.

As I sit and write this on a wet Sunday morning Ending Quest are the perfect wake-me-up to get the blood flowing and the energy levels moving.

Unless you’re absolutely sick of the Swedish style and think it’s been done to death, then this should be high on your list of things to get. And if you are sick of the Swedish style? Well, get this anyway as it might just be the refreshing tonic you need.

Redemptor – The Jugglernaut (Review)

This is the second album from Polish Technical Death Metallers Redemptor.

A brief Classical intro segues into frenetic technical mayhem with blastbeats, guitar craziness and harsh growls dominating the airwaves.

The band are controlled chaos with lots of ideas and sounds harnessed into their arsenal of impressive musical wizardry.

Take a band like Gorguts as your starting point, throw in a bit of Iniquity and Meshuggah and the starting blueprints are in place for a band who are not destined for mediocrity.

They have a skilled drummer and the songs are very percussive. The remaining musicians are also suitably talented and if it wasn’t for a good grasp of dynamics and some well thought out songwriting the songs could easily collapse in on themselves in a frenzy of technicality; this is avoided though by judicious use of restraint and energetic riffs.

They allow a bit of Jazzy, seemingly free-form experimentation to creep in on occasion, although I imagine it’s far more thought-through than it sounds. It does the trick though.

Quality Death Metal with depth and character.

http://redemptor.8merch.com/the_jugglernaut_digital_version-id4378

Vomiting Corpses – Coma: The Spheres of Innocence (Review)

Vomiting Corpses were from Germany and played Death Metal.

This is a reissue of their 1995 album and their 1994 demo Cold Blood.

This is brutal and heavy; blast beats and crushing riffs paired with deep growls that menace and bully.

Apart from these guttural growls the band also throw in the odd surprise, with ethereal female vocals and someone who sounds exactly like the singer of Obituary both making appearances.

The songs, especially the demo ones, are rough and raw, but perfectly listenable and bristling with aggression. Even so, it’s a very satisfying listen with the music connecting on a primal level.

Vomiting Corpses clearly weren’t interested in just copying the bigger Death Metal names in the early 90’s; they had their own ideas about what Death Metal should sound like and who can argue with their vision when presented in such a good way?

There’s a clear sound progression between the demo and the album, although both are recognisable as the same band.

An enjoyable listen.

Cemetery – Enter the Gate (Discography 1991-1993) (Review)

Cemetery were a German band who were active between 1986 and 1993.

This reissue is two discs of Death Metal, played with passion and interest. This compilation holds all of their recordings between 1991 and 1993, including their lost album that was recorded but never released.

There is an hour and 40 minutes of music here and all of it is top quality. With more exposure this band could easily have been a leading light in the Death Metal scene.

This is powerful material, played and written very well; it shows up a lot of bands these days who have half the creativity that Cemetery display.

The longer songs show that the band were pushing the boundaries of standard Death Metal at the time. Who knows what they could have released eventually?

What we have here though is ample evidence to show that they knew what they were doing. Occasional effects and acoustics are combined with brutality to make interesting songs that all have that special secret ingredient; these songs satisfy, deeply, in ways that only the best Metal can.

Solid playing, melodics, solos, riffs; all of the necessary elements to make a strong album.

It should be noted that the sound is surprisingly good. Everything sounds balanced, clear and crushing.

This is a lost gem of an album; 20 years buried and now unearthed to give pleasure to all who would listen. Forget whatever latest flash-in-the-pan nonsense you’re thinking of buying this month, invest in Cemetery and listen loud.

Nihilo – Dum Spiro Spero (Review)

This is the second album from Swiss Death Metallers Nihilo.

First off I have to say – what a stunning piece of album artwork!

After a sample-heavy intro, the bass-heavy sound thuds out of the speakers with explosive chugging and heavy riffing. The underground recording allows the band to sound earthy and natural. It’s a case of less polish, more spit.

This has an Old-School feel but the main vibe is one of Classic Death Metal played well and with a love of the genre.

Swedish Death Metal is incorporated into their sound but there’s more than just this stylistic reference point.

The singer has a great voice which sounds utterly feral and seems to have serrated edges. High shrieks add colour and there’s no fault to be found with the vocals.

The songs are well written and there are some good choices in riffs. The drumming in particular is enjoyable – no messing around; he provides a strong backbone to the tracks while adding in some nice fills and rolls to mix things up a bit.

Near the end of the album they get bolder and start to experiment a bit more; the extra instrumentation and orchestration on Shields of Justice is as unexpected as it is masterful; the final track Dum Spiro Spero is a 20 minute Doom-filled behemoth. Maybe areas to further develop in the future?

A solid album.

Favourite Track: Last Man Standing. Mid-paced, chugging and demolishing combined with blasting brutality.

Hybris – Blinded Thoughts (Review)

Polish band Hybris have just recently released their début EP – this is 18 minutes of Thrash-tinged Death Metal.

The first track Amnesia is the longest of the three and starts with a soft atmospheric intro that builds into a nice Thrash riff.

The songs are memorable and well-executed slabs of Thrash/Death, with a strong Old-School feel to the recording and aura of the EP.

I hear a good amount of influence from bands like Death. In fact this is the main comparator I’m reminded of; Death with a technical Thrash makeover. Other influences come into the songs as well though, such as the Egyptian vibe on Egyptian Darkness.

The music is crisp and technical but without sacrificing the song itself. The sound is precise and even the bass can be heard in a meaningful way.

There are lots of solos and leads; the band can certainly play but it’s not showboating or self-aggrandisement, just a sheer love of Metal and the demands of the song.

A most enjoyable EP that introduces Hybris to the world and promises great things for the band.

Aposento – Aposento (Review)

This is the début album of Spanish Death Metal band Aposento.

Take a look at the album art. If that doesn’t scream DEATH METAL at you at then I don’t know what does. Top work.

Aposento have been around for a very, very long time but this is the first album they’ve actually released. Kind of crossing the sound of bands like Avulsed and Deicide, Aposento offer us in-your-face Death Metal with an understanding of what makes a good song catchy and memorable while simultaneously piling on the brutality.

A strong, solid sound increases the impact the songs have with the riffs and pounding drums working in unison to plough down anything in front of it.

Vocally the singer is deep and follows the Avulsed school of guttural noises.

The songs take elements of Old-School Death Metal and merge them with a more timeless style of Death Metal akin to Cannibal Corpse’s USDM in the sense that it’s not ultra-modern but it’s not completely Old-School either; rather it contains elements of the timeless Classic style. Ultimately this is Death Metal, and no-one would have trouble recognising this for what it is.

Quality Death Metal played by lifers who know their business.

Frontal – Death Eaters (Review)

Frontal are from France and play Techincal/Progressive Modern Death Metal.

Imagine Meshuggah if they had more of a Modern Death Metal influence; add in a bit of Technical Thrash and this is the area that Frontal inhabit.

The songs are technical, angular and also remind of Devolved only without the Industrial influence, (and blast beats). Another description I suppose would be Progressive Deathcore, which sounds like an oxymoron, but only if you assume all Deathcore is stupid, (it isn’t).

The colliding riffs and obscure melodies will no doubt put some people off, but just as many will take to this easily and lap up the heavy, militaristic Technical Thrash that the band offer.

The vocalist has a good pair of lungs and for the most part spends his time using them to shout out lyrics in a throaty roar.

This is music that lacks subtlety but is still nuanced and complex. Although the riffs come thick and fast the band allow them to congeal on occasion to produce a stirring section or emotive passage, before fracturing once more and falling away in different directions all at once.

Definitely a grower. A good album that will probably suffer from premature dismissal by a lot of people, which is a shame as there is a lot to like here. Give them the time to show you what they can do.