Death Metal – Page 167 – Wonderbox Metal

Exhumation – Hymn to Your God (Review)

Exhumation are an Indonesian Death Metal band who are just releasing their 2012 album Hymn to Your God worldwide.

This is the kind of Death Metal that won’t settle for being primitive but is not interested in scaling the technical heights; what we have here is intelligent compositions that are well-thought out assaults on the senses.

Mixing base elements of Vader, Behemoth and Morbid Angel, Exhumation have crafted an album that is melodic, brutal and well-placed to cater to Death Metal fans who want something a bit more then just sheer heaviness or chaotic mayhem in their music.

They proffer us 7 tracks, (6 original, 1 Blasphemy cover), across 29 minutes and we eagerly accept their dark boon.

The music is tight and proficient overall. The guitars are flawlessly played, and there are some meaty solos to get your teeth into. The drums are positively inhuman and relentless in their battery. Vocally the grunts that issue forth are not as deep as many Death Metal bands but more in keeping with the Behemoth/Vader variety.

A class album that deserves plenty of attention now it’s available everywhere. Do yourself a favour and get in on the action.

Reckless Manslaughter – Blast Into Oblivion (Review)

This is the second album from German Death Metal band Reckless Manslaughter, and they’ve released what could easily be a genre-classic.

It opens with a thunderous onslaught that eventually morphs into a Hellishly good groove and from there onto heavy-as-hell chug territory; all the time sickened vocals belch out hymns of war over the top of it all. And this is only the first couple of minutes of the first track Storm of Vengeance. Oh this is going to be good.

The sound is professional and near-perfect, even the bass is audible. The drums are solid and engaging and the vocal delivery is spot-on.

The songs are intelligently written and cleverly crafted. Although they do pick up the pace when necessary a lot of it is just a mid-paced exercise in Death Metal demolition and twice as heavy as that. Unexpectedly there are also a good number of hooks and catchy choruses on offer. It really is that good.

I love Death Metal like this – good sound, good songs, good ideas. Taking their cues from bands such as Bolt Thrower and Incantation, they have produced one battle-tank-heavy album. This is a punishing and rewarding listen.

Reckless Manslaughter have produced an overachieving album that perfectly embodies all that is great about crushing Death Metal. Hopefully it will help them garner the recognition they richly deserve.

A deeply satisfying listen and one for your “I must get this now” lists.

Tortharry – Follow (Review)

This is the eighth album by these Czech Death Metal veterans.

Holy Hell this is good! The first thing you notice is the huge crushing sound. The album sounds absolutely immense. All instruments are clear and the bass is even audible.

There are some hellishly good riffs on this release. From the faster ones to the more devastating slower chugs; by now the band have honed their craft and know how to write a good song. The sense of dynamics and explosive force is strong, with the band doing their utmost to ensure every song is as complete a package as possible.

The vocals brings to mind the singer of Vader; Tortharry’s vocalist has the same kind of clipped growl that has an economy of delivery while remaining as brutal as possible.

After eight albums I have no idea why Tortharry aren’t better known than they are. If their other releases are as tasty as this one then it’s a massive shame that they don’t have a higher profile. They have the sound and songs to challenge the best that the genre has to offer.

After listening to this impressive collection of songs this is definitely a band I am happy to follow.

Samples can be heard here.

Human Decay – Figli Di Dio (Review)

This is the first release from Italian Death Metallers Human Decay; a 3 track EP clocking in at just over 14 minutes.

The cover primes you to expect Old-School Death Metal and that’s exactly what you get.

The EP has a fantastically grimy DIY sound that doesn’t detract from the songs, instead it gives them a feeling of vintage and character. There’s even some bass. And some solos, can’t forget about them.

The vocals are Old-School Death Metal vocals, which are aggressive but remain legible. Well, if you speak Italian they are. Which I don’t, but you can hear what he’s saying for the most part anyway.

The songs show good awareness of pacing and variety and I can almost visualise the band playing their songs as I hear them; the sound of a real, living band doing what they love is that authentic and obvious.

This is a good first EP to break out into the Metal world with. Time to support a new band.

Brood of Hatred – Skinless Agony (Review)

Brood of Hatred are a Death Metal band from Tunisia.

Skinless Agony starts off creeping and crawling with thunderously deep vocals erupting all over the place. Brood of Hatred have some unconventional riffs in their sound and it’s much to their credit.

The production is flawless; no problems here. Every song is given the room to move that it requires, and the instruments couldn’t be clearer, (yes, even the bass is audible).

This is intelligent, atypical Death Metal with a proclivity for interesting and inventive guitar parts. If you think of bands such as Gorguts and Ulcerate, you’ll get the idea of the creative area Brood of Hatred inhabit.

Highly accomplished; the band have created songs with depth and individuality. The playing by all of the musicians involved is exemplary and the brutality of the singer’s guttural vocals anchors the album firmly in Death Metal territory even when the instruments are off exploring other areas.

For me this has been a wonderful discovery of an excellent band – make sure you discover them too.

Graveyard Ghoul – The Living Cemetery (Review)

This is the second full length album from Germany’s Graveyard Ghoul, who specialise in primitive Death Metal of the ugliest type.

This is Old-School to the chewed-on bone but don’t let that fool you into thinking it has nothing to offer. This album contains 31 minutes worth of thoroughly enjoyable romps through the graveyard.

If you take Autopsy as the starting point you’re in a good place, and Graveyard Ghoul embody their Death Metal ideals to perfection.

The songs use the guitars well and have a penchant for the slower, doomier riffs as well as the faster, more brutal parts.

Harking back to a pre-sanitised/sterilised Death Metal era, The Living Cemetery is completely untouched by any and all trends and corruptions of the genre that have occurred through the years.

It’s with hand on gravestone that I firmly recommend you add this album to your collection.

Warfather – Orchestrating the Apocalypse (Review)

Warfather sees the return of ex-Morbid Angel growler Steve Tucker; he of the amazing Death Metal Premier League lungs.

His voice doesn’t disappoint on Orchestrating the Apocalypse and he puts in a fine performance full of character and passion. He has a clear, deep growl that nonetheless retains legibility of the majority of the lyrics.

Warfather play Morbid Angel-influenced Death Metal with a lot of ideas and interesting touches. Inventive rhythms, melodies, effects/sounds and even some choral vocals all appear in places. It’s clear that even though they play what is at its core Brutal Death Metal, they are not interested in limiting themselves and instead take the time to add a bit of experimentation into the mix. All of which is very welcome and adds a kind of pseudo-operatic theme to the album.

The tracks are full of expert guitar work; complex riffing, chaotic time-changes and a plethora of solos and flourishes. Each song is seemingly cobbled together from random bits of an Extreme Metal nightmare, and somehow given coherence by a sheer force of will of the musicians involved.

A challenging album that I feel is destined to be misunderstood by many; this is varied, interesting and recommended to anyone who likes a little bit of something different with their Metal.

Your Last Wish – Desolation (Review)

Canadian band Your Last Wish play Melodic Death Metal.

After the usual perfunctory opening, first track proper Crisis To Creation opens with a much more impressive dual display of melodics slipping into heavy chugs, repeating over and over until the appetite is well and truly whetted.

Their brand of Melodic Death Metal is fast and sharp, which matches the high-pitched screams of the vocalist who has a rasp to challenge the best of them, although she also does deeper vocals when required.

A starting reference point for this album would be someone like At The Gates or early In Flames. These are only as reference points though as Your Last Wish are not merely wishing to repeat past glories of the masters. They have something of their own to offer.

The riffs are enjoyable and substantial and the crisp, professional sound makes the most of them. Well played solos pour out of the tracks, the vocals are scathing and the drummer provides a backdrop to the carnage.

This is the kind of Melodic Death Metal that they rarely make any more. There is no pretension or leanings of commerciality; no clean harmonies of radio-friendly compromises. This is Metal through and through, and I for one can’t help but like this very talented band.

Give them a listen and give them your support.

Hiss From The Moat – Misanthropy (Review)

Hiss From The Moat play a modern brand of Blackened Death Metal.

After a perfunctory intro we’re straight into the action with Conquering Christianity which is full of solid blasting and evil mayhem. If you think of a band like Goatwhore and have them take their cues from the New-School rather than the Old-School you’ll be in the right ball-park for Hiss From The Moat.

Deep, guttural vocals and higher rasps steer the songs towards their logical conclusions, while well-played, hyperspeed drums anchor everything and allow the guitars to concentrate on the ultra-brutality or blackened rhythms, depending on how the mood takes them. Additional orchestration heightens the atmosphere in select places, and is strategically used for surgical strikes rather than mass slaughter.

Depth and carnage are the watchwords, for the songs stick around long after they have stopped playing, filling you with the urge to experience their nihilistic bludgeoning once more.

The riffs seem to flow like pulsating tar through veins of blackened darkness and spewed out into the unsuspecting light to corrupt and infect everything they touch. The songs offer nothing but hatred and want nothing in return but your demise. Misanthropy in more than just title.

The album is 30 minutes of extremity wrapped in malevolence and served up by a talented group of individuals and guests who know how they like their Extreme Metal, and I heartily agree with their obvious good taste.

Top marks for a top band. More please.

Annihilation – Against the Storm (Review)

Portuguese band Annihilation play Death Metal. This album came out a good few years ago now and judging by what happened when I pressed play it’s a sin that I’ve overlooked them for this long.

When the first track Tortured With Hate started I involuntarily exclaimed “ooooh yeaaah!” under my breath. This is the stuff that keeps me returning to Death Metal again and again and again! After the excitement of the cataclysmic opening I calmed myself and tried to listen objectively, but it was no good; the sheer wanton brutality, infectious guitar melodies and multi-layered demonic-Deicide vocals had me hooked. Bye bye reason, hello Death Metal passion.

The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint. Mechanized drum brutality and sinuous, malevolent guitars battle each other for pride of place. All the time the vocalist, who appears to be blessed with Satan’s own lungs, is giving Glen Benton a serious run for his money in the Top Growler competition that I’m sure is running somewhere in the world as we speak.

It’s not all focused brutality though; there is an evil melodic streak to the band when they want to show it. They also throw in some guitar solos; especially enjoyable are the ones that sound almost lazily played; meandering over the thick chaos of the rest of the song .

This is somewhat of an unexpected revelation; Annihilation have certainly made me a very happy bunny. Can they do the same for you?