Metal – Page 90 – Wonderbox Metal

Prayed and Betrayed – The Abundance of a Sickened Mind (Review)

Prayed and Betrayed are from Finland and this is their second EP.

With a striking cover that screams New-School, this is modern Melodic Death Metal with a healthy dose of heaviness.

The Abundance of a Sickened Mind has a very good recording that allows the band to sound punchy and fresh. This EP sounds confident and bold, which is what you want for this style of music.

There are three songs on this release and each of them boast a strong sound and a good grasp of melodics and songwriting. They’re quite good for instant gratification but also for a bit of longevity as the songs themselves are pretty decent and can last the course.

The melodic side of the band is constant but not overt, meaning that you don’t get swamped with overly-melodic riffs or sickly-sweet sounding passages. This is because the band offset it with a core of heaviness that relies on thick riffs that are rooted in modern Metal.

The combination of modern Metal rhythm guitars and more traditional Metal leads mean that Prayed and Betrayed have a foot in both camps; while this could in theory lead to a muddled identity in reality it works well with the band coming off as a firm hit rather than a floundering miss. In this sense I’d compare them to Dead Earth Politics who also effortlessly combine the old and the new into something fresh.

Prayed and Betrayed have created a very enjoyable calling card. Now all we need is a full album to really see what they’re truly capable of.

Orange Goblin – Back From The Abyss (Review)

Orange Goblin are from the UK and this is their eighth album. They play Stoner/Heavy Metal.

At this point Orange Goblin are pretty much a UK institution in their own right and their storming new album will once again seal their status as one of the best this country has to offer. When you want good, honest, balls-to-the-wall Heavy Metal with swagger, groove and attitude; accept no substitutes.

Mammoth riffs and thick grooves are once again tirelessly thrown out by the band with reckless abandon, heedless of the hordes of lesser bands that they show up by simply existing.

Orange Goblin have always excelled at writing just good, old-fashioned songs. The type of songs you can either sit back and enjoy or actively get involved with. They’re as catchy as bag of hooks.

The shocking thing is that pretty much every song here is a stand-out track. Although the taster songs are The Devil’s Whip and Sabbath Hex, they could almost have picked any song at random and had it be a single.

That’s not to say they all sound the same, however. If anything, the band have introduced more variety onto this album and it makes for a very complete sounding collection of songs. From the shorter, more upbeat songs to the longer blues-infused pseudo-jams, to Classic Metal-infused anthems and everything in between; Back From The Abyss hits the spot.

The album is backed up by a warm, gritty recording that pulses with vitality and life. The guitars sound huge, the drums are deeply satisfying and the singer’s voice is on top form.

Orange Goblin have always released top quality albums and Back From the Abyss is one of their best. Be sure to check it out.

Northern Crown – In the Hands of the Betrayer (Review)

Northern Crown are from the US and this is their debut EP, although at 31 minutes in length it’s the same length as some albums.

The band play Heavy/Doom Metal in its original guise and with added organ accompaniment. Although the band play slow on occasion, this is more on the Heavy Metal side of things than Doom, although there’s a fair amount of crossover in the genres anyway.

Played well and with obvious enthusiasm; Northern Crown are a very likeable and personable band. Choruses ring out and juicy melodies are used. Guitars unleash sonic hell with evocative leads and molten solos. The rhythm guitars are nicely chunky and tasty, emotive riffs are the bedrock of the songs.

These tracks span varying speeds from the up-tempo to mid-paced to straight Doom Metal. All the while the organs add that extra layer to proceedings.

If you like the heavier works of Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio then Northern Crown should be right up your street. The inclusion of a Candlemass cover should seal the deal and rounds out the influences.

This is Metal through and through and a very promising start to what will hopefully be a long and productive career.

Recommended.

A Breach of Silence – The Darkest Road (Review)

This is the second album from Australia’s A Breach of Silence.

The band play modern Melodic Metalcore. We’ve met this band before with their début album Dead or Alive which was a passionate display of the more commercial side of Metal. So what does the new offering sound like?

Stylistically we’re in similar territory to the first, although everything appears to be cranked up even higher this time.

The harsh vocals are harsher, the clean singing bigger, the heavy parts heavier, the melodic parts more so…you get the idea.

Importantly though, the band have improved their songwriting. Their début was perfectly enjoyable of course, but this album is just better. With the benefit of hindsight it now seems as if Dead or Alive was almost a trial run for The Darkest Road. Whereas the first was the band finding their sound, this is them refining it and obviously benefiting from touring and perfecting their formula.

The Power Metal influence has lessened somewhat, although it’s still a part of the band’s sound; this is most notable on songs like Immortal and Time Still Remains where it gets to shine brightly.

The recording is suitably huge, which is a necessity for a band like this. Everything sounds in your face and clear.

Well I’m suitably impressed by this. It won’t change the world but it is a very enjoyable slab of modern Metal. The band have improved on their sound and the songs are bigger and better than ever. Kudos to them.

If your tastes run to the more commercial then this is definitely a recommended listen.

Oecist – XVIII LIII (Review)

Oecist are from the US and play Post-Metal. This is their début EP.

This is instrumental Metal in the style of bands such as Cloudkicker, Red Sparowes, Pelican and the like.

At just under 20 minutes it’s a relatively short listen but it serves as a good introduction to the band and what they’re capable of.

And just what is it that they are capable of then? Well, they create expansive, emotive music that enjoys the freedom and grandeur that Post-Metal offers.

It’s melancholic, expressive and packs a pretty good punch. Unlike some Post-Metal bands who emphasize the Post- part of the style more than the -Metal part, Oecist seem to have the two pretty much equally distributed through this EP. They’re not afraid to let things get heavier when they need to.

This is an enjoyable début. Hopefully future releases will see the band expanding on their sound and building on what they’ve accomplished with XVIII LIII. Here’s to the future.

Skull Koraptor – Dead Ahead (Review)

Skull Koraptor are a Thrash Metal band from Greece and this is their début EP.

Skull Koraptor play Old-School Thrash Metal with a pinch of Heavy Metal added to the mix. They’re influenced by the old Big Four and wear their influences on their sleeves.

It’s energetic and played with passion. We may have heard this style many times before but there’s no denying the enthusiasm that the band attack the material with.

The instruments are played well and there are a fair few enjoyable solos sprinkled around.

Each song is well written and the band have a good grasp of what it takes to write a catchy Metal song.

The vocalist does a good job and overall this is an authentic recreation of Old-School Metal that should be recognisable to any fan of the genre.

If you’ve reached your saturation point with this type of Metal then there’s probably not much to tempt you here, however if you still carry a torch for this older Thrash sound then Skull Koraptor are actually way better and more authentic than a lot of those in the retro-Thrash movement.

Want some enjoyable and honest Old-School Thrash Metal? Look no further.

Threshold – For The Journey (Review)

Threshold are from the UK and play Progressive Metal. This is their 10th album.

The latest Threshold album, eh? Always a pleasure to listen to this band. They have put out some great music over the years so this was an album I was looking forward to listening to.

Although undeniably still Progressive Metal, they’ve added a little more Hard Rock in their sound, which shows up in some of the harder riffs they use from time to time. This is a subtle alteration however, as they’ve always had this aspect to their sound in varying amounts and For The Journey is still Threshold through-and-through.

Straight away the classic Threshold sound blares out of the speakers as soon as you press play. Threshold are remarkable in this style of music in that you can instantly recognise them; they don’t particularly sound like anyone else and yet even though it’s instantly familiar they still manage to avoid overtly repeating themselves. This speaks of a band with a lot of talent, which has always been apparent.

The songs on For The Journey are a well-crafted collection of strong tracks that showcase the considerable songwriting ability of the band. They walk the fine line between technical ability and emotive songwriting and manage to strike the perfect balance between the two.

Threshold have always, to me, sounded very easy listening in the sense that their music appears to effortlessly sink into the brain and it’s like listening to liquefied Metal that tastes as good as the finest of wines.

The musicianship is, of course, exemplary. Whether this is the powerfully understated drumming, the driving riffs, the exquisite solos and leads, the subtle bass or the mood enhancing keyboards; Threshold know what they’re doing and they do it extremely well.

Vocally as well, the band are onto a winner. A compelling and powerful voice provides clean vocals that are wide in range and incredibly self-assured and powerful. Some of the vocal melodies are enough to send shivers down the spine, especially when they merge perfectly with the accompanying music. The astoundingly good chorus to Unforgiven is one example of many.

Well, what an album. For their tenth full-length Threshold have once again created a masterpiece of Progressive Metal that raises the bar for any other band who are even vaguely playing this style.

This is essential listening from an exemplary band. Get this.

Sons of Crom – Riddle of Steel (Review)

Sons of Crom are from Sweden and this is their début album. They play epic Viking-influenced Heavy/Black/Folk Metal.

This is thundering music with an interesting sound; it’s somewhere between Old-School and New and gives the band an interesting sheen.

We’ve heard this style before, of course, but this is a veritable exemplar of the sub-genre as it’s done exceedingly well.

Taking elements of bands such as Enslaved, Arcturus and, notably, Bathory, this is an impressive distillation of the quintessence of those bands, birthed anew in the form of Riddle of Steel.

The music and vocals are epic beyond all reason and you just can’t help but get carried away by the obvious passion and enthusiasm here. It’s hard to credit that this is a début album really as the level of maturity displayed on these songs is staggering. Each track is fully realised and boasts more features than many bands manage in a full album.

Epic melodies abound and the guitars really do draw out every last tiny bit of emotion possible from the instrument. This is Metal through and through in the best possible way. It’s Bathory updated for 2014 whilst remaining faithful and true to the original.

The vocals are varied and accomplished; they span everything from darker, rougher shouts, to higher screams, to a mid-ground semi-clean, to choral overlays. The delivery is masterful.

The music is richly textured and almost suffers from stimulation overload at points as there’s a lot going on and it’s all so damned grandiose!

This will likely be snapped up eagerly by fans of the Bathory/epic Viking Metal scene who are still hungry for all things of this nature. Unless you think Bathory are the be-all and end-all of this style then you should find more than enough to feast on here.

Turn it on, turn it up and get swept away in the huge nature of the band.

(Sample is from their Conqueror EP which is a taster of two tracks from the album)

Doomlord – Almas Malditas – Split (Review)

Doomlord are from Puerto Rico and play Doom Metal. This is their début release, one half of a split with King Heavy.

This is Classic Doom/Heavy Metal with a good recording and enjoyable songs. Taking cues from early Doom Metal, the band have a strong sound that emphasises the Metal part of Doom Metal and clearly enjoy what they do.

The Spanish-language vocals give the album a nice flavour and helps differentiate the band’s sound. The singer has a good voice and knows his chosen genre well.

The music is well played and the songs have some good moments to them. Tasty riffs and solos abound in these 4 tracks. Keyboards/organs add an extra dimension to the songs and are a nice touch. There a lot of well-written sections in the tracks and the band are adept at creating atmospheric parts to otherwise rocking Metal tunes.

This flies the flag high and proud for True Metal and anyone with a passing interest in the original incarnation of Doom/Heavy Metal would do well to look this up.

In Love Your Mother – The Great Ape Project (Review)

In Love Your Mother are from Switzerland. The band play short blasts of heavy Metallic Hardcore that takes parts of bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, System of a Down, Mastodon and Tool; Mathcore meets Progressive Metal.

Most of the songs here are angry and heavy but they also have a Progressive Metal edge to them so occasionally branch out into softer areas where clean vocals replace the harsher shouts; all of which is compressed into songs that are typically about the 1 or 2 minute mark, on average.

Although the album is 30 minutes long, the changeling nature of the tracks and the fact that there are 18 of them mean In Love Your Mother are a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of band. Although you could probably make a similar claim for countless Grindcore bands, the difference here is that In Love Your Mother are a much more varied proposition.

It’s an enjoyable release that benefits from a loud volume and thorough listen.

It’s heavy, it’s good, it rocks. Give them a try.