Reviews – Page 458 – Wonderbox Metal

Wederganger/Laster – Split (Review)

Wederganger and Laster both play black metal and are both from the Netherlands. They have teamed up for this very tasty split.

Wederganger contribute one song, Klaroenen Van de Dood, lasting almost 15 minutes. They’ve been featured on this site before with their début album Halfvergaan Ontwaakt, which was an enjoyable listen that fused orthodox black metal with epic, folk influences.

On this split the band show their predilection for Darkthrone/Satyricon-styled grooves Continue reading “Wederganger/Laster – Split (Review)”

Vow of Thorns – Farewell to the Sun (Review)

Vow of Thorns are a post-black metal band from Canada, and this is their début album.

This is post-black metal with liberal lashings of the depressive and doom styles, and a taste for the progressive too.

The songs have a depressive black metal feel to them, coming from their general demeanour and the melodies used. Continue reading “Vow of Thorns – Farewell to the Sun (Review)”

Monolithe – Zeta Reticuli (Review)

Monolithe are a French doom band, and this is their sixth album.

Monolithe are no stranger to this site, having been covered previously here, here and here. This latest album is the second part, a companion release, as it were, to their last one, Epsilon Aurigae, and continues their evolution away from their original funeral doom style into uncharted territories.

Like Epsilon Aurigae, Zeta Reticuli sees the band keeping aspects of funeral doom, but adding increasingly progressive influences to their sound. It also sees them keeping the same format – three songs, 15:00 minutes each, exactly. Continue reading “Monolithe – Zeta Reticuli (Review)”

Nogrod – Abstruce Dismal (Review)

This is the début EP from this Indian blackened death metal band.

Think of bands like Behemoth and Belphegor – bands that combine the brutality of death metal with the occult malevolence of black metal. This is the world that Nogrod inhabit.

This is either black metal with a death metal influence, or blackened death metal, depending Continue reading “Nogrod – Abstruce Dismal (Review)”

Revocation – Great Is Our Sin (Review)

This is the sixth album from Revocation, a US death/thrash metal band.

Revocation have been steadily building a solid reputation for themselves over the years, and when you look at their latest release it’s easy to see why.

Here we have a band that combines death metal, thrash metal, technicality and even a bit of Continue reading “Revocation – Great Is Our Sin (Review)”

Summit – The Winds That Forestall Thy Return (Review)

This is the début album from atmospheric progressive/sludge/post-metal, (phew), solo-project-with-guests Summit.

This is an album that works its wonders in moods and feelings, spread over the playing time with lovingly crafted care and attention to detail.

I like that this album has quite a lot going on. Continue reading “Summit – The Winds That Forestall Thy Return (Review)”

Even the Dead Love a Parade – Even the Dead Love a Parade (Review)

Even the Dead Love a Parade are a groove metal band from the US. This is their début EP.

Featuring the bassist of Drowning Pool, this EP is 23 minutes of modern, rocking metal that has some thrash and hardcore influences – somewhat of a cross between Annihilator, Pantera and Vision of Disorder. Continue reading “Even the Dead Love a Parade – Even the Dead Love a Parade (Review)”

Elyria – Reflection and Refraction (Review)

Elyria are a symphonic metal band from Germany. This is their début album.

With a Classically-trained female vocalist in the ranks, you already know that her singing is going to be first-rate. With her Classical training it’s clear from the off that she really knows what she’s doing. How well this works for you depends on your take on the style and how you feel about these kinds of vocals.

There are some really nice vocal melodies strewn about these tracks, reminding me sometimes of older Kamelot in their delivery, and her voice is very enjoyable.

The music is largely of the Gothic/symphonic variety, but interestingly Elyria spice Continue reading “Elyria – Reflection and Refraction (Review)”

Todtgelichter – Rooms (Review)

This is the fifth album from Todtgelichter, who play progressive/avant-garde black metal.

Rooms comes across as a combination of Enslaved and Madder Mortem, with a side-order of some of Arcturus‘ work. The resultant mix reminds of a post-black metal version of Obscure Sphinx. Which, considering who good Obscure Sphinx are, is an exciting proposition.

The music generally fuses elements of Continue reading “Todtgelichter – Rooms (Review)”

Coldblood – Indescribable Physiognomy of the Devil (Review)

This is the third album from this Brazlian death metal band.

This is death metal with its roots in the 90s scene, both in style and production. In fact, the recording on Indescribable Physiognomy of the Devil has a brutal charm all of its own. When combined with the music itself, this adds up to a pretty nice sounding album.

This may be of the old-school, but in other ways Continue reading “Coldblood – Indescribable Physiognomy of the Devil (Review)”