Reviews – Page 472 – Wonderbox Metal

Mindshift – Horizon (Review)

This is the second album from Swedish Metal band Mindshift.

Mindshift’s latest album is 56 minutes of downtuned aggression in the Metalcore style that pushes the tried-and-tested style of heavy verses and melodic choruses, à la Atreyu, Killswitch Engage, Soilwork and the like.

The singer’s harsh voice reminds me of the singer of Atreyu, and he provides a good performance for the most part. The clean vocals do what they’re here to do, with decent melodies and hooks, some of which are really quite tasty.

The songs are, overall, a bit heavier and more aggressive than some that play this style, which I like, although the radio-friendly choruses clearly show their aspirations.

Although this style has been done to death, with some catchy choruses and good songwriting this is still an enjoyable release if you’re partial to the style. I probably would have loved this about 10-15 years ago. Nowadays I still quite like it, mainly due to the fact that it’s done well and sticks to basic song structures that are as familiar as they are pleasing in their simplicity.

Despite all of the things that are stacked against a band playing this style, I like that Horizon doesn’t play it completely safe and doesn’t just take the easy option of completely regurgitating stuff that’s been done a million times before. This is mainly down to the guitars and clean vocals – the former sound like a lot of consideration has gone into their structuring and layout, while the latter really do add a lot to the tracks and are performed with a passion that’s apparent.

There’s some good riffs and emotive melodies knocking about here too, and the electronic component to their sound is infrequent and used lightly, adding what is needed to the songs without getting in the way.

Ultimately Mindshift have put together an album that is easy to sit back and enjoy. The decent riffs and vocals do their job well and the songs pass by in a quite personable way. I can easily imagine myself listening to this a few more times in the future, despite a slightly over-long playing time.

Have a listen and check them out.

Pyramido – Vatten (Review)

This is the fourth album from Swedish Sludge/ Doom band Pyramido.

Saga was a very strong album, and now that Pyramido return with Vatten it’s clear that it wasn’t a one-off fluke.

Pyramido are heavy and crushing. Vatten exemplifies these traits and the album is 38 minutes of emotively flattening guitars and distorted atmospherics.

Anguished screams tear out of the music as lonesome leads and tortured melodies rise out from the body of the music. Although the heaviness is a constant companion, it’s not Pyramido’s only weapon in the war against silence, as they also show they can play introspectively in more of a Post-Metal way.

On Vatten the band seem to have injected a little more nuance and shading into their songs; even though they had this on Saga for sure, it seems more developed here, with the time being taken to cultivate greater mood and feeling via the leads and rhythms.

Even when all of this happens though, the heavy riffs are not too far away, and the Sludge Metal gets its way in the end. The truly wonderful moments occur when the heavy riffs are providing the emotive content, and on those occasions Vatten is at its best.

These tracks compel you to pay attention, as the groovy and emotive guitars draw you in, engaging with their fury and hypnotic delivery.

Highly recommended.

Tombs – All Empires Fall (Review)

This is the latest EP from US Post-Black Metal band Tombs.

Tombs continue to be one of the better and more interesting bands in Metal today. Here we have 34 minutes of new music, in equal parts heavy, atmospheric, grand and intimidating, as only Tombs do so well.

Blending Metal, Sludge, Black Metal and Hardcore into a potent brew, their last release Savage Gold is a firm favourite of mine and it seems that All Empires Fall is going the same way, albeit for a few different reasons; Tombs have progressed and changed in some ways since their last release, and the Black Metal component of their sound is much further to the front now, along with added keyboards.

The World Is Made of Fire is a short intro track that essentially sets the scene and sounds quite imposing and epic in scope.

Second song Obsidian showcases the band’s Black Metal side to great effect, with scything screeched vocals and cutting, frozen riffs. Blasting aggression, energetic atmosphere and blackened Hardcore thuggery combine with some deft melody to create a really enjoyable darkened exploration.

After this we get Last Days of Sunlight, which is quite different. Featuring some exotically alluring clean croons, the song stalks along like a hungry predator, all menace and lethal intent. It’s a highly atmospheric slow-burner that showcases a different side of Tombs and once again demonstrates their multi-talented skills.

Deceiver is up next. It’s heavy, memorable and has a catchy, punky, blackened sheen that would do Wolvhammer proud.

The final track is the longest and simply named V. Here we get a mixture of pretty much everything that has come before it, including cleans, blackened riffs, melodic sharpness and catchy delivery.

Like the mighty Rorcal, Tombs are at the top of their game when it comes to modern Post-Black Metal that seethes with power, recognises the past and combines non-blackened genres into its stylistic package.

An essential listen.

The Zenith Passage – Solipsist (Review)

The Zenith Passage are a Technical Death Metal band from the US. This is their début album.

Featuring former and current members of The Faceless, Oblivion, Fallujah and All Shall Perish, you already know that there’s a wealth of talent behind this band before you even press play.

The aforementioned bands also give you an idea of what type of material that The Zenith Passage play too; combining the modern/futuristic Death Metal of The Faceless and Fallujah, complete with keyboards/electronics and otherworldly atmospherics, gets you a pretty good idea of how Solipsist sounds.

The music is mostly frenzied extremity combined with seasoned atmospherics that’s both highly melodic and brutally sharp. Guitars shift and turn while the drums are an endless exploration of blast beats, double bass and maniacal rhythms.

As should be expected from the people involved in this, the level of musicianship is absurdly high. With so many complex guitars parts, twisting melodies and outright mind-ripping axe-shredding, Solipsist doesn’t leave the listener wanting in the technicality department. That the mayhem is occasionally punctuated by more atmospheric and relaxing moments just serves to make the extremity all the more powerful.

The singer has the kind of rapid-fire bark that suits this type of frenetic music. He seems almost in a race to keep up with the speed of the guitars, and although he’s always destined to fail at this, it doesn’t matter as the trying is the important part.

If you’re a fan of the style of music that The Faceless play, but prefer their earlier material which had less/no clean vocals, then I would heartily recommend you check this out. Hell, if you’re a fan of techdeath at all, I would recommend you check this out. Basically, check this out.

Omophagia – In the Name of Chaos (Review)

Omophagia are a Death Metal band from Switzerland and this is their second album.

Playing a brutal and precise version of Death Metal, Omophagia know how to pen a good riff and a memorable song.

Alongside the speed and brutality there’s also some nice technical aspects to the songs as the band know their instruments well.

Included also are some very enjoyable solos and leads, and the band aren’t afraid of including some melody here and there. There’s a militaristic, impersonal feel to some of the heavy riffs which is deftly counteracted by the colour and warmth that the solos, leads and slices of melody provide.

These songs are well-composed and the band show a keen awareness for structure and pace. I like that they know how to use the rhythm guitars to great effect, always making sure to inject them with energy and rhythmic memorability. Rather than peeling off throwaway filler riffs, it feels as if the different parts of these songs have been thought over in detail. Combined with the mechanistic and relentlessly pounding drums that track with the guitars, it makes for an effective and efficient rhythm section.

The vocalist has a rapid-fire voice that barks out deep growls in a clipped, decisive manner. His voice is very satisfying and alongside the well-recorded music these songs hit the spot quite nicely.

Omophagia have the full package, and In the Name of Chaos is one of the more fully-rounded Death Metal releases I’ve heard of late.

Very highly recommended.

Monster Coyote – Neckbreaker (Review)

This is the third album from Brazilian Sludge/Stoner Metal band Monster Coyote.

With a colossal and crushing sound, Neckbreaker holds nothing back. The album is aptly named, let’s just say that.

Living in the same hinterland between styles that is inhabited by bands such as Ilsa, Serpent Eater, Northless, Colombian Necktie and the like, Monster Coyote play heavy, nasty music that’s too upbeat to be Doom, too gnarly to be pure Metal, and too rocking to be Death Metal. It’s somewhat how you might imagine Mastodon would sound if they had fallen in love with heavier, nastier music after their first release, or maybe Clutch if they developed a love of Sludge Metal.

The singer has a formidable roar that doesn’t let up. His caustic, gruff tones are a joy to listen to as the music rumbles and chugs its way through the 40 minutes of playing time.

The music is all about the crushing riffs and relentlessly aggressive heaviness. What separates them from some of their peers though is that instead of fusing this with Doom or Hardcore, they instead choose to fuse it with a Stoner Rock sensibility that means these tracks are all endowed with high energy and furious vitality.

The band know their stuff when it comes to playing and some of the longer tracks give them ample opportunity to develop their art. The drums in particular are a really satisfying listen, all rolls and pounding beats.

Emotive without being weak and strong without being brutish, Neckbreaker is the perfect recommendation for anyone into heavy, aggressive music that knows how to rock the fuck out.

Highly recommended.

Job for a Cowboy – Sun Eater (Review)

Job for a Cowboy are a US Death Metal band and this is their fourth album.

On this release Job for a Cowboy have refined their Death Metal further, adding a progressive sheen to their technical assault. Ambitious and bold, this is a game-changing release for the band in many ways, demonstrating that they are willing to do what it takes to reinvent themselves on their own terms.

The solid and modern Death Metal core of the band remains, but on Sun Eater this is complemented by additional ideas and different flourishes to what they have tried before, including nicely wandering basslines and progressive Metal explorations that truly flesh out their sound more than in the past. On Sun Eater it seems they have really pushed the envelope with their experimentation.

It’s really good to see a band that are not content to stay the same with every release; while still retaining their own identity the band have moved forwards with their style and embraced a more Death/Cynic aspect in addition to what they have previously done. This enhanced songwriting is apparent throughout this album.

The songs are complex, varied, layered and have a lot going on. Entwined melodies and eccentric grooves create all manner of intriguing soundscapes. The bass, which is always something I love to hear, is a major player in the band’s updated sound.

Note should also be made of their singer. Although he’s always had a charismatic growl, his performance on Sun Eater is probably his most diverse and enjoyable yet, with his growls and screams being flawlessly delivered and well-judged. His engaging vocal rhythms remain intact, even though the music has morphed and mutated around them.

Due to the above, Sun Eater offers less instant gratification than its predecessors, but repeated spins shows this to be a positive thing as the album grows on you like a plague, (in a good way).

Having successfully fully transitioned to this new progressive Death Metal style, this album is hugely impressive.

For fans of Obscura, Gorguts and the like, this is damn near essential.

Beseech – My Darkness, Darkness (Review)

Beseech are a Gothic Metal band from Sweden and this is their sixth album.

Since reforming in 2012, this is the band’s first release in 11 years, after their last album Sunless Days in 2005. I always really enjoyed Beseech’s older work when I was in the mood for it so was looking forward to hearing their newest music.

Immediately as the first song Beating Pulse starts it’s like they’ve never been away, with sterling melodies and emotive vocals from both male and female singers. It’s a strong opening.

The Beseech of 2016 have refined their sound so that they now pay homage to their earlier work, but have also added something new and, dare I say it, better than what came before. There’s a bit more of a Rock vibe to parts of this album than there was previously, and this has replaced certain overly-Gothic aspects of their sound in some ways. I don’t have a problem with this though, in fact I think it makes for a stronger album overall.

Beseech were always quite an emotive and textured band, but they appear to have developed this even further on My Darkness, Darkness. There also seems to be a bit more subtlety and nuance here than before; although this is not something they were really lacking, it’s just a deeper part of their sound now.

Essentially this is Beseech 2.0; better, leaner, hungrier and more refined than before. Experience and time appears to have aged them like a fine wine, and this collection of songs is very enjoyable indeed.

I’m very pleased with this. Rather cynically I honestly expected some form of half-hearted rehashing of old glories, (not sure why), but instead the band have impressively produced an updated, fresh and wonderfully emotive release that has quite floored my jaded expectations and is currently swamping my brain with quality tunes.

Check this out.

Sourvein – Aquatic Occult (Review)

This is the fourth album from these US Sludge/Doom veterans.

Sourvein return with an aquatic-themed album, it seems.

The band play their sludge with a raw energy that seems to tap into something primeval and old, probably something lurking in the deepest waters in the darkest ocean.

With a heavy sound that’s warmly analogue, these songs have a kind of retro vibe to them that manages to eschew any of the normal bullshit trappings that such a term usually involves. Rather, what we have here is music that’s honest, visceral and not afraid to get dirty, (wet?).

The songs have groove and melody, both of which are used well throughout the playing time. It’s an endearing mix of influences that combine on this release, with everything from Electric Wizard, Eyehategod, Black Sabbath, Acid Bath and Mastodon making it into the melting pot.

Short tracks don’t outstay their welcome, and Sourvein know how to flourish a song with a relatively short playing time for maximum effect.

There are some quality and earthy, (aquatic?), guitar solos included, alongside a bass that just sounds really, really good.

The singer reveals himself to be quite versatile, with clean and rough singing, as well as throaty shouts used where necessary. He has a lot of presence and charisma, which can also be said of the songs as a whole. Taken together the music and the vocal performance make for a very strong collection of tracks that are both catchy and memorable.

Well, this is very, very enjoyable. Sourvein stick out from the crowd as having something a bit special and being a bit different from the norm.

You gotta get this, or Poseidon will be pissed.

Fleshgore – Denial of the Scriptures (Review)

This is the fifth album from this Ukrainian Death Metal band.

Here we have 39 minutes of brutal Death Metal in the USDM style, influenced by the likes of Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Severe Torture, etc.

This is a release that has a satisfying and dense sound, crushing and maiming all around it. The band can play too, and are given ample opportunity to show off what they can do.

The vocals on this release are just the right side of pignoise, so that the singer still has power to his voice rather than just sounding like he’s got a bad case of the burps. He sounds on top form.

The songs are ultra-brutal exemplars of the style and unless you’re just not a fan of this kind of stuff then it’s hard to find fault with their delivery. With decent riffs and good structuring, the tracks on Denial of the Scriptures make for an enjoyable listen and this timeless form of Death Metal is easy to get on board with.

Blast beats are accentuated by mid-paced aggression and even small hints of barbaric melody here and there; these are few and far between though, added to some of the riffs on occasion to sharpen them up to a killing point.

This is a solid and gratifying Death Metal release from a band that have honed their craft over time. Denial of Scriptures has had the excess fat mercilessly chewed off so all that is left is a lean, mean killing machine.

Recommended for all fans of brutality.