Reviews – Page 476 – Wonderbox Metal

Walls of Jericho – No One Can Save You from Yourself (Review)

Walls of Jericho are a US Hardcore/Metalcore band and this is their fifth album.

I haven’t encountered Walls of Jericho since their 2004 album All Hail the Dead, which I really enjoyed. I’m not too sure why I never got any of their subsequent releases, but at least I’m finally catching up with them again now, a mere 12 years later…

Coming from a very fertile time in Hardcore/Metalcore history, Walls of Jericho continue to play the kind of heavy, angry music that’s so effortlessly pit-friendly and easy to move to.

The singer’s angry snarl appears to have gotten even gruffer over the years since I last heard her, and on this newest album she sounds on fire with her aggressive delivery. It’s interesting, as on some songs she varies her style a bit and when she screams a little higher in places she sounds more like her old self. Which do I prefer? Honestly not sure. Her deeper voice has more drive in it but her higher one has more personality. Ultimately both do the job nicely, just in different ways.

The songs are compact and belligerent, echoing the style of fellow bruisers Hatebreed, Terror, Born from Pain, etc. only with Walls of Jericho adding their own spin on things. They seem absolutely designed to be played in a live environment, with every riff tweaked to provide maximum mosh-pit action.

Featuring a plethora of heavy, chunky riffs and enough breakdowns to snap a leg to, this is a record that’s easy to get along with.

The last track Probably Will is completely out of place and out of sync with the rest of the album, showing a definite different side to the band and the singer in particular. It’s great to hear and a great song, but as it’s so different to everything else on here it almost shows large chunks of the rest of the album in a bad light as it has much more depth and nuance than anything else on this record. The key word in that last sentence, though, is almost, as the material is strong and confident enough to stand on its own when compared to its softer side.

Overall, this is a strong return for the band after an eight year absence, and No One Can Save You from Yourself is definitely a recommended listen for when you want to feel energised and firmly want the cobwebs blown away in the morning.

Boris/Merzbow – Gensho – Split (Review)

This is a split between two well-known, (in underground circles, at least), Japanese groups; Boris and Merzbow.

This is a mammoth release that contains almost two and a half hours of music, evenly split between both artists. This is an exact split too, as the two sides are designed to be played either separately or simultaneously; doing the latter provides yet a different experience as the music of the two syncs up to provide the listener with something greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Boris’ side features 9 songs that are all percussion-less versions of some of their existing tracks. This reinterpretation of their own work lends the songs a different quality to the originals, (some of which I’m familiar with and some of which I’m not), creating dreamy soundscapes and indulgent forays into emotive colour and feeling.

The band have picked tracks that demonstrate their emotive and Doom/Drone side well, resulting in an emotive and atmospheric release that easily stands up on its own even without its counterpart music from Merzbow.

As someone who’s a massive fan of all things drums, I’m pleased with how well the music holds up without percussion and this Boris side of the split is stronger and more effective than I expected.

Merzbow is a legendary noise-maker that I have been aware of for so long now that I can’t recall. However, apart from the odd collaboration or guest spot on someone else’s music, I have never actually heard anything by him. Due to my general antipathy towards most percussion-less noise, I’ve never felt the urge to particular seek out his music, so it’s taken this long to hear anything by him.

With that in mind, we turn our attention to these four colossal tracks that are designed, as with the Boris ones, to be played individually or in conjunction with those of his split-mates.

Unfortunately, as alluded to previously, most noise leaves me rather cold, and although I can appreciate that these Merzbow tracks have structure and do create harsh soundscapes with squeals, feedback and distorted crackles, etc., it’s ultimately not a style I can claim to love.

Having said that though, these tracks do have their moments, and due to the prolonged playing time I was very surprised to find myself eventually settling into it. Shocking! As I say; in general this is not a type of music that really does that much for me, so it’s testament to his skill as an artist that I can actually willingly listen to this and take something from it.

None were more surprised than I. It seems that Merzbow deserves his reputation after all.

So here we have it, a very long and surprisingly enjoyable release that certainly won’t be for everyone, but may be more to your liking than you might first think.

However, that’s not the end of it, and this is where the genius comes in; play the two artists together as is intended, and everything changes. All of sudden, the Merzbow contribution works wonders when taken alongside the Boris tracks. The resulting soundscapes combine the harsh frequencies and dreamy guitar-based drones to produce four long tracks that paint some really evocative musical pictures.

This, for me, is the ultimate way to enjoy this release. Taken in at the same time, the entire experience gets elevated and I wouldn’t really listen to it any other way now.

Some releases are a challenge to review and this one has been a marathon of exploration and expectation-destroying revelation. It has been worth every second though, and I can’t wait to hear what you think about this one.

Gargantua – Avant-Propos (Review)

This is the début EP from French Progressive Metal band Gargantua.

Gargantua play Progressive Metal that combines some quite eclectic influences to produce a 26 minute calling card that shows off what they can do quite effectively.

To give you a flavour of their style, imagine a mix of The Meads of Asphodel, Sigh, The Black Dahlia Murder and Akercocke, among others. It’s essentially a form of melodic Death Metal with added folk, avant-garde and progressive influences, allowing the band a freedom to experiment and be playful with their influences.

The keyboard and accordion aspect of their sound is quirky and endearing. While not as completely over-the-top as some of the stuff that Sigh get up to, this part of their sound can still be demanding and attention-seeking.

The more aggressive Metal that lays the foundation of their music is tempered by their other influences so that the majority of the riffs have a lot of other stuff going on; the avant-garde and more-emotive aspects of their style are never too far away.

Thrash Metal-esque shouted growls, barely-holding-it-together screams, progressive cleans, operatic choral parts, emotive theatrics; there’s a plethora of different styles employed on Avant-Propos via four of the various band members.

A very promising first release. While not perfect, it shows a creative band willing and able to push boundaries to achieve the sound they want. With a few tweaks here and there to tighten the songwriting up, they could become quite a fearsome proposition in the future.

Check them out.

Slaughterday – Laws of the Occult (Review)

This is the second album from German Death Metal band Slaughterday.

Slaughterday already have a couple of solid releases behind them, (their début album, Nightmare Vortex, and an EP, Ravenous), and this new album continues the trend with 43 minutes of quality, timeless Death Metal.

The band have a talent for writing enjoyable leads and solos, as well as meaty rhythm guitars. If anything, they’ve stepped up their game on this release, with the flowing, grim leads and electrified solos especially.

Featuring a slightly more morbid overall sound than previously, Slaughterday reek of the grave and these songs once again show that the band continue to unleash high-value Death Metal on the world with every release.

As always, I like Slaughterday the most when they play on the slower end of the spectrum. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with their faster work, it’s just that I really enjoy the slower/mid-paced riffs and the moods that these parts evoke.

The singer’s voice is just as guttural as ever, accompanying the well-written music with merciless growls. The overall impact is that of a focused and complete album, with everything where it needs to be and sounding like it should.

This is a very enjoyable release, and I’d recommend this for anyone who has a taste for the old-school.

Piss Vortex – Future Cancer (Review)

Hailing from Denmark, Piss Vortex play Grindcore and this is their latest EP.

Piss Vortex return, subjecting an unsuspecting world to more of the angular, dissonant Grind that we so enjoyed on their self-titled début album.

As with their début, this EP is filled with interesting and inventive riffs, alongside a decent amount of Sludge influence in their killing sound. Piss Vortex don’t do things the typical way, which is only to be commended, of course.

Future Cancer is 12 minutes of savage experimental and exploratory Grindcore. There’s plenty of brutality and mayhem on offer, which the band do in their own inimitable way. These tracks focus on causing as much damage as possible from as many different directions at once, it seems.

I can’t help but be drawn into the odd time signatures and atypical riffs that the band use, and these tracks have a lot to offer someone who’s into their Grind with a side order of modern violent Hardcore and nasty Sludge.

Highly recommended.

Ifrinn – Ifrinn (Review)

Here we have some Scottish Black Metal; Ifrinn’s début release.

This is raw Black Metal that nonetheless doesn’t restrict itself to the generic, Darkthrone-esque classic style, as many bands of this nature do. The album cover should give some mysterious clues away; this is music that mixes in the esoteric and occult into its vicious, spite-filled delivery.

After a dark and menacing ambient intro track, the music soon reveals itself to be equally dark and menacing, albeit also layered in distortion, speed and hateful invective. Ifrinn embrace the core nature of Black Metal and turn its simplistic pleasures to their advantage, wallowing in their self-generated atmospheric and moody soundscapes.

The music is darkly spirited and the songs wallow in the mysterious, otherworldly ambience that they create. The third track, (Sulphurous Oscillations), is another mood-piece, reinforcing the feeling of something strange and unsettling going on.

We end with a final song that shows a good grasp of bleak melodics and primitive auras, showing the mastery of shaded blackness that the guitars in particular employ .

Screamed vocals that frequently turn into agonised groans are a tortured accompaniment to these tracks, fixating in the listener’s mind the idea of something unhinged and tormented, barely concealed beneath the surface of the reality that the music allows you to glimpse.

This is a quality release. The music has an atavistic atmosphere that is a joy to revel in, without the emotive content becoming maudlin or stale; it’s warm enough to be inviting and cold enough to be strong and unforgiving.

Highly recommended.

Chaos Moon – Amissum (Review)

This is the latest EP from Chaos Moon, who are a US Black Metal band.

Having previously enjoyed their 2014 album Resurrection Extract, this is a re-released version of their 2015 EP of the same name, with two extra tracks added on for a total running time of 44 minutes spread out over 6 songs.

Chaos Moon’s music is atmospheric and raw, with elements of Shoegaze and Dark Ambient. Theirs is Black Metal with character and a grimy, occult lustre that marks them out as something a bit special.

Obscure melodies and sinister vibes are never too far from the blackened action, and the relatively subtle keyboards are artfully hidden just the right amount behind hateful distortion, which allows them to come to the fore when the guitars are absent.

My favourite track is probably the title, (and opening), song Amissum. It’s one of the bonus tracks and is a seething mass of blackened bile and repressed atmosphere. It’s an impressive piece of music and as the newest song here it bodes well for their upcoming album.

The rest of the music here is no disappointment, mind, with the remaining songs showcasing the band’s mix of aggression, mood and blackened sensibilities. Each track has something a little different to offer the listener and taken as a whole it’s a very well-rounded package.

Overall the band’s songwriting is suitably strong, and Chaos Moon are definitely improving over time. This latest release keeps up their high quality levels and exceeds them in some ways, producing an album-length EP that is extremely enjoyable indeed.

Highly recommended.

Morgue Supplier – Morgue Supplier (Review)

This is the second album by US Grinders Morgue Supplier.

This is rabid, brutal Grindcore that takes some Death Metal influences into its nasty embrace, resulting in 41 minutes of punishing Deathgrind.

Fast and intense, the band launch into their assault with glee and these tracks are not for the weak.

An album of this length could get quite boring though in the wrong hands, which is where the Death Metal influence comes in; there’s more than enough tempo changes and slower, groovy riffs to provide additional variety and substance to the aggressive mix.

Scathing screams, sickening shouts and ugly growls provide the vocal contribution and, alongside the well-recorded music, makes for a very satisfying listen.

This is a really enjoyable album. The songs are well-written and provide much more depth and content than a lot of Deathgrind bands aspire to. It has the chaotic mayhem of unhinged Grindcore and the controlled slaughter inherent to Death Metal. Blend these two together and you have a recipe for a winner. It doesn’t stop there though; also add in some atypical, interesting riffs and ideas, and you end up with an album that has far more staying power than most.

A success.

Ferium – Behind the Black Eyes (Review)

This is the second album from Israeli Death/Groove Metal band Ferium.

Ferium’s début album Reflections was a lively and enjoyable album that mixed Death and Groove Metal in just the right amounts.

The first thing about Behind the Black Eyes that strikes me is that it’s a far more focused effort than their début; the total playing time, total number of songs and individual track lengths have all been pruned, showing a band who have gained experience in the last few years and have trimmed away the fat to leave a lean, aggressive Metal machine.

The band essentially employ the same format as they did previously – heavy riffs and groovy beats interspersed with elements of modern Metalcore and underscored by a Death Metal base – but this time it’s tighter and more direct. That’s not to say there’s no depth of songwriting here, rather, the band are now closer to the style they clearly want to play and are playing it as they know how best to do; with angry brutality and poised aggression.

The singer growls and barks his way through the tracks. He seems to have improved on his already very satisfactory earlier performance and on this latest release appears to have settled into his role even more comfortably than previously. His voice is quite versatile, with his many different vocalisations all intent on maximising aggression.

All of the songs are well written and demonstrate a band coming into their own. Interesting and nuanced riffs rub shoulders with simpler bruisers, resulting in satisfying songs that may take a direct approach but provide enough content so as to be worth returning to over time.

Well, Reflections was good, but this is better. Well done Ferium.

Highly recommended for fans of Whitechapel, Gojira, Lamb of God, Job for a Cowboy, Thy Art Is Murder, Meshuggah, etc.

LLNN – Loss (Review)

LLNN are an atmospheric Sludge band from Denmark. This is their début album.

Mixing Hardcore, Sludge and synths, the band create a dark sci-fi themed album that is quite apocalyptic in scope and feel.

Passionate, acidic screams ring out over a tide of crushing distortion, while relatively subtle sound-enhancements add texture and mood to the onslaught of heaviness. Lonesome backing cleans appear occasionally like a ghost in a maelstrom; spectral and mysterious.

Think Will Haven mixed with early Cult of Luna to get a good idea of where the band are coming from. It’s a dark and malevolent Post-Hardcore take on Sludge Metal and is almost as creepily atmospheric as it is oppressively heavy. Almost.

LLNN offer a hypnotic nihilism driven by a fatalistic acceptance of the fate of existence, which, paradoxically, also ends up being bleakly uplifting and empowering by the end of it. This is music to fall in love to at the end of the world.

Highly recommended.