Reviews – Page 480 – Wonderbox Metal

Neverworld – Dreamsnatcher (Review)

Neverworld are a Power Metal band from the UK. This is their second album.

This is the follow-up to their hugely enjoyable début album Visions of Another World.

Neverworld play their Metal full of leads, solos and lashings of rich melody. The band haven’t lost any of their ability to play, that’s for sure. This is definitely an album for people who enjoy solos, but I like that the technical playing is channelled into the needs of the songs too.

Keyboards add extra atmosphere where needed, but these are never overpowering or overly ostentatious; they do what is required of them, do it well, and don’t stick around unnecessarily.

Atmospheric, catchy, memorable, rocking, progressive – all of these words can be used to describe various parts of these songs and there’s enough quality content to keep the listener engaged.

It’s a pleasure to hear the singer’s voice once more. He remains in possession of a grand and powerful voice, one that’s equal to the task of keeping up with the equally grand and powerful music. He even seems to be developing a slight theatrical bent to his voice in a couple of places.

The songs are varied enough to warrant over an hour of playing time, yet remain cohesive enough to flow nicely and not sound all-over-the-place when it comes to album pacing.

The return of Neverworld is a pleasure to witness.

Primitive Man/Northless – Split (Review)

Both hailing from the US and both peddling versions of Sludge/Doom, this split between Primitive Man and Northless got me quite excited when I first became aware of it.

Primitive Man are up first, and readers of this site should be familiar with them from their previous releases Home Is Where the Hatred Is and Split with Hexis.

They offer a single track, Empty Husk, which is a generous 15 minutes long. In my opinion Primitive Man are one of the best purveyors of hate-fuelled Doom out there, and this track does nothing to change that view.

The band have a thick, heavy, sludgy guitar tone that’s just perfect for the kind of music they play. The huge riffs are claustrophobic crushers that seem to suck the air from the room and replace it with tar.

One of my absolute favourite things about the band is the singer’s voice – his growls are just so perfectly pitch black, so utterly cavernous and without hope, it’s truly frightening.

Empty Husk starts off slow and unfolds drenched in feedback and drum rolls. The dark, Doom-drenched atmosphere is built up and maintained, right until it can’t take any more and spills over into blackened blast beats that soon spend themselves in fits of bubbling hatred, only to slow down to a crawl once more, dragging out the misery and contempt for all to soak in.

Phew.

Northless’ side of the split is a similar length, (17 minutes), but divided into three tracks. Although they’ve never been featured on this site before, their enjoyable brand of Sludge Metal is always a welcome listen.

They’re less-Doom and more Sludge than Primitive Man, which is demonstrated in opener Deleted Heartstrings when it starts with a rip-roaring upbeat tempo that crashes through everything around it in its hurry to spread its dirt.

Theirs is a filthy cacophony of twisted, nightmarish sound that has surely been spawned in some deep, dark abyss somewhere. Northless’ music gives off a very real sense of chaotic suffocation; a controlled chaos that sounds dangerous and is likely to leave scars. The riffs can be quite angular and atypical, with a slight blackened tinge and a surprising level of complexity on occasion.

The singer’s blunt snarls sound callous and almost inhuman, but with just enough uncaring humanity left in to be truly disturbing. He stands aloft, leading the punishing Sludge with unerring vision, firmly set on his grim task of spreading misanthropy.

With each song slowing things down that little bit more than the previous, Northless culminate in their final track Wasted Breath. This is the longest of the three and spends its time building inevitably to a harsh and powerful conclusion.

An exceptional split that showcases the many talents of two of Sludge/Doom’s brightest, (darkest?), lights.

Essential listening for all lovers of hatred, misery and heaviness.

Blade of Horus – Monumental Massacre (Review)

Blade of Horus are an Australian Death Metal band and this is their début EP.

Now I don’t know about you, but with a name like Blade of Horus and furnished with the kind of exotic album cover that Monumental Massacre has, I have certain expectations of the band before I even hear a note.

At 22 minutes in length, this is a decent intro to the band and definitely leaves me wanting to hear more in the future.

Growls, shrieks and pig-squeals are the order of business for their vocalist, with the band sounding like they’re whipping him to ever greater heights of fury and devotion with every beat of the drum and pluck of the string.

The band combine brutality and technicality with some minor Deathcore influences to produce short and succinct tracks that go straight for the throat, yet also have enough about them to take the time to consider alternative ways of improving their murderous assault.

The songs are brutal enough to absolutely slay, but technical and complex enough to add a certain level of restrained chaos and further depth to the band’s impressive noise. Interesting riffs and ideas are showcased easily, and there’s a fair amount of stuff going on here despite the short length. Huge chugging riffs in the style of Dying Fetus effortlessly share space with complicated guitar-widdling the likes of Nile would be proud of.

Extra impressive is their ability to add in small sections of atmosphere into these crowded tracks, allowing them the space to incorporate melody and mood into the music, to great effect.

All of this helps create the impression of a band who really do have a lot to offer the discerning Metal fan.

So here we have another band who have seemingly come out of nowhere to impressively crush listeners everywhere with their enjoyable take on Extreme Metal.

Expectations met. Expectations exceeded, in fact.

Absolution – Temptations of the Flesh (Review)

This is the first EP from UK Death Metallers Absolution.

Having first formed in 1991, with a demo in 1992, this début EP is well overdue. This is Death Metal played with a love of the old-school, tempered by those who were there at the time and birthed into the present with a passion for the style.

These three tracks are song-based and take the time to select the most suitable riffs and beats for the music, rather than focusing purely on speed, technicality or anything else. The music gives the impression that a lot of consideration has gone into it.

Boasting a satisfyingly gritty production, this is on the rawer side than a lot of the more polished bands out there these days, but not so raw as to harm the impact of the music. I particularly like the drum sound and the drumming in general; it also makes me quite nostalgic, although I can’t quite put my finger on why, oddly.

The singer has a charismatic bark and draws out his screams quite nicely in addition to the more clipped shouts.

A short, enjoyable re-introduction to the Death Metal scene for the band; hopefully we’ll hear more from them in the future.

Omnihility – Dominion of Misery (Review)

This is the third album from US Technical Death Metal band Omnihility.

Their second album Deathscapes of the Subconscious stuck out in my mind for it’s complex blend of technicality and brutality, and this newest release follows the same path.

After an extremely atmospheric intro track that does absolutely nothing to prepare you for the coming onslaught, (although it is pretty damn good), Omnihility start as they mean to go on with ultra-technical Death Metal that doesn’t slack in the brutality department at all.

These songs are complex and punishing, pushing the extremes of the style to the limit, all the time demonstrating virtuoso playing and a keen eye for intelligent butchery.

The blast beats and double bass are physical enough to knock you down while the guitars attempt to play ALL OF THE NOTES AT THE SAME TIME. It’s a testament to the band’s ability that it’s not just one horrendous mess; instead we get well-thought out Technical Death Metal that hits all of the right spots.

Of course, once you get past my exaggerations in the previous paragraph, (only a bit…), Omnihility aren’t quite as insanely chaotic as some bands that play this style. The core brutality of the band keeps things from going too off the rails and there are enough simpler, heavier, groovier riffs plugged into the chaos here and there to make for songs that stay focused on the task at hand – ripping your face off.

Similar to the intro, there’s a break for the listener to catch their breath mid-album, with the track Within Shadows, which once again showcases the band’s atmospheric side.

The singer’s gruff, guttural growl continues to bounce like reflected lightning off the supersonic riffs, barking out from the music at a high speed. His is a very satisfying growl and one that allows the listener a constant focal point amidst the changing tides of rampant guitars and light speed drumming.

Phew. After 42 minutes off this you’ll need a sit down and a stiff drink.

Highly recommended.

The Mild – Left to Starve (Review)

The Mild are a Grindcore band from Italy. This is their début EP.

Here we have just under 11 minutes of grinding Hardcore action. It’s sharp, nasty and liable to leave cuts.

The vocals are high pitched screams that sound absolutely scathing. The singer sounds pissed and I suspect he’s not entirely happy about something.

Each song rips along at a fair old pace, slowing down occasionally to mop up any listeners who somehow think they can get away without a good ear-bashing.

The fact that the band feel comfortable adding in some slower and mid-paced sections around the speedy main bits in such short tracks is welcome. This makes for a release that’s nicely differentiated and willing to think about pacing and not just the next fast part.

When they take their collective feet off the accelerator their Hardcore influences shine through and I can imagine them being really enjoyable live; high energy and blasting aggression clearly go well together.

Most enjoyable. Well done chaps!

Lycus – Chasms (Review)

This is the second album from US Doom band Lycus.

Lycus play the kind of hugely impressive and accomplished Doom that makes being into this kind of music worth it. Chasms is heavy, slow, full of dark atmosphere and is the kind of thing you can just get lost in.

The band combine Sludge, Funeral Doom, Post-Metal, Death Metal and Black Metal into their sprawling Doom-drenched sound.

The emotive guitars are frequently designed to wring out every last drop of negative emotion from the listener, dragging them deep down into Lycus’ gloom-lit domain.

Deep growling vocals sound huge and intimidating, while lonesome cleans add another aspect to the band’s delivery and allow them to explore other moods and feelings that wouldn’t necessarily fit well with growls.

The dark, doomy worlds that the band effortlessly paint across these 44 minutes are punctuated with moments of Black Metal violence that manage to not feel out of place at all, despite the change in speed and feeling.

A cello also appears infrequently, highlighting another sonic string to their bow, adding another layer of depth to their encompassing sound.

It’s these kind of touches that allow Lycus the freedom to do what they want and create the soundscapes that they feel reflect what they are trying to say. The fact that they do all of this exceedingly well is a huge bonus for the listener, of course.

It’s emotionally stirring stuff, and it’s hard not to get lost in the maelstrom and transported to the grim realms in which Lycus inhabit.

Despite how immediately enjoyable it certainly is, it’s very definitely a grower of an album though, requiring multiple sittings to properly appreciate its subtle and seductive charms. Once it has its claws in you though, there’s no escape. Into the chasms you go.

The Body – No One Deserves Happiness (Review)

This is the fifth album from US Sludge band The Body.

This is a complex album with a multifaceted, layered sound. The Body are not your average band and consequently No One Deserves Happiness is not your average album.

Industrial Sludge Metal is an apt description of the band’s output, although this barely describes the monstrous creation that the band have unleashed on the world with this work.

Electronics and Metal meet in a way that is fused at the very core of the music, revealing a collaboration that you might never think possible. Certainly it’s out of reach of the talent of most bands who attempt to combine electronics and guitars.

This is an album full of bleakness, isolation and despair. The sense of melancholy and hateful abandonment is strong, with the music absolutely reeking of complex negative emotions and the utter failure of all human contact.

Harsh, needle-thin vocals are sometimes joined by ethereal female cleans, which ratchet up the emotional content to almost unbearable levels.

This is a hard album to describe in many ways; although there is a massive amount of things going on here, it’s more the emotional resonance of the music that’s difficult. No One Deserves Happiness seems to easily and swiftly evoke all of the feelings of negativity, discomfort and nostalgic loss that you’ve experienced your entire life. It’s an extremely powerful listen because of this and at the end of its 48 minute journey you feel hollow and spent.

After listening to this, it’s hard to disagree with the album name.

Ande – Licht (Review)

Ande is a Black Metal solo project from Belgium. This is his début release.

With each song separated by a short atmospheric interlude, we get three actual songs that evoke the original Black Metal template with a atmospheric and emotive sheen.

The music has good riffs, good atmosphere and tasty screams. It’s a short but enjoyable release that lets the listener wallow in the blackened depths of an atavistic style.

Old-school and obscure, this will likely be overlooked by most fans of the style, which is a real shame as Licht is an extremely satisfying listen. This strikes all of the right notes and moods without feeling stale or done-to-death.

The songs have a relatively good degree of variety between them and the interludes all work well to provide an unusual atmosphere between the blackened abysses that the songs create. I prefer the slower, more atmospheric sections over the faster ones, but the faster ones are still very well done.

The recording is well pitched, with just the right mixture of clarity and rawness that a release like this deserves.

I really enjoyed this.

Product of Hate – Buried in Violence (Review)

This is the début album from US Metal band Product of Hate.

Product of Hate play modern Metal that incorporates elements of Thrash Metal and Metalcore into its makeup. This equates to some noticeable influences from the classic style, notably Kreator and Testament, as well as the more modern Metalcore style that was made so popular by the NWOAHM bands of the 00s. More European aspects appear sometimes too, reminding me of some of Darkane’s work on occasion.

Reading the above though it’s important to realise a few things; this is no retro-loving crap-fest; this is darker and harder than a lot of the more commercial bands playing a similar style; there are no radio-friendly unit shifters with sparkling clean vocals here – Product of Hate go in for the kill with all the aggression that they can muster.

Buried in Violence is a bit rough around the edges, but I think that’s the intent. You could easily imagine the busy riffs and even busier solos encased in a solid gold, ultra-polished production, but this is not the case; they have a large sound that suits the style, but it’s grittier and more earthy than most. This allows the band to get their hands dirty and focus on tearing things up with their assault.

The songs are quite catchy and memorable without being overly so; the band sound like they have tried to pen real songs that they are passionate about rather than one-dimensional sing-along, throwaway hits. This is all down to perspective, of course, and I can easily imagine Product of Hate getting written off by some as being just another Metalcore band with nothing to offer. This is a disservice I feel, but a somewhat inevitable one; it’s a shame as there are more than enough bands peddling the more commercial side of this kind of music, whereas Product of Hate are offering something a bit harder and more aggressive than most. Sure, it’s not Death Metal and it definitely exists on the more commercial side of the Metal spectrum, (relatively speaking, when compared to the more extreme end of Metal), but this is not the kind of thing you’ll hear on the radio any time soon.

Ultimately, Buried in Violence shows a band who clearly love their Metal and gathers together a collection of Metal anthems that just want to Thrash out and give the listener a good tune and a good bashing at the same time.

Oh, there’s also an Ozzy Osbourne cover.

Can’t complain about that.