Reviews – Page 483 – Wonderbox Metal

Cult of Erinyes – Transcendence (Review)

Cult of Erinyes are a Black Metal band from Belgium. This is their latest EP.

Featuring 19 minutes of Black Metal, (2 originals and a Mayhem cover), Cult of Erinyes play sharp Black Metal with ritualistic auras.

The EP has a strong sound that allows all of the instruments to be heard well, even the lesser-spotted bass guitar gets to play its part.

Poisonous riffs and black moods pervade the tracks and the guitars give a good account of their time in Hell. At least, I’m assuming that’s where they’ve come from.

The songs are of the classic style, wrapped in darkness and grim portents. It’s mainly a mid-paced affair that gives the listener plenty to think about as the band attempt to bring on the apocalypse.

The singer’s icy rasp is well-performed and heavy with contempt. It sounds good.

Transcendence is probably my favourite track out of the three. It boasts a crawling, malevolent aura and really slow-builds to an unnerving ending; the music slows down and takes on a mystical quality while the singer repeats “remember my name” over and over.

An enjoyable EP that provides a good blackened fix.

Concrete – Chambers of Afterlife (Review)

This is the second album from Bulgarian Death Metal band Concrete.

Concrete play gore-soaked old-school Death Metal with plenty of presence.

The cookie-monster growls are as satisfying as any in the style and the singer’s performance suits the music nicely.

Heavy guitars herald the largely mid-paced assault that occasionally breaks through into blast beats. The band play the USDM style and the songs are written accordingly. There’s plenty of chugging destruction and some nice squealing added here and there, as well as some decent solos.

Simple and aggressive; you can’t really go wrong with something like this. Unless you’re just not a fan or are tired of the style, then it’s hard to not enjoy Chambers of Afterlife. It won’t earn any awards for innovation, but that’s not the point; this is an ode to pure Death Metal and it’s an ode I’ve liked hearing.

This is the kind of album that gets better the louder you play it. The riffs come alive even more and you get to feel the full, unfettered impact of the songs.

Chambers of Afterlife is a solid album that will suit older Cannibal Corpse fans down to the ground. Check them out and blast them out at full volume.

Sick of Stupidity – One Shot, One Kill (Review)

Sick of Stupidity are a Grindcore band from The Netherlands. This is their début album.

Here we have some grinding powerviolence lasting all of 14 minutes over 11 tracks. It’s unhinged, it’s nasty, it’s good.

The songs go fast as we like them to, but also take the pressure off the accelerator occasionally to give the listener a mid-paced ear-bashing now and then. It’s mostly fast-paced though, and I’m fine with this as the guitars have a very satisfying tone and the riffs hit the spot nicely.

Glass-gargled screams and aggressive growls and thrown around like there’s an infinite supply of them, to the backdrop of musical destruction and fast-forwarded chaos.

As it doesn’t last long this doesn’t outstay its welcome and if anything it’s extremely easy to listen to again and again.

Recommended.

Abyssus – Once Entombed… (Review)

Abyssus are a Greek Death Metal band and this is a compilation of their older work.

Now this is the stuff! Ever since I heard their extremely good Split with Morbider, I’ve been a fan of this band. Then their début album Into the Abyss raised its ugly head and I was hooked.

This compilation pulls together their split with Slaktgrav, the aforementioned split with Morbider, their split with Nocturnal Vomit, and finally their 2012 EP Monarch to the Kingdom of the Dead, with two Death and Slayer covers tacked on the end. All of which makes for 55 minutes of old-school Death Metal heaven.

If you haven’t encountered Abyssus before, (why not?), then they play Obituary-inspired old-school Death Metal that’s just so very more-ish that as soon as you stop listening to them you can’t help reaching for the play button once again. Abyssus sound good and that’s all there is to it really.

Presented in reverse chronological order, this is essentially taking a trip back in time with the band, back through their discography. Their style hasn’t massively changed, but you can tell that they have progressed if you know what you’re looking for. With each release they get just that little bit tighter and more focused, just that little bit more professional in delivery and in the recording department.

I’d say that Monarch of the Kingdom of the Dead is the biggest departure from their normal sound here, which makes sense as it was their first release; these songs have more of a Swedish Death Metal influence and sound than the rest of their work, as well as a slightly more modern, polished delivery style. It’s all relative of course, but it’s noticeably different from the rest of the material here. It’s still good, but it’s the weakest part of the release, and I’m glad that after this they progressed, (regressed?), their style somewhat into the old-school institution they are quickly becoming.

Overall this release gets a giant thumbs up from me. Stick it on and get ready to uncontrollably groove yourself into the ground, as when Abyssus play you just can’t keep still, it’s just not done.

Essential.

Casket Robbery – Evolution of Evil (Review)

This is the début album by US Death Metallers Casket Robbery.

Casket Robbery play rhythmic Death Metal with a modern/groove Metal influence. They successfully incorporate into their assault elements of Lamb of God and Pantera along with those of Aborted and Kataklysm , as well as mixing in some European Metal influences that allow the band to inject some extra melodic streaks into the tracks that actually remind me of Septic Flesh in places.

Although there’s a lot of mid-paced grooving there’s also enough speed used to keep things varied. The melodic aspect, although not a huge part of their sound, furnishes the songs with enough leads and solos to add another tasty flavour to the tracks.

This is a release that’s heavy and full of riffs. It’s so easy to get carried along with the beat that before you know it your body starts with the twitching and spasming and there’s nowt to be done about it. Hmm, not the best way to describe toe-tappingly-good is it, but you get the idea…

Vocally the singer has an unfriendly snarl that pitches him between a growl and a scream. It matches the rhythmic muscularity of the music and cuts nicely deep into the meat of the matter.

After 37 minutes, some catchy songwriting and some memorable brutality later, Evolution of Evil has left a good impression. The band have produced a very enjoyable album that stands up to repeated listens well and positively encourages them.

Recommended.

Stillborn – Testimonio de Bautismo (Review)

This is the fifth album from Polish Blackened Death Metallers Stillborn.

Stillborn play abrasive, rough Death Metal with a Black Metal edge. It’s gritty, jagged and quite enjoyable. A Thrash Metal influence raises its head on some of the riffs too, lending the band an extra energy on occasion.

Their sound is one of a Black Metal band playing Death Metal, with the recording following this accordingly.

This is malevolent, Satanic music that has a decent blackened side to the deathly brutality. The songs have an earthy authenticity to them that’s made all the more enjoyable simply due to the good riffs and barbarous blackened sheen that everything has.

Ugly growls and dirty shrieks form the bedrock of the vocals as the music blasts and slashes its way through the 34 minute playing time. The songs are well-written and it’s clear that the band have learned a thing or two during their near two-decade existence.

Decent riffs, decent songs, murderous atmosphere; Stillborn have a new fan here.

Recommended for all fans of underground brutality.

Insision – Terminal Reckoning (Review)

Insision are a Swedish Death Metal band and this is their fourth album.

You know what they say – a day listening to Insision is a good day. Well, I say that, at least. Ever since I got their début album way back in 2002 Insision have been one of my favourite exports from Sweden. This is their first album in 9 years and it’s good to have them back.

So here we have 36 minutes of new material and I’m pleased to say that it’s as muscular, brutal and relentlessly satisfying as we’ve come to expect from the band.

Insision specialise in Death Metal that’s heavy, direct and has a good ratio of brutality to technicality. The songs pound and groove their way through the playing time and feature good songwriting and memorable ugliness. The band’s riffs are still a grade above a lot of similar bands and this is at least partly down to their sense of confidence and having an ear for good pacing.

Even though I love their speedy stuff, I also love how they know the virtue of not going fast all of the time. There’s more than enough mid-paced and slower parts here to give the album enough variety, all the time crushing you with their merciless assault.

Showing that they also have a more refined side, the band insert a few nice touches here and there, showing there’s more to them than just mindless violence. One of the latter sections in Infected is a good example, but there are numerous others, (such as the start of Old Ways).

The guttural growls of the singer are so deep that it seems you might fall into them. He barks with authority and his presence acts cohesively to add a focal point to the already focused music.

Insision’s first album in almost a decade is definitely a success in my eyes. They’ve done themselves and their legacy proud. Here’s to many years of Swedish brutality yet to come!

Seven Sisters of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hags (Review)

This is the third album from the USA’s Seven Sisters of Sleep. They play Sludge Metal.

On this album Seven Sisters of Sleep combine a lot of influences from a wide array of nasty, extreme sub-genres into their potent brew of Sludge Metal. Doom, Hardcore, Death Metal, Black Metal, Grindcore…it pretty much all gets a look in at some point in these 50 minutes.

This is nasty music that seems to revel in the filth and dirt, with no stone of depravity left unturned or unsoiled.

This is a wild and dangerous ride through all things heavy, taking pit stops in the aforementioned styles and mashing them together with all of the subtlety of a maniac with a very big hammer. Having said that though, there’s a fierce guiding intelligence at play behind the scenes here, and the band obviously know what they’re doing with the material they have bloodily birthed.

There are a lot of giant riffs on this release and whether the band are playing fast, slow or anywhere in between, they steer this ship of gloom with unerring accuracy through the fog of Sludge. Or something. I think my metaphors got a bit out of control there. Regardless, think of Ezekiel’s Hags as the nastiest form of Doom, shot through with streaks of blast beats and a predilection for terror.

The vocals are every bit as nasty as the music, even more so as they have a real splenetic fury to them.

This is an exceptional release full of horrorful energy and a testament to what you can do with the variety and interest that can be had with Sludge Metal.

I can easily imagine fans of Ilsa, Serpent Eater, Secret Cutter, Colombian Necktie, Cult of Occult, Behold! The Monolith, Nightslug and Eyehategod taking a real shine to this. I know I have.

Frozen Ocean – The Prowess of Dormition (Review)

Frozen Ocean is a one-man Russian Melodic/Atmospheric Black Metal band and this is his latest EP.

Frozen Ocean return with more wonderfully melodic Black Metal that creates plenty of atmosphere. I have previously reviewed The Dyson Swarm, so this new release was most welcome.

This is mellifluous, melodic music that’s enhanced by keyboards to greater heights of atmosphere and mood. The feeling, for me, is very much one of following in the great Windir’s footsteps,

Vocals are deeper screams than are normally associated with the style, giving the polished, shiny music a rougher edge of aggression that suits it.

Grand, epic and richly melodic, (have I mentioned that?), this is a very enjoyable EP that it’s easy to like.

Check it out.

Avantasia – Ghostlights (Review)

This is the seventh album from this German Symphonic Power Metal band.

At over 70 minutes in length, there’s a lot of music on this release. Also, featuring guests from such notable bands as Queensrÿche, Twisted Sister, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Unisonic, Edguy and many others, this lives up to the title of Rock Opera with very little effort.

For all the different guest singers, the album has a coherent feel to it, partly due to the cohesive songwriting and partly due to the brains behind the outfit’s voice, which is a near-constant of these tracks in some capacity or other.

The music is bombastic, dramatic, emphatic, symphonic and suitably epic in nature. Unless you just don’t like this kind of thing it’s extremely hard not to enjoy Ghostlights. Great musicianship, high production values, quality singing and well-written operatic Metal…it’s a feast for the ears and proudly espouses the most extravagant side of European Power Metal.

Combined with the effervescent guitars, the orchestral elements are ever-present and a big part of what makes Avantasia so epic. These tracks have such a flair for the theatrical that every song seems to tell a story in bright, colourful pictures, writ large against a suitably ostentatious backdrop. Although the album does have darker elements it’s largely a performance of colour and fantasy, providing the listener with ample opportunity for escapism via the very textured world that the players portray.

Returning back to the guitars; it’s important to remember that this is, ultimately, a Metal album. Thankfully the band remember this too and have included a fair amount of tasty riffs among the orchestration.

Ghostlights evokes various different emotions, as all good operas should, but ultimately I’m left with the feeling of being uplifted and happy. Such larger-than-life music should be celebrated and it’s only appropriate that its lasting impact is a positive one more than anything else.

70 minutes of pure escapist showmanship. Loved it.

Favourite Track: Seduction of Decay. Geoff Tate, (Queensrÿche), has always had one of my favourite voices, and on this track he shines. The music backs him up to the hilt and the entire song is glorious.