Reviews – Page 577 – Wonderbox Metal

Leather Chalice – Luna (Review)

Leather Chalice are from the US and this is their latest EP.

One track, almost 16 minutes in length; this is a heady fusion of Black Metal and Post-Hardcore.

Luna starts off with samples and noises before slowly introducing the drums and a lightly strumming guitar. Very soon we’re into shoegaze lo-fi territory with the band tentatively picking their way along to a backdrop of strange and unusual sounds.

This abruptly changes to a 70’s inspired piece that has some lovely rumbling bass and emotive guitars. The vocals also start and we’re treated to some real throat-shredding screams.

The guitars have a nice 70’s Progressive feel to them and the whole thing feels analogue and very down to earth. Lo-fi this may be but it’s rich in content and feeling with the band exploring their chosen path with passion and verve.

I love that you can hear the bass and it adds a lot to the song rather then just being under-utilised as in most bands.

As the song progresses things get more upbeat and venture closer to raw Black Metal while keeping the overarching theme of the track intact.

The quasi-Industrial sounds are brought to the fore once more two thirds of the way in before blasting off again for the final run.

I could listen to this kind of music all day. There’s something very honest and open about music which on one hand seems like it has been thrown up quickly and is only held together by the thinnest of threads, whilst on the other hand feeling timeless and like it will undoubtedly endure for a long time to come.

Take a chance, lift the Leather Chalice up and take a good hard listen.

Corrosion of Conformity – IX (Review)

Corrosion of Conformity are from the US and this, as the title suggests, is their 9th album and it’s chock full of tasty Southern Metal.

For many though this band need no introduction. This is Southern Metal that combines elements of Heavy Metal, Doom Metal and Punk Rock into the 42 minutes playing time.

The songs exude confidence and walk with a cocky swagger. In some ways you could call this “feelgood Metal”. This is good-time Rock-and-Roll that’s the Metal equivalent of easy listening. Almost.

The album has an organic, earthy feel to it with the sound matching.

There’s a very relaxed vibe to most of these songs, with the band sounding loose, almost like it’s a rehearsal. They sound very much at ease with the material and even the more up tempo songs don’t seem hurried in any way.

The vocals are lazily melodic and have an ease of delivery where it feels like his voice just falls out of the speakers.

Ultimately Corrosion of Conformity have a lot of charisma and the songs are easy to like. IX is a good listen.

Humut Tabal – The Dark Emperor ov the Shadow Realm (Review)

This is the second album by US Black Metal band Humut Tabal.

Humut Tabal play frigid Black Metal with dark melodies lashing out from every angle. The riffs are catchy and purposeful and the songs are driven by a sense of urgency and grandeur.

Speed is very important on The Dark Emperor ov the Shadow Realm and the band give it their all when they need to. They’re not adverse to slower/mid-paced sections too though and there is enough mixture between the two to keep things interesting.

The band base their sound on the likes of Mayhem, Satyricon, Naglfar and Emperor. Using this base they then build on it with their own personality as well as injecting some Classical/Experimental influences into their compositions. They’re confident enough in their own abilities to pull it off with panache.

Vocally the high pitched shrieking is classic Black Metal and sounds just right for the music.

The complete package is rounded off with a strong recording that serves the band well.

On the whole the band have created an enjoyable and powerful set of songs.

Servants of the Mist – Gross Knowledge of Genital Mutilation (Review)

This is the latest EP from US Sludge/Doom Metal band Servants of the Mist.

The EP is 25 minutesin length and after the perfunctory intro we’re into the feedback-drenched first song Undeserving, which at just under 12 minutes serves as the centrepiece of the release.

The music is crushing, monolithic Doom with a corrupted, rotten Sludge veneer and a core of pure hatred.

We get bowel-loosening deep vocals and piercing high-pitched ones, both sound great and complement the music perfectly.

A deep aura of misery pervades these tracks and the band do all they can to punish and obliterate the listener with their steady, slow assault.

This is a really enjoyable form of dank Doom that just won’t give up; the strongly oppressive feeling of the tracks makes for a compelling release that sticks in the mind long after the last foetid chord has faded.

The band have enough talent that whether they are playing agonisingly slow Doom or slightly-more-upbeat Sludge they do it with obvious passion and with riffs to die for.

Negatively emotive and bleakly enticing; Servants of the Mist really know how to write a good Doom tune.

I mean, honestly; if you’re at all into this kind of music what’s not to like here?

Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestite (Review)

Wolves in the Throne Room are from the US and play Cascadian Black Metal, at least they do normally.

Celestite is different. Stylistically still rooted in the Black Metal genre, the band have stripped out the drums and vocals and instead created five atmospheric soundscapes to captivate and entrance the listener.

Synth-based exploration and orchestrated Blackened sonics give this the air of an extended film soundtrack. This is cinematic music with grand musical vistas and sweeping arcs of ambitious beauty.

In the wrong hands this could easily sound trite or just plain dull, but Wolves in the Throne Room prove that they can take the atmospheric build-and-release dynamics that they honed so perfectly on their Black Metal work and transfer this intact to the compositions on Celestite.

This is an album crafted with lofty aims and I’m pleased to say that it works. Each track successfully conjures the majesty of celestial imagery and awe-inspiring wonder at the breathtaking scenery that nature can deliver. The album cover is truly appropriate at putting across just what the music feels like.

This may be an experiment for the band compared to their usual work but it’s a roaring success. The ideal accompaniment to watching the night sky.

Destitution – Beware the Fury of the Patient Man (Review)

This is the début release from Destitution, who play Thrash Metal and come from The Netherlands.

Destitution play Old-School Thrash that’s unpolished and street smart.

There are riffs, licks, chops, leads and solos aplenty on this release, more than enough Metal to satisfy. The guitarists can obviously play, (as can the rest of the band), and the performances all round are good.

The songs have an energy about them that’s propelled by the Old-School riffs.

Vocally they remind of Kreator/Testament and musically they recall the same but with a bit of Anthrax thrown in. Its safe to say that if those bands appeal then Destitution will too, especially as they inject themselves into the mix so that the album doesn’t come across as pure homage or hero worship.

The songs are well written and are compositionally sound. It’s mainly high octane Thrash, as is expected, but they even try their hand at a ballad in the form of Affinity. It works surprisingly well.

I enjoyed this album. Maybe you will too?

Blut Aus Nord/P.H.O.B.O.S. – Triunity Split (Review)

Blut Aus Nord are France’s premier Black Metal/Avant Garde/Industrial/Dark Metal kings, and this is their split with fellow French band P.H.O.B.O.S. who play Industrial Doom.

Each band contributes three songs, with Blut Aus Nord up first. Their songs are as impressive as you would imagine and follow their standard Dark Metal template of Blackened riffs, proficient drumming, atmospheric auras and semi-industrial feelings; like watching urban decay sped up and slowed down at the same time.

Warped and haunting melodies layer these three tracks and engage the listener fully. The first track De Librio Arbitrio is so involving that it’s almost startling to hear vocals in the latter part of the song.

These three songs are bleakly emotive Black Metal and it’s once more apparent why Blut Aus Nord are in a league of their own with very few bands even coming close to a similar style of any real quality. And even though the band are better known for their atmospheres than their riffs, they still know how to kick them out when they need to; listen to that grinding mid-paced riffing in Hùbris. Quality.

And on to the second half of the split; all three tracks by P.H.O.B.O.S. are 7:00 in length, which immediately made me take notice.

This is Dark Industrial Doom that may be different from Blut Aus Nord’s Black Metal but shares the same stylistic headspace. The tracks slither and wind their way around to a backdrop of pounding drums that sound like heavy items being dropped from great height.

If Blut Aus Nord were remixed and regurgitated by Godflesh then the result might not be too far from this. The three tracks pulse nicely with automated, mechanistic darkness and I’m quite happy that I’ve now encountered P.H.O.B.O.S.

This is a premium split that showcases the exceptional talents of both bands and at 40 minutes in length it’s a darn sight longer than most splits.

Check it out.

Frontal – Death Eaters (Review)

Frontal are from France and play Techincal/Progressive Modern Death Metal.

Imagine Meshuggah if they had more of a Modern Death Metal influence; add in a bit of Technical Thrash and this is the area that Frontal inhabit.

The songs are technical, angular and also remind of Devolved only without the Industrial influence, (and blast beats). Another description I suppose would be Progressive Deathcore, which sounds like an oxymoron, but only if you assume all Deathcore is stupid, (it isn’t).

The colliding riffs and obscure melodies will no doubt put some people off, but just as many will take to this easily and lap up the heavy, militaristic Technical Thrash that the band offer.

The vocalist has a good pair of lungs and for the most part spends his time using them to shout out lyrics in a throaty roar.

This is music that lacks subtlety but is still nuanced and complex. Although the riffs come thick and fast the band allow them to congeal on occasion to produce a stirring section or emotive passage, before fracturing once more and falling away in different directions all at once.

Definitely a grower. A good album that will probably suffer from premature dismissal by a lot of people, which is a shame as there is a lot to like here. Give them the time to show you what they can do.

Chemical Cascades – Demo (Review)

Chemical Cascades are from Australia and play Black Metal.

This may be billed as a demo but the usual substandard demo recording is missing; instead we get a perfectly serviceable Underground Black Metal sound that fits the band like a glove and has an especially strong drum presence.

The vocals are howling and shrouded in reverberation. Like a dark aura they saturate the songs and are used as another instrument rather than separate vocals as with most bands.

The unearthly noises the singer makes scream in and out of the tracks like the doppler effect and they sound as if they’re alive. At least; some form of otherworldly, barely-sentient instinctual life.

The music is blasting and melodic with a strong, cold, ominous feeling to it. The riffs are well written and the album art gives a good impression of the frigid nature of the guitars. Each track reinforces the belief that this is not your standard, bedraggled Satanic wannabe band; rather this is a band fuelled by parts unknown and who possibly originate from the very place depicted in the simple-but-enticing cover artwork.

This is deeply satisfying in that it combines elements of harshness, melody and atmosphere all at once without ever giving itself over to any one of them completely. It’s a rewarding listen and promises great things from the band in the future.

At 34 minutes in length this could easily be classed as a début album rather than just a demo. If the band can continue to mine this creative seam of dark inspiration that they have found then their actual début album will be something well worth getting excited about.

A great release from a band you should definitely check out.

Idre – Idre (Review)

Idre are from the US and play Doom.

This is made up of two tracks; the first is 26 minutes long and the second 13 minutes long. As you can probably guess this is a band who likes to take their time.

Factorie is the first track and it starts off with a good, solid Doom riff to set the scene, before exploring subtler climes for a while. When the vocals kick in it’s surprising as instead of the gruff shouting I was expecting we get almost County-esque cleans with a dirty intonation. Think of Neurosis, but the vocals even remind of a band like Soul Savers on occasion and add a different aspect to the band that immediately differentiates them from the masses.

The entire song is a meandering exploration of bucolic pastures punctuated with heavier interludes and atmosphere building. It’s an impressive slow burner and worth the time invested.

The second song is Witch Trial which follows in a similar slow-burning vein with the relaxed vocals coasting on top of the emotive music as the song crests to crescendo. It’s another superbly executed track that is heavily invested with feeling and works its magic subtly.

The recording is unpolished but not in a bad way. It has a very naturalistic sounding production that is slightly too rounded to be called raw and not quite ugly enough to be called filthy. A good word would be earthy, I suppose. It’s a good choice that works well with the music, especially for the charismatic vocals that seem to draw you in with their rustic charms.

This is a very enjoyable and engaging release that feels rather more individual and intimate than other bands who have a sound that makes them feel more sanitised than they might otherwise sound had they a slightly different recording. Idre allows the listener in and lets them get up close and personal with the band. This allows for a special relationship with the music rather than it being simply another musical commodity to be consumed.

And to think, this is merely the début of this talented band. Big things, I tell you, big things.