Reviews – Page 588 – Wonderbox Metal

Banisher – Scarcity (Review)

Banisher are from Poland and play Death Metal with a good deal of variety and interest.

This is Progressive/Technical/Experimental Death Metal.

I have enjoyed their previous full length, (Slaughterhouse), and was looking forward to hearing what the band have got up to on this, their second album.

They don’t disappoint. Death Metal played fast and hard but with some nice experimentation and technical flourishes thrown in for good measure. The band can certainly play and they know their way around the instruments. Crucially though they can also do simplicity very well and sometimes the riffs just crush!

The band may be heavy and brutal but they also incorporate some melody and atmosphere into the songs to keep things interesting. There are plenty of these moments scattered around the songs and mean that Banisher have a good amount of variety and longevity baked into these tracks.

A strong, clear sound means you can hear everything that the instruments are doing, (even the bass), and allows you to fully appreciate the various things that the band are putting into their songs.

This is catchy, extreme, brutal, technical, atmospheric and engaging in all of the right places. A lot of other death metal bands sound one-dimensional in comparison to this.

And the Benny Hill cover at the end of the album? Pure genius.

Twitch of the Death Nerve – A New Code of Morality (Review)

This is the debut album from UK Death Metallers Twitch of the Death Nerve.

As a calling card the album cover doesn’t let the side down and makes me immediately excited to hear what kind of racket they make.

The band play the kind of ultra-brutal pig-noise Death Metal that can frighten off pseudo-Metal fans at a thousand paces. This is the real deal when it comes to extremity and absolute wanton slaughter.

The drums have a slightly tinny sound but after the first couple of blasts all is forgotten as you’re beaten and battered into a semi-coherent stupor by the combination of ultra-blast and chugathon that the band effortlessly juggle.

The vocals are guttural pig-noise emanations that steer just the right side of ridiculous and instead sound demented. They match the barbarous music to a tee and together Brutal Death Metal magic is made.

The songs fly by, each one as heavy and as demolishing as the last. Each track contains excitable riffs that want to crush and destroy everything, and whether they’re playing fast and sharp or slow and blunt they seek to inflict maximum damage.

If you’re wondering how you’re going to muster up the energy to destroy entire continents today, then wonder no longer! Twitch of the Death Nerve are here to empower you with callous misanthropy and effortless barbarity.

Embalmed – Brutal Delivery of Vengeance (Review)

This is Brutal Death Metal from this US veteran band, although after all their years this is actually their début album.

Embalmed are a riff-heavy, song-focused band, which immediately means that this album has the potential to be very good indeed. It all depends if the songwriting is up to par of course. Thankfully the band have had plenty of time to refine their songcraft and the results are satisfying to say the least.

This is classic Death Metal. I hesitate to label this Old-School, as although it is, (if only by virtue of not belonging to the New-School), the Old-School label can imply to some people a dredging up of past glories, etc., whereas this is more resolutely timeless and still very relevant. Think Cannibal Corpse USDM.

The songs rampage along with the right amount of belligerence and restraint, content to smash enemies apart but then moving on to the next with brutal efficiency.

Embalmed have a selection of good riffs in every song, and know how to lock into a good groove when the need arises. In addition to the standard blast beats and the more mid-paced sections, they can also be quite dynamic and inventive with the drum beats; they have the same kind of infectious hooks to some of the songs that bands such as Konkhra and Avulsed do so well.

This is a quality USDM album that any Death Metal fan should be able to get on board with.

Beyond Grace – Monstrous (Review)

Coming from the UK Beyond Grace are a Death Metal band.

This is a short EP at only 13 minutes, but the 3 tracks it contains act as a good showcase for the band.

The band boast a solid sound that’s warm, fleshy and organic. The songs seem to drip with biological waste and an unnerving feeling of unnatural life. It’s a very satisfying sound which hopefully they’ll replicate for future releases rather than it just being a happy accident.

The songs are well composed and far more interesting than just straight blast-fests. The band show a good understanding of rhythm and dynamics which makes the songs a pleasure to listen to.

The band feature brutality heavily on the agenda, but also find time to be on speaking terms with restraint and nuance. Solos make a welcome appearance and like everything else they’re played well.

The vocals are guttural grunts and high screams, both done well and work in tandem to fulfil the mission statement of the songs. The deeper vocals in particular are worthy of note, especially when they lock into a grinding groove with the guitars and almost seem to play off each other.

A highly recommended release from an extremely promising band that will probably release a blinder of a first album if they keep this up.

Prospekt – The Colourless Sunrise (Review)

Prospekt play Progressive Metal from the UK and this is their début album.

The band are heavier than most of this ilk, and it serves them well. A tight, modern production brings out the shine in them and they play with skill and precision. All of the instruments are punchy and crisp.

I think I detect a bit of a Djent influence in some of the guitar riffs as well. Not overly so, but it’s there nonetheless, adding a certain something extra without becoming overpowering and generic, as Djent so easily can.

The musicianship is exemplary throughout and there are some blinding solos flying around.

These are enjoyable songs that have a glut of ideas and flourishes across the 9 tracks. Most of the songs are on the longer side, as befits a Progressive band, but they never lose their way or become meandering or dull.

The singer has a fluid, melodic voice that can compete with the best that Power Metal has to offer. His vocals slide across the Metallic riffs and keyboard embellishments like liquid light.

This is an album to encapsulate the listener; one you can quite easily sit back, listen to and enjoy the meaty riffs, melodic vocals and crisp atmospheres that the band produce.

Top work, especially for a first album. A bright future dawns.

Júlio Stotz – Suspended in Reverie (Review)

Júlio Stotz is from Brazil and plays piano-heavy instrumental Progressive Metal.

I’m not a massive fan of Djent, as I find most Djent bands become really generic really quickly; however the Djent influence on this EP is more of a side-dish than the main meal and as such it works for this release instead of against it.

These tracks are largely relaxed and laid back; they know exactly what they want to achieve and know there is no point in rushing things. Even when the larger than life guitars and double bass are blaring out the songs retain a serene atmosphere.

The compositions are clearly from a musically mature mind and the juxtaposition of the ambient and classical sounds with the Djent influence works well.

This EP is four songs in 17 minutes and is a worthwhile listen for anyone looking for some atmospheric mood Metal.

Give it a try.

Chain of Dogs – Burning Bridges in a World of Death – De Ep’s en nog get mieë (Review)

Chain of Dogs come from the Netherlands and play a mix of Folk and Thrash Metal. This is a compilation release combining their earlier EP’s Bridgeburners and Deathworld, with extra tracks added.

This is excitable music full of varied instrumentation and Folk-inspired melodies. Mandolin, violins, whistles and acoustic guitars all make regular appearances, each doing their bit to enhance the songs.

Each song appears to be a veritable powerhouse of Folk Metal and each one brings something a bit different to the mix; each one an extra idea for the band to get their teeth into.

Vocals are mainly half-sung, half-shouted combined with rougher-cleans that are characterful and work really well. There is a wealth of vocal variety on offer though.

The songs are very enjoyable and have a high catchiness value. These are infectious songs and it’s easy to find yourself getting carried away with them without realising.

Enjoyable.

Obelyskkh – Hymn To Pan (Review)

This is the third album by Germany’s Obelyskkh and they play Doom that’s crushing and visceral.

They have an extremely full, heavy sound; like they’re about to birth a special kind of monster into the world.

As well as super-heavy Doom they are also adept at adding a bit of melody into the proceedings to further the depth and richness of their sound. I particularly enjoy these moments in The Ravens where it reminds almost of Agalloch.

Take the Pagan side of Agalloch, mix with some Post-Metal Neurosis elements and wrap in some demolishing Doom and you’re close to the Obelyskkh sound.

The vocals are very impressive; powerful, strong, forceful, full of charisma and with good range and variety – not a weak link to be found.

Importantly these are not just collections of riffs they are actual songs, with plenty of hooks to grab the listener and draw them close. They are, dare I say it, catchy in a lot of ways.

Each track is expertly constructed and well thought-out; designed to create a highly impressive collection of Doom that’s damn near essential for anyone with even a passing interest in this genre.

Compared to most bands this is an album that’s on another level entirely. Prepare to meet one of your new favourite bands.

Dead In The Dirt – The Blind Hole (Review)

Dead In The Dirt play Grindcore and do it from the US.

The band throw out highly aggressive Grind with short songs and even shorter tempers.

With a solid sound that’s so sharp you could do someone an injury, the songs blast out of the speakers covered in bile and thoughts of execution.

I do so love this kind of Grind! Heavy and fast at the same time; taking the blueprint and class of a band like Nasum and mixing it with bits of Sludge, Crust, Brutal Truth and Converge.

Take any selection of songs on the album and you’ll find a fair degree of variety. Sometimes it sounds like Eyehategod mixed with Deathgrind, (Strength Through Restraint), next it sounds like Uphill Battle if they totally gave in to their Grind influences, (Idiot Bliss), and then it sounds like a Hardcore Crust Brutal Truth, (You Bury Me).

Amazingly the band manage to perfect the balancing of frenetic, ultra-intense speed with heaviness and brutality in a way that most bands fumble, but Dead In The Dirt manage to make seem easy and the most natural thing in the world.

Better Grind you won’t hear in a while.

Nux Vomica – Nux Vomica (Review)

Nux Vomica are from the US and play Sludge/Doom.

The songs are long and the guitars are heavy and raging, for the most part at least.

There is a healthy Crust influence to the Metallic Sludge that the band play, which gives them an extra vitality to their sound. The recording is clear and warm with a solid sound that lets everything come through the speakers just right.

The vocalist is savagery incarnate and seemingly a very angry man. He screams bloody hatred over the electrifying Metallic storm that is raging around him.

Nux Vomica certainly have anger and hatred in spades, but they also have the ability to play more restrained and considered sections, which makes the dynamics of the songs so much better than if they were just pure aggression.

This has the anger and brutality of Metallic Hardcore/Crust tempered with the epic soundscapes of the Post-Metal elite. The result is a tour de force of exciting music that should appeal to any Extreme Metal fan.

This is superlative stuff.