Reviews – Page 589 – Wonderbox Metal

Morbider/Abyssus – From the Abyss Raised the Morbid (Review)

This is a split release between Death Metal bands Morbider and Abyssus.

Morbider are up first. They are from the Czech Republic and play Death Metal inspired by the Swedish Old-School, although I can also hear the songwriting skills of a bit of Avulsed in their style as well.

They contribute 4 tracks to this release and they’re all solid slabs of well recorded, well played Death Metal with a nice chainsaw sound and plenty of atmosphere; the mid-part of No More Life is a case in point. Good ideas and good execution; Morbider impress.

Abyssus are from Greece and play a more primitive and darkly primeval version of Death Metal than Morbider, with even a bit of a proto-Thrash influence.

They contribute 5 slightly shorter songs to the split, one of which is a Sodom cover. The songs are simple but effective, with an Old-School feel and the obvious passion to back it up. The riffs are ripping and have a good feeling to them and the band Thrash along at a welcome speed.

A very enjoyable split from two good bands. Check them out.

Beehoover – The Devil And His Footmen (Review)

Beehoover are from Germany and are a drum/bass combo specialising in a peculiar brand of Stoner Doom.

The drumming is unrestrained and energetic, while the bass is inventive and fiddly. Their music sometimes reminds me of a stripped down Tool toying with technical Stoner riffs. Complicated and simple at the same time.

The vocals are quite unusual sounding; free-form and loose and very individual; although slightly reminiscent of Mike Patton in style if not in sound. The vocals infect the complex musicianship like an afterthought that has nonetheless grown in the spaces between the notes and developed into an undeniable part of the intricate structure of the songs.

Beehoover manage to fit a lot of stuff into songs that, in the hands of other bands, might be 15 minute epics; in Beehoover’s hands though they typically last about 4-6 minutes are certainly don’t suffer due to this fat-trimming.

This is an uncommon band who provide an uncommon listening experience; they are all the better for it.

If you fancy something unusual and interesting this could be for you.

Noble Beast – Noble Beast (Review)

US Power Metal band Noble Beast are about to unleash this self-titled album on an unsuspecting, unworthy world.

Straight from the off they make a mark with their brand of epic Power Metal, full of sweeping harmonies, electric riffs and boundless feelings of Metal and enthusiasm for epic adventures.

The band remind powerfully of European Power Metal, especially Freedom Call. As such, this is proper Power Metal and certainly not for the average person. It’s refreshing to hear this kind of music done well, and not descend into parody or just plain worthlessness.

With this in mind the singer is slightly unusual in that a lot of the time his voice is deeper than the norm for this kind of music. It may not be as high as one might expect, but this is, of course, no bad thing. He has a great set of pipes and is more than capable of belting out a ripping tune; his vocals are professionally delivered and he puts in an excellent performance. Higher vocals accentuate his deeper ones and overall the effect is gripping and rousing.

The songs are epic, stirring and make you want to stand on mountain tops, sword in hand, defying the Gods. That’s right.

The album features well written songs with good musicianship and a quality recording. The songs are catchy, have plenty of hooks and are smothered in leads and solos.

This is a quality release of pure, unadulterated Power Metal with a heart of molten heroism. If you’re looking for adventure and high thrills you’ve found it.

Along with the recent Burning Shadows, this has firmly reinforced my love of Power Metal.

Dead Earth Politics – The Queen of Steel (Review)

Dead Earth Politics are from the US and play modern Thrash/Groove Metal.

This is southern-tinged Modern Metal in the style of Lamb of God, et al, only with a slightly more Metal twist and some nice melodic choruses. Look at the album cover. Look at the song titles. There is no weak pseudo-Metal here.

Said melodic choruses are not of the sickly, saccharine variety; instead they’re all about the Metal and owe more to Pantera than the more modern Metalcore clones.

The riffs are good and the songs have plenty of energy. The band also don’t shy away from solos, which is always a welcome thing to hear.

The vocals are modern Metal shouting, combined with the aforementioned cleans with some even verging on Power Metal territory. Almost.

I’ve seen this band described as a cross between classic Metal and New American Metal and I think this description fits. Either way this short 3 track EP has the songs to play in the big leagues and is clearly the result of talented minds.

An enjoyable EP, and if they can harness this energy and songwriting finesse then whatever upcoming album they may be working on should be well worth a listen. Based on this release I’m looking forward to what they do next.

A modern take on fantasy Metal? Works for me.

The Drip – A Presentation of Gruesome Poetics (Review)

Hailing from the US, The Drip play Grind, fast and brutal.

This EP is 12 minutes, 6 tracks of mutilating Grindcore. The band worship at the altar of Grind legends Nasum and Rotten Sound, and are just as tight and focused.

The songs are streamlined and belligerent, with a good grasp of Nasum-esque dynamics.

The vocals are mainly high-pitched screeches designed to curdle milk and other such meanness. They sound savage and layer the top of the music like broken glass.

The production is clear enough to hear everything but also dirty enough to avoid the band becoming sterile or safe. A band with bite.

Each song is a self-contained furnace of energy and destruction, with nothing being held back. The band manage to give off a very complete feeling of listening to both state-of-the-art Grind but also one that’s aware of its heritage, going all the way back to Napalm Death when they unleashed Scum upon the world.

This is a great little collection of high octane grinders and it bodes well for a future album release. Definitely ones to watch.

Stoneburner – Life Drawing (Review)

Stoneburner are a Sludge/Doom band from the US and Life Drawing is their second album.

The band combine aggressive Sludge with minimal Doom in a pleasing and refreshing way, taking elements of the masters such as Eyehategod and Neurosis and combing them with an eclectic mix of bands like Electric Wizard, Warhorse and even a splash of Isis on occasion.

They have a punchy, buoyant sound for a group of this type, with the guitars seemingly larger than life and ready to pop out of the speakers at a moment’s notice. For all this vibrancy however theirs is a filthy sound, mired in dirt and caked in sin.

The vocals are low-in-the-mix rumbles that sound as if something lurking just underneath the surface is threatening to break through and wreak havoc, yet is restrained by the thick, syrupy music.

The songs are free form expressions of the darker side of life where not everything works out in the end. The album cover is quite evocative and one can imagine this album chronicling the life and times of the figure in the painting. Which is possibly why the album sounds so bleak, yet with moments of uplift; even in a drab life there are moments of colour. Of course the actual lyrics are probably about something completely different, but this is my impression and it seems to fit the mood of the album.

At over 66 minutes in length this is a long and rewarding journey through a damaged life that culminates in the final, epic track The Pheonix. A moment of hope as the final curtain falls? Maybe.

Music to captivate and absorb.

Buioingola – Dopo l’Apnea (Review)

This is the début album by Italian atmospheric Doom band Buioingola.

The vocals sound like someone shouting into a bucket and are strangely effective for this. They are set to a backdrop of apocalyptic Doom that wells up with despair and loss to the point of overflow.

The darkly melodic guitars speak of a deep dissatisfaction with the way things are, while the generalised aura of suicidal fragility permeates everything. Even when the band play more up-tempo the atmosphere is still very much down-tempo. In this regard they are not dissimilar to Deinonychus with their all-pervading mood of misery.

The icy feel of the riffs seem to leech all life and energy out of the room as you’re listening to it, drawing you further into the web of negativity that the band conspire to propagate.

Sorrowful guitar melodies, distorted noise Industrial effects, Post-Metal meanderings and some Hardcore/Crust bravado all added to a Doom core and an all-encompassing air of gloom mean that this is a heartfelt journey into someone’s bleakest nightmare.

Apparently Buioingola means “darkness in my throat”. Sounds about right to me.

A recommended listen.

Aurora Borealis – World Shapers (Review)

Aurora Borealis are from the US and play Black Metal with a Death Metal influence. This is the sixth album from this underrated veteran band.

I’m already a fan of this band so was eagerly looking forward to getting my grubby mitts on this one. Aurora Borealis have always been one of those band who have managed to be brutal, melodic, extreme and catchy all at the same time, and this new album of theirs is no exception.

The drums speed by like carpet bombs going off and the guitars are as razor sharp as always.

The vocals are harsh croaks that sound way better than they probably should and the vocalist always seems to come up with interesting rhythms and patterns for his voice.

The songs are no disappointment, with each one providing the riffs and melodies needed, as well us the right combination of brutality and restraint necessary for involving songs. The tracks are mainly in the 4:00-5:00 range and allow each song to develop and breathe without losing focus.

Another exemplary album of brutal Black Metal from this group of experts.

Pyrrhon – The Mother Of Virtues (Review)

Pyrrhon are an unusual Hardcore-influenced Technical Death Metal band from the US and this is their second album.

They kickstart proceedings with an entry track that would do Converge or Cephalic Carnage proud. The Oracle of Nassau explodes out of the speakers all frenzy and bile, and for 1:25 it proceeds to annihilate everything. In complete contrast the next song White Flag starts off slow and menacing, and lasts for a much longer 9:42.

The vocals are screamed static attacks or brutal guttural growls, depending on the mood of the singer.

The music is technical, involved and very intricate. The instruments twist and turn and play all manner of elusive riffs; the listener is submerged in a lake of discordant dissonance that somehow manages to satisfy in spite of the multiple disparate elements being unleashed.

This is the clever thing though, as each instrument by itself is exploring its own path but everything gels together for the benefit of the wider picture in ways that you wouldn’t expect. The songs manage to be exploratory and experimental while remaining coherent and delivering a completed whole.

Angular riffs, wilful bass, schizophrenic drums and daemonic vocals collide to create a challenging and ultimately involving listen. The songs owe about as much to the violent Hardcore background of bands such as Converge, Botch and The Dillinger Escape Plan as they do to Technical Death Metal.

Pyrrhon strike me as having a combination of sounds from bands as diverse as all of the previously mentioned ones, as well as having elements of bands like Uphill Battle, Gorguts and Today Is The Day.

If you’re looking for a new band to obsess over who are not your average band then say hello to Pyrrhon. This album is a must.

Antigama – Meteor (Review)

Meteor is the latest album from Polish Grind band Antigama.

Straight away you can tell that the latest Antigama album is just a top quality Grindcore release; the sound, the vocals, the playing, the delivery – it’s all spot on.

The recording is full and complete, with a devastating sound that makes the most of the band’s aggressive heaviness.

The vocals are brutal and satisfying with enough variety to keep things interesting but sounding good enough that the variety is a bonus and not something that’s necessary.

The playing of the band is tight and focused. They alternate between fast and aggressive, staccato stop-starts, brutal blasting and atmospheric heaviness with ease and the confidence of true professionals.

They’re also not afraid to experiment, with electronics and effects on some songs as well as guest and alternative vocals; it all adds up to something special.

Another solid, top quality release from these Grindcore masters; Meteor should see them at the head of the modern Extreme Metal pack.