Reviews – Page 600 – Wonderbox Metal

Angist – Circle Of Suffering (Review)

Angist are from Iceland and play Death Metal.

This is Death Metal with mood and presence, as is instantly apparent from the first couple of minutes of the opening track Circle Of Suffering. Also apparent is the band’s Old-School song philosophy and an ear for a good riff.

Taking elements of Morbid Angel, Immolation and Obituary, the band steer a course through paths well trodden but still manage to offer something worthwhile to the discerning listener. They have a good line in some quite Doomy riffs as well; a real sense of melancholy flows when they want it too.

The songs impress with their melody as well as their dynamics and atmosphere. A collection of riffs is not enough for Angist, they demand flow and song structure to be present too, and rightly so.

The vocals are resolutely Old-School in the sense that they are extreme but not overly so and they have that vibe about them; that indefinable something that says “yes, this is the real deal”. They are legible in places and always work well with the music.

This EP is a few years old now, so I look forward to what Angist offer us in the future. Hopefully they will release a blinder of an album.

Give this band your support.

Super Massive Black Holes – Calculations of the Ancients (Review)

Canadian band Super Massive Black Holes play Experimental/Progressive Jazzy Death Metal, and this is their début album.

This is bright and shiny music that’s technical but also slightly whimsical in nature; there’s something of the Devin Townsend about it.

The band manage to mix disparate elements of Devin Townsend, Opeth, Ephel Duath, Gojira and Cephalic Carnage; schizoid jazzy breakdowns, atmospheric interludes, Stoner vibe rockathons, pseudo-Grind workouts and heavy melodic cyber Metal all collide on this album.

The songs are surprisingly cohesive for all this. Sometimes an idea or a section can feel a bit half-formed or unfinished, however, although from the sound of it this could very well be intentional; to keep the listener guessing or to stop them becoming complacent?

The vocals are mainly between a shout and a growl, with the vocalist reminding a little of the singer of Gorod, or even Gojira on occasion, only not quite as emotive.

I like this album, although it definitely needs time to reveal its charms and won’t be to all tastes. Give them a listen and see what you think.

Sovereign Council – New Reign (Review)

Canadian band Sovereign Council play Power/Symphonic Metal.

Well, it’s happened again. Another band from Canada who fooled me into thinking they would be another Nightwish et al rip off, (due to lazy assumptions on my part from descriptions of the band), whereas in reality there’s a lot more going on here. They’re not female fronted for a start.

Along with the recent album from Merkabah, they must be doing something very right in Canada, as even though the two bands don’t sound massively alike they both come from the Power/Symphonic mould and the Canadian scene at the moment seems a hotbed of talent.

The band play their music competently and have the right idea with the music. The symphonics and keyboards are relatively subdued for this genre; you can definitely hear them of course but they’re not over the top. The band also have a bit of an electronica influence here and there which adds a nice touch.

The main male vocals are restrained and confident; no show boating here just quality emotive singing. The female backing vocals add a layer of texture and colour to the songs, and are not anywhere near as ubiquitous as the descriptions would have you believe. Mix this with a few harsher screams and growls and it all comes together as a package quite nicely.

Sovereign Council are also savvy enough to know that ultimately this is all about the Metal and don’t bury the guitars under the admittedly talented vocals. Instead the two walk side by side, with the guitars being just as prominent as the vocals, as they should be.

Check this band out and give them your support.

Scars Divide – Scars Divide (Review)

Scars Divide are from Switzerland and play Melodic Metal/Metalcore with Progressive tendencies.

The riffs are melodic and meaty and don’t get reined in for safety purposes when they get a bit randy; rather they’re unleashed like the proverbial dogs of war and let loose to do what they may.

This is a key difference between Scars Divide and some of their more commercial cousins; Scars Divide are less concerned with opening in front of a big stadium, (although I’m sure they’re like to given half the chance), and more interested in creating modern Metal songs that entice, challenge and bludgeon.

It’s clear the band have an intimate relationship with their instruments and know exactly what they’re capable of. This is state-of-the-art Modern Metal that’s a refreshing change from all of the Djent/Lamb of God/At the Gates clones that seem to have been around forever.

The songs are inventive, interesting and above all Metal. Heavy guitars and a pummelling rhythm section keep things flowing nicely as the band get to work doing what they do best.

The vocals are impassioned and emotive without resorting to cleans or gimmicks, reminding of the Darkane singer on occasion.

Call me cynical, jaded, or whatever, but I am surprised at how good this is; I was expecting more Metalcore-by-numbers and I’m very pleased to be wrong. This is a premier league release that should hopefully see the band earning plenty of positive reviews.

Get in on the action while they’re still small, and help support a talented Metal band. This gets my vote.

Grey Skies Fallen – The Many Sides of Truth (Review)

Grey Skies Fallen are from the US, and this is their fourth album of Progressive Metal.

The band combine a form of Anathema relaxi-prog and a Melodic Death Metal influence with sharp, rasped vocals and heroic cleans. On paper it looks a bit incongruous but in practice it works surprisingly well.

It’s a tribute to the talent of the band that they can combine the soft introspective nature with the heavier Metal parts of the songs and have it sound cohesive and complete.

Elements of Nevermore and Septic Flesh clash with the aforementioned Anathema influence, add to that a bit of Doom and Melodic Prog…basically they have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies and are talented enough to pull it off.

Subtle keyboards accompany the sometimes epic riffs to create a larger than life atmosphere that also manages to stay compact and manageable as the band flex their musical muscles.

The songs are well composed and have a real feeling of grandeur to them. The music is very operatic in scope and ambition, which means it’s a very satisfying listen.

Grey Skies Fallen have produced an album that demands closer inspection. Check them out and hear what they have to offer. You won’t regret it.

Transient – Transient (Review)

Transient are from the US and play Grindcore.

This is professionally-recorded and nicely heavy. The songs are short and the anger high. The vocalist sounds like she is possessed by demons, (yes, plural), and is a whirlwind force of nature stalking these songs and shortening their natural lifespan by her presence alone. It’s an impressive performance.

The songs are hardcore-influenced Grindcore with lots to keep the attention with. None of the tracks reach over the 2:00 minute mark but that just means that every spare second is used for something useful rather than just filling space.

I love this kind of grind; modern and brutal but still with a firm emotional core and lyrics that have meaning rather than just being a pointless gore-fest, (which can also be fun of course).

Cross a band like Nasum with the scathing feral hardcore of Converge and Transient will be the product. This is a top quality Grind album and should be on the want list of every fan of this genre.

Norse – Pest (Review)

Norse come from Australia and play Technical Black Metal.

Their latest EP is 6 tracks and 26 minutes in length; a decent amount to get your teeth into.

From the onset they’re striking with a bold sound and unusual riffing. Encoded Weakness is atypical Black Metal with interesting riffs stopping, starting, squealing and blasting. The vocals are snarled growls of Blackened hatred.

The rest of the songs follow in a similar pattern – it’s Black Metal but played in an unusual way that gives a very fresh interpretation of the genre, whilst still remaining recognisable as Black Metal. Irradiator is a great example – the riffs slide and slither over each other in serpentine ways delivering a refreshing listening experience.

The band have an excellent grasp of dynamics, songwriting and riff-construction. This, combined with flawless delivery and a strong, oily, sinuous production mean this EP is a real treat.

Highly talented. Australia once more proves it is a leader in the Metal scene when it comes to producing innovative and interesting Metal.

https://www.facebook.com/norse.official

Enbilulugugal – Noizemongers For Goatserpent

Coming from the US this is Black Metal Noise of the darkest and filthiest order.

This is so not for most people it’s almost funny. Even the majority of hardened Extreme Metal fans would balk at this.

This is a compilation of sorts – we get their 2004 album Noizemongers For Goatserpent, a remix/reinterpretation version of the same from 2010 and a whole host of smaller harder-to-find releases tacked on to the end. All in all there are 79 tracks and 2.5 hours of music. Yes, that’s right. Read it again. 2.5 hours of music. And it’s not easy listening music I can tell you.

Enbilulugugal fuse the most twisted, mutated Black Metal with the harshest of Noise to create a perfect fusion of the two that’s nigh on unlistenable unless you’re in a certain mood or just want to punish yourself. This is the sound of nightmares made urban where the remorseless decay of society is mechanised and abused.

To judge a release such as this as good or bad is missing the point in some ways. It’s more of an experience, or even an endurance test, than any form of pleasurable listening as most people would recognise it.

Upon first playing this it took me a couple of minutes to acclimatise to what I was hearing and adjust myself internally to this new way of existing where I was being constantly buffeted by the capricious whims of noise terrorists via short, rusted aural jabs to the mind. They must have altered my brain chemistry somehow though because after a while I became inured to it all and started to find it strangely endearing.

When you exist in a perpetual state of torment is it common to miss it when it’s gone?

I very much doubt that you have the fortitude to survive this release intact. It is expressly designed to push people away so that only the worthy are left. For the vast majority of people this is simply not music and not worth the time to listen to. For the remaining few, this is Enbilulugugal.

Neige Morte – Bicephaale (Review)

This is the second album from French Black Metal band Neige Morte.

This is unusual, multi-faceted Black Metal that kidnaps other subgenres to do its wicked bidding. Noise, Industrial, Sludge, etc. all make an appearance; anything that can lend itself to creating a filthy and degrading atmosphere is used.

The band aim to create eerie, desolate, dysfunctionally abrasive atmospheres where everything is permitted except hope. The dissonant assault is overwhelming and darkness quickly takes hold.

The band play their dissonant Black Metal at an acceptable level, but I find my attention is held firmer when they slow down and give in to their filthy Sludge leanings. When they do this then they light up like a murky, Blackened funeral pyre and the filth and witchery flows freely.

This album is likely to not appeal to everyone, but for connoisseurs of the underground there is a good amount on offer here, if your tastes run to this.

Beyond Mortal Dreams – Lamia (Review)

Death Metal – this is the latest EP from Australia’s Beyond Mortal Dreams.

Having previously heard their very enjoyable Dreaming Death EP I stated at the time that I couldn’t wait to hear more from them. Well here we have it, albeit only a taster. Two tracks in just under 9 minutes.

The first song Lamia is a new one. It rolls out of the speakers like a steamroller and flattens everything. There’s a older-Nile vibe to this track; a sort of atmospheric brutality that sounds like it’s being filtered out through a black hole. Quality stuff. Hopefully this bodes well for the next album…

The second track Demonsword Infernal is new version of a song from their The Demon and the Tree of the Dead demo. I haven’t heard the original but this version is a top quality rhythmic pulser with dark melodies and swirling riffs.

Beyond Mortal Dreams have delivered the goods again. Only next time we want, nay, we demand, more!