Wonderbox Metal

Interview with In Cauda Venenum

The self-titled debut album by In Cauda Venenum is now over a year old and about to get a vinyl re-release. If you haven’t yet heard it then I highly suggest you do. Containing only two tracks, yet running for 42 minutes, the music is epic, top-of-the-line atmospheric black metal, full of texture and darkness.

Ictus, (guitars, bass and vocals), brought me up to speed with all you need to know about this talented band…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

We are two guys playing Black Metal songs. We like making it epic, progressive and atmospheric. If you enjoy long tracks, you should give a chance to IN CAUDA VENENUM.

Give us a bit of background to In Cauda Venenum

I wrote 4 first ICV songs during 2009 and 2010. When N.K.L.S. joined me as a drummer in 2011, we decided to bring them to another level and started a rewriting process. After several years working on these 4 tracks, we finally decided to focus on 2 tracks to prepare our first release. We made this choice because our tracks were quite long (more than 20 min each), and the job was to huge. Continue reading “Interview with In Cauda Venenum”

Third Island – Dusk (Review)

This is the debut EP from Irish post-metal/doom band Third Island.

Building atmosphere with steady grace and gentle insistence, Third Island take a subtle, almost-sensual approach to their post-metal explorations. That’s not to say that they don’t know how to ramp up Continue reading “Third Island – Dusk (Review)”

Insomnium – Winter’s Gate (Review)

Insomnium are a melodic death metal band from Finland and this is their Seventh album.

I do like it when a band gives free rein to their epic, exploratory side and decides to write a really, really long song. Welcome to Winter’s Gate. This album consists of one track that lasts a full 40 minutes in length.

With a concept that’s based around a short story, the band weave this tale into the fabric of the music, taking the listener on a textured journey into unexplored lands. Continue reading “Insomnium – Winter’s Gate (Review)”

Witchskull – The Vast Electric Dark (Review)

Witchskull are from Australia and play heavy/stoner metal. This is their debut album.

With attitude and a confident swagger, Witchskull waste no time in firmly making their mark with their stoner-esque take on desert metal. Continue reading “Witchskull – The Vast Electric Dark (Review)”

Throneum – Morbid Death Tales (Review)

This is the seventh album from Throneum, a Polish death metal band.

This is ugly, raw death metal, produced by a band that have amassed a huge back catalog. Although quantity does not necessarily equate to quality, at this stage Throneum have been doing this long enough to know their way around the crypt they inhabit. Continue reading “Throneum – Morbid Death Tales (Review)”

Kontagion – [R-!-E]lentless (Review)

This is the second album from Polish industrial metal band Kontagion.

Kontagion play industrial-tinged cybermetal, taking influence from the earlier of strains of the Fear Factory virus, and morphing itself into an altogether darker and more feral breed via some early Slipknot/Mushroomhead influences and a touch of Godflesh, (of which there’s a cover version here of Crush My Soul).

This really does have a late 90s/early 00s feel Continue reading “Kontagion – [R-!-E]lentless (Review)”

Cara Neir/Wildspeaker – Guilt and His Reflection (Review)

Cara Neir are a black metal/crust/grind/whatever band from the US. They have teamed up with Wildspeaker, a blackened sludge/crust band, also from the US.

I’m a big fan of Cara Neir, so as far as I’m concerned any release of theirs is well worth giving a listen to. On this split they contribute seven songs spread over 21 minutes.

You never quite know what you’re going to be getting with Continue reading “Cara Neir/Wildspeaker – Guilt and His Reflection (Review)”

Interview with Allegaeon

Have you heard Allegaeon’s latest album Proponent for Sentience yet? If you haven’t, then you really, really should. It’s that good. It’s also one of those very pleasing records that just gets better the more you listen to it. With each spin you notice and appreciate different things about the songs, and you wonder how you didn’t notice them the first time around.

Hmm, there’s clearly some form of black magic going on here. Or, as we’ll see, maybe some high-tech shenanigans are afoot…

Introduce us to Allegaeon

Well we’re a 5 piece modern melodic death metal band, originally out of Fort Collins Colorado, but now out of Denver. Riley McShane on Vocals, Michael Stancel and myself (Greg Burgess) on guitar, Brandon Park on drums, and Corey Archuleta on bass.

What are your influences?

Continue reading “Interview with Allegaeon”

Predatory Light – Predatory Light (Review)

This is the debut album from US black metallers Predatory Light.

Featuring members of Mania, Triumvir Foul and Ash Borer, this release comes with high expectations before it even starts. As you can probably guess, those expectations are fulfilled.

Predatory Light play black metal with a serving of doom and a keen Continue reading “Predatory Light – Predatory Light (Review)”

Interview with Forty Winters

Rotting Empire is the second album from US metal band Forty Winters. Chock-full of heavy riffs and meaty beatdowns, this is metallic hardcore in its original 90s/00s incarnation, all stomping riffs and attitude, but with modern delivery. And do you know what? It’s great to hear.

Jeff Stevenson (Guitar) & Xavier Vicuna (Vocals) filled me in a bit more on all things Forty Winters…

Introduce us to Forty Winters!

Xavier: We’re Forty Winters, metal band from South Florida. We play pissed off music for pissed off people. It’s actually a lot of fun. We love to tour, so make sure you come check out a show if we’re in your area. Continue reading “Interview with Forty Winters”