Wonderbox Metal

Heretique – De Non Existentia Dei (Review)

This is the second album from Heretique, a Polish Death Metal band.

This is solid old-school Death Metal that takes additional influence from older Metal and proto-Black Metal, making for a well-rounded release that creates its own atmosphere and character with ease.

Snatches of melody appear here and there in the leads and solos; played well and thoughtfully constructed, they add colour and feeling to the otherwise heavy old-school thrashings that the band produce. I love me some good soloing and there are some real crackers on here.

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Interview with Enthean

Enthean’s Priests of Annihilation is a modern collision of all manner of Extreme Metal styles, all wrapped up in a handsomely aggressive package. Guitarist/vocalist Adam Broome was kind enough to take time out from dreaming up new mythologies to hammer out some answers to some pertinent questions…

Introduce us to Enthean!

We are a progressive blackened extreme metal band from Greenville, SC. Well, we say Greenville, but no one knows where Anderson/Pendleton/Central is and secondly, our drummer is from Charlotte, NC… so we just met in the middle and said Greenville. Fuck it.

What are your influences?

Musically, it’s old punk, most rock, classical, ska, metal, r & b, ragtime, appliances and hardware, nature, Slayer… Other influences include philosophy, mythology, life events, jackasses, both motivated and lazy people, and Deep Purple. Continue reading “Interview with Enthean”

Schammasch – Triangle (Review)

Schammasch are a Black Metal band from Switzerland. This is their third album.

Here we have a bold, monster of a release; divided into three parts, each lasting about 35 minutes, the entire body of work clocks in at a massive 105 minutes in length.

Schammasch play forward-thinking music that’s rooted in Black Metal, but also visits other styles such as Doom, Post-Black Metal and Progressive Metal.

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Glorior Belli – Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) (Review)

This is the sixth album from French Black Metal band, (currently a solo project it seems), Glorior Belli.

Previous album Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls was an uncommon blend of Black Metal, Sludge and southern US Metal riffing. Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) continues this combination of Black Metal and Sludgy Blues Rock, although now the emphasis is much more on the Black Metal side of the equation.

Featuring sharp and cutting riffs alongside serrated vocals, a lot of the music on this album is dangerously bladed, seemingly out to cause harm with its fast guitars and blackened melodies. Continue reading “Glorior Belli – Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) (Review)”

Invehertex – Hacia el Vórtice (Review)

Invehertex are a Chilean Black Metal band and this is their début album.

At 79 minutes in length, Invehertex don’t do things by halves it seems.

Alongside some ambient interludes, the band play raw, underground Black Metal that has a sprawling and ambitious attitude to blackened soundscapes.

Blasting, icy aggression is present and correct, alongside groovier riffs and atmospheric explorations; all wrapped in darkness and covered with malevolence.

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Sacrilegium – Anima Lucifera

Sacrilegium are a Polish Black Metal band and this is their second album.

This is sophisticated Black Metal that shrouds itself in occult auras and mystical vibes.

Sacrilegium have produced an album that has a very modern feel, but nonetheless knows where it came from and pays its dues accordingly. With elements of the atmospheric and progressive styles entwined in its dark embrace, Anima Lucifera blasts and pummels its way through its playing time with style and panache. Continue reading “Sacrilegium – Anima Lucifera”

Winterhorde – Maestro (Review)

This is the third album from Israeli melodic/progressive Black Metallers Winterhorde.

Winterhorde use melodic Black Metal as a base to launch their epic brand of music from. On this base, they build firm structures of progressive Metal and symphonic/orchestral enhancements, all of which work together to produce Maestro, an Extreme Metal extravaganza.

If you combine elements of Black Metal with bands like Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar, Vintersorg, Arcturus and Nevermore, you’ll have a good idea of where Winterhorde are coming from. Continue reading “Winterhorde – Maestro (Review)”

Images at Twilight – Kings (Review)

Images at Twilight are an orchestral Black Metal band from Norway. This is their début album.

Featuring the same orchestral mastermind behind the stunning symphonic Death/Doom début by Abyssic, Images at Twilight is essentially a Black Metal version of this, (or the other way around, actually, as this album came first), with rich, sumptuous orchestration and classical grandness.

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Grimner – Frost Mot Eld (Review)

Grimner are a Swedish Viking/Folk Metal band and this is their second album.

Grimner play upbeat and melodic Metal that uses folk instruments such as flutes, mandola and Swedish bagpipes, as well as keyboards to add a rich layer of feeling and atmosphere to their aggressive Metal.

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Interview with Imperium

Imperium’s second album is the ferocious Titanomachy; fast-paced, brutal, savage and memorable. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable album and I can’t imagine anyone into Death Metal failing to like it. I interrogated vocalist Doug Anderson as to the current state of the war machine that is Imperium…

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

We are Imperium, a two piece, death metal studio band from the UK. The next one…

Give us a bit of background to Imperium Continue reading “Interview with Imperium”