Wonderbox Metal

Necrocosm – Damnation Doctrine (Review)

Necrocosm are a Death Metal band from the US. This is their début album.

Necrocosm play Melodic Death Metal with plenty of riffs, licks and shredding leads. The music is fast, furious and has bite. Think a more modern spin on the style, à la The Black Dahlia Murder, mixed with a bit of Aborted and even some Dying Fetus.

The band have a strong sound and the guitars sound nicely meaty for a band of this style. Everything sounds slick, professional and honed to a killing edge.

The vocals follow the style of a band like Aborted; deep growls backed up with more of a shouted bark and the odd scream.

These songs have been written with high-energy in mind and manage to keep the aggression and intensity up for these 45 minutes. I like fast music with a sharp melodic edge and Necrocosm have certainly produced an album that does what it sets out to do very nicely indeed.

Who said Melodic Death Metal had to be weak and wishy-washy? Anyone? No, that’s right.

Highly recommended.

Haiduk – Demonicon (Review)

Haiduk is a one-man Black Metal project from Canada. This is his second album.

This is an album full of distorted blasting and hate-fuelled invective. It’s Black Metal with a pinch of Death Metal added for good measure. Although you could call this Blackened Death Metal, Black Metal is very much the main star of the show.

The Death Metal influence raises its ugly head in the added brutality and forcefulness of some of the riffs, as well as, more blatantly, the growled vocals.

The music is fast, well-constructed and hits the spot like a knife hitting its target. The riffs are full of Blackened melodies and harsher rhythms. Energetic and not afraid to add streaks of colour to its grimness, the music pummels and lacerates the listener at the same time.

The songs still manage to create atmosphere on occasion, so it’s not all a one-dimensional assault. This is the exception rather than the rule though, and to be honest, it’s good enough and well-played enough not to matter, regardless.

One-man Black Metal bands frequently take the less aggressive route, but Haiduk has proven that there’s no real reason for this to be the case. Demonicon is ugly, nasty and has enough quality riffs and dark melodies to be a dangerous proposition.

Like being hunted down in the dark and lashed at with razor-whips; this album somehow makes this prospect appealing.

Recommended.

Nyx – Home (Review)

Nyx are a Black Metal band from Germany and this is their début album.

Featuring only two members, Nyx make an impressive début that would do justice to a full band.

The music on this 45 minute album is quite varied and features elements of different sub-genres as well as the core of Black Metal that they play so well.

A few Classic Metal licks appear here and there, as well as a decent Post-Metal influence, especially in some of the guitar melodies. There’s enough of this ethereal, transcendental influence to label this Post-Black Metal, although the icy, frozen core of the pure style is still here, corrupting it so that it’s projected out through the prism of urban decay.

The singer’s screamed vocals are ridiculously strong; her voice is blood-curdling and powerful in the best tradition of Black Metal shrieking. Cleaner vocalisations are also used and these add emotional content and a rather ritualistic, sinister aura on occasion. These too are powerful and have real presence. Occasionally they even add in a bit of a more traditional clean singing style, and these parts sound just as good as everything else.

The songs are barbed, twisted and full of unexpected subtlety and shading. There’s a lot of ideas on display throughout these 9 tracks and the band have produced an album that has both immediate impact and lasting depth. The production is sharp and serrated, allowing the music to showcase its dangerous edge.

This is not a run-of-the-mill release, this is sophisticated Black Metal Art.

Very impressive.

Infinight – Apex Predator (Review)

This is the third album from German Power Metal band Infinight.

Having listened to it over and over and over again, it’s safe to say that I love Infinight’s previous EP The Vision. Such a good release and only a teaser really at 13 minutes in length. So when this latest album made its way to me, at a whopping 61 minutes long, I was a very happy bunny indeed.

Once again we get sophisticated, maturely-written and well-played Power Metal that just has something extra that a lot of bands of this style are missing. It’s a combination of a lot of factors; the guitars, the vocal melodies, the structure of the songs…Infinight have something intangibly special about them that just draws me in and keeps me captivated whenever they’re playing.

I think that it ultimatley probaby boils down to the fact that although all of the normal Power Metal ingredients are used, they’re just used so well and in such expert ways that the end result is the tastiest of treats. The songs are intelligently-arranged and the band seem to excel at doing things in such a way that their sound is instantly recognisable as Power Metal, but with enough individuality and style to stick out.

Songs, songs, songs. It’s all about the songs for Power Metal and there’s no lack of these on this release. Catchiness and hooks abound, powered by a band that understand dynamics, pacing and song-structure.

I can’t help but fawn and gush over this, really. I love Power Metal when it’s done this well and is infused with such quality. It’s not over-the-top and ostentatious, but nor is it timid or lacking in confidence. Apex Predator strikes the perfect balance between the flashy European style and the more modern American one. Add to that a singer who really knows what he’s doing and this is a top rate album.

My advice? Listen to this, and then listen to it again. And again. And again. And again…

Phased – Aeon (Review)

Phased are from Switzerland and play Psychedelic Doom Metal. This is their fifth album.

Phased are a familiar proposition in many ways. Taking the blueprint of a band like Electric Wizard, they proceed to play 44 minutes of music that’s similar enough to what we’re used to so that it’s instantly welcome, but with enough individuality to ensure that they’re not written off as a mere copy.

As with most things to do with music, this is subjective of course. For me, although this release has enough familiar markers from bands like Electric Wizard, Warhorse and, (to a lesser extent), Black Sabbath that it feels like an old friend, it also retains its own identity enough to be a worthy listen. In fact, if you cross Electric Wizard and Warhorse, you have a good idea of where Phased are coming from.

Understated, strangely-inhuman vocals act as just another instrument and can almost be overlooked as you get caught up in the riffs and confident melodies. Having said that, the overall impact of the songs would be lessened without them though.

The laid back, confident swagger of the Doom riffs and the general vibe of easy-going Space Rock is a beguiling combination. It’s hard not to like a band like this when they lock into a hypnotic groove.

So, will Phased do it for you, or have they missed their mark? Have a listen and see what you think.

Mammoth Storm – Fornjot (Review)

Mammoth Storm are from Sweden. This is their début album and they play Doom.

Thick, heavy guitars, groove the size of tsunamis and colossal riffs? It can only be Mammoth Storm’s first album. This is heavy, ponderous Doom with a juicy Stoner streak running deep through it.

Charismatic vocals extend out over the songs, animated just above a drawl to provide focus and character to the gargantuan riffs and huge beats.

The guitars are a definite selling point of this music, as the heavy rhythms are meaty as Hell, while the more fragile leads almost have a Post-Metal transcendental quality to them. These are anchored in place by the more earthy guitars so that they remain firmly a part of the music.

The combination of the droning, repetitive nature of the rhythms and the exploratory, unbounded leads make for songs that form a soundscape of textures, writ large in Doom. The vocals cement the idea of a journey through this soundscape, guided by the album art and propelled endlessly forward by the understated-yet-essential drums.

Atmospheric layers are built with ease, immersing the listener in the moods and feelings that the band wish to evoke. It’s extremely effective; it’s easy to slip into these songs and lose yourself in the band’s emotive performance.

This is a substantial début in more ways than one, with the band creating a conceptual storyline to accompany the weighty music. At 55 minutes in length there is a lot of content here to enjoy.

I think this album is pretty much a must-get for any fan of Doom Metal. Check it out.

Terra Deep – Part of This World, Part of Another (Review)

This is the third album from US Progressive Black Metal one-man group Terra Deep.

The music on this release is a complicated and sophisticated Progressive Metal feast that’s born out of the corrupted undergrowth of Black Metal’s fertile roots. Progressive and Post-Black Metal elements take control of proceedings quite early on, reinforced by a dark core of frozen steel.

Deep, unsettling growls, evil shrieks and powerful cleans all add a multitude of texture and feeling to music that successfully combines the cold malignance of Black Metal with the expansive, exploratory nature of Progressive music. This is further enhanced by elements of Doom/Depressive Black Metal that add a forlorn, lonesome sheen to some of the tracks. It all adds up to a multifaceted release full of quality music and songs that engage.

Richly textured tracks seem to bleed shades of pain and grim tidings, while still fostering a highly emotive side that connects with the listener in a visceral way. The songs are advanced exemplars of what can be done with a Black Metal base and a will to explore.

The production is solid and allows the music to hit the right balance between heaviness and nuance. It’s a good sound that satisfies and does justice to the differing parts and influences that make up Part of This World, Part of Another.

These five songs are impressively-realised affairs that speak of the experience and talent of the brains behind the outfit. He obviously has a coherent and well-rounded vision for Terra Deep and has the ability and skill to achieve it.

If you combine Opeth, Enslaved, Forgotten Tomb and Ihsahn then you’ll have a good idea of Terra Deep’s style.

There really is a lot here to offer the discerning Extreme Metal fan and I can’t really recommend this highly enough.

Devil You Know – They Bleed Red (Review)

This is the second album from US Modern Metal band Devil You Know.

Featuring ex-members of such high-profile bands as Killswitch Engage, Divine Heresy, All Shall Perish and Bleeding Through, you know there’s a wealth of experience and talent behind this album before you even press play.

When you do press play, I like that there’s no messing around with pointless intros or anything like that; it’s straight into the double-bass led action, with plenty of heaviness and groove.

The singer is on fine form. Whether he was shouting at the top of his voice in Killswitch Engage or Blood Has Been Shed, he has always had a top-rate set of lungs. The majority of his work on They Bleed Red is angry and harsh shouting, although other variations are also used, as well as his clean singing voice.

The music is heavy and full of rhythmic Metal that also takes influences from both Metalcore’s beatdowns and the more extreme, faster side of Modern Metal. Although it’s all thoroughly modern and new-sounding, they still find the time to add in some more Classic Metal influences, including the odd guitar solo.

The production, as should be expected from a band like this, is huge and crushing. Bands like this need a strong sound as otherwise the power of some the riffs can easily be distilled. No such worry here, of course, and you can feel every guitar riff and drum beat.

They Bleed Red is a good combination of the more commercial side of Metal mixed with a heavier, more extreme sensibility. It’s too heavy and shouty to be as popular as a band like Killswitch Engage, but it’s got a commercial edge and songwriting-calibre that will see it snapped up by those who like some catchy songs with their heaviness.

Give it a listen and see what you think.

Vreid – Sólverv (Review)

Vreid are a Black Metal band from Norway and this is their seventh album.

Vreid play Melodic Black Metal that’s sharp and fast. They specialise in colourful, rich melodies that run through the Blackened music like a stream cutting through a mountain.

Vreid originally arose after the end of Windir, a band that I always loved. For some reason, I never got around to checking out Vreid before now, (partially through laziness/lack of opportunity, and partially as Windir were so damn good that it almost didn’t seem worth it. Odd reasoning I know…), and I sincerely regret this, as Sólverv, (and presumably the rest of their work), effectively carries on the spirit of what Windir were about. Oh how I’ve missed these elegant and distinctive atmospheric melodies! There’s a lesson here folks – always check out that band who, for whatever reason, you haven’t had the time or inclination to.

The rhythm guitars are full of energy and play with speed and groove with equal relish. The leads are frequent and highly textured, giving the band a superbly atmosphered collection of songs that are highly emotive and engaging. Subtle keyboards further enhance the tracks where necessary, adding another layer of feeling.

These songs are atmospheric in ways that it’s hard to express. It’s like the guitars have plugged into a primal wellspring of Blackened mood and ambience, lost since the rise of second wave Black Metal and found and kept safe by the band for their own special ministrations.

Of course it’s not all about the guitars, although these are a defining point of the music. The other instruments and the singer play their parts too. The bass and drums provide a framework for the guitars to work their magic, while the singer’s rasping screech adds a serrated edge to the flowing, melodic music.

It is with great regret that I mourn the lost years where I had the chance to follow up on the mighty Windir’s legacy and failed to do so. More fool me. From now on, Sólverv will be on heavy rotation.

Heartily recommended.

Arcturus – Arcturian (Review)

Arcturus are a Norwegian Avant-Garde Progressive Black Metal band and this is their fifth album.

This legendary band finally make a return with their unique and charismatic take on Metal. This is 48 minutes of extravagance, style, class, eccentricity and outright esoteric musicality. The level of skill and talent involved in a release like this is staggering really, when compared with the average band. But then Arcturus have always been outliers.

This album is somewhat of a blend of their earlier and later work. It’s more accessible than the pure theatricality of La Masquerade Infernale, but less cautious than Sideshow Symphonies; the result is an album that takes the right amount of cues from both.

Arcturian is a perfectly judged melting pot of disparate influences that balances them all off against each other in a coherent-yet-varied way. From blast beats to orchestral oddness and everything in between, this is highly-textured and richly evocative music that’s not afraid to pile on the layers of atmosphere and feeling. The songs have depth, dynamics, pacing and personality.

As a focal point, we have the amazing voice of the singer. He has always been one of my favourite vocalists, no matter what band he has been playing in, and on Arcturian he excels in every way. Boasting one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in Metal, he complements the expansive and nuanced music with a strong presence and commanding performance. Hot stuff.

I’m extremely pleased to say that Arcturus’ first offering in a decade is a resounding success, at least with me it is. Music is highly subjective and a lot of people just won’t ‘get’ this, (more fool them), but for those that do, this heralds a wondrous homecoming. Arcturian is a return to form after their last album, (which was good, but lacking that something special that their other work had), and an album to listen to and absorb over and over again.

An important release.