This is the second album from UK Death Metal band Horrified.
Horrified’s début album Descent into Putridity was a maggot-filled coffin full of raw, underground Swedish-influenced Death Metal. Things have changed since then, it seems.
A Swedish Death Metal influence is still apparent, but the band have expanded their horizons and taken in further influence from the more melodic side of the Swedish scene; think bands like Dissection, Edge of Sanity and Eucharist. It’s an interesting and unexpected change of direction for Horrified that allows them to develop their more expansive, progressive and melodic sides, while still including some nice brutality when they want.
As this development sees the band becoming more sophisticated and melodic, there’s a corresponding increase in length in the songs, with a couple breaching the eight minute mark. This allows the band to add the melodic, emotive side to the core of their old-school style, achieving a blistering combination of the two that works really well.
Although I miss the primitive old-school rumble of their début, I must admit that it’s very nice to see a band develop and spread their wings further afield than their early influences. As these influences do still play a part in their sound though, it’s not a total departure. The end result is that they have progressed into an entity that’s far more interesting and accomplished than what they have demonstrated in the past, and Of Despair is a very enjoyable and compelling piece of work.
This is the fourth album of Black Metal from Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu.
Oranssi Pazuzu play Black Metal that incorporates elements of psychedelia and Progessive Metal into its dark embrace.
This is the great thing about what Black Metal has become – it has developed way beyond the initial confines of the original genre into all manner of weird, wonderful and splendid things, probably more so than any other genre in many ways. Purists may disagree and say that Black Metal is one specific thing or another, of course. Whether they’re right or not is largely irrelevant, but what is relevant is that Black Metal has been used time and time again as the base inspiration for many a band’s exploration into wider sounds and different pastures.
All of which serves as a slightly long-winded introduction for Värähtelijä; here is an album that does exactly as previously described – it takes the base of Black Metal but does so much more with it than your average Darkthrone clone.
Here we have music that has been expanded upon with psychedelic and progressive properties, as well as the claustrophobic apocolyptica of Neurosis and the extravagant otherworldliness of Sigh. All of this is wrapped up tightly in an emotive, atmospheric blackened cloud and hidden deep in a murky cave somewhere, awaiting discovery by you.
Yes, you.
The atmospheres created on Värähtelijä are surely born of the void, born from some howling, other place that refuses to conform to our physical laws. Surely? The depth, texture and mood displayed on these tracks is more than most bands manage in a lifetime. That’s not so say it’s always 100% effective in everything it does, but again; it’s way more effective than most bands succeed in being when they add a bit of mood to their music. However, Oranssi Pazuzu aren’t “adding a bit of mood to their music”; this is pure mood music and everything here is designed to emote and emote strongly. And it does.
This is certainly not one-dimensional and there’s a lot of different ideas, sounds and styles incorporated into their trippy take on dark music.
Hugely impressive and a great absorbing listen for anyone into music that takes time to appreciate as it seeps into your mind and takes over.
Vargstuhr is a one man Black Metal band from Spain. This is his début release.
Unexpectedly, this album starts with an acoustic, folk-influenced track that has semi-clean vocals chanting rough outpourings. It’s a left-field opener that has a lot of rustic charm. After this, a frosted guitar melody blows in, heralding the next track and just when you think you’re in more familiar territories the guitars drop out and clean vocals appear. Then it goes all raw and evil, and at this point you realise you’re not dealing with an average release.
Howlings pays tribute to the fertile experimentation of the early Scandinavian Black Metal scene, effortlessly recreating the feel of the era and the feeling that anything is possible as the early innovators started to diversify out from the original blackened template.
This is both primitive and sophisticated at the same time. The recording is clearly on a low-budget, and at times it becomes quite unbalanced or strange, (what’s up with the horrible blasting snare drum sound on Howling 5: The Hunt, in Search of the Prey?), but honestly I can’t care that much as for the most part it suits the style of the music and represents a certain rawness and authenticity that I can get on board with. Besides, I’ve heard a lot worse.
The playing and songwriting can be similarly described; this is not the high-polish, high-gloss of the mainstream, this is strictly underground Metal fodder and sounds all the better for it.
Howlings combines atmosphere, melody, folk influences and raw Black Metal into 45 minutes of music that I can’t help but really enjoy. It genuinely takes me back a couple of decades and shows a mind with a keen understanding of the early Black Metal scene when it was right on the cusp of birthing itself into the heavily-fragmented, multiplying, mutating sub-genres of the blackened style that we know today, but just prior to this when everything seemed so genuinely exciting.
Even ignoring all of this though, purely on its own merits, Howlings is a very enjoyable slab of primitive Black Metal that has aspirations for so much more and succeeds in breaking out from the well-worn path into its own trail, writing its own story.
This is the début album from Black Metallers Folteraar who are from the Netherlands.
This is claustrophobic, suffocating Black Metal that features the kind of fuzzed-up, filthy guitar tone that feels like it’s going to swamp you and end your existence.
Primitive and atavistic, it seems that Folteraar draw their strength from the same primordial well-spring of ancient power that first gave birth to Black Metal’s sicking abortion. This is heady stuff that’s definitely not for the casual listener; true acolytes only will appreciate this.
There’s a definite evil, otherworldly vibe to Folteraar. So much so that it’s almost impossible to think of this as music that is being played by a band; it’s more like this has been conjured up direct from Hell. The inhuman screams that accompany these filthy hymns further enhance this impression.
The tracks are relatively short, designed to quickly establish and maintain a dark, grim atmosphere. The unhurried pace is uncaring about the standard structures and practices of mainstream music and is more concerned with mood and feeling. This is one of the many reasons that this album succeeds where it could quite easily have been a sloppy failure in less talented hands.
Ohh, but this is very nice. Of course, it isn’t, but you know what I mean. It’s rare you hear Black Metal this deliciously depraved and esoteric.
This is the third album from Purtenance, who are a Finnish Death Metal band.
Purtenance play old-school Death Metal that’s so ancient that as you sit listening to it in whatever dank crypt you chanced upon it in, it starts noticeably getting darker and as the crypt doors start creaking, you’re convinced all manner of shambling horrors are descending on your position. You’re probably right.
From the very first riff, this album has instant charisma and it’s extremely hard not to like its rotten charms. The band wear their influences on their sleeves and if you’re a fan of bands like Bolt Thrower, Incantation and Autopsy, you won’t go far wrong here. However, given that their first album was released in 1992, Purtenance know a little bit about the old-school and …To Spread the Flame of Ancients is as honest and authentic as it gets.
The singer has one of the best Death Metal voices I’ve heard in a while for this style. It’s an absolutely huge and pitch black growl that seems to come from the depths of The Pit. Sooooo good.
The songs are well-written, quality beasts, evoking just the right amounts of rot and power at the same time. Unlike a lot of old-school-themed bands, they also throw in a few unusual riffs and ideas here and there, as well as some dark melodies, faster sections and blast beats; all too often neglected in a sub-genre where mid-paced seems to rule the roost. Due to this, there’s a lot of differentiation between tracks on this album and it’s easy to not only tell them apart but to also have them slot nicely next to each other, making for an album you can enjoy either in bite-size, (bloody), chunks or holistically in one sitting. A worthy achievement.
An extremely enjoyable and satisfying 46 minutes. Purtenance have released an album of character and quality, one that I can heartily recommend.
Department of Correction are from France and Proletar are from Indonesia. They’ve teamed up for this 16 track, 19 minute split.
I like Department of Correction, and this split does nothing to change that fact. Their side consists of 10 songs over 8 minutes.
Department of Correction play their Grindcore songs fast, short and brutal. For such short tracks, they’re also surprisingly sophisticated and interesting. Buzzing, razor-sharp guitars tread that fine line between Metal brutality and Punk energy, while the vocals scream, growl and even dementedly sing their way through the mayhem.
The tracks have an intense dynamic to them and include a rare amount of grinding melody, although that has to be understood in the present context, of course.
Once again the band have impressed. I do so love Grindcore when it’s done exceedingly well and is also different enough not to be yet another generic clone band. Department of Correction prove just how much Grind has to offer and just what can be done with short, aggressive songs; if you’re left with any doubt at all – it’s a lot.
Very nice.
After that impressive 8 minutes, it’s on to Proletar. These are new to me, and their side of the split consists of 6 songs over 11 minutes, including an Agathocles cover.
With longer songs on average than Department of Correction, Proletar play a more traditional Grindcore with deep growling Deathgrunts interspersed with rabid, savage screams.
This is primitive, ugly Grindcore that brutally espouses the genre forefathers with an old-school delivery and a suitably energetic performance.
It’s a good pairing of bands as in some ways this can be viewed as a showcase for the past and future of the genre, with Proletar demonstrating the classic Grind style and Department of Correction showing where it can be taken in the future.
As Grindcore splits go, this is a great listen. Check it out.
This is the début EP from Slovakian Blackened Death Metal band Goholor.
Offering up a 16 minute EP as their first venture into the world, Goholor play their Death Metal with a decent side of Black, making for sickening noises and dark Metal the likes of which are not for the average person.
Deep growls are backed up by scathing screaming highlights; the singer has the kind of growl that many a Death Metal vocalist can only imagine.
The music is well-played and obviously written by people who know how to handle the style. It’s precise and focused without being overly so, leaving room for a rougher edge that allows the songs to breathe and move freely in the gloom of the blackened auras that the band create.
With good riffs that harken back to the old-school, the band’s Black Metal influences enhance their well-crafted Death Metal core. The Black Metal elements add further depth to the tracks as the dark melodies worm their way into the essence of the songs’ aggressive tendencies.
A very enjoyable first release that delivers the goods and also promises much for the future.
Cult of Erinyes are a Black Metal band from Belgium. This is their latest EP.
Featuring 19 minutes of Black Metal, (2 originals and a Mayhem cover), Cult of Erinyes play sharp Black Metal with ritualistic auras.
The EP has a strong sound that allows all of the instruments to be heard well, even the lesser-spotted bass guitar gets to play its part.
Poisonous riffs and black moods pervade the tracks and the guitars give a good account of their time in Hell. At least, I’m assuming that’s where they’ve come from.
The songs are of the classic style, wrapped in darkness and grim portents. It’s mainly a mid-paced affair that gives the listener plenty to think about as the band attempt to bring on the apocalypse.
The singer’s icy rasp is well-performed and heavy with contempt. It sounds good.
Transcendence is probably my favourite track out of the three. It boasts a crawling, malevolent aura and really slow-builds to an unnerving ending; the music slows down and takes on a mystical quality while the singer repeats “remember my name” over and over.
An enjoyable EP that provides a good blackened fix.
This is the second album from Bulgarian Death Metal band Concrete.
Concrete play gore-soaked old-school Death Metal with plenty of presence.
The cookie-monster growls are as satisfying as any in the style and the singer’s performance suits the music nicely.
Heavy guitars herald the largely mid-paced assault that occasionally breaks through into blast beats. The band play the USDM style and the songs are written accordingly. There’s plenty of chugging destruction and some nice squealing added here and there, as well as some decent solos.
Simple and aggressive; you can’t really go wrong with something like this. Unless you’re just not a fan or are tired of the style, then it’s hard to not enjoy Chambers of Afterlife. It won’t earn any awards for innovation, but that’s not the point; this is an ode to pure Death Metal and it’s an ode I’ve liked hearing.
This is the kind of album that gets better the louder you play it. The riffs come alive even more and you get to feel the full, unfettered impact of the songs.
Chambers of Afterlife is a solid album that will suit older Cannibal Corpse fans down to the ground. Check them out and blast them out at full volume.
Casket Robbery’s début album Evolution of Evil is full of catchy songwriting and memorable brutality. Featuring bucketloads of groove and rhythm, this is Death Metal to get moving to. With this in mind, let’s find out a bit more…
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
Cory: We are Casket Robbery. Death, groove metal.
Patrick: WE’RE CASKET ROBBERY AND WE’RE FROM MADISON, WISCONSIN!
Give us a bit of background to Casket Robbery
Cory: Dustin and I started this band a few years back as a recording project. We were really just trying to make something super heavy and fun/catchy but didn’t think much of it while we were tracking the first few songs. We were just drinking beer and having a blast in the studio doing the songs. I felt like a lot of death metal bands lack the catchy part and thought it would be cool to see if we could add that element to this. We shared the recordings with people and we started getting a lot of show offers right off the bat. So, we decided to call some friends up to create a live band and we just went for it full force. We saw the potential in the music and it grew from there.
Patrick: I only joined the band last June but I have been friends with Cory for years and followed the band from its inception. They really brought something different to death metal, and I hope to contribute in my own way to that unique twist on brutal metal music that Casket Robbery delivers.
What are your influences?
Cory: When I write for Casket I try to write visually. So really, my influences are horror movies. If you take a look into the lyrics and songs on the album you should be able to paint a picture or sort of visualize the song moods. When I am writing songs I keep a story/concept in my head. Like, what would be the death metal sound track that a serial killer would hear in his head while hacking up victims? That’s my influence the best I can explain. Musically, I am eclectic and listen to anything from death metal to pop music. I draw music inspiration from everything and can’t really pinpoint a band that I draw from.
Patrick: As far as what I do on bass for Casket Robbery goes, I really look to dudes like Alex Webster and Nick Schendzeilos. They’re definitely two apex death metal bass players and really give me a direction for honing my technique since guitar is my primary instrument and I’ve only recently picked up bass as something to take seriously.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Cory: I have been listening to Children of Bodom’s “Halo of Blood” a lot. I am really loving it. Also, check out Graveworm’s latest!
Patrick: As I type this, I have had Keith Merrow’s album “Awaken the Stone King” playing on repeat for the past two or three hours. I can highly recommend any of his solo albums (it’s all brutal, technical instrumental prog metal with a ton of old school death metal influence) as well as his Conquering Dystopia project with Jeff Loomis, Alex Rüdinger, and Alex Webster. He’s supposed to have something he did with Wes Hauch (ex-The Faceless) on the way soon that I’m beyond stoked to hear.
How do you feel about the Death Metal scene in 2016?
Cory: I have been hearing a lot of cool things. There are some great bands out there. Even in the midwest (Wisconsin specifically) there are a lot of bands coming out of our area that are really doing well and putting out great albums.
Patrick: Lot of great stuff to look forward to! The past two or three years have been huge for death metal, and a lot of cool albums are coming out in this year. Definitely looking forward to hearing some new Fallujah and Revocation!
Give us a bit of background to Evolution of Evil – any particular concepts or ideas you want to discuss?
Cory: We stepped up our game musically and conceptually on this album. We started to get labelled as a band that writes serial killer songs but there is a lot more to offer on this album. Dustin has these great concepts and horror stories that he has been writing lyrics about. This album is all about the evils of the world. Every one of us is evil and has the capability of pursuing evil thoughts. This album is a fun roller coaster ride.
How do you go about writing your songs?
Cory: On this album I did a majority of the writing. Sometimes it will start with a concept that Dustin has and I will write a whole song with that in mind. Or, I will have a concept in mind and start writing. This album, we both just fed off of the Evolution of Evil idea. It came naturally. I start with the framework of riffs and structures and then hand them off to Dustin to add lyrics and Greg and Patrick add their own input to make the songs come to life. Everyone has input after the initial song writing. If something isn’t working or sucks we change it. Dustin and I are super collaborative in the early stages and will go back and forth on lyrics and riffs until we feel it’s perfect. And then it only gets better when everyone else adds their touch.
How did the recording process go?
Cory: It was a very long process. We didn’t have a full band when we started recording and writing this album. And it was all self funded. I produced and handled most of the efforts of this so I just chipped away at it a little at a time. I knew we needed to step up the production of the album. I recorded the guitars with Cody Ratley, and drums were done by Greg in his studio. Then we brought it back to my studio and I tracked everything else. We took a lot of time on vocals and layering. Basically, every piece was thought out and done the way it needed to be done. It was all natural and organic feeling. We knew it was our début album so we took our time on it. When the recording was done we took it to Chris Wisco at Belle City sound for mixing. He had done the last few Jungle Rot albums that we all loved the sound of and we knew he would deliver that huge and heavy sound we needed for this. Cody Ratley mastered it and really added the perfect final touch to it!
What’s your favourite song on the album and why?
Cory: I am really digging Pray for Death. John Laux did a guest solo on it and it really rips. I can’t thank him enough for adding it!
Patrick: It’s a tie between Pray for Death and The Final Chapter. They’re just my favorite songs to play live because they’re a bit more on the technical side for me as the bass player. Annibelle is right up there as well.
What are your live shows like?
Cory: Tons of energy! And always heavy. You will have fun, come check it out. We will be hitting the east coast soon!
Patrick: Fun, energetic, and heavy. We always want everyone who comes to see Casket Robbery play to have a good time, and the best way to do that is for us to have a good time ourselves!
What does the future hold for Casket Robbery?
Cory: We are going to keep the Casket train rolling. More shows and tours after this album and then we will start writing!
Patrick: More releases. More shows. Tours. We’re gonna push this as hard as we can, as far as it will go.
This is the second album from UK Death Metal band Horrified.
Wonderbox Metal 