Wonderbox Metal

Vidian – Transgressing the Horizon (Review)

Vidian are a Polish Post-Metal band. This is their second album.

This is Post-Metal with some Progressive and Modern Metal elements, as well as a minor Death Metal influence, making for an interesting album with quite a few good ideas and interesting avenues explored.

If bands like Gorguts and Dementia Senex are Death Metal bands that are slowly evolving their Progressive Death Metal styles into Post-Death Metal ones, then bands like Vidian have already taken the next step. There’s hints of Death Metal lineage in some of the heavier parts, but for the most part this is firmly in Post-Metal territory.

Think of a band like Isis, then make the heavier bits heavier, the vocals harsher and throw in a trumpet here and there; now mix in a pinch of Tool and a few Modern Metal elements on occasion; Vidian don’t sound too far away from this description.

The vocals combine cleans and shouts, both being performed well. The shouts are tinged with a raw emotion and hark back to a more aggressive influence – almost Death Metal but not quite. The cleans have a certain amount of grit to them, allowing the songs to have an edgy feel even when there’s no shouting involved.

These songs are heavy and dark while also being surprisingly melodic and actually quite catchy on occasion. Post-Metal is not usually a sub-genre that lends itself to catchiness, but Vidian manage it in places on Transgressing the Horizon.

The light/heavy, build/release Post-Metal mechanics are maturely done, and the band have an advantage on the heavier parts as they’re just that little bit more crushing than the norm.

This is a solid album that probably won’t convince you of Post-Metal’s merits if you’re not a fan of the sub-genre, but nonetheless displays depth and skill throughout the 52 minutes playing time. Vidian have a knack for this kind of music and there’s a lot of decent material here.

Highly recommended.

Serpentine Creation – The Fiery Winds of Armageddon (Review)

Serpentine Creation are a Bulgarian Black Metal band. This is their second album.

This is some good old-fashion Satanic Black Metal with lots of darkness and some Classical overtones in their choice of malevolent riffs.

It’s multi-paced, razor-sharp and infused with a Blackened melodicism that cuts like a knife. They also incorporate a few non-orthodox riffs and ideas into the mix, which gives them an added dimension of interest. Serpentine Creation are firmly rooted in the Old-School but are looking towards the future at the same time.

The Fiery Winds of Armageddon is a solid album of Black Metal that features decent songs and surprisingly catchy melodies and hooks. This is one of those bands that I’d hesitate to call Melodic Black Metal; it’s more that they play Black Metal that features melody. As I’ve said before, it’s a subtle distinction but a distinction nonetheless. Although, having said that, this is closer to Melodic Black Metal than some of the other bands I’ve said that about, so I guess it’s all subjective really.

The album boasts a solid sound and everything is clear and crisp without being overly so and ruining the Blackened mood.

Screamed vocals are the main order of business, although the singer is not above varying this on occasion. He does his job well and screams out his invective with ease.

The guitars as a real highlight of this release, partly for the melodies, partly for the Blackened auras they create and partly because of the riffs themselves. Serpentine Creation really seem to be on point here with their writing and I love how they can change from fast, serrated riffs to chunkier, spikier riffs in short spaces of time.

Leads and solos are common and well performed. They add spice to an already tasty meal and it all adds up to an album of really pleasurable Black Metal. Sure, there’s nothing particularly innovative or new here, but who cares? The amount of bands that play innovative or new types of music is vanishingly small compared with what’s out there, and I for one have thoroughly enjoyed The Fiery Winds of Armageddon.

Check them out for yourself and see if you can feel the heat from their apocalyptic winds.

Tentation – Tentation (Review)

This is the début EP from French Heavy Metal band Tentation.

This is Classic Heavy Metal played in a 1980s style. Early Iron Maiden is an obvious reference point, and it’s good to hear that there are still bands playing this style.

The singer has a good voice and has no trouble with the material. The lyrics are sung in French, which adds a different aspect to their sound than is the norm.

The songs are well-written and feature plenty of melodies and memorable parts. This is an upbeat, energetic band that are obviously playing this music for the love of it, and this comes across in the songs.

The guitars have a certain relentless quality to them. Not in the way that the word “relentless” is usually applied to Extreme Metal, but in the sense that they constantly seem to be moving at, or close to, a gallop and pushing the music forward all of the time; no rest is allowed in Tentation’s world, only more headbanging!

As début EPs go, this is pretty solid. Six songs, (one of which is a cover of a band called H-Bomb), in 24 minutes. A decent recording, including a nice, punchy, analogue drum sound, means that the band get the chance to shine and the EP is an enjoyable throwback to an earlier, simpler time in Metal.

Try them out.

Subterror – Antropomortum (Review)

This is the first EP from Brazilian Death Metal band Subterror.

Subterror play ugly, primitive Death Metal with elements of Grindcore/Crust.

This is raging and brutal music straight from the underground that tears through the 24 minutes on offer here like a frenzied animal looking for meat. There’s a primordial Metal power to Subterror’s vicious assault and they channel this with shotgun precision so that everyone knows not to mess with them.

This is not all speed and bluster though; Antropomortum is more like a rabid, Crusty Bolt Thrower/Jungle Rot than it is some easily-dismissed blastfest. Sure, the band can ramp up the speed when they need to, but they have a very good line in rolling, mid-paced destruction as well.

The singer has a throaty growl that is just as rough as the music. With the dirty production of the songs his voice fits perfectly and much satisfaction is gained from his efforts.

There’s a Punky energy that drives these songs forward, and Antropomortum is a very pleasing listen.

Filth and fury.

Esotherisst – Voyage (Review)

Esotherisst are a Progressive Metal band from Poland. This is their début release.

Esotherisst’s Progressive Metal is polished and has a modern sound and production.

You Have Never is the first song. It’s the shortest of the three and it has a kind of Threshold-style, although this is mainly in the music rather than the vocals. The guitars are rhythmic and solid, with the leads and melodies used to add colour to this strong base. The singer has a good voice; it’s relatively low in the mix and used in an understated way throughout.

The second song is How to Fly and this is the longest track here at 6 minutes in length. This has more of an epic feel than the first one, with stronger keyboard backing and reminds me of Kamelot in some ways, although a more restrained, Progressive version and still tinged with a Threshold feel. Frenetic guitars and hyperactive keyboards are the centrepieces of this track and really drive home the Progressive tendencies of the band, like the 70s have been dragged into the modern day. This is bookended by lighter, more relaxed sections where the singer really comes into his own.

The final song is In Winter’s Arms. This continues the feel of the second track with an epic introduction and then a lighter verse, (although without the extended Progressive workout in the middle that the second song boasted). This is a theme developed throughout the 5 minutes playing time, ending on a softer note to finish.

The weakest link for me in this is the singer, although that sounds worse than it is. It’s not that he has a bad voice, quite the contrary in fact; I just feel he is slightly lacking in confidence and needs to develop a little more presence and force in his delivery. This is not insurmountable though and he has the necessary attributes for success, they just need to be brought to the fore a bit more. This is only a minor quibble though, and might actually be less about the singer himself and more due to the recording – the music has such a strong production that he can sometimes sound overshadowed.

Overall, Esotherisst have impressed me with this release. With a few tweaks to the songwriting and vocal delivery their début album should be an extremely strong release if this is any indicator.

Give them a listen.

Dementia Senex/Sedna – Deprived – Split (Review)

Dementia Senex are an Italian Death Metal band and Sedna are a Blackened Sludge band. They have teamed up to create Deprived – one track from each band, designed to complement each other, sharing a similar space but from a different perspective.

Dementia Senex are up first with their track Blue Dusk. After their interesting début EP Heartworm demonstrated their atypical take on Progressive/Doom/Sludge-infused Death Metal, I’ve been keen to see how their style has developed over the last couple of years.

The song starts gently, almost tentatively, before crushing guitars land like a ton of bricks. The band impress again with their Gorguts-inspired take on Progressive Death Metal, and seem to be slowly moving away from the core aggression of the genre and more and more into Post-Metal territories. Post-Death Metal? Pretty much. Aggression is still here though, just done in a non-standard way, with even the blast beats surrounded by off-kilter chaos.

After this it’s Sedna’s turn to shine with their track Red Shift. Prior to this split I was not familiar with Sedna, although it seems that this has been my loss as this song is the equal of the previous one.

In contrast to the Death Metal-based heaviness of Dementia Senex, Sedna are more firmly in Black Metal-influenced Post-Metal/Sludge territory. Red Shift has the trademark Post-Metal build/release mechanic down to a fine art, with the track gaining momentum slowly but surely throughout the playing time, only to periodically explode with Blackened Post-Hardcore violence. It’s a good combination of slow burning tension and vicious aggression that nicely builds atmosphere with harsh shouts and screams being unleashed over the ever building and expanding music.

This is an exemplary split between two quality bands. I highly recommend giving this one a shot.

Obedience to Dictator – Hogzilla (Review)

Obedience to Dictator are a Death Metal band from Italy. This is their second EP.

The band have a tight and precise approach to their music, with everything sounding balanced and where it should be.

These songs have faster sections as well as slower, groovier ones. There are some good riffs on these tracks and they’re arranged well, showing that the band have a grasp of songwriting rather than just stringing bits together.

Modern Death Metal meets an older style, settling for something that’s closer to the latter, but with a nod to the former. Dark melodies are sometimes used to improve the tracks and the band show that they are not interested in recreating just one style of Death Metal. The songs are relatively diverse, with quite a few different ideas and themes being explored throughout, all within the Death Metal framework, of course.

The vocals are mainly deep growls, although screams and other vocal effects are used to add a bit of variation.

In their sound I hear bits of Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Suffocation, Morbid Angel and even a bit of aggressive Thrash similar to Dew Scented in a couple of places.

I enjoyed this and look forward to what they might do next.

Favourite Track: Megabong.

Gorepunch – Give ‘Em Hell (Review)

Gorepunch are from the US and this is their début album. They play Death Metal.

Comprised of members and ex-members from veteran groups such as Fear Factory, Aborted, System Divide and Malignancy, Gorepunch already have a lot of experience. Give ‘Em Hell makes the most of this and wastes no time in getting to the heart of the matter – blood, guts and blasting brutality. Remember, the quickest way to the heart is through the ribcage.

Their album has an interesting approach to Death Metal that takes some influence from Grindcore but largely adopts a split between Technical Death Metal and a state-of-the-art modern approach, resulting in an album that’s just at home slaying you with a direct approach or flaying you alive with an off-centre complicated attack. It’s a formula that results in a Modern Death Metal album with its putrid fingers in enough different pies to keep you happy and focused throughout the 26 minutes playing time.

The songs are like an enjoyable beating and feature good playing, pummelling riffs and savage vocals. The band use enough melodics to keep things engaging, but don’t allow them to go overboard and detract from the brutality.

A really engaging release that satisfies those cravings for a short, sharp blast of aural carnage that still has some substance to the barbarity.

For fans of Aborted, Job for a Cowboy, The Kennedy Veil, Prostitute Disfigurement, Wormed, Alterbeast, Exhumed, Ichor, etc.

Ancient Moon – Vvulture (Review)

Ancient Moon are an international Black Metal band and this is their début album.

This release contains a single track, Preastigitum Altareas, lasting just under 29 minutes in length.

This is raw, underground Atmospheric/Ambient Black Metal with a fuzzy guitar sound and a deep malevolent aura to it.

Ancient Moon’s Black Metal combines a strong Ambient/Drone influence, resulting in their music being comprised of several levels; layers and layers of darkness and filth are merged together to create a soundtrack of horror and ritualistic nightmare.

The music is hugely atmospheric and speaks of a rolling storm, gathering on the horizon and slowly, inevitably drawing closer, bringing ruin and devastation to all that it touches. This churning maelstrom is dense, impenetrable and evil to the core.

Like any storm, there are moments of calm throughout; Ambient respite amidst the Blackened winds. These are lonely, desolate places though. They act as breathers before the crushing suffocation of the music’s sheer weight is bought to the fore once more.

The singer does a great job of adding further atmosphere and presence to the sound by his assortment of deep cleans, semi-cleans, growls and screams. At times, combined with the music, he sounds downright scary. On occasion his vocals are like chants, at other times they are invocations, at other times they’re announcements; like a dark herald proclaiming the end times, it’s a message to heed and be fearful of. He really does have an excellent voice and his performance is top-of-the-line. Sometimes vicious, sometimes majestic, always intimidating.

The same of which can be said of the music too. In fact, this is less like music and more like an impending unnatural disaster that has been pulled up from Hell and unleashed upon a helpless world to make it die.

Vvulture does its job extremely well and if you like harrowing Black Metal with lots of atmosphere and swirling blackness then Vvulture is definitely for you.

Extremely highly recommended.

Bloodlust – Cultus Diaboli (Review)

Bloodlust are an Australian Black Metal band and this is their début album.

This is Black Metal that’s infused with a good helping of dirty Thrash Metal to produce ugly Black Thrash that has a very Old-School vibe.

Featuring a sharper, Blackened approach to the early Hellhammer, Venom, Celtic Frost, etc. sound, this is Satanic Black Metal based on these genre founders and with an added Thrash influence, (think early Kreator).

Spiky riffs and acidic screams are used to good effect and the band keep the spirit of proper songs alive in their delivery. Solos are also included in this rusty Metal warrior’s arsenal, and these are always good to hear.

The songs blast and pound with an excitable and ancient energy. There are a lot of bands playing Black Thrash these days but it’s still an enjoyable proposition when done well.

Give this a listen.