Wonderbox Metal

Exhumation – Hymn to Your God (Review)

Exhumation are an Indonesian Death Metal band who are just releasing their 2012 album Hymn to Your God worldwide.

This is the kind of Death Metal that won’t settle for being primitive but is not interested in scaling the technical heights; what we have here is intelligent compositions that are well-thought out assaults on the senses.

Mixing base elements of Vader, Behemoth and Morbid Angel, Exhumation have crafted an album that is melodic, brutal and well-placed to cater to Death Metal fans who want something a bit more then just sheer heaviness or chaotic mayhem in their music.

They proffer us 7 tracks, (6 original, 1 Blasphemy cover), across 29 minutes and we eagerly accept their dark boon.

The music is tight and proficient overall. The guitars are flawlessly played, and there are some meaty solos to get your teeth into. The drums are positively inhuman and relentless in their battery. Vocally the grunts that issue forth are not as deep as many Death Metal bands but more in keeping with the Behemoth/Vader variety.

A class album that deserves plenty of attention now it’s available everywhere. Do yourself a favour and get in on the action.

Reckless Manslaughter – Blast Into Oblivion (Review)

This is the second album from German Death Metal band Reckless Manslaughter, and they’ve released what could easily be a genre-classic.

It opens with a thunderous onslaught that eventually morphs into a Hellishly good groove and from there onto heavy-as-hell chug territory; all the time sickened vocals belch out hymns of war over the top of it all. And this is only the first couple of minutes of the first track Storm of Vengeance. Oh this is going to be good.

The sound is professional and near-perfect, even the bass is audible. The drums are solid and engaging and the vocal delivery is spot-on.

The songs are intelligently written and cleverly crafted. Although they do pick up the pace when necessary a lot of it is just a mid-paced exercise in Death Metal demolition and twice as heavy as that. Unexpectedly there are also a good number of hooks and catchy choruses on offer. It really is that good.

I love Death Metal like this – good sound, good songs, good ideas. Taking their cues from bands such as Bolt Thrower and Incantation, they have produced one battle-tank-heavy album. This is a punishing and rewarding listen.

Reckless Manslaughter have produced an overachieving album that perfectly embodies all that is great about crushing Death Metal. Hopefully it will help them garner the recognition they richly deserve.

A deeply satisfying listen and one for your “I must get this now” lists.

Lethal Dosage – Consume (Review)

This is the second album by US Metal band Lethal Dosage.

A bowel-loosening growl starts the album and lets the listener know the band means business. This is modern ultra-aggressive Metal in the style of Lamb of God and Chimaira.

Lethal Dosage manage to avoid the pitfalls that befall most modern Metal bands of this style, (cliché breakdowns, stolen riffs, sugary clean choruses, etc.), and instead have ramped up both of the dials that say Heavy and Metal all the way to 11. Instead of the overly-saturated commercial route which many take they have instead gone for the path less travelled which essentially involves writing big heavy riffs and bellowing like a demon. Job done.

I really like the belligerence of the vocals and how they’re really only one step removed from Death Metal grunts. In fact Lethal Dosage as a whole are only one step away from a Death Metal band; there are even blast beats that make an appearance on some songs.

Another mistake they avoid is the over-used, over-sterile production job. Instead they have gone for a slightly murkier, rougher sound that fits the music well and reinforces the idea that the music is a rabid bruiser looking to pick a fight.

I know preconceptions can be misleading, but I’m pleased by how good this is; I was cynically expecting the same tired old Metalcore standards to be trotted out again, but I’m very happy to have been mistaken. Lethal Dosage have created an intense, viable and riveting modern Metal extravaganza that has me solidly in their corner cheering them on as they deliver the knockout punch. And the winner is…!

Listen to Drink here.

Tortharry – Follow (Review)

This is the eighth album by these Czech Death Metal veterans.

Holy Hell this is good! The first thing you notice is the huge crushing sound. The album sounds absolutely immense. All instruments are clear and the bass is even audible.

There are some hellishly good riffs on this release. From the faster ones to the more devastating slower chugs; by now the band have honed their craft and know how to write a good song. The sense of dynamics and explosive force is strong, with the band doing their utmost to ensure every song is as complete a package as possible.

The vocals brings to mind the singer of Vader; Tortharry’s vocalist has the same kind of clipped growl that has an economy of delivery while remaining as brutal as possible.

After eight albums I have no idea why Tortharry aren’t better known than they are. If their other releases are as tasty as this one then it’s a massive shame that they don’t have a higher profile. They have the sound and songs to challenge the best that the genre has to offer.

After listening to this impressive collection of songs this is definitely a band I am happy to follow.

Samples can be heard here.

Human Decay – Figli Di Dio (Review)

This is the first release from Italian Death Metallers Human Decay; a 3 track EP clocking in at just over 14 minutes.

The cover primes you to expect Old-School Death Metal and that’s exactly what you get.

The EP has a fantastically grimy DIY sound that doesn’t detract from the songs, instead it gives them a feeling of vintage and character. There’s even some bass. And some solos, can’t forget about them.

The vocals are Old-School Death Metal vocals, which are aggressive but remain legible. Well, if you speak Italian they are. Which I don’t, but you can hear what he’s saying for the most part anyway.

The songs show good awareness of pacing and variety and I can almost visualise the band playing their songs as I hear them; the sound of a real, living band doing what they love is that authentic and obvious.

This is a good first EP to break out into the Metal world with. Time to support a new band.

Cleanteeth – Pushing Rope (Review)

Hailing from the US, Cleanteeth specialise in Sludgy Post-Metal Doom.

The band play their music ultra-heavy and with added effects and noise to truly force their point home.

Sometimes the vocals are tortured and hoarse, screaming their angst at an uncaring world who are forced to pay attention by the sheer wall of distortion aimed in their general direction; other times they are cleaner and more melodic, but only relatively speaking as they are still chock full of a soul-searching uneasiness and feelings of malaise.

Amidst the walls of guitars though there is time for reflection and calmness; time to take stock of what’s been gained or lost before the next sound-tsunami roars forth.

The songs are shorter than is the norm for bands of this ilk. They do not end prematurely however, they are exactly the length they need to be to deliver their payload.

Cleanteeth write their songs catchy and memorable, even with the churning chaos and noise considered. This is what Mastodon would sound like if they went a heavier, Sludgier route from their inception. The band they most remind me of though in many ways is Will Haven, and not so much as they directly sound like them. Although they share various sonic parameters it’s more the fact that they write such crushingly heavy down-beat music while retaining an accessibility and hook-laden delivery that’s at odds with just how harsh they can be.

Bands like this don’t come along that often, and when they do you have to sit up and pay attention. So sit up and pay attention as Cleanteeth are something special.

Dinner Music for the Gods – Beautiful and Treacherous (Review)

Dinner Music for the Gods are from the US and play exotic instrumental Jazzed-up Metal.

This is eclectic and worldly Metal, with all kinds of different tempos and moods throughout. The band are adept at creating special atmospheres with their music rather akin to the feeling of different types of scenes in films. One can imagine slinking through high-class society, relaxing with the upper echelons and mixing with the elite.

This 47 minute album takes you on a tour through glamour and glitz, intrigue and drama. The destinations are heady and the journey fraught with danger, but for brave entrepreneurs it’s all worth it.

This could almost be movie soundtrack music.

The guitars gallop, solos are omnipresent and the drums and bass lock everything down. The band use their musicianship to traverse multiple styles across these 8 tracks; the core is one of guitar-based Rock/Metal but this is only the starting point on an expedition that takes in such genres as World Music, Flamenco and Jazz, to name but a few. Their musical skills and know-how are beyond reproach.

This is a good album to drive to; as the scenery changes so does the music. Have a listen and let them take you to a world of ballrooms and parties.

Brood of Hatred – Skinless Agony (Review)

Brood of Hatred are a Death Metal band from Tunisia.

Skinless Agony starts off creeping and crawling with thunderously deep vocals erupting all over the place. Brood of Hatred have some unconventional riffs in their sound and it’s much to their credit.

The production is flawless; no problems here. Every song is given the room to move that it requires, and the instruments couldn’t be clearer, (yes, even the bass is audible).

This is intelligent, atypical Death Metal with a proclivity for interesting and inventive guitar parts. If you think of bands such as Gorguts and Ulcerate, you’ll get the idea of the creative area Brood of Hatred inhabit.

Highly accomplished; the band have created songs with depth and individuality. The playing by all of the musicians involved is exemplary and the brutality of the singer’s guttural vocals anchors the album firmly in Death Metal territory even when the instruments are off exploring other areas.

For me this has been a wonderful discovery of an excellent band – make sure you discover them too.

Dea Marica – Curse of the Haunted (Review)

This is the second release from UK Doom merchants Dea Marica.

They play sorrow-filled down-beat Doom Metal with a maudlin pace and sombre melodies. If you use a band such as My Dying Bride as a starting point you’ll be in the right area stylistically, but Dea Marica don’t sound like cheap knock-offs as the melodies and structures of their songs are not the same.

Vocally they have extremely brutal growls that are deeper than the blackest pits of Hades, but they mainly use clean, almost operatic vocals that are impressively realised and contribute a lot to the depth of the songs.

The album sweeps you along in its emotional embrace and forces you to come face to face with all of those small, dark things you’ve been avoiding thinking about for years. The epic melodies and exquisite vocal harmonies rub shoulders with the guttural vocals and heavier riffs and the band switch between the two seamlessly; sometimes it’s a sudden change and sometimes it’s a gradual build up, but either way the general mood is retained and the song is a winner.

It should also be mentioned that this is also a very catchy album full of hooks to grab the listener, albeit in a down-tempo Doom Metal way. You’ll be wanting to play these epic songs again almost as soon as the last chord has faded.

This is a haunting, dark and memorable album. Highly recommended.

The Committee – Power Through Unity (Review)

This is the first album by international collective The Committee.

This is Black Metal which is bleakly atmospheric and retains this feeling throughout the album. The guitars are powered by a darkly melodic undercurrent, with the central riffs seemingly constructed of continuous rolling rhythms, a feeling further enhanced by the drums.

The tracks are all between 7:01 and 9:20 in length which means that they all take the time to have their mystique flow freely and allow the listener to become absorbed in the songs.

The vocals are typical Black Metal fare but that’s not to say anything bad about them; they are handled competently and the voice fits the music as it melds with the songs while they speed by. The lyrics deal with historical events; the band themselves have described each song and what it’s about here.

For an album that is comprised of disparate members spread across multiple countries this is coherent and well-made. The songs are enjoyable, Immortal-inspired, double-bass-powered gallops through bloodied history.

Listen to the band here.