Wonderbox Metal

Countess – Sermons of the Infidel (Review)

Whoa! When the first track Hymn to the Gods of Yore starts you immediately sit up and take notice! This veteran Black Metal band from the Netherlands know how to make an entrance!

This is an insanely catchy release, especially for this genre. There’s a strong Old-School, NWOBHM feel to a lot of the riffs and the songs in general; combined with the raspy vocals and the heavy keyboards the songs just melt in your mouth and saturate the brain.

There is a simplicity of songwriting to these songs that is a testament to how good they are – no nonsense or filler, just pure Metal. It puts me in mind of what Reverend Bizarre might sound like if they worshipped at the altar of, (NWOBHM-influenced), Black Metal instead of Doom. Maybe some form of unholy mix of Reverend Bizarre and Sigh…? Maybe with a dash of The Meads of Asphodel…? Hmm…Either way it’s straightforward, but well-written and effective. And massively fun and satisfying.

The vocals are highly distinctive; Black Metal they may be but they seem to be competing for the role of the Devils Own Croak. Very good show!

I can’t help but listen to this and smile. It’s near-impossible not to. If you include this as part of some random playlist you’ll notice that Countess stand out straight away. The band may have been around for over two decades now but they’re still a much-needed force to reckon with. Give them a listen and prepare to be hooked.

Beckon – Beckon (Review)

Beckon are a Scottish Metal band and this is their first EP.

A sample starts things off and then we’re straight into the galloping Metal with the singer showing off a very decent bark that has character and flavour. He can also belt out some almost-Power Metal clean vocals when the urge takes him.

The band’s ability to produce speed and aggression are ably demonstrated, as is their willingness to inject some variety into the mix. And guitar solos too, which are always welcome.

This is well-recorded modern Metal played with passion and enthusiasm by a band that wants to impress.

Beckon wear their influences on their sleeve, and in a weaker band this may have held them back; with Beckon though they simply flaunt them as a badge of honour and build on them to produce three good Metal songs that show great things to come for this band in the future.

The Gardnerz – It All Fades (Review)

The Gardnerz are a Swedish Doom/Death Metal band that comfortably straddle both genres, taking the best of both for their nefarious purposes.

As a stylistic starting point; think of the old-school Anathema, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, etc. sound, and for a more modern reference point think bands like Eye of Solitude. Powerful Metal that embraces both the past and the present to deliver a portal into another world where this band stride as giants and lord of their strange world.

The songs immediately suck you into their orbit and transport you to the environment that the band portray.

Vocals are varied and consist of growls, shrieks and clean singing, all used to great effect and helping to cement the atmosphere. The singer is adept at switching styles quickly and effectively, enhancing the feeling of the songs and working with the music to create inspired slabs of Metal that you can’t help but be carried away by.

This EP contains 5 original songs of emotive, darkened Metal and a surprising and very-different cover of Darkthrone’s Transilvanian Hunger.

The Gardnerz have created an EP that is chock full of great tracks and enough talent to put lesser bands to shame. What are you waiting for?

C.O.A.G. – Sociopath (Review)

C.O.A.G. play the kind of Grindcore that you can cut yourself on. C.O.A.G. is short for Coalition of Abnormal Grindcore and as a statement of intent and sound this is a pretty good one.

This is abrasive, sharp and so full of aggression it makes most bands sound tame by comparison. It’s an old-school blast-fest combined with elements of other Extreme Metal genres, (bits of Hardcore here, some Death Metal there), to create a very satisfying listen.

The vocals are kind of shouted but in a very strange way; almost like the singer of Crowbar straining through a filter. It shouldn’t work but it does. The same of which can be said of the Hatebreed cover.

A very short but very enjoyable release. Who doesn’t like a good, honest blast now and again?

A God or an Other – Towers of Silence (Review)

An epic, sprawling album of Progressive Black Metal. It seems that a lot of thought has gone into the composition of this album and it has certainly paid off as this is a release that the term Supreme Black Metal Art could have been coined for.

The Black Metal they play is far-reaching, without ever sounding sloppy or ill-conceived, and absorbs the listener in a trip to the underworld and back. Sometimes frightening, sometimes enlightening, always essential.

This is an album for people who are not afraid to take their time and get to know it. Yes there is plenty here to like on first, cursory listen, but it’s only on repeated listens that it gives up its secrets. A riff here, a melody there. Music to grow to and grow into.

I highly recommend this album. It twists and turns and takes the best that Black Metal has to offer and wraps it in a Progressive sheen and a sound that’s as sharp as betrayal. You must listen. You must submit.

Preludium – Redemption (Review)

We have some Polish Death Metal from this band and they wear their influences on their sleeve; so much so that it’s instantly recognisable as being from the Polish scene even before I knew that this was actually the case. As such we get quality, solid Death Metal with plenty of blasphemy and the occult, all in a mid-to-fast paced assault, depending on the song.

Chances are when you think of Polish Extreme Metal the first name that comes to mind is Behemoth, probably followed by Decapitated, etc. This is more in the Behemoth vein, but that does not mean that they are mere copycats or pretenders to the throne.

Preludium offer the listener a very satisfying experience with the blastbeats coming thick and fast. There are also underlying melodies that are quite subtle so that there is actually more going on in the music than you may otherwise think at first glance. Certainly after repeated listens there are hidden gems to be had.

This album is not 100% pure Death Metal though; there is the odd sneaky Black Metal part here and there. There’s just enough darkness to some of these riffs to earn the title of Blackened Death Metal I think. It’s a welcome addition that allows another facet of their sound to be heard.

This is the bands fourth album so it’s safe to say that they know their trade by now which is why everything here is top quality, confident and assured. This is also a real grower; the more you listen to it the more it gets its meaty claws in you.

Favourite track: The Seven Gates of Hell. Highly enjoyable song, with some excellent leads that turn up the atmospheric dial to 10.

Give Preludium a try.

Lvcifyre – Svn Eater (Review)

These UK Black Metallers are releasing their second album and I have been quite looking forward to listening to this. I have not been disappointed.

Things start out unexpectedly creepy and slow. Blackened vocals scrape out of the speakers while the music crawls along at a menacing and disturbing pace. Only about halfway through the first song Night Seas Sorcery do proceedings pick up the pace and the vocals become even darker with the music matching this to precision.

For the most part the rest of the album is less Doom-influenced, but Lvcifyre consistently demonstrate a grasp of mood and atmosphere, be this when they drag themselves slowly through the mire or when they propel themselves towards you all fangs and razors.

Vocals are of both the Black and Death Metal varieties, with each style being mastered and used to better emphasise the chaos and confusion the band wish to sow. In fact although I would say this is predominantly a Black Metal album there is a healthy dose of Death Metal going on as well.

Brutal, passionate, otherworldly and hellish – join the Blackened Death Metal elite.

Blood Mortized – The Demon, The Angel, The Disease (Review)

This is Swedish Death Metal group Blood Mortized’s third album and they’re not messing around.

The sound is excellent and cannot be faulted, with strong musicianship and songwriting to back it up. Songs are catchy and memorable, yet retain depth that allows them to pass the repeated listening test.

Played right, Swedish Death Metal is a devastating force and this album is finely crafted by experts. There is an energy to these songs that can’t be denied; you may have heard Swedish Death Metal before but rarely has it sounded this invigorated and vital. Someone has shocked a whole boat-load of electricity into this cadaver and there’s life in the old corpse yet!

There are subtleties at play here though which elevate this above the normal; little touches and moments here and there that make the most of the songs and allow them to be even better then they might otherwise be. This is at least partly due to an exceptional use of melody, sometimes blatant; sometimes understated; these moments merge into the Swedish chainsaw sound and enhance it immensely.

The vocals are also worthy of note; otherworldly bellowing and growling that are a perfect companion to the music. The combination together delivers a really menacing sound.

This is the kind of album that renews your love with an easily stale sub-genre. Take the time out to revisit it in the form of Blood Mortized and break out the chainsaws again!

Rusted Brain – High Voltage Thrash (Review)

Rusted Brain. High Voltage Thrash. Does exactly what it says on the tin.

Oh but this is good stuff. A strong Metallica influence, and plenty of speed and aggression make for a thoroughly breakneck, enjoyable experience. The listener is left clinging on for the ride as the band Thrash about with real feeling, intent and conviction.

The songs are fast, the vocals strong, the guitars attack, the solos shred, the drums seemingly endless – this is the stuff proper Thrash is made of!

A short album at only 28 minutes, but this is to be expected. This is their first album, and gives Rusted Brain a solid foundation to build on for the future. I look forward to what comes next!

Relentless – Souls of Charon (Review)

Relentless are from the US and rather than playing Death Metal or Grind as one might imagine from their name, they actually play a very satisfying brand of Traditional Heavy/Doom Metal.

A well-rounded, organic sound greets you as you start the record. Theirs is the sound of a band playing naturally, rather than being overly sanitised and copy-and-pasted. To put it simply; it sounds good.

The vocals are a relaxed, laid-back female croon that does the job nicely and is a great match with the music. The singer has the kind of voice perfect for telling old Metal stories and sagas. The songs wrap their arms around the vocals and nurture them while nourishing them with hard language and harder liquor.

Sounding as if they would be perfectly at home in a smoky back-room in the back of some far-distant obscure speak-easy; this is a great antidote for the more modern, soulless, clinical music out there. This music has soul and wears it proudly on its leather jacket.