Black metal – Page 189 – Wonderbox Metal

Vrtra – My Bones Hold a Stillness (Review)

Vrtra are a black metal/post-black metal/blackened doom band from the US. This is their debut album.

Holy shit this is good! Is that an appropriate way to start a review? I dunno. Probably not, but who cares, because holy shit this is good!

This is a sickly-blackened release that contains elements of doom, death, black and post-metal within its 31 minute length. Vrtra do not respect musical boundaries, and why should they? I’ll tentatively refer to them as Continue reading “Vrtra – My Bones Hold a Stillness (Review)”

Swampcult – The Festival (Review)

Swampcult are a doom metal band from The Netherlands, this is their second album.

The Festival is a H. P. Lovecraft-themed release, completely built and fashioned around one of his stories of the same name.

This is heavily atmospheric doom metal and sees the band mixing elements of classic proto-black metal into their cauldron and Continue reading “Swampcult – The Festival (Review)”

Kalloused – Damn You Believer (Review)

This is the debut release from Kalloused, a UK blackened sludge/doom band.

Kalloused have a powerfully heavy sound that they still manage to insert nuance into when the need arises. This release features a plethora of textured riffs that manage to show a certain degree of subtlety and finesse even when they’re smashing your skull in.

The band have a black metal element Continue reading “Kalloused – Damn You Believer (Review)”

Nox Formulae – The Hidden Paths to Black Ecstasy (Review)

Nox Formulae are a Greek black metal band and this is their debut album.

This is ritualistic/occult black metal that combines a raw delivery with elements of the avant-garde and atmospheric.

The band take the second-wave black metal template and mutate it into something a bit more atypical. Synths and dark Continue reading “Nox Formulae – The Hidden Paths to Black Ecstasy (Review)”

Vahrzaw – Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues (Review)

Vahrzaw are an Australian black metal band and this is their second album.

This is a blisteringly aggressive strain of virulent black metal, with some elements of death metal added in for extra ferocity.

Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues is raw and brutal, full of blackened darkness and raging hatred. More than a simple one-trick pony though, Vahrzaw are talented enough to create more than just pure aggression with Continue reading “Vahrzaw – Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues (Review)”

Interview with Void Omnia

US black metallers Void Omnia have released quite a storming debut album. It’s called Dying Light and is definitely one that you should check out. With speed, melody and atmosphere, it’s a well-rounded release that latches onto the listener with its aggressive tempo, and stays there by virtue of dark moods and layered textures. The band’s vocalist Jamison Kester touched base with us to keep us informed about what they’re up to…

Introduce us to Void Omnia!

We are 5 piece atmospheric black metal band from Oakland, CA that began in 2011 but truly did not take shape until the latter half of 2013.

What are your influences?

Our musical influences range from black, death, grind and classical. All of us are multi-instrumentalists who listen to a broad scope of music at varying degrees. Continue reading “Interview with Void Omnia”

Falaise – As Time Goes By (Review)

This is the debut album from Falaise, an atmospheric/post-black metal band from Italy.

Melancholic and full of depressive moods and feelings, Falaise’s debut album is filled to the brim with sadness, loss and abandoned hope.

The band channel this misery into 61 minutes of atmospheric/post-black metal that uses fragility as a weapon and despondency as an end unto itself.

In many ways this is a product of the blackgaze scene, with all that entails. Continue reading “Falaise – As Time Goes By (Review)”

While They Sleep – La Nausee (Review)

This is the debut album from Ukrainian black metal one-man project While They Sleep.

This is primarily raw, old-school black metal that sits firmly in the grimmest underground layers of hidden worlds. Add a touch of the depressive and atmospheric styles into the mix too and you have 63 minutes of ominous, dark music.

Taking the unpolished second-wave style and Continue reading “While They Sleep – La Nausee (Review)”

Void Omnia – Dying Light (Review)

Void Omnia are a black metal band from the US, and this is their debut album.

Dying Light is largely fast and furious, taking elements of melodic and atmospheric black metal into its dark, cold embrace and suffocating them with the essence of the deep void of outer space.

Full of blast beats and fast riffs, the songs on Dying Light Continue reading “Void Omnia – Dying Light (Review)”

Ancient – Back to the Land of the Dead (Review)

This is the seventh album from these Norwegian black metal veterans.

This is the band’s first album in 12 years, so I think it’s safe to say there’s no small level of expectation riding on this release in some quarters.

Well, they’re returning with no half measures – this album contains 67 minutes of music, spread across 12 original songs plus a Bathory cover.

This is melodic black metal with Continue reading “Ancient – Back to the Land of the Dead (Review)”