Black metal – Page 202 – Wonderbox Metal

The Nepalese Temple Ball – Arbor (Review)

The Nepalese Temple Ball are a UK Post-Metal band and this is their début album.

Combining elements of bands such as Neurosis, Light Bearer, (who they share a member with), Isis, Converge and No Anchor, The Nepalese Temple Ball have created over an hour’s worth of exploratory, expansive music on Arbor.

This is a diverse album that’s full of different influences and styles, all collected under the widely variable Post-Metal umbrella. Doom, Progressive Metal, Hardcore/Post-Hardcore, Sludge, Psychedelia…even a hint of Black Metal…these are all gathered by the band and melted down to form the songs on Arbor. They have a wealth of skill at doing this, it seems, and Arbor is much more accomplished than it probably should be for a début album.

Lots of different moods and feelings are covered, but the overall impression for me is one of a strange apocalyptic landscape where the world is drowning a chaotic, messy death.

This is music that’s non-standard, atypical and not afraid at all to do its own thing. The band are clearly walking the path that they want to and should be commended for doing this and exploring such rich musical possibilities. This has resulted in a quality album full of interesting areas to explore, with plenty of diversity and depth to attract and hook the listener. This is assuming you like challenging, interesting music of course. If all you’re after is more of the same, then move along now.

Highly recommended.

Hatecrowned – Newborn Serpent (Review)

This is the début album from Lebanese Black Metal band Hatecrowned.

This is an album that finds its origins in Old-School Raw Black Metal. The band take this base though and expand upon it, introducing some darker Death Metal influences and atmosphere.

Bleak melodies and leads occasionally break the Blackened surface, but for the most part this is an album that’s swamped in atmospheric distortion from the rhythm guitars. It’s like a fuzzed-up wall of grim auras, ready and willing to crush, smother and consume all in its path. There are also solos, which I approve of big-style.

This methodology works well for the band, and the songs on Newborn Serpent are compelling hymns to hatred and malevolence. The dark Death Metal elements are combined skilfully into the even darker Black Metal core of the band, resulting in songs that just seethe misanthropy.

Screamed vocals are complemented by deeper growls, providing the songs with enough tools to spread their sinister manifesto.

I like that the band don’t stick to just one way of writing throughout; there’s a good amount of variety here for the style. Some songs are pure Black Metal, while others let the Death Metal seep in. Some songs are all about the bile and venom, while others have more atmosphere or pacing. Fast/slow, long/short; the band don’t limit themselves to just one method of assault and should be roundly commended for this.

Very good, very good indeed. Hatecrowned have impressed.

Terzij de Horde – Self (Review)

This is the début album from Black Metal band Terzij de Horde, who are from the Netherlands.

This is modern Black Metal that combines sophisticated music with high-concept ideas.

Black Metal’s intrinsic rage and fury is combined with elements of Progressive/Post-Black Metal to create an engaging release that is varied, intelligent and full of Blackened mood and feeling.

The riffs are interesting and varied, screaming out of the passionate music like rabid animals. Sharp and emotive, these are combined with more introspective moments to create something that is worth exploring over the near-50 minute playing time.

The singer’s voice is full of snarling anger and ugly malice. It fits the music perfectly and has a maniacal quality to it that wouldn’t be out of place on a savage Grindcore release.

Self is not your average Black Metal release, and if you’re only looking for more of the usual then simply move along to something else. If, however, you’re after Black Metal fit for 2015, full of spite and Black emotions, then this is the release for you.

Splendid.

Nomad – Tetramorph (Review)

This is the latest EP from Polish Blackened Death Metallers Nomad.

Here we have 4 songs, 16 minutes of music; a glimpse into the world of Nomad. This world is brutal and ugly, but surprisingly nuanced and with an interestingly Blackened Sheen. The songs seems to barge out of the darkness to commit heinous, blasphemous acts before disappearing back into the night once more.

This is solid Death Metal, corrupted by Black Metal influences to tinge the riffs a shade darker than they would normally be and infusing the songs with dark atmospheres and an occult presence. They kind of remind me of a band like Blood Red Throne if they were more of a Blackened Death Metal proposition and were mixed with a band like Zyklon.

Nomad’s songs seem to be less about the individual riffs or parts and more about holistic atmosphere and feeling. This is an approach more commonly used by Black Metal bands than Death Metal ones, and thus befits their hybrid status. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some choice riffs on display here though; there are, and the overall impression that Tetramorph makes is extremely positive.

Dark growls that are more emotive than the norm for this style are combined with sickly screams and all kinds of other incantations to produce a focal point for these Blackened hymns.

Having never heard Nomad before, this is not what I was actually expecting. It’s always nice to be surprised and hear Blackened Death Metal done well, especially when the two styles are blurred so well like they are here.

Recommended.

Lunar Mantra – Genesis (Review)

This is the début release from UK Black Metallers Lunar Mantra.

This is scathing, occult Black Metal with a bit of Dark Ambient thrown in for good measure.

The guitars have that Old-School fragile-yet-sharp-and-dangerous tone to them, like an icicle sharpened to a killing point. The riffs follow suit, and Lunar Mantra show their worth with dark melodies and esoteric auras in abundance.

Theirs is a raw, underground sound. Even so, you can still hear everything nicely, including the bass, (which is a treat).

The guitar melodies seem to twist, slide and writhe over each other like they’re living things, possessed by some form of malignant serpentine sentience.

Guttural vocals that sound like they have been retching up far too many daemons are used sparingly and the singer seems to merge with the music at a visceral level, urging the listener to ever greater heights of dark worship. But worship of what?

A very enjoyable release that bodes well for the future of this band, join them in their mysterious adulations and become part of their Genesis.

Haiduk – Demonicon (Review)

Haiduk is a one-man Black Metal project from Canada. This is his second album.

This is an album full of distorted blasting and hate-fuelled invective. It’s Black Metal with a pinch of Death Metal added for good measure. Although you could call this Blackened Death Metal, Black Metal is very much the main star of the show.

The Death Metal influence raises its ugly head in the added brutality and forcefulness of some of the riffs, as well as, more blatantly, the growled vocals.

The music is fast, well-constructed and hits the spot like a knife hitting its target. The riffs are full of Blackened melodies and harsher rhythms. Energetic and not afraid to add streaks of colour to its grimness, the music pummels and lacerates the listener at the same time.

The songs still manage to create atmosphere on occasion, so it’s not all a one-dimensional assault. This is the exception rather than the rule though, and to be honest, it’s good enough and well-played enough not to matter, regardless.

One-man Black Metal bands frequently take the less aggressive route, but Haiduk has proven that there’s no real reason for this to be the case. Demonicon is ugly, nasty and has enough quality riffs and dark melodies to be a dangerous proposition.

Like being hunted down in the dark and lashed at with razor-whips; this album somehow makes this prospect appealing.

Recommended.

Nyx – Home (Review)

Nyx are a Black Metal band from Germany and this is their début album.

Featuring only two members, Nyx make an impressive début that would do justice to a full band.

The music on this 45 minute album is quite varied and features elements of different sub-genres as well as the core of Black Metal that they play so well.

A few Classic Metal licks appear here and there, as well as a decent Post-Metal influence, especially in some of the guitar melodies. There’s enough of this ethereal, transcendental influence to label this Post-Black Metal, although the icy, frozen core of the pure style is still here, corrupting it so that it’s projected out through the prism of urban decay.

The singer’s screamed vocals are ridiculously strong; her voice is blood-curdling and powerful in the best tradition of Black Metal shrieking. Cleaner vocalisations are also used and these add emotional content and a rather ritualistic, sinister aura on occasion. These too are powerful and have real presence. Occasionally they even add in a bit of a more traditional clean singing style, and these parts sound just as good as everything else.

The songs are barbed, twisted and full of unexpected subtlety and shading. There’s a lot of ideas on display throughout these 9 tracks and the band have produced an album that has both immediate impact and lasting depth. The production is sharp and serrated, allowing the music to showcase its dangerous edge.

This is not a run-of-the-mill release, this is sophisticated Black Metal Art.

Very impressive.

Terra Deep – Part of This World, Part of Another (Review)

This is the third album from US Progressive Black Metal one-man group Terra Deep.

The music on this release is a complicated and sophisticated Progressive Metal feast that’s born out of the corrupted undergrowth of Black Metal’s fertile roots. Progressive and Post-Black Metal elements take control of proceedings quite early on, reinforced by a dark core of frozen steel.

Deep, unsettling growls, evil shrieks and powerful cleans all add a multitude of texture and feeling to music that successfully combines the cold malignance of Black Metal with the expansive, exploratory nature of Progressive music. This is further enhanced by elements of Doom/Depressive Black Metal that add a forlorn, lonesome sheen to some of the tracks. It all adds up to a multifaceted release full of quality music and songs that engage.

Richly textured tracks seem to bleed shades of pain and grim tidings, while still fostering a highly emotive side that connects with the listener in a visceral way. The songs are advanced exemplars of what can be done with a Black Metal base and a will to explore.

The production is solid and allows the music to hit the right balance between heaviness and nuance. It’s a good sound that satisfies and does justice to the differing parts and influences that make up Part of This World, Part of Another.

These five songs are impressively-realised affairs that speak of the experience and talent of the brains behind the outfit. He obviously has a coherent and well-rounded vision for Terra Deep and has the ability and skill to achieve it.

If you combine Opeth, Enslaved, Forgotten Tomb and Ihsahn then you’ll have a good idea of Terra Deep’s style.

There really is a lot here to offer the discerning Extreme Metal fan and I can’t really recommend this highly enough.

Vreid – Sólverv (Review)

Vreid are a Black Metal band from Norway and this is their seventh album.

Vreid play Melodic Black Metal that’s sharp and fast. They specialise in colourful, rich melodies that run through the Blackened music like a stream cutting through a mountain.

Vreid originally arose after the end of Windir, a band that I always loved. For some reason, I never got around to checking out Vreid before now, (partially through laziness/lack of opportunity, and partially as Windir were so damn good that it almost didn’t seem worth it. Odd reasoning I know…), and I sincerely regret this, as Sólverv, (and presumably the rest of their work), effectively carries on the spirit of what Windir were about. Oh how I’ve missed these elegant and distinctive atmospheric melodies! There’s a lesson here folks – always check out that band who, for whatever reason, you haven’t had the time or inclination to.

The rhythm guitars are full of energy and play with speed and groove with equal relish. The leads are frequent and highly textured, giving the band a superbly atmosphered collection of songs that are highly emotive and engaging. Subtle keyboards further enhance the tracks where necessary, adding another layer of feeling.

These songs are atmospheric in ways that it’s hard to express. It’s like the guitars have plugged into a primal wellspring of Blackened mood and ambience, lost since the rise of second wave Black Metal and found and kept safe by the band for their own special ministrations.

Of course it’s not all about the guitars, although these are a defining point of the music. The other instruments and the singer play their parts too. The bass and drums provide a framework for the guitars to work their magic, while the singer’s rasping screech adds a serrated edge to the flowing, melodic music.

It is with great regret that I mourn the lost years where I had the chance to follow up on the mighty Windir’s legacy and failed to do so. More fool me. From now on, Sólverv will be on heavy rotation.

Heartily recommended.

Arcturus – Arcturian (Review)

Arcturus are a Norwegian Avant-Garde Progressive Black Metal band and this is their fifth album.

This legendary band finally make a return with their unique and charismatic take on Metal. This is 48 minutes of extravagance, style, class, eccentricity and outright esoteric musicality. The level of skill and talent involved in a release like this is staggering really, when compared with the average band. But then Arcturus have always been outliers.

This album is somewhat of a blend of their earlier and later work. It’s more accessible than the pure theatricality of La Masquerade Infernale, but less cautious than Sideshow Symphonies; the result is an album that takes the right amount of cues from both.

Arcturian is a perfectly judged melting pot of disparate influences that balances them all off against each other in a coherent-yet-varied way. From blast beats to orchestral oddness and everything in between, this is highly-textured and richly evocative music that’s not afraid to pile on the layers of atmosphere and feeling. The songs have depth, dynamics, pacing and personality.

As a focal point, we have the amazing voice of the singer. He has always been one of my favourite vocalists, no matter what band he has been playing in, and on Arcturian he excels in every way. Boasting one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in Metal, he complements the expansive and nuanced music with a strong presence and commanding performance. Hot stuff.

I’m extremely pleased to say that Arcturus’ first offering in a decade is a resounding success, at least with me it is. Music is highly subjective and a lot of people just won’t ‘get’ this, (more fool them), but for those that do, this heralds a wondrous homecoming. Arcturian is a return to form after their last album, (which was good, but lacking that something special that their other work had), and an album to listen to and absorb over and over again.

An important release.