Black metal – Page 216 – Wonderbox Metal

Dys Inbunden – One with Morbidity, the Opus Misanthropy (Review)

Dys Inbunden are a Swedish Black Metal band and this is their second album.

Dys Ibunden have crafted a ferocious assault on the senses with their new album. It’s an intense 87 minutes of music that will leave you battered, bruised and probably sacrificed to some underworld deity or other. And yes, you read the playing time correctly. There is a lot of Black Metal here.

The songs are on the longer side and no opportunity to spread their dark message is missed. The majority of the album is hyper-aggressive Black Metal, so beloved of the Swedish style. The band skilfully add a bit of atmosphere and depth to this, however, otherwise the long playing time would mean this would get very boring, very quickly. Dys Inbunden play a more mature, complex version of the Swedish Black Metal style, in many ways, and these songs work because of this.

The vocals are a cross between standard Black Metal screams and a more Cradle of Filth-esque piercing delivery. Occasional cleans appear; these are used sparingly and are kind of like semi-heroic, chanting hymns. Or something.

The band have a rather muscular sound, which is unusual for a Black Metal band. The bass makes its presence felt and the combination of the guitars and drums makes it feel like you’ve been punched in the face a few hundred times.

If hostile Black Metal is your thing and you’re not adverse to a bit of depth and atmosphere then check out Dys Inbunden

Ashtar – Ilmasaari (Review)

Ashtar are from Switzerland and play Blackened Doom. This is their début album.

Ashtar play music that incorporates elements of Black Metal, Doom and Sludge. I do love a bit of Blackened Doom, and if you’ve been keeping up with the likes of Usnea, Mourning Pyre, Atriarch and Upyr then Ashtar should be your cup of tea too.

Even though the album cover screams Classic Doom, Ashtar’s musical aesthetic is more on the Black Metal side of things. Aspects of Classic Doom do make it into their sound, but these have been Blackened and corrupted into the sickening Sludge mass that they are now.

The vocals are mainly Blackened shrieks that seem to scratch at the back of your eyes like something unclean that wants to come into our world. The singer seems to have a knack for this kind of malevolent rasp, although she does occasionally use her voice in a few other ways throughout these six tracks.

The songs are bleak and sobering glimpses into the mindset of their creators. There are enough riffs and quality guitar lines here to keep anyone satisfied, but Ashtar are primarily about the mood and atmosphere that they create with their chosen medium.

The band are a duo and as such the music is relatively minimalistic, however it rapidly seems to expand to fill a large amount of space with its gloominess and it never seems like you’re listening to anything other than a full band. This is especially true when they incorporate additional sounds and instrumentation into their songs to further deepen the atmosphere.

There’s something extremely satisfying about this release. From the occult feelings to the Blackened bile; from the Doom aura to the impressive riffs; Ashtar have crafted a release that will appeal to the darkness inside.

Highly recommended.

Void Paradigm – Earth’s Disease (Review)

Hailing from France, this is the second album from Black Metallers Void Paradigm.

Here’s a band who come from the Deathspell Omega school of Black Metal. They’ve learned from the masters and have now applied what they know to their own creation. This is music that’s hypnotic and warped.

Straight from the start the band show that this is abrasive, discordant Black Metal that sings to its own twisted hymn sheet set to music that shouldn’t rightly exist in our reality.

Corrupted riffs spread their strange melodies and nefarious, atypical sounds abound throughout these five songs. The creative flair of a flawed genius is clearly on display, clashing with the ingenuity of a madman.

Speaking of madmen, the singer would certainly seem to qualify. His emotive-but-jarring shouts will be an acquired taste for some I’m sure, but his performance level and passion of delivery cannot be doubted.

So, this is not your standard Black Metal affair and Void Paradigm should be applauded for this. Earth’s Disease features a treasure trove of interesting ideas and different sounds. The songwriting of the band is unusual but the result is very pleasing.

The aesthetics of the band are familiar even if the music is not. That these have been filtered through the prism of a very creative and aspiring band makes Earth’s Disease a release to be savoured and enjoyed at length.

The dark, swirling core of the music is augmented by Avant-Garde elements and there’s enough stimulating and inspired flourishes here to really impress. Progressive and Experimental elements also combine with these aforementioned aspects of their sound, firming up Void Paradigm’s mastery of their chosen dark art.

It’s an off-kilter and disturbing world that the band have carved for themselves across these 39 minutes, and one that cries out to be explored; just be wary on your travels.

For Black Metal that’s individual, charismatic, esoteric and wonderfully obtuse, look no further, for Void Paradigm are here.

Barús – Barús (Review)

Barús are a Progressive Death Metal band from France and this is their début EP.

The music that Barús play is complex and unforgiving. This is not music for the weak.

The band’s take on Death Metal is one that combines the Technical and Progressive Death Metal sub-genres into something pretty special. There are even some hints at Post-Metal and Black Metal here and there.

The songs evoke complex reinterpretations of bands such as Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Mithras, Nile, Akercocke, etc. – bands that are not content to be constrained by the norm and reach for greater and higher. Barús now join their hallowed ranks.

The dense guitar riffs seem to layer on top of themselves and Barús’ music seems to have levels upon levels of extremity to hide itself in. For all of this though they are also aware that sometimes simpler is better, but even here there’s usually a lot going on.

Sometimes twisted melodies appear to float up out of the chaos to bring an otherworldly element to their already esoteric sound. A great deal of variation exists across these 4 tracks and each song is both self-contained and part of a greater whole.

The vocals are predominantly deep grunts but a whole load of other vocalisations are used too, from semi-clean moans to spoken word to chants and everything in between, including, briefly, actual singing.

I love it when you find a band like Barús who are willing and able to take the standard Death Metal template and experiment with it until it’s mutated into their own personal view of the genre. This EP has a personality and style of its own and these songs are involving and engaging from start.

An extremely promising beginning for Barús. This EP is a strong start to their existence and if they manage to keep up the quality levels then their début album will be fantastic. Here’s hoping.

Merda Mundi – VI – Khaos (Review)

Merda Mundi is a one-man Black Metal band from Belgium. This is his second album.

The brains behind this outfit we already know due to some of his previous releases, (C.O.A.G., We All Die (Laughing)).

Merda Mundi play raw and misanthropic Black Metal that’s brutal and not for the easily scared.

The label blurb makes comparisons to Anaal Nathrakh and Antaeus and it’s easy to see why; this is a visceral and bloody assault that leaves no stone unturned in its quest for carnage.

The music is harsh and fast, with a good recording that brings out the grime and grit of the songs without sounding too rough around the edges. The album sounds on fire and every bit as dangerous.

The music gallops along at a frenetic pace. The guitars rage and the drums bludgeon. The vocals sound utterly unhinged and quite daemonic in places.

This kind of music has a deep love of all things brutal and is evil enough to cater to those who love both types of Black Metal. Lurking underneath the brutality and devastation is a deeper level; these songs also have dark melodies and atmospheric sections that don’t let up the intensity but do add another layer of listening experience to the tracks. It’s skilfully done.

If you want an album that knows how to create malevolent atmospheres as well as being able to rip your head off then VI – Khaos is the place to be.

Abjvration – The Unquenchable Pyre (Review)

Abjvration are from France and this is their début EP. They play Death/Doom Metal.

Imagine the most hideously disgusting type of Doom that’s congealed around some sickening Death Metal to form an unholy mass of evil…this is The Unquenchable Pyre.

Huge, heavy-as-Hell riffs populate this release like disaster sites, almost relentless in their assault. Colossally slow guitars crush all before them and faster, more-Death Metal riffs punctuate the blackness like knife wounds.

The vocals are a thing of beauty, albeit a very warped and disturbing type of beauty, of course; utterly deep and pitch-black in their delivery of rolling, growling terror. They sound immense and ancient, just like the music.

The music oozes and seeps along, like some sort of infectious disease. There’s a real rank feeling of a wet, unhealthy underworld to this release and that’s an entirely complimentary comment. Abjvration have created something disturbingly special here.

The Doom riffs keep flowing and it’s only when the Blackened Death Metal parts break out that you remember they’re not just a pure Doom band.

What little melody there is on this EP is aimed at increasing the listener’s unease and the entire 27 minute playing time is a masterclass in creating rotting, noxious, heavy music.

This isn’t Black Metal but it shares a lot in common with the more foetid styles of the same. A deep, dark, miasma of Blackened pestilence hangs over this release like a funeral shroud and Abjvration milk this for every last drop of feeling that they can.

This is unapologetically Old-School Death/Doom that’s flawlessly delivered and expertly realised.

France continues to keep its reputation for producing high quality Extreme Metal intact. Abjvration are a dark revelation.

Isolert – Isolated Soul (Review)

Isolert Isolert are a Black Metal band from Greece and this is their first release.

A short demo of just 12 minutes length; Isolert play Black Metal in the Scandinavian vein.

This is grim, Old-School Black Metal with plenty of speed and hateful invective to power the tracks along.

I’m a big fan of the production on this release – it’s raw and underground yet everything remains balanced. They’ve got the mix right between the Black Metal aesthetic and an enjoyable, listenable sound.

The Blackened riffs are frozen and icy and the songs are instantly recognisable for what they are.

The vocals are well-performed rasps in the classic Black Metal style, although some variations appear in the form of whispers and short-lived cleans.

This is a decent demo and a strong entrance for this new band. Give them a listen. Feel the isolation close in and the frigid winds howl.

Gorgoroth – Instinctus Bestialis (Review)

This is the tenth album by these veteran Norwegian Black Metallers.

This is a band that need no real introduction, and the album is the same; Radix Malorum opens things off with a bang and blast beats aplenty.

On Instinctus Bestialis the band stay true to their roots and deliver 31 minutes of Norwegian Black Metal as it is meant to be played.

The album has a quality recording that’s dark enough to suit the genre but polished enough to sound really strong. Everything is clear and full of fiery vigour.

The riffs are suitably Blackened but Gorgoroth impress by inserting some good melodies into the mix where needed. These Blackened melodies help the songs have extra depth, but they are not overly flashy; they work with the structure of the songs to enhance them without being the focus of attention.

I also like the Thrashy edge that Gorgoroth have always been so good with. This gives their sound a heavier dimension that some Black Metal lacks. Again, it’s not an overly ostentatious part of their sound but it all adds to the whole. Burn in His Light is a prime example, featuring a very satisfying and crunchy guitar riff.

Over two decades since their formation Gorgoroth continue to have what it takes to show the world that they still have sharpened teeth. Instinctus Bestialis is a finely realised collection of Black Metal songs and is firmly a winner in my book.

All hail Gorgoroth!

https://www.facebook.com/gorgorothofficial

Kaosophia – The Origin of Extinction (Review)

Kaosophia are a Ukrainian Black Metal band and this is their début album.

Kaosophia play occult Black Metal with plenty of speed and bite that’s inspired by the likes of Gorgoroth, Watain and Marduk.

The riffs are Blackened and the melodies evil. On top of this though the band also use some tasty Thrash-inspired riffs on occasion. It’s not a huge part of their sound but it’s there.

The vocals are hateful croaking screams that may be the norm for the genre but are still performed well.

Kaosophia operate at all speeds and manage to create dark atmospheres regardless of whether they’re blasting out at full throttle or creeping around much slower. Either way, the Blackened melodies and writhing riffs give an impression of grandeur and horror.

This is a really enjoyable 46 minutes of music. This is the kind of Black Metal that it’s easy to like; a well-recorded and well-written slice of apocalyptic hymnals.

Check them out.

Agonie – Nemesis (Review)

Agonie are a Black Metal band from Germany. This is their début EP.

Here we have three tracks, just under 16 minutes of Black Metal, consisting of two original songs and a Zerfall cover.

This is very honest, authentic Black Metal with a great sound and a real feeling of darkness emanating from it.

Razor-sharp croaking screams and blasting frosted riffs propel the band through the 3 tracks in seemingly no time at all.

The Blackened melodies employed by Agonie are very, very enjoyable. Something about them just screams quality. Whether they play fast or lock into a groove the band milk every riff for its full potential and still have enough left over for the drums and vocals to not seem like complete afterthoughts.

This kind of pure Black Metal is always a pleasure to listen to and Nemesis sounds as if it could have come straight out of the 90’s in many ways. This is not about recapturing lost glories though, it’s about the here and now and what they have to offer Black Metal in 2015. The answer? Great fucking tunes.

The pacing is right and each song succeeds in offering a transcendent listening experience where the listener is transported to some dark, evil dimension and plagued by daemons. It doesn’t sound fun and it’s not supposed to, but for those select few who thrive on such things Agonie provide an exquisite experience for those with tastes that run to the esoteric.

Kind of a cross between the rolling atmospheric nature of Vinterriket, the classic template of Darkthrone and the occult stylings of Nehëmah.

The final track is a cover of a song by a band named Zerfell. They’re not a band I know but the track fits well with the other two and if anything is the more aggressive of the three.

By crikey this is good. I genuinely can’t wait for a full length from these.

Extremely highly recommended.