Black metal – Page 220 – Wonderbox Metal

Natanas – Treachery (Review)

Natanas is a one-man Black Metal project from the US. This is his third album.

This is a very prolific project and this is the third album from Natanas this year. I reviewed the second album All Is Permitted not that long ago, and already I find there is this new release.

All Is Permitted was in the style of bands such as Xasthur, Portal, Mitochondrion, Enbilulugugal, Ævangelist and the like, and Treachery continues the theme.

Treachery feels like a good progression, (in a short period of time), from the previous album in that it, as a whole, feels more coherent and better constructed. The tracks are still raw, lo-fi expressions of hatred and malevolence, but this time they seem to gel and work better than previously.

The vocals have improved also, and this time they seem to have more bite to them, as well as being generally higher pitched and sharper.

Although the tracks here still have a pulsating organic looseness to them there’s also much more of a pseudo-Industrial and an almost hypnotic, tribal influence to them as well. Discordant, murky drum ‘n’ bass for the Black Metal generation? Maybe, but this album definitely has a more percussive edge to it regardless.

I said last time that this kind of Black Metal is not for everyone, and that still stands. It is, however, an enjoyable sidestep from the bog-standard and has a lot to offer those with the time, patience and stomach for it.

Give it a listen.

Mourning Pyre – Mourning Pyre (Review)

This is the début EP from Mourning Pyre, a one-man Blackened Doom project from the Ukraine.

A mournful, desolate Classical piece begins proceedings at the start of Saudade before equally mournful, desolate Doom Metal kicks in. It’s highly atmospheric Doom accentuated by subtle keyboards buried beneath the guitars.

Emotive leads in the style of My Dying Bride/Paradise Lost are the main drivers of the songs with crunchy rhythm guitars backing them up.

The keyboard/Classical parts of the songs are done especially well and speak of good arrangement and composition. Rather than sounding like addons to the Metal it’s all integrated well into a cohesive whole.

The drumming may be programmed but that doesn’t mean it’s perfunctory or basic; it’s filled with good rhythms and a nice amount of fills. They also don’t sound overtly programmed either as they have a decent sound.

This is Doom Metal rather than straight Doom, and the Blackened influence means that this EP has plenty of up-tempo moments. Some of the melodies used border on Post-Metal as well – Holding My Breath (Until I Die) is a good example of this.

I’ve enjoyed this EP. As début releases go it’s a good one. Here’s to the future and a full album of morbid delights to come.

Interview with Orbseven

Orbseven is a one-man Experimental Black Metal project that has recently released a very impressive new album. As I’d not heard of Obseven until relatively recently and knowing next to nothing about the project I decided to find out more…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

This is A. Zeven and Orbseven is my own personal solo project out of the US. Texas to be exact.

Give us a bit of history to Orbseven

I first thought about creating Orbseven in late 2004 and spent the next few years preparing the first release “The Linear Divide”. Since then I’ve released two more albums “Fall Below the Earth” and “.ismos.”. The latter of which has just been released this past year.

What are your influences?

Life is my main influence. My life. Others lives.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

I just finished listening to the latest Anathema album “Distant Satellites” for the hundredth time. I love everything they do. Aside from that the recent releases from Overkill, Cannibal Corpse, and Bolzer. And I’m always listening to Rainbow (Dio era)…which I still believe is very under appreciated. In my opinion, the best work that both Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore ever created. I think those first Rainbow albums should be looked into more by the general metal fanbase. I can go on and on about Rainbow. They’re essential listening.

What did you want to achieve with your new album?

After the first two releases, I had the urge to write something more open. Music that breathed a bit more than the previous material. I admit the first releases are really claustrophobic in sound and production. Very intense, and very exhausting. My idea for a third release was to counter those feelings but still create something that had impact…just without that frantic in-your-face approach. The music had to have clarity. I wanted it to have an inner and emotive pulse that resonated sonically.

Are you happy with how it turned out?

Pretty happy yes. I’ve always been happy about how my releases turned out. Being a solo artist that doesn’t have label representation and produces all the music alone, I have that luxury of releasing exactly what I want. It just so happens that I’m getting a bit better at representing the material with better production with each album. I think the two previous albums suffered because of my direction of the production. But it was the best I could do at the time and I’m happy about that.

What can you tell us about the lyrics?

Not a lot. The lyrics are the most personal thing about Orbseven. For “.ismos.”, it’s generally about existence. Just being. What that is, I don’t know. And I think thats the point of it. I have an idea of existence. Of being connected to everything. Of being aware. I have ideas…but I’m not certain. No one should be certain. Existence is too big for us. The contemplation is too enormous. No answers…all questions. That in a nutshell is what “.ismos.” is. I may release a lyrical line or two through social media from time to time. But never all of them.

Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.

Each album has been quite different. Guitar is my primary instrument so it usually starts with that. And then I fill in the rest. With this latest one, it was a bit of writing before recording..and recording while writing. That just happens to be how the previous albums came to be. The first was pretty much written before any studio time. I had an over abundance of material and I was prepared before recording. And with the second album, 90% of the music was written while I was recording it…so I didn’t familiarize myself with it very much. I think that also contributes to that chaotic pace that you hear on that release. And in actuality, I can still play most of the first album by memory. The second album not so much. I only remember bits and pieces. I’d have to relearn how to play it. Again, with “.ismos.”, it was both knowing some of the material and still writing the rest. Lyrics would always come last because its the part I’m most intimidated about.

How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?

I think for the next release, I’ll go back to that more aggressive style. After writing and recording “.ismos.” which is very minimal in guitar playing, I’m itching to play the heavy and fast stuff again. But at the same time, I want another “.ismos.” too. So it’ll probably be a marriage of both I think. That could all change. Orbseven is not very predictable.

What’s next for Orbseven?

Possibly a second video. But for now, I’m letting “.ismos.” do its thing. Letting it have its early life. I do that with all albums. I let it runs its course. By not preparing and writing a new Orbseven album, I’m allowing it to reach out and expand. It deserves that.

0 – Silence (Review)

This is the second release from 0, a Greek one-man Blackened Experimental Doom/Drone project.

0’s first album Simplifying a Demon was a surprisingly enjoyable slab of minimalistic Drone Doom in the vein of Khanate only with more Black Metal.

Once more the same foreboding atmosphere hits you. The cloying stench of something dark, dank, rotten and forgotten that slowly, agonisingly rises from the depths of some long lost pit of bleakness. But this time, something’s different.

This time around 0’s music is more considered and thoughtful. If Simplifying a Demon was the birthing throes of something horrific, then Silence is the sound of it growing and discovering itself, learning more about what it’s capable of.

Silence’s landscape is minimal and desolate, but for all this it is also a textured and alluring one. The songs wrap you in their deadly embrace and slowly take you into their world, warmly embraced by the darkness.

The Black Metal influence is still there on this release but it’s more subtle and less overt than previously. Silence has more of a droning Doom feeling, like some of the work by bands like Earth, Blackwolfgoat and Om, albeit a Blackened version of these.

The vocals have developed also. Black Metal shrieks are still in attendance but these are now very much a rarity. For the main vocals we are now treated to some very well performed and varied cleans that wouldn’t be out of place on more traditional Stoner Doom releases. Powerful and ominous.

Overall Silence is a positive progression for 0. The development shown on this album is really something and the songwriting has come on in leaps and bounds. I’m happy that 0 is not resting on its laurels and is continuing to push the boundaries of what a bass and a voice are capable of.

So get lost in the misery and enveloped in the Silence of 0.

Gust – Gust (Review)

Gust are from Sweden and play Hardcore. This is their second album.

This is violent and angry Hardcore that goes straight for the throat but isn’t afraid to do so in different ways.

There is a touch of the chaotic and dissonant about Gust. The band eschew the usual Hardcore clichés and generic guitar patterns and instead go for an atypical and the far more interesting take on hardcore.

As well as brutal and belligerent anger they also display a penchant for nuance in their riffing; it’s certainly not one-dimensional. There’s a creative flair at work here that makes Gust an absorbing listen.

Their riffs also have an apocalyptic feel to them and they’re almost tinged with a slight Black Metal feel as they drip with darkness and malevolent intent.

With largely short songs you’d be forgiven for thinking they were largely taken up with pure aggression; while they do have aggression in spades this is tempered by melodic walls of guitars and dynamic leads.

The end result is an album that mixes the creativity and energy of bands like Every Time I Die and Converge with the occasional slight nod to some of the extreme elements of bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Zao. Smother all of this in a Crusty, apocalyptic delivery and Gust are onto a winner.

A highly rewarding listen.

At Dusk – Anhedonia (Review)

At Dusk is a one-man Black Metal project from the US. This is his début album.

The album starts with an extended section of winds and Classical piano. After this it’s onto the roiling Blackness of Depressive Black Metal in full, morbid flow.

This album features 4 epic-length tracks that are full of lo-fi Black Metal with enhanced keyboard backdrops and expressive downbeat riffing. The melodies are miserably grim and the general aura is one of misanthropic darkness.

Anhedonia’s recording is distinctly underground and this fits the uncompromisingly negative nature of the music well. Fuzziness, distortion and raw Black Metal are layered with Depressive zeal to create works of near-suicidal art.

These songs are like waves of gloom on a twilight sea, ebbing and flowing with capricious vigour. They wear their bleak emotions on their sleeves and listening to At Dusk is like a constant barrage of negativity and woe. But in a good way.

Screams are buried under the blanketing cover of shadows and slash through into the light like serpentine predators.

At 1 hour in length this is a Blackened journey that leaves the listener raw, bruised and emotionally drained.

Listen to this at loud volume and with the lights turned off.

Ius Talionis – Eleutheromania (Review)

Ius Talionis are from Germany and this is their first release. They play Black Metal.

Although this is actually a demo release the quality of both sound and content belies this.

This is underground Black Metal with a raw-in-a-good-way sound that has a warmth and approachability to it despite the icy aura that the riffs themselves exude. The bass deserves special mention as not only is it audible but also adds tangible atmosphere and depth to the proceedings.

The songs lack ostentation and are atavistic beasts drawn from the dawn of Black Metal and harken back to the days when the likes of Burzum and Darkthrone were just dark amalgamations of potentiality and burgeoning threat.

This is Old-School Black Metal viewed and produced through the prism of history and hindsight. As such it perfectly captures the raw essence of Black Metal without ever falling into the trap of complacency, pointless hero-worship or any number of pitfalls that might befall the common Black Metal band.

These songs have a good deal of honesty about them and each one is truly enjoyable as an exemplar of the Blackened art of mood, pace and malevolent tribute.

Eleutheromania is a very impressive début release. With 4 songs in 36 minutes it could have easily passed as a début album. The fact that they haven’t done this and we still have this future début to come is a very exciting prospect indeed.

Ius Talionis are a band to watch that’s for sure. If they can keep the quality levels up then I predict a great album from them at some point.

Promethean Horde – Ashes of the Empyrean (Review)

Promethean Horde are from the US and play Black Metal. This is their début album.

This is epic Black Metal that blasts out of the speakers with vitality and passion. Immediately a few things are clear – they have a good sound, the bass has a good presence and it’s fast and furious.

The band have a healthy melodic streak to their sound with a good amount of leads and solos rearing their heads amidst the Blackened landscape.

Mainly screamed vocals are used, although deeper growls and cleans also appear. All are performed well.

Ashes of the Empyrean boasts fast and aggressive Melodic Black Metal that’s dark and sharp. These are Blackened melodies in use here not the joyous, pseudo-Pop of their more commercial cousins. This is hateful, spiteful and lives to cut lives short.

Some of the compositions also feature a bit more of a Progressive influence to them, as if the band are just beginning to tentatively experiment with Post-Black Metal/Folk elements. It’s not a large part of their sound for sure, but it’s an additional touch that keeps things interesting.

All throughout the album the band treat us to thick guitars and scathing vocals that lay the foundation for this enjoyable release. Reminding of old Dimmu Borgir without the keyboard ostentation, this is a pleasing album that is easy to like. The Blackened riffs wash over you like a welcome flagellation and the subtle Death Metal touches give their attack an added edge.

Solid, quality Black Metal. Enjoy.

Orbseven – .ismos. (Review)

Orbseven is a solo project from the US and this is the third album of Experimental Black Metal that the project has unleashed.

This is a combination of electric Black Metal, sleek Post-Black Metal and ambient/avant-garde darkness. It’s an interesting combination and the resulting album is an exploration of state-of-the-art Blackness and atmospheric expression.

Darkened sounds and interesting effects enhance the tracks in a way that’s subtle enough to not steal any thunder from the main driving force of the guitars but has enough impact to be noticeable.

The songs are propelled by Blackened melodies and experimental sound structures, but there’s also enough Post-Black Metal wanderings to allow the room for shades of both light and dark. They’re well written, have great dynamics and are potent affairs.

.ismos. fosters an atmosphere that’s vaguely mechanistic but overtly malevolent and mysterious. Everything about this album from the music itself to the album cover deals in these mysteries and although there are no answers forthcoming the search for them is what’s important.

The vocals are a curious and varied affair. Multiple styles collide as spoken/distorted words, barely audible pseudo-ethereal sounds and subtle cleans all appear at various times during the tracks.

If you think along the lines of Dødheimsgard, Aborym, Red Harvest and Arcturus then you’ll have a good idea of the basic building blocks of the Orbseven sound. There’s even a couple of riffs here and there that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Mastodon album.

Orbseven is a creative and novel approach to what Black Metal should sound like in 2014. Taking the basic Black Metal template and building/distorting it is common enough, but the always interesting thing is where the band ends up once they have done this. In the case of Orbseven we end up with Experimental/Post-Black Metal that rolls smoothly out of the speakers.

A great effort – show your support.

Cara Neir/Venowl – Split

Cara Neir and Venowl are both from the US and they’ve teamed up for this tasty split. Cara Neir play Black Metal with a Crust/Punk influence, whilst Venowl are the embodiment of dirty Doom evil.

Cara Neir are up first with three tracks lasting just under 12 minutes. Theirs is a direct assault that strips the flesh from bone and mutilates with extreme savagery.

Brutal riffs and Blackened melodies are powered by a Crusty assault that leaves the listener battered.

Sharp vocals eat away like acid as the singer attempts to claw his way through your ears and into the meaty goodness within.

They’re no one-trick pony however, as Cara Neir have shown throughout their prolific back catalogue. Even here on their short contribution to this split they show a good amount of variety.

Aeonian Temple is anger personified, Nights… is Shoegaze/Post-Metal in the style of Sun Devoured Earth and Pitiful Human Bindings, which is also the longest song, comes off like lo-fi Black Metal with a corrupted aura and a rabid bite.

Venowl have not long released their début album Patterns of Failure and with that success in mind we turn to them. They contribute only one track to this split. It’s called Scour (Parts I and II), it’s almost 22 minutes long and it is an ode to gradually inflicted and long, drawn-out pain. At least, that’s what it sounds like to me.

Venowl play slow. Except when they play even slower. It’s filthy, unhealthy, dangerous and barbed. It’s everything you love about unhinged, caustic Doom.

The track largely defies description except to possibly detail the descending layers of Hell and the accumulated millennia of torment and suffering that has accreted there.

Here we have two very different bands that manage to complement each other perfectly. I think you should do yourself a favour and get hold of this split. Darkness and misery never sounded so underground or so good.