Black metal – Page 227 – Wonderbox Metal

Goatwhore – Constricting Rage of the Merciless (Review)

This is the latest album from US Black Metallers Goatwhore.

A new Goatwhore album is always something to be excited about. They may be loosely Black Metal, but they actually combine that with elements of Death and Thrash Metal to create something distinctly Goatwhore.

10 songs in 37 minutes; short, catchy and so very Metal. All the familiar ingredients are here – great sound, poisonous riffs, relentless drums, characterful vocals, dynamic and exciting writing…I could go on but won’t.

Each song takes elements of the aforementioned genres and mashes them together to create a collection of dark wonders. This also means that the album is surprisingly varied within the genre it inhabits; riffs and ideas from all manner of guitar-based styles are crushed up, swallowed and regurgitated as prime Goatwhore-stamped meat.

The grim riffing and fast drumming never cease to be inspired and despite the overall extremity of the release it has lots of hooks to grab your attention and help make the songs memorable.

Goatwhore have shown once again why they are in a league of their own and why very few bands even come close to touching them in terms of sheer quality of songs and passion of purpose.

My advice? Get this. Get this now.

Salvaticus – Hidden Manna (Review)

US Black Metal band Salvaticus have just released their début album Hidden Manna.

The first thing that strikes me about Salvaticus is their raw sound that actually adds to the power of the songs rather than detracts from them. It’s raw in an underground way yet still strong enough not to sound weak or low quality. It somehow manages to capture the barbarity necessary for the heavier bits whilst remaining clear enough for the lighter ones. Either way, you can always hear and appreciate everything that’s gong on.

And what is going on? Quite a lot actually. This is an interesting brand of Black Metal that explores the state of the genre in 2014 and takes from multiple incarnations of the style to suit the vision of the band.

The songs are nature inspired/influenced and although based on the second wave of Black Metal there are elements of other sub-styles in their songs as well, the most notable being a combination of the Cascadian style and a strong Post-Metal feeling in places.

Coming across as a rougher version, (in a good way), of bands like Enslaved and Entropia, Salvaticus have hit upon a great formula for their sound.

The four songs here are epic in scope and pulled off due to the obvious talent and songwriting skills of the band. The album is full of powerful riffs, ideas, melodies and dark feelings.

Albums like this are very easy to get lost in. Listen to Salvaticus. Now.

Leather Chalice – Luna (Review)

Leather Chalice are from the US and this is their latest EP.

One track, almost 16 minutes in length; this is a heady fusion of Black Metal and Post-Hardcore.

Luna starts off with samples and noises before slowly introducing the drums and a lightly strumming guitar. Very soon we’re into shoegaze lo-fi territory with the band tentatively picking their way along to a backdrop of strange and unusual sounds.

This abruptly changes to a 70’s inspired piece that has some lovely rumbling bass and emotive guitars. The vocals also start and we’re treated to some real throat-shredding screams.

The guitars have a nice 70’s Progressive feel to them and the whole thing feels analogue and very down to earth. Lo-fi this may be but it’s rich in content and feeling with the band exploring their chosen path with passion and verve.

I love that you can hear the bass and it adds a lot to the song rather then just being under-utilised as in most bands.

As the song progresses things get more upbeat and venture closer to raw Black Metal while keeping the overarching theme of the track intact.

The quasi-Industrial sounds are brought to the fore once more two thirds of the way in before blasting off again for the final run.

I could listen to this kind of music all day. There’s something very honest and open about music which on one hand seems like it has been thrown up quickly and is only held together by the thinnest of threads, whilst on the other hand feeling timeless and like it will undoubtedly endure for a long time to come.

Take a chance, lift the Leather Chalice up and take a good hard listen.

Humut Tabal – The Dark Emperor ov the Shadow Realm (Review)

This is the second album by US Black Metal band Humut Tabal.

Humut Tabal play frigid Black Metal with dark melodies lashing out from every angle. The riffs are catchy and purposeful and the songs are driven by a sense of urgency and grandeur.

Speed is very important on The Dark Emperor ov the Shadow Realm and the band give it their all when they need to. They’re not adverse to slower/mid-paced sections too though and there is enough mixture between the two to keep things interesting.

The band base their sound on the likes of Mayhem, Satyricon, Naglfar and Emperor. Using this base they then build on it with their own personality as well as injecting some Classical/Experimental influences into their compositions. They’re confident enough in their own abilities to pull it off with panache.

Vocally the high pitched shrieking is classic Black Metal and sounds just right for the music.

The complete package is rounded off with a strong recording that serves the band well.

On the whole the band have created an enjoyable and powerful set of songs.

Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestite (Review)

Wolves in the Throne Room are from the US and play Cascadian Black Metal, at least they do normally.

Celestite is different. Stylistically still rooted in the Black Metal genre, the band have stripped out the drums and vocals and instead created five atmospheric soundscapes to captivate and entrance the listener.

Synth-based exploration and orchestrated Blackened sonics give this the air of an extended film soundtrack. This is cinematic music with grand musical vistas and sweeping arcs of ambitious beauty.

In the wrong hands this could easily sound trite or just plain dull, but Wolves in the Throne Room prove that they can take the atmospheric build-and-release dynamics that they honed so perfectly on their Black Metal work and transfer this intact to the compositions on Celestite.

This is an album crafted with lofty aims and I’m pleased to say that it works. Each track successfully conjures the majesty of celestial imagery and awe-inspiring wonder at the breathtaking scenery that nature can deliver. The album cover is truly appropriate at putting across just what the music feels like.

This may be an experiment for the band compared to their usual work but it’s a roaring success. The ideal accompaniment to watching the night sky.

Blut Aus Nord/P.H.O.B.O.S. – Triunity Split (Review)

Blut Aus Nord are France’s premier Black Metal/Avant Garde/Industrial/Dark Metal kings, and this is their split with fellow French band P.H.O.B.O.S. who play Industrial Doom.

Each band contributes three songs, with Blut Aus Nord up first. Their songs are as impressive as you would imagine and follow their standard Dark Metal template of Blackened riffs, proficient drumming, atmospheric auras and semi-industrial feelings; like watching urban decay sped up and slowed down at the same time.

Warped and haunting melodies layer these three tracks and engage the listener fully. The first track De Librio Arbitrio is so involving that it’s almost startling to hear vocals in the latter part of the song.

These three songs are bleakly emotive Black Metal and it’s once more apparent why Blut Aus Nord are in a league of their own with very few bands even coming close to a similar style of any real quality. And even though the band are better known for their atmospheres than their riffs, they still know how to kick them out when they need to; listen to that grinding mid-paced riffing in Hùbris. Quality.

And on to the second half of the split; all three tracks by P.H.O.B.O.S. are 7:00 in length, which immediately made me take notice.

This is Dark Industrial Doom that may be different from Blut Aus Nord’s Black Metal but shares the same stylistic headspace. The tracks slither and wind their way around to a backdrop of pounding drums that sound like heavy items being dropped from great height.

If Blut Aus Nord were remixed and regurgitated by Godflesh then the result might not be too far from this. The three tracks pulse nicely with automated, mechanistic darkness and I’m quite happy that I’ve now encountered P.H.O.B.O.S.

This is a premium split that showcases the exceptional talents of both bands and at 40 minutes in length it’s a darn sight longer than most splits.

Check it out.

Chemical Cascades – Demo (Review)

Chemical Cascades are from Australia and play Black Metal.

This may be billed as a demo but the usual substandard demo recording is missing; instead we get a perfectly serviceable Underground Black Metal sound that fits the band like a glove and has an especially strong drum presence.

The vocals are howling and shrouded in reverberation. Like a dark aura they saturate the songs and are used as another instrument rather than separate vocals as with most bands.

The unearthly noises the singer makes scream in and out of the tracks like the doppler effect and they sound as if they’re alive. At least; some form of otherworldly, barely-sentient instinctual life.

The music is blasting and melodic with a strong, cold, ominous feeling to it. The riffs are well written and the album art gives a good impression of the frigid nature of the guitars. Each track reinforces the belief that this is not your standard, bedraggled Satanic wannabe band; rather this is a band fuelled by parts unknown and who possibly originate from the very place depicted in the simple-but-enticing cover artwork.

This is deeply satisfying in that it combines elements of harshness, melody and atmosphere all at once without ever giving itself over to any one of them completely. It’s a rewarding listen and promises great things from the band in the future.

At 34 minutes in length this could easily be classed as a début album rather than just a demo. If the band can continue to mine this creative seam of dark inspiration that they have found then their actual début album will be something well worth getting excited about.

A great release from a band you should definitely check out.

The Great Old Ones – Tekeli-li (Review)

This is the second album from French Black Metallers The Great Old Ones.

They play Black Metal with a good spread of Post-Metal thrown in, or, Post-Black Metal as it’s otherwise known.

This is Black Metal brimming with atmosphere and awash with colour and texture. A progressive and diverse album, this has a host of captivating passages and sections that transport the listener to another plane of existence.

The Black Metal is piercing and caustic whilst the Post-Metal is haunting and enticing. Mixed together and swathed in atmosphere these songs are the epitome of expansive and epic Black Metal. Cascadia clearly doesn’t have a monopoly on this style of Extreme music.

The emotional resonance and dark moods of these songs should not be underestimated. Each track adds to the mystique of the album; each one a further chapter in the story, a further unfurling of the nightmare. Based on H.P. Lovecraft, how else could it be?

From the soaring heights of iceblasted mountains to the darkest pits of the blackest abyss, this is a journey that will scar forever.

In an age where more and more music is short-lived and another discarded consumable, this album is anything but.

Essential listening.

Strafk – Phaseshifting (Review)

Strafk are from Russia and play Black Metal.

This is Experimental Black Metal with an Industrial feel. The sound is a very nice one; warm and deep but tinged with a rougher, almost creepy vibe that complements what the band is doing well.

The dark and menacing guitars combine piercing, angular riffs with fuller sounding sections to have a good mix of the both. They seem to creep around the songs with nary a care in the world.

Slouching, at ease; this is Black Metal that’s unhurried and almost free form in its composition in some respects, although everything is held together by the drums on one side and the electronics/effects on the other.

Vocally we have sub-audible mutterings that, like the guitars, only loosely follow what is going on with the rest of the track. Like the guitars though, this lends things a feeling of freedom to explore the surroundings while the aforementioned percussion and noises stop things from wandering off too far.

This is the sound of a band experimenting with Black Metal; exploring the ruins at the base of the genre, collecting what remains of past travellers and using them as a basis for reanimation and a new creation.

I don’t know what they will end up with eventually but I’m quite happy to spend time with them as they build it.

Abbey ov Thelema – Liber DCLXVI (Review)

Abbey ov Thelema are from Slovakia and this is their second album.

They play experimental, avant garde Black Metal. Highly orchestrated and complex, this is ambitious and bold as only the best Black Metal can be. Although saying that, Black Metal may be the underpinning starting point but it’s mutated and morphed far from it’s original format.

The tracks can be both chaotic and coherent; energetic and subdued; eclectic and considered. Sometimes it sounds as if The Dillinger Escape Plan had been consumed by Ebony Lake with Arcturus and Dødheimsgard overseeing proceedings.

There is clearly a lot of high class musicianship at play here, with everything arranged to exacting standards to create a whirling maelstrom of conflicting soundscapes that approach like furious waves and lash at the listener, never letting them rest or prepare for what comes next; the moment one onslaught of musical might crashes by the next tsunami of sound is about to hit.

It’s not all about the, (barely), controlled chaos of course, they also have calmer moments. These lulls act like buffers between the oncoming storms that they irregularly unleash.

This is not a band that will appeal to lovers of standard song structures and musical rules, but people who are looking for something a bit more adventurous should definitely check this out.

Ultimately this is a very hard album to describe as mere words don’t adequately do it justice. Abbey ov Thelema create a sort of demented majesty that really needs to be heard to fully appreciate what they’re about.

So strap yourself in, don the safety goggles, brace yourself and play at top volume.